I stifled a laugh and forced myself into clean-up mode. Raising my voice, I grabbed the back of Olive’s shirt and pulled her off of the other twin while dishing out instructions to the kids first. “Twins! Enough bouncing around. You’re going to hurt someone else, and then you’re going to have to spend the night taking care of them and doing everything they ask, because that’s only right. Both of you go and open a few doors to let the smoke out. Got it?”
They just stared at me for a moment.
“Whoever opens the most doors will get a prize.” After they took off running, I put Olive down and knelt to look her in the eye. “Good job looking after your brother, but you need to work on your strategy. Those boys could tackle you to the floor. Until you’re strong enough, maybe stick with getting help from your dad or one of your uncles.”
She pouted but nodded. “Fine.”
“You and Birdie should go to the bathroom and get a washcloth for me. We’ll do a little first aid.”
Birdie stared at Jack like she wasn’t sure he should be left alone, but when she saw my face, she hopped off the counter and went with Olive, hand in hand.
Next, I scooped the smallest boy into my arms and sat him on the counter before depositing Arlo next to him. Smiling at the boy, I held out my hand to him. “I’m Winnie. Do you mind if I take a look at that forehead of yours?”
He shook my hand with a surprisingly strong grip and shook his head. His eyes stayed on my face as I pushed his hair to the side and checked out the small bump forming there. He had Jack’s light brown eyes and was just as intense.
“This is Henry.” Arlo wrapped his arm around Henry’s shoulders. “Winnie is taking care of us today. She drives a dinosaur named Big Ham.”
I laughed and cupped Henry’s cheek. “Big Ham is a truck, but he does sound like a dinosaur. I’m no doctor, Henry, but I think you’ll get to keep the head. It was touch-and-go for a minute there, and I thought I might have to replace the top of your head with something stronger, like a toaster, but lucky for you, you’re just fine the way you are.”
He slowly smiled at me, and it was like he’d hit me right in the chest. The gap between his front two teeth was adorable, but it was the way his nose scrunched when he smiled that made him cute enough to want to take home. He still seemed sad, but he was smiling, and I considered that a win. “Alright. You two stay right here in case the two wrecking balls come back. The girls will be back with a cloth, and then we’ll get some ice on that noggin of yours, Henry.”
I turned to the two big children in the room, Jack and Sawyer, and found them watching me. Meanwhile, smoke continued billowing out of the oven. I sighed and reached between them to shut the oven door. Taking the cute oven mitts from them, I smacked them both in the chest and rolled my eyes.
“Where’s the nanny? Beck said there would be a nanny.”
Sawyer grabbed the mitt when I tried to hit him with it again. “She had to leave.”
“This wasn’t our finest moment.” Jack just let me hit him again and then smiled. “I’m real glad you don’t have to replace my son’s head with a toaster.”
Before I could hit him again, Birdie and Olive came back with a washcloth. Birdie stood aside as I put ice in the cloth and held it to Henry’s head. She was getting ready to say something rude, I just knew it. “Birdie…”
“Y’all are a mess.”
“Birdie. I already told you once. Do I need to ground you from Uncle Gabe?”
She scoffed at me. “Mom, you know you’re thinking it!”
“Yeah, but I’m not saying it out loud. I’m doing the nice thing.” I winced and looked back at the guys. “Sorry.”
Sawyer leaned against the cabinets behind him and shrugged. “Honestly, I get it. You found us in a not-great moment. Birdie is right.”
Jack nodded. “Seems like a smart kid.”
Of course, Birdie ate that up. She pushed her little shoulders back and walked closer to shake their hands like she was thirty and at a business meeting. “I’m Birdie. That’s my mom. She’s cool. I’m Olive’s best friend.”
Olive nodded seriously. “Her grandma saw it. She’s magic and lives in a candy house.”
Still holding ice to Henry’s head with one hand, I rubbed my face with the other one. “Well, this has been…interesting. We should—”
“We opened the doors, ma’am! What now?” One of the twins appeared at my side, his blue eyes shining as he stared up at me.
I handed him the ice pack and moved him closer to Henry. “You and your brother hurt Henry when you were playing bumper cars in here. Remember what I said? Since this is the first time, you don’t have to take care of his every wish all night, but you do have to hold this ice to his head for him. Gently. Can you do that?”
He sighed heavily, but nodded. “I guess so. Sorry, Henry.”
I looked at his brother. “Do you know where you’re supposed to play bumper cars?”
“At the arcade?”