“No, it’s Mercury!” Carsyn exclaimed.
“Ding, ding, ding! Good job, my G,” Basil said, high-fiving him.
“Aww, man!” Chloe pouted. Carsyn had been winning since we all sat down to eat the pizza and breadsticks Basil had ordered, and he decided to challenge their knowledge.
“It’s okay, Loe-Loe. You still got a chance to win,” Basil said, pinching her cheek. Now, what two colors makes the color purple?”
“White and pink, no wait—” Carsyn tried.
“Red and blue!” Chloe blurted out.
“Ding, ding, ding! See, I told you you’d win.”
She smiled in triumph.
“A’ight, last question before we go put on our pj’s. This is the finale. Whoever gets this one right wins. Y’all ready? This may be a hard one, but it went down in history.”
I watched them both tune in as Basil pulled a fifty-dollar bill from his pocket. Fifty dollars to a four- and six-year-old was crazy, but I didn’t protest. “Who was the forty-fourth president?”
“George Bush!” Carsyn blurted. I dropped my shoulders in defeat for him.
“Incorrect. You want to try, Loe?”
“Umm, Rock Oblama?”
Basil and I laughed as he looked at her and smiled. “It’s Barack Obama, and you are correct. Everybody, give it up for the champion of the yeaarrr!” Basil stood and swooped her up, swinging her around as she laughed her little life away. He planted a kiss on her forehead, then placed her on her feet. “Alright, time to get our pajamas on.”
“Baye-Baye, sweepy,” Carlee said, rubbing her eyes.
I knew she had to be tired since she hadn’t taken her nap today. Carlee was getting attached to him quickly, and I knew itwas because her father never really gave her as much affection or played with her like Basil did. In just a little over a week, she had become deeply connected to him. I didn’t know if I should’ve been happy or sad about it, but would she have been like this had Yara been her nanny? She loved Ms. Shelly, but she only went with the flow with her. She had never asked Ms. Shelly to help her with anything, nor did she ask to be picked up.
Basil handed Chloe her money, then picked Carlee up from her chair.
“You sleepy, Lee Bear?”
She laid her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.
“A’ight, gang, let’s go get y’all pajamas on.”
“Can we play in the arcade for a little while, Mommy?”
“Yeah. We’re on vacation, so you guys can play until you get tired.”
“Yes!” Both Carsyn and Chloe cheered.
I smiled. “I’ll take her up,” I told Basil, but Carlee held him around his neck tighter.
“No, Baye-Baye, sweep.”
“Really, Carlee? You don’t want Mommy to lay with you?”
“Mommy, lay. Baye-Baye, sweepy.”
Basil chuckled. “How about we both take her up?”
“Okay,” I replied, following them all up the stairs. Chloe and Carsyn went to put on their pajamas as Basil and I walked into my suite. He placed Carlee on the bed and pulled the covers over her. I got in beside her and rubbed her soft ponytails.
“I’ll be downstairs, cleaning up. Call me if you need me.”
