Page 42 of The Grizzly Situation
They sat there, whispering to each other. Of course five-year-old whispers are anything but silent, so I heard every word. Their conversation was electric, filled with the certainty only a child could have. The more they talked, the deeper my confusion grew. I needed to speak with Brent.
After we finished our juice, I had them lead me to their bedroom. They seemed surprised I didn’t know the way because Momma would always know. I laughed and told them I was testing them. That seemed to placate them for the moment.
Their room was nothing like I expected. It could be the typical bedroom of nearly any child, with a toy chest bursting with stuffed animals, games, and the like. Suddenly my gift of a stuffed bear didn’t seem all that grand. Still, I was glad to see that even though they were in the top half-a-percent, Brent had them sharing a room. When I was a kid, my happiest times were the nights Jamie let me snuggle in next to him because I was afraid of some imagined ghost or ghoul.
“What book would you like to hear?” I asked.
“Bobby Bear!” came the twin replies.
I went to the bookcase and found it right away. The colorful cover showed a bear lost in the woods, with eyes watching him. He wasn’t afraid, though. Bobby was apparently very confident, which I appreciated. Kids needed good, strong role models. When I turned around, they were curled up in bed, each smiling at me. I took a seat on the chair that stood beside it and cracked open the book.
“Bobby is a bear. That might sound scary, but he’s a very good bear. He helps out his friends, his family, and even people he doesn’t know. Bobby wants to make the world a better place for everyone,” I intoned.
I glanced up and both of them had already fallen asleep. Being sick takes a lot out of people, especially kids. I closed the book and returned it to the shelf, then left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door behind me. I found Brent standing outside, his face a mask of concern.
“They’re good boys,” I said.
“Uly, I am so very sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad we bonded already. It makes asking you to allow me to babysit while you’re out with Chaim and his family a lot easier.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea. They’re already attached and I don’t want them hurt.”
“I can understand that. Maybe if you let me stay in town, I could be like their big brother or something.”
The look on his face told me I’d asked for something out of the question. Still, I wanted to stay, because I already liked the boys and would love to see them grow up. More, I’d like to be a part of their family.
What the hell was I thinking?
Chapter Twelve
BRENT
This hadbad idea written all over it.
I was awake before my alarm went off at five, having done little but toss and turn. I got up, a deep sigh sliding out of me, and went to the kitchen to talk with Amelia, letting her know we’d all be sitting down to dinner, but that I was going out with Chaim, Benjy, and their family for a few hours of fishing, and Uly would be watching the boys. She smiled at me, said she’d pack us a lunch, but then seemed to understand we’d be eating what we caught.
The boys woke up when I checked on them. Still groggy, they asked where Momma was. Uly came in from the bathroom, his eyes bleary and his hair standing up in tufts, and sat by the bed. When I said the staff could watch the boys while I went out with Chaim for a while, they threw the biggest fit I’ve ever seen. They weren’t perfect kids, goodness knows, but this was a level I’d never seen. They’d freak out if anyone came near them. Screaming, crying, barfing—still. They didn’t want the people who they’d known for years. Instead, they wanted theperson they saw as their mother. They wanted Momma. Well, they wanted Uly, who they snuggled against with their heads on his lap. I didn’t understand where this was coming from. It made absolutely no sense, but they were determined to call him Momma, and nothing I could say would dissuade them in their beliefs. I tried to explain that Uly wasn’t their mother, but they were steadfast in their insistence. Chaim came into the bedroom, took me by the arm, and pulled me into the corner of the great room.
“Let them stay with him, cub.”
“But he’s not their mother!” I said softly, despite the fact I wanted to scream it.
“And they’ll learn that, but right now they need him to play that part.”
It made sense, even though I hated it. Uly was as attached as the kids were, and he couldn’t stay in town. Asking him to watch the boys felt like I was using him. Still, I sucked it up and went to where he sat, the boys asleep on his lap.
“Uly, I?—”
He smiled at me, then looked down at the precious cargo he was caring for. “Go. I’ve got this.” He gently rubbed their heads. “I can be Momma for a while.”
“Are you absolutely sure? I don’t want to use you.”
“Can’t use me if I volunteer. Go. You’ve needed to talk with Chaim for years, and now you have that chance. Don’t lose out on it, because you never know if it’ll come around again.”
He wasn’t wrong. Chaim and Benjy would go back to their lives and who knew if we’d be able to do this again. I wanted to, but life has a way of plotting its own course, and we’re just along for the ride.
“Okay, I’ll only be a couple of hours. I owe you big time for this. I spoke with Janelle, and she’ll check in on you to see if youneed anything. And I mean anything. Food, beverage, whatever you need, you tell her and she’ll ensure you get it.”
