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“Woah, look at that, Daddy!,” Benjamin exclaims loudly, sitting on the floor next to Alfie, staring at the TV with his mouth agape as the spy car escapes all the others with a huge leap from the oil platform into the churning sea. “I am looking at it, darling,” I grin and Benedict beside me chuckles quietly.
The torrential rain outside had crossed our plans to go to the fair today but my best friend’s suggestion to stay indoors and watch ‘Cars 2’ instead seems to make at least our boys very happy while our daughters had decided that playing a dressing-up game in Emmy’s room upstairs is way more fun for now.
It doesn’t take long until they both join us as well, though, and dressed in some of Emmy’s fancy dresses, they crawl onto the sofa between Benedict and myself. “You look pretty,” I mumble with a smile, pressing a kiss onto Emmy’s hair, while Matilda snuggles up to her own father, who looks at her lovingly. “Thank you,” my little one grins proudly, leaning onto me.
Gently, I snake my arms around her, enjoying some quiet time with my family and best friend. “Can we have some ice cream later, Dad?,” Matilda whispers to Benedict who looks at me shortly. “Well, you’d have to ask Tom if he’s got any, Sweetie,” he replies just as quietly wherefore his daughter turns to me with a hopeful smile. “I think we still got some in our freezer,” I wink and she grins happily.
The laughter from our two boys makes us turn towards the TV again and I chuckle as I see Alfie and Ben copying Mater’s excitement on screen. “He looks so funny,” Alfie laughs, holding his tummy while Ben jumps up and down shouting “McQueen’s back! McQueen’s back!” Emiliana beside me laughs quietly at the silliness of her brother, her little body shaking slightly under the touch of my hands and I tickle her lightly, causing her to squeal. “Daddy, don’t!,” she laughs and looks at me, putting on her earnest face.
“I didn’t do anything,” I smile, innocently, raising my right eyebrow which I know will make her weak. She sighs and shakes her head in defeat before she climbs onto my lap, her dark curls tickling my chin as I rest my head gently on it. I smile to myself as she starts fiddling with my hands and fingers, comparing them to her own little ones, counting them and intertwining hers with mine. Gently, I press a kiss onto her hair which smells of peaches after this morning’s bath during which she and her brother had transformed the bathroom into a landscape of foam and water.
“Daddy?,” she whispers, turning her head to look up at me. “Yes Emmy?,” I smile, wiping a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Can Matilda stay for a sleepover tonight?,” she asks quietly, her silver eyes sparkling hopefully. “I’m not sure. We’d have to ask Benedict if she’s allowed and Alfie of course. But they might have plans for tomorrow morning, Sweetheart,” I remark ere she already turns to my best mate.
“Benedict, could Matilda stay for a sleepover tonight or do you have plans for tomorrow morning?,” Emiliana asks sincerely, causing the boys to turn around from the TV as well. “And can Alfie stay, too?,” Ben adds, loudly, glancing at me shortly before his eyes dart back to Benedict. “We don’t have plans, actually. So, as long as it’s fine with your Dad, they can stay” he smiles, looking at me for approval and I nod, smiling in return.
“Yay,” Ben laughs, giving his best friend Alfie a high-five before they jump around in front of the TV again, their focus back on the film and their impressions of the cars. I chuckle quietly as Emmy and Matilda thank Benedict and me with huge smiles on their faces before they jump off the sofa and run back upstairs to prepare their ‘princess bed’ for later tonight.
“You want to stay, too?,” I mumble, getting up to get some ice cream from the kitchen, Benedict following suit. “Thanks for the offer but I guess I should go home, if you’ll really be alright with the four of them on your own,” he smiles, insecurely. “Sure,” I nod, leaning onto the counter. “Make good use of the evening, you two. Take some time for yourself. You know, I’ll always gladly look after Alfie and Tilda if Sarah and you need an evening to yourself, alright?”
Sighing and with hanging shoulders, Benedict ruffles through his curly hair. “I’m not sure if one evening will be enough to fix it,... fix us,” he says, looking at me with sad eyes. “I’d even take them for a week,” I wink as I walk over to him, pulling him into an embrace. “Hey man, keep your head up. Things will work out fine. You love each other, right?,” I add and he nods against my shoulder before I let go again. “Take her out for a date tonight, go somewhere romantic, go see a movie or a play. You could even do stuff tomorrow and pick the children up later in the afternoon or evening. We’ll be fine here, don’t you worry.”
“Thanks, Tom! I really appreciate that,” my acting colleague smiles thankfully, helping to finally get the desired ice cream out of the freezer, a little pot each. “Shall we choose first?,” I grin mischievously as there are two chocolate pots, two vanilla and two strawberry. I can see the twinkle in his eyes before we both grab the chocolate pots, laughing. “Hey, you’re cheating!,” Ben laughs as he comes running into the kitchen, followed by Alfie, Emmy, and Matilda.
“No we’re not!,” we smile innocently in unison, trying to hide the chocolate ice cream behind our backs, though unsuccessfully. “Yes, you are,” Tilda grins, walking over to her dad, poking her finger in his tummy. “You always tell us not to cheat, so don’t do it yourself,” she laughs and with guilty faces we both place the ice cream pots back onto the counter next to the other ones, sighing loudly.
“You could just ask nicely, Daddy,” Emmy smirks cheekily, imitating me and I roll my eyes, playfully, before the children grab one ice cream each until only the two chocolate ones are left. With raised eyebrows, I look at Benedict then back at our children. “Thanks!,” we smile and picking up our own pots, we follow them back into the living room where the children’s favourite scene is about to start. “That’s how I like my rainy Saturday’s,” I grin, contentedly, and, his mouth full of chocolate ice cream, Benedict simply agrees with a nod, smiling happily.