The ladies settled in the living room, so Dub and I went upstairs with the girls who settled in front of the dollhouse. In hindsight, we should have just sat in the kitchen to give the girls some privacy. Oh well. At least we’ll be able to keep them out of the ladies’ hair for a while. I’m sure Maia really needs that right now. I know all too well what she’s going through. Caring for Desiree helped me get through it, but not everyone is like me. I’ll have to ask Sophia how she’s doing later.
“That’s a nice dollhouse, Desi,” Dub said. “Are you two playing pretty girls?”
“Daddy, this is a barn,” Tambara shouted in full pre-teen sass. “We’re playing horse ranch!”
Dub raised his hands and backed away.
“Oh, excuse me! My bad!”
She turned back to Desi.
“I know how to ride a horse! Have you ridden a horse before?”
“No,” Desiree said.
“I’m going to have my own horse soon! Father Winter didn’t get one for me, but I don’t need him. My Daddy will get me one! Won’t you, Daddy?”
He froze as if he got caught stealing something. It was so funny to watch. Desi will definitely have some competition for world domination.
“Ehhhh…maybe Uncle Luca will consider it with all the money he has now. He makes me look poor!”
“OH! So it’s Uncle Luca now? Don’t drag me into this!”
“But don’t you just love Tami?”
“Don’t you get me in trouble.”
“Ha! But for real though, congrats! We were on our way back from the funeral when I saw. It couldn’t have happened to a better family.”
“Thank you so much. I’m still kind of in shock. OH! I almost forgot…” I lowered my voice in case the girls were listening. “Next time you see me, I’ll be younger than you.”
“What the… You met a spellcaster or something?”
Ironically, I did know a spellcaster, if Yasmine’s daughter counts. Her story is still so wild to me. I must be a magnet for all the wild things because, between the stuff I hear about, and the stuff that happens to me, someone should write a story about my life.
“No, but we lost so much time dealing with the fertility stuff, and we want it back. We’re taking the Potion of Youth.”
“What in the world is that?? And how young are you talking? Maybe I need to get in on this.”
“It resets your current life stage, so we’ll be just a few days younger than you.”
“Oh, okay. I don’t need that. Wow! That’s handy. Never heard of it, but that sounds great for you guys. I’m sure Desi will love having you around longer.”
“She’s the whole reason we’re doing it, so…”
“I know it. Man, you guys are winning right now! You won the lottery, your child is killing it in school, you’re getting some time back…what else is going on in your life?”
“I got electrocuted yesterday!”
“WHAT?!”
“Twice!!”
“WHAT??? How are you here right now?? Wait, are you a ghost??? Have you been dead this whole time?!”
I almost fell over laughing.
“I am very much alive, man.”
“So…what?? How??”
“I don’t know! You know how crazy those storms have been lately. I just ran out to harvest the money tree, and BAM! Then, just as I was entering the house, ZAP! It got me again!”
“Bro, that’s crazy!! Were you alright? Did it hurt?”
“It wasn’t not painful, but it was weird. The electricity stayed in my body for HOURS! I could feel it running up and down my body, and sparks kept popping off me. And my eyes! There was electricity shooting out of my eyes!! I was so scared I was gonna zap my child or light the house on fire!”
“That is WILD! What did Sophia say?”
“She wasn’t here, and by the time she got back, it was over. She laughed and called me Electro Man.”
“Electro Man! That sounds like-” he glanced at the girls and lowered his voice, “that sounds like play time to me!”
“Listen! Knowing my wife’s appetite and imagination, we have definitely not heard the last of Electro Man.”
“OKAY! That’s what I’m talking about! Gotta keep things spicy!”
Footsteps were coming our way, so we quickly ended that conversation. It was Sophia.
“Hey, guys. I was just putting away the food. Can I get you anything?”
“Oh, don’t worry about us,” I said. “You relax and have fun with Maia. We’ll keep the girls away for as long as you need.”
Dub looked at his phone.
“Actually, it’s getting late, so we should probably head out, anyway.”
“Oh, wow, yeah. Time flies when we’re having fun,” I said.
“Thanks for the invite, Luc. Things have been… We really needed this. And your house is NICE!”
“I appreciate that.”
He snorted.
“You have more money and more houses than me. Let me get out of here before I decide I don’t like you.”
“Don’t hate the player. Get in the game, man.”
“What? BYE,” he shouted from the stairwell. “I can’t with you! Let’s go, Tami!”
The girls got up, and Tami started to walk away. She stopped and turned back to Desi before descending the stairs.
“Your hair is nice, and I like your outfit. You can ride my horse when I get it.”
She disappeared before Desi could say goodbye. Sophia saw them out, then came back upstairs and planted a sweet kiss on my cheek.
“Did you have fun today?” she asked.
“Of course. Did you?”
“I did. It was nice talking to someone who’s in my shoes, you know?”
“Oh, I thought you enjoyed talkative Nosy Nellies getting all up in your woohoo life.”
She punched me playfully.
“Okay, funny man.”
I wrapped my arms around her.
“I love you. Thanks for…just being you.”
“I heard you talking about Electro Man…”
“Say less. Desi, time for bed!”
“But it’s 8:00!”
