Page 139 of Behind the Bars

“You’re supposed to be resting,” I said, walking toward her and kissing herforehead.

“I’m not tired,” she yawned, rocking Leo back to sleep. He was a little over a month old, and fifty times more mellow than the twins had ever been. The only time he cried was when he was hungry, needed a new diaper, or was awakened by loudnoises.

“You’re half asleep.” I smiled. “Here, pass him thisway.”

She handed me Leo, and I rocked him back and forth. He was so small, so perfect. I couldn’t believe the life we’d created, the dreams that cametrue.

We couldn’t have done any of it alone, though. We had a tribe of people always standing behind us. Mom and Ray were only a phone dial away if we needed them. They were busy creating their lives together, but always made time to come help us with the kids if we called. Jason and Kelly also had their hands filled with two children of their own, so playdates with beers for the grown-ups were always fun. Their kids were almost as wild as the twins.Almost.

When we needed help the most, we’d stop by Uncle TJ’s house and he’d make the twins listen to jazz and soul music for hours on end as he fell asleep in a rocking chair. He was well into his nineties, but swore he hadn’t looked a day over eighty-seven.

Those people were my tribe. My family. Mylife.

I was soblessed.

Right as Leo was on the verge of rest, Wesley hollered. “Oh my gosh it’s aflood!”

“Mama, can I put on my swimsuit?” Katie screamed, making Leocry.

We headed to see the commotion, and there in the bathroom stood Wesley with a wrench in his hand and guilt on his face. “Oops? Sorry, Daddy,” he murmured as the pipe under the sink was snapped and water was gushing across the woodenflooring.

“Oh my gosh, I’ll turn off the water,” Jasmine stated as I tried to soothe a howling Leo. As I went to scold Wesley, he shook hishead.

“Remember, Daddy. Family says sorry, and I’m sorry. So, you can’t be mad and you have to loveme.”

Did he just throw my parenting lesson in myface?

“I think it’s time to get ready for bed,” Jasmine said, grabbing the twins by their waists. “Before your father’s vein in his neckpops.”

She hurried them to bed, and then came back to help me clean up the floor. Leo stayed in my arms the whole time, and even with all the movements, he found a way to sleep. I lay him back in his crib and kissed his forehead. “Thank you for not being a twin,” I whispered before returning to helpJasmine.

“I’ll call a plumber tomorrow,” I told her. “And I’ll have someone look at thefloors.”

She yawned and shrugged. “No worries. It will all be okay, we’ll have bacon in themorning.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “A-are yousleepwalking?”

She yawned again. “I think I’msleepwalking.”

“Let’s get you to bed.” I wrapped my arm around her, and she tried to avoid slumber, but I lay her in the bed regardless of her refusal. I wrapped my arms around her body and held her close. “Sleep,” I whispered against herear.

“Sleep,” she whisperedback.

The twins were heard through the walls, still bickering. Whenever Jasmine tried to rise to check on them, I’d hold her tighter. “Sleep…”

She nodded. “Sleep…” She snuggled her small figure against me. “Our kids aredevils.”

“They are literally the worst humans to ever exist.” I paused. “Let’s have anotherone.”

“Piss off.” She laughed. “Would you choose this life again? If you had another chance, would you love me and these crazykids?”

“Always. I would always choose this, choose you and the kids. I would always chooseus.”

“Forever andever?”

“Andever.”

She was so small and exhausted, and I swore I weighed five times as much as her, but she loved me just as much as I loved her. She was all beauty, and I was just me. Her skin was white as cream, and mine was painted caramel. My polar opposite. We weren’t meant to fall for one another, but when we blended together we were some kind ofbeautiful.

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