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“Did you have a nice Mother’s Day, honey?” Ben asks, sitting down on the edge of their bathtub and handing Leslie a glass of wine.
“Are you kidding? It was the best! I had waffles in bed, a day at the park with my four favorite people, three new finger paintings for my office, a scrapbook documenting the last year, two hours of uninterrupted craft-time, and a new flag picture for the wall. It was even better than last year!” She tells him with a wide smile.
“Well, yeah. But it wasn’t that hard to improve on last year considering no one wound up at the emergency room this time,” Ben responds, as Leslie nods in agreement before taking a sip of wine.
“Although that did make for some riveting scrapbook pages,” she tells him and hands her wine glass back to Ben. He takes a sip.
Right after last year’s celebratory waffle breakfast in bed, Wesley had shoved a wooden bead up his sister’s nose and they had spent two hours at Saint Joseph’s getting it removed. And then later that day, Ben had walked in on Sonia trying to push a raisin up Stephen’s nose.
For some reason, the triplets were really big into trying to put things up their noses last year.
“Yeah, I thought you would appreciate that part,” Ben answers with a grin, before setting the glass down on the wide part of the ledge up by Leslie’s head.
“Are they all in bed?”
“Yes. Finally.”
Leslie lifts a soapy, bubble bath-scented leg up out of the tub and pokes her toes against Ben’s leg. “Wanna join me, sailor?”
Ben makes a face and laughs. “I really would, but I think we have another hour or so until we’re out of the danger zone. But don’t worry, I have a whole special Mother’s Day after-dark plan for later. And I think you’ll–”
As if on cue, a little blonde head peeks around the corner of the bathroom door.
“Mommy! Are you playing mermaids?” Their daughter asks, before running into the bathroom and towards the tub. Ben makes a grab for her before she can actually get into the soapy water with Leslie.
“You are supposed to be in bed,” Ben tells the four-and-a-half year old in his arms, as he tickles her. “Say goodnight Sonia.”
“Goodnight Sonia!” She yells and then giggles, while Leslie and Ben laugh along with her and the familiar joke.
“Give me a hug,” Leslie instructs, as Ben stands up and angles their daughter towards Leslie.
“I love you mommy!” She says, her little arms wrapped around Leslie’s neck.
“I love you too sweetie. Now let daddy take you back to bed.”
As Ben carries her out of the bathroom, Sonia continues to wave at her mother.
It’s only a few seconds later when Wesley quietly walks into the bathroom and right up to the bathtub. Her son starts telling her about the day, super excited about all the bugs he found at the park. He and Leslie talk about insects and she tells him about what kinds of bugs he’ll see later in the summer.
She loves every single part about being a mom but really, some of these quiet, one-on-one times are her favorites. Teaching Wesley about bugs, brushing Sonia’s hair in the morning and hearing about her stuffed animals, or making cookie dough with Stephen.
“So, she had about fifteen stuffed animals in a line leading to the bathroom. Apparently there was a whole scouting party involved–” Ben stops talking when he sees Wesley at the tub’s edge. “Now how did that happen?”
“It’s okay. We’re just discussing the day,” Leslie says with a smile as she runs her hand through Wesley’s hair.
“It’s nature daddy. You don’t understand,” his son turns around to tell him patiently.
“Alright. But now it’s bedtime, buddy. Come on.”
“But–”
“If you go to bed right now, there will be more spiders this summer,” Leslie tells their son, even as Ben cringes behind him.
“Really?”
“Yes. But you have to go back to bed right now. And go to sleep.”
“Okay! Goodnight mommy. I love you. Come on daddy, let’s go. You need to tuck me in,” Wes says taking Ben’s hand and trying to lead him out of the bathroom, as Leslie watches from the tub.
“Be back in a minute, babe,” Ben tells her, and then he bends down and swoops Wesley up in his arms and throws him over his shoulder to take him back to bed.
Wesley squeals and yells, “Happy Mommy’s Day,” before disappearing around the corner and towards the triplet’s bedroom.