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“Put it down gently.”
“I am putting it gently, will you get off my”—
Crack!
The gingerbread roof cracks down the middle as Jess attempts to set it down over the base of the house. She allows the pieces to slide along the outer walls and back onto the table, and covers her face. Deep breaths. No swearing allowed—even though she really, really wants to let out a few motherfuckers right now.
“This is impossible,” she gripes as she pulls her hands away from her face. She catches sight of Luke’s smug, stupid grin, and points an accusatory finger at him. “And you’re laughing! You put the roof on, if it’s so easy!”
From her spot at the table, Danielle gives a little laugh, and reaches into the bowl of gumdrops. She takes one, and then realizes that neither of her parents are paying attention, and steals another.
“It’s not easy, there’s just a science to it,” Luke replies as he picks up the two halves of the roof carefully.
Jess leans back in her chair and scoffs. “Oh, yeah, like you’re a scientist.”
Luke slathers a healthy amount of frosting between the two pieces and holds them together. He realizes a second too late that they’re going to need to dry, and that he probably should’ve figured out a way to set them down first. He looks for a space on the table. “Uh…”
“Nope.” A smile catches the corner of Jess’ mouth and she gives Luke’s arm a condescending pat. “You’re stuck with it now, and you have to wait there until it dries.” She turns to Danielle, who quickly yanks her hand away from the M&M bowl and tries to be as inconspicuous as a four year old can. She strokes the back of her daughter’s hair. “And that’s called hubris, baby girl.”
All of their friends seemed to have an easy time having kids, right from the get go. The second their babies hit their arms, their third eyes snapped open and all this ancient, primal knowledge on how to rearrange your entire life around a kid hit them like a lightning strike. They just knew how to be parents. It happened to Luke too, but Jess?
For Jess, it was trial by fire.
But she’s doing okay. After all, she’s kept Dani alive for four years so far, and she’s healthy, and happy, and having a great time at pre-k. But still…the doubts are there. It must’ve looked like she was doubting, because next thing she knows, there’s a little hand pressed to her mouth, trying to shove a gumdrop between her lips.
“Mommy,” Danielle insists, “Eat it!”
Part of having a kid, apparently, includes eating whatever they give you, even if the food is pretend. Jess opens her mouth, and Danielle shoves the gumdrop inside triumphantly.
“Is it good?” she asks, eyes alight and wiggling in her seat, “It’s your favorite color!”
Jess chews slowly, and it definitely tastes grape-y. It tastes nothing like an actual grape, because real grapes don’t really taste like much of anything, but it tastes like that distinct purple flavor that everyone likes to pretend is grape. Swallowing, she grins and smacks a kiss onto Danielle’s forehead. “Aw, thanks. It was delicious, but aren’t those supposed to go on the house?”
“We’ll have enough,” Dani replies, as if candy is an infinite resource. She fishes through the bowl for a yellow gumdrop, and leans over in her seat to shove it into Luke’s mouth. “Here, Papa!” Immediately, Luke accepts it, and that makes her wiggle excitedly. She stands up on her chair and watches him over his shoulder. “What’cha doin’?”
“I’m holding the roof together,” Luke replies, firmly keeping his arms in the same place, “The frosting is kinda like glue, and I have to hold it until it dries because Mommy broke it.” He shoots Jess a mischievous smile, and it’s all she can do not to whack him in the arm.
“Mommy didn’t know that the foundations of a house would be so fragile,” Jess shoots back.
Luke winks at her. “Mommy doesn’t know her own strength.”
“That’s silly, Mommy.” Danielle cranes her neck down further, practically clinging to Luke’s shoulder. “When’s it gonna be dry?”
Luke examines the roof, making sure not to pull at anything. “Uh…Now?” he offers, lifting it carefully.
“Don’t break it, Papa!” Danielle watches him with wide, worried eyes as he slowly hovers the roof over the base of the house.
“Yeah, Papa,” Jess adds with a fond roll of her eyes, “Put it down gently.”
Luke presses the corners of the roof to the gluey frosting on the top of the house, and holds it down carefully with both hands. He grins widely, and everything seems to be going swimmingly, until…
Crack!
“Oh, sweet Christmas!”
Okay, so maybe letting two people with super strength build a gingerbread house wasn’t exactly the wisest idea, but at least they can say that they tried.
Jess and Danielle both bust out laughing as the corners of the roof crumble under Luke’s hands, and he lightly bangs his head against the table. Jess gives him a playful shove, cackling all the while.
Luke continues banging his head on the table. “I. Can’t. Believe. This.”
Danielle scurries over his shoulder and climbs into his lap, grabbing his face with her little hands and pushing it up off the table. “It’s okay, Papa! It was a accident!” she promises, petting over his chin. She squeals happily when he covers her face in kisses.
Grinning, Luke scoops her up and carries her over his shoulder like a sack of rice. “How about we just have some hot chocolate and eat the candy, okay?”
Dani gives happy kick of her feet and almost whacks Luke in the face. “Yay! With marshmallows?”
Luke scoffs and pretends to be offended. “Of course! What kind of Papa would I be if I didn’t make it with marshmallows?” Luke sets her down on the kitchen counter and presses his forehead to hers. She wrinkles her nose and grins at him. She’s got his smile, bright and bold and confident, and she has Jess’ resilience and ability to make a whole room listen to her just by clearing her throat. She’s the best of both of them, and even more. “Sorry about the gingerbread house, baby girl.”
She gives his cheek a pat. “It’s okay, Papa!” Smiling, she swings her feet forward and back and gives an excited wiggle. “Hot chocolate! Hot chocolate!”
Laughing softly, Luke kisses her forehead. “Okay, okay! I’m gettin’ on it, don’t worry!”
“Hey, Luke?” Jess calls from the kitchen table, “Make mine Irish.”
Smiling knowingly, Luke flashes the bottle of Bailey’s in her direction.