“I’d love to,” she said, walking over to take a seat right beside where they sat on the floor, on one of the small chairs the boys had been sitting in when Ronan arrived.
“Can you make me a bomb? I’m going to throw bombs at Matteo’s super heroes,” Leo said.
“I’m gonna keep them and throw them back at your super heroes,” Matteo said.
“I’m going to try to make the longest snake,” Ronan said as he started rolling out a long length of play dough.
“Me, too!” both boys yelled.
“Bet I’ll win,” Giada said, starting to make one of her own from the play dough Leo had handed her.
“She might,” Ronan said. “She’s the best at everything.”
“I know. My momma is the best one,” Leo said.
“Yep. Even when she’s mad,” Matteo said happily.
“Does she get mad a lot,” Ronan asked, with a teasing tone in his voice.
“Only when I make her mad.”
“How do you do that?” Ronan asked.
“He won’t eat his dinner. And he won’t listen, or he makes a mess and then cries when she makes him clean it up. But she doesn’t yell. She just makes him do what she says,” Leo said.
“Sometimes I just don’t want to listen,” Matteo said.
“Me, too. But we have to listen to our moms. Because they have a hard job and it’s our job to make it easier for them. It only takes a minute to listen,” Ronan said.
“I know,” Matteo said.
“Think you can try it next time you just don’t want to?”
“I’ll try,” Matteo said.
“I always try to listen,” Leo said.
“I’m proud of you for always trying,” Ronan said.
“Me, too,” Giada said.
“What about me?” Matteo demanded.
“I’m proud of you for knowing that you just don’t feel like you want to listen sometimes and telling the truth about it. And for agreeing to try to do better,” Ronan said.
“You are?” Matteo asked.
“I am,” Ronan said.
“Truth is always the best thing,” Giada said. “And that’s why I'm proud of you, too.”
They sat there playing for a few minutes before Leo looked up at Ronan. “Momma was crying when she thought I was sleeping. And that’s the truth.”
Ronan’s smile fell and he looked from Leo over to Giada.
“I was just having a hard time yesterday. I was tired, and I was feeling down.”
“And you missed Ronan?” Leo asked.
