“I’ll make some in a few.”Ian smiled at him, eyes dragging over him in a very adult way.“Are you okay with these two?”
He just stared for a moment, trying to parse the question.“Uh… yeah.Yeah, we’re good.”
“Cool.Be back soon.”
The kids stared at Ian, then Peter glanced back at him.“Why do they take your bed?”
He watched Ian disappear with a hint of panic.Ian was leaving the house?With just him to look after the kids?He took a deep breath.Okay, he was a grown man, well on his way to being fit.He could do this, right?Right.
He cleared his throat.“Because now that we have the chair lift for the stairs, I can sleep upstairs with the rest of you instead of down here all by myself.”
“That’s nice.You had to be brave by youself.”Tori patted his hand.
He chuckled.“I did, did I?It was lonely down here without the rest of you.”
“Poor, poor dad.That’s why we played wif you.”
“Well, I really appreciate it, thank you sweetie.”He kissed the back of her hand.
“You are welcome.I’m going to do my puzzle.You can watch me.”
Petey frowned over.“I want a puzzle.”
Tori shrugged one shoulder.“Go get one of you own.”
“Have you got one you want to show me, Peter?”he asked to divert his son from his sister’s dismissal.
“Oh.The balloon one?”
Tori nodded.“I gotten the hockey one.”
“Yougotthe hockey one.”He’d noticed Ian casually correcting the twins when they said something incorrectly and figured he should do it, too.“And sure, the balloon one sounds like fun.Show me?”
“Uh-huh.Wait for me, sister?”
Tori nodded like a queen.“I will wait.”
JP wanted to chuckle.She was such a character.They both were.
“What’s funny, Dad?Did you tell your heart a joke?”
What an interesting expression.“I did, sweetie.”
Peter came back with a box.The picture on the front had balloons over a field.
“Look at this.It looks hard.You want to show me how you do it?”
“Uh-huh.I will sit here.Tori can sit next to me.”
Tori nodded.“Okay.Let’s win the puzzle!”
Ian came in through the garage.“That’s done and dusted.I’ll make sandwiches.”
JP felt himself relaxing immediately.And he gave Ian a warm smile.“Oh, welcome back.You didn’t go far.”
“Huh?Nope, just out to the end of the driveway to sign off on the return.”Ian smiled at them.“Are we doing puzzles?”
“Uh-huh.I will win.”
