I find Ciara in the kitchen attempting to clean Nico’s face with a wet wipe while he screams at the top of his lungs. Addison is buckled into her highchair, and the moment she sees that her mom is occupied, she decides to throw her entire bowl of oatmeal on the floor.
“Addison, no!” Ciara cries, startling Addison.
For a second, she’s quiet, and then she’s throwing her head back and screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Crap, Addie, I’m sorry. Mommy didn’t mean to yell.”
I hurry over to help deal with Addison. “I’ve got it.”
Ciara sighs, rubbing at her eyes. “Thanks. The twins were both up all night, teething, and Ronan had to run to take a call, and Elena is helping with Aubrey and…”
I can hear the emotion in her voice, and I quickly stop what I’m doing and pull her into a hug. “You’re doing great.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” she mumbles.
“That’s because you’re tired. Why don’t I help you get the twins down for their morning nap, and I’ll take the baby monitor while you have a bath?”
“That sounds like heaven, but there’s so much to do.”
I force a smile. “It’s nothing that can’t wait an hour or two. So, come on, team clean up the twins is officially on.”
Between the two of us, it takes almost thirty minutes to get Addison and Nico cleaned up and down for their nap. Before Ciara can even think about getting caught up in anything that doesn’t involve her taking a break, I march her into the ensuite bathroom attached to her room and start running a bath.
I snatch up the baby monitor from the nightstand. “I don’t want to hear or see you for at least an hour, got it?”
“But—”
I stare hard at her. “I will lock you in that bathroom if I have to.”
Ciara laughs. “All right, all right! I’m going.” A smile breaks out across her face. “Thanks for doing this, Fiona. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
I quickly check on the twins to make sure they’re asleep before heading back downstairs and peering around the door to the living room.
Scout is sitting on the floor, surrounded by his mountain of toy cars, chatting away to Riley who is pacing around the room, trying to get Aubrey to settle.
I catch her eye and offer her a smile.
“Everything okay?” I mouth, and she nods, though the dark circles under her eyes tell me she got just as much sleep as Ciara last night.
Not wanting to interrupt, I sneak back across the foyer but stop short when I notice my own reflection in the mirror. My skin is pale, and my eyes are bloodshot and puffy.
At least Ciara and Riley have the excuse of crying babies for their dark circles. I just have a blood-thirsty mafia don keeping me up all night.
I pad into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and find one already made.
“I thought you might need a pick-me-up.”
I spin around to find Cormac getting up from the kitchen table and stalking toward me.
He’s already dressed in a fresh shirt and slacks, his hair still a little damp from the shower.
I take a second to admire how good he looks, and then my cheeks heat as I glance down at my own attire of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
As if reading my thoughts, Cormac wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss that leaves me feeling breathless. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
“Don’t mock me,” I mutter, and Cormac’s shoulders shake with silent laughter.
