“Do you think we’re ready to be parents?” she asked.
“I do. You don’t?”
“I don’t know. Tonight was fun, but I realize parenting isn’t always fun and games. Do you think we’re rushing into this?”
“What is your heart saying?”
“That Oaklyn needs a family, and our paths crossed at the perfect time.”
“Does that sound like rushing to you?”
“No.”
“It sounds like God’s timing to me.”
We fell into a comfortable silence, and eventually, sleep overcame us. The next morning, the girls were up before Rose left for work. She helped them get dressed while I made breakfast, and before long, I was alone with two three-year-olds.
“What do you want to do while Rose is at work?” I asked them.
“Can we go to da park, Unco Wuss?” Bliss asked.
“The park it is.”
A new indoor park had recently opened, and it was the perfect place to tire them out until Rose came home from work. I helped them put on their shoes, grabbed the backpack Rose had prepared with essentials and emergency items, and we left.
The whole ride to the indoor park, the girls sat in their car seats in the back, talking like two old women. I thought it was hilarious that they had so much to say to each other. They talked about pets, food, fire trucks, ice cream, and a few other random things.
We arrived at the park, and they were filled with excitement. For the next three hours, the three of us had a ball. It reminded me of when RJ was younger, and we had playdates with his classmates. The only difference was that they giggled a lot more, but they were just as rough and showed me no mercy.
I had a short break when Bliss and Oaklyn were occupied entertaining each other, so I went and sat off to the side. I kept my eyes on them and noticed Oaklyn yawn a few times. She looked around, and when she saw me, she headed in my direction.
When she made it to me, she climbed onto my lap, rested her head on my chest, yawned again, and closed her eyes. This little girl had officially stolen a piece of my heart.
Bliss made her way over to me to tell me she was hungry, so I held her hand while I carried Oaklyn to the truck. Once I had them secured in their car seats, Oaklyn woke up and told me she was hungry, too.
We stopped for food, then ice cream, before going back toThe Compound. By the time we arrived, they were fast asleep, and I needed a nap myself. I managed to get them from the car, but on my way to my suite, I ran into Rocky, and he took Bliss from my arms.
“You look like a pro,” he teased.
“It’s not like I don’t know what to do with toddlers, but two at the same time is a bit much. Between taking them to the bathroom, making sure they didn’t get snatched up, and stopping Bliss from bullying the other kids, they kept me on my toes.”
“I hope they had single bathrooms and you didn’t take my daughter into the men’s room.”
“They did, but I didn’t realize how important that was until one of them told me they had to go. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so relieved.”
“That made your day one hundred percent easier, I promise you. Don’t think I didn’t catch that part when you called my baby girl a bully. She’s bossy and has a strong personality, but she’s not a bully,” Rocky said, defending Bliss.
“Whatever you say, Bruh. Let me go put them down for their nap, and maybe I can sneak one in before Rose gets home, and these two wake up ready for more action.”
When we made it to my suite, we took off their shoes, laid them on the couch, and covered them with blankets. Rocky and I talked for a few more minutes before I sat between the girls on the couch and closed my eyes, falling asleep within a few minutes.
I woke up to Oaklyn on my lap with her face inches from mine, and her little thumbs pushing up my eyelids. It took me a moment to process what was happening, but I eventually remembered what had brought me to that moment.
“Oaklyn, what are you doing?” I asked, moving her hands away from my eyes.
“Time to wake up,” she whispered.
“Okay. I’m up.”
