Hollis
Definitely didn’t realize this was the group text. There is no recording studio.
Jay
Marv’s traumatized me enough, he deserves it. We’ll come to your house tomorrow morning and come up with a plan.
Marv
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Jay
Or don’t.
Hollis
I still don’t understand.
Owen, Millie, Ava, and Jack are currently having a staring contest in the kitchen with Jay and Marv.
Because Ryan got called into work and dropped them off without warning.
Because the ice sculpting competition The Holiday Club was attending got cancelled, and we were coming up with plan B.
Because this is my complicated life and I’m fully expecting as soon as this staring contest is over, I will never see Jay nor Marv again. Then I will kill Ryan for thinking he can pull a stunt like this after he’s the one who got exactly what he wanted by taking every weekend of the holidays.
Asshole.
Since the second the kids barreled into the house and saw Marv in his socked sandals and Jay in his flannel and antler-clad hat in their space, I haven’t taken a full breath.
“Who are you?” Owen demands.
“Depends,” Marv says, skeptical crease to his brow as he plants his hands on his hips. “Who are you?”
They all answer at once:
“We live here.”
“That’s our mom.”
“I’m Ava.”
“We’re kids.”
“You sure about that?” Jay asks with playful squint folding his arms over hisI’m with SantaT-shirt. “You look like grownups to me.”
At this, they preen.
I step between the opposing sides. “Guys, this is Jay and Marv, they are my—” I look at Jay, and he winks at me. For a split second I forget I’m in a room. Wearing clothes. With kids. And Marv. “Friends.”
All four of them blink at the two men.
“And these are my kids. From oldest to youngest”—I tap each of them on their heads as I call them out—“Owen. Millie. Ava. Jack.”
Jay steps down the line to shake each one of their hands. “Your mom has told us a lot about you.”
That simple line paired with the ridiculous hat on his head causes them to visibly warm up to him. As do I. More than I already am.
