“Don’t even waste your breath, lass.” Declan laughs with amusement. “You know our mate is crazy and wants to ensure everything is perfect.”
“I don’t think—” Sadie tries to cut in.
“You will not fight me on this, Sadie. We’re going on holiday. End of.”
“You will not fight me on this,” I mimic. Lola and Jackson chuckle while Wills shoots daggers at me, so I playfully stick out my tongue at him.
It’s a life mission of mine to annoy him; he gets riled up so easily.
“I have a checklist, but most importantly, supervising the flower delivery and meeting the jazz band that’s playing at the welcoming party are most important. Sadie will, of course, be in contact with the florist all week. However, I still want both of you on top of it. I want it to be perfect.”
Jackson has a cheeky smile plastered on his face when he says, “We have it under control. If not, we have in-house entertainment, no need for the jazz band.”
We all look at him with questioning faces, and then he points to Declan.
“Our own personal Riverdancer, as he lives and breathes. Declan Buckley: millionaire extraordinaire, aka Bucks, and one-of-a-kind rugby-playing Riverdancer.”
Declan looks like he’s going to rip off Jackson’s head, and we all burst out laughing at the memory of Declan dancing.
Wills is trying hard to hold it in, but it’s impossible not to let it go. “That was the best day of my life when Nora played the video of him dancing. I’ll never forget the image of you in tights. It’s all I ever think of when someone mentions your name.”
“I’m going to kick both of your arses, you gobshites, then I’m going home, because Nora is in big trouble for ever showing you eejits that video.”
“Can I come downstairs now?” Charlie yells from upstairs.
“Are you sorry for coloring your sister’s face with a permanent marker?”
“Um. Yes?” she questions, and all of us except Sadie and Wills find it amusing.
Wills groans, covering his face. “What are we going to do with her?” he says to everyone and no one. “Poor Chloe was trying to take a bloody nap. I walk in to wake her up, and her whole face is covered.”
“Come here. I need to speak with you,” Sadie calls.
Charlie stomps her feet down the stairs, their dog Buddy following behind her as always. Those two are inseparable.
Her arms are crossed, already on the defense. Whoever made up the saying “terrible twos” never had kids, because she was an angel at two. Now at five, she’s a complete terror.
Her attitude is permanently out in full force, yet to me, she’s still the best kid of all time.
“Can you tell me why you did it?”
She looks at Wills for help, but he shrugs. It’s funny how the roles are reversed here. Sadie is quiet and sweet, without a mean bone in her body, whereas Wills couldn’t be any more different. Yet, with parenting, they’ve entirely switched roles, causing Sadie always to be the disciplinarian.
“If you don’t answer me, there will be no movie tonight, and you’ll go straight to bed,” Sadie threatens, although her words have no effect on her.
Charlie shrugs. “I don’t like how her face looks, so I colored it to be better.”
Sadie takes a deep breath. “That is a very unkind thing to say about your sister. You’re lucky she doesn’t understand, because it would really hurt her feelings. I know you’ve hurt mine.”
“Why?”
“Because it makes me sad when you’re not nice to Chloe. She loves you very much. Sisters and brothers are meant to be nice to each other and love one another. They’re supposed to be best friends. Like I am with Uncle Jack.”
“But she’s always crying and pooping. I don’t like that.”
“Because she’s only a baby. You did that once too.”
She crunches up her nose. “Ew,” she says, and we all laugh.
