“You’re sure?” I stare into her eyes to read her.
She nods, her bright blue eyes sparkling like the stars in the sky. She takes my hand and leads me into the hall.
With a growl, I follow my little elf up the stairs. My dick’s ready to try on a new latex suit. It’s been years since he last stepped out in one.
“I’m just going to use the bathroom,” Joy whispers as she reaches the top of the stairs.
“I’ll check on Teddy.” I creep down the landing and poke my head in the door. He’s not here and neither are his blankets. “Theo?” I stride into his room, and bend to check under his bed, then stride down the landing into my room. He’s pitched a blanket tent next to my king-sized bed. Much like the tent I was pitching in my trousers a moment ago. A torch shines through the duvet, where it’s hanging between a set of drawers and the windowsill.
I lift the blanket at one end.
He shines the torch on my face, giving me a toothy grin. A plate of cookies in front of him and his Nintendo Switch in hand. I thought it was too good to be true when Joy said he was asleep. This kid tucks me in at night.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” My eyebrows pinch together. “Asleep?”
“I tried, but then I had a great idea for the sleepover tonight.” He bites into a cookie, crumbs dropping from his lips onto the carpet that looks more like the floor of a biscuit factory.
“I thought you were ill?”
“I’m feeling better now.”
I place my palm on his forehead, checking for any signs of a temperature. “You’ll be all right to go to school tomorrow, then?”
“I might be poorly again in the morning.”
“Funny that, isn’t it?” I take the cookies away from him and place them on the dresser. “Come on. Time for bed.”
“But I—”
“No buts. Daddy and Joy are tired. We have work in the morning. It’s not the type of sleepover where we’re gong to stay up all night, eating cookies and watching movies. I know your aunt Nora lets you do that, but not tonight, kid.” I gather the duvet in my hands, ruining his tent, just like he’s ruined mine.
Joy shuffles in the doorway. “Do you want me to go?”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I shout a little too aggressively. But it’s out of frustration mainly. My own kid cockblocking me. I’ve never been in this situation before and I don’t know how people ever get to procreate a second kid if this is how it is.
Back in his own room, Teddy climbs into bed and I throw his duvet over him, tucking him in at the sides. “Go to sleep now. It’s late.” I kiss him on the forehead.
“Can I have a drink?”
I inhale a breath and count to ten. “Sure. I’ll get you a glass of milk.”
“Need me to do anything?” Joy asks from the bedroom doorway.
I peck her lips, and all the tension in my shoulders melts away. “We’ll just give him half an hour to get to sleep. You can change into one of my t-shirts if you like. Bottom drawer.”
Minutes later, I’m back in Teddy’s room with a glass of milk in hand. He sits up and has a big guzzle, then wipes the milk from his top lip. I place the drink on the bedside table and pull the duvet around his neck. “Night, Teddy bear.”
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can Joy stay over again?”
“I hope so. Would you like that?”
He yawns and nods as he closes his eyes. I kiss his forehead again and pad out of the room, closing the door with a click.
The sight of Joy in my bed, wearing an old oversized t-shirt, takes my breath away. Her elf costume and stockings hang over the back of a chair in the corner of the room, but she kept the ears on.
