“I can’t take all the credit, Bob,” I remind him. “I got an army of little helpers here,” I remark, giving my own look of pride as I look over my kids and back to the youngest on his chest.
“You know what I mean, James. And Krystal has no idea so far?” he asks in disbelief.
I shake my head. “Not as far as I know. Once everything’s finished, maybe in a month or two we can all come up and surprise her. What d’ya say?” I ask excitedly.
“I think she’ll be pretty emotional, James. Just forewarning you,” he smiles gently.
“Oh, shoot! I just remembered I’ll be away next month for six weeks, business,” he says, rolling his eyes.
“Six weeks, that’s a pretty long time,” I remark, noticing how tired Bob looks lately.
“Part of the job, I’m afraid. Another year and I’ll be done. Someone else can be Governor, I’ve had two good terms,” he says, adjusting Yasmin’s harness and kissing her little head through her knitted cap.
“And don’t talk to me about work,” he scoffs. “Look at all you’re doing here, and looking after four kids full-time while that wife of yours plays Mayor all day,” he chuckles, giving me a wink.
“I love every minute, Pops, you know I do. And Krystal’s not always at work. I only shoo her out of the house when I need to come up here.”
“You still want to build up here?” he asks, and I nod before he’s even finished.
“Oh yeah, the view from the top of the hill is something else. Thanks to your little phone call to the forestry commission, we can keep everything as far as we can see.”
“We’d better head back,” Bob remarks looking at his watch.
I round up the kids, and we all pile into the family bus, an eight-seater van.
By the time we get home to what used to be Bob’s house, the kids are asleep and I see Krystal’s car pulling into the drive just as we do.
“Uh oh,” Grandpa says ominously. “I told ya we should’ve left earlier.”
I smile and wave at Krystal, she checks her watch and comes over to help us unload the sleeping army of elves.
“What have you been doing?” she asks me, taking Yasmin from her seat and casting an eye over the kids who have paint, sawdust, and mud all over them.
“You’re home early, honey,” I chime, ignoring her question and pecking her cheek.
“I’ll get the door,” I volunteer as I hear her greeting her dad.
“Governor,” she says with an air of formality.
“Lady Mayor,” he replies before they both burst out laughing and hug like old times.
“When did you fly in dad? I had no idea you were coming,” she says, and I busy myself ferrying the kids inside as they start to wake up, ordering them to go get cleaned up so we can start dinner.
“I thought we might get take out, my treat?” Bob suggests, and both Krystal and I don’t hesitate to take him up on that.
The kids suddenly spring to life, shouting and cheering, swarming around Grandpa as each one tries to yell over the rest, telling him exactly what they want.
The storm of kids swarm around Grandpa as he herds them all inside, leaving my wife and me with baby Yasmin a minute alone.
“You really want to know where we were,” I ask her, hating to keep anything from her.
She smiles and pecks my cheek. “I’ll find out one day, won’t I?” she asks, and I’m sure I catch the shiver of emotion in her voice.
“You will, baby. And you’ll be proud of all those little monsters, I guarantee it.” I tell her.
“Not as proud as I am of you,” she says. “I don’t know how you do it, wrangling all of them and my Dad while I was at work. I had no idea he was coming this week,” she says, puffing out her cheeks.
Looking tired.
“You okay, baby?” I ask, pressing my palm against her forehead, telling her to stick out her tongue.
“Oh no. Oh no, you don’t!” she says, protesting and shaking a finger at me.
“You do honey,” I tease her, “You look a little… puffy. Let me call the doctor, huh?”
She clutches Yasmin closer and pretends to shriek in horror, running inside and asking Grandpa and the kids to save her.
I watch her run inside and feel my heart swell up, a lump in my throat.
God, I love her.
I love all of them.
Sliding the van door closed, I count off the empty seats compared to how many in our little family so far.
She’s definitely looking tired, I conclude.
Might just be time to give the doc a call, make an appointment. Just for a checkup.