Silver Lining

sixteen.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asks for the thousandth time.

I put my hand on his chest, "Yes, they are fed and watching TV while a bath is running, we are going to be just fine."

"I know," he says, pulling me in close, "I'll see you tonight, but don't wait up for me, try and sleep."

"I'll try, but no promises," I'll be tired, but I want to see him before I go to bed.

He kisses me, holding my jaw and I kiss him back, lifting on my toes just before we separate, him smiling down at me, "I'm going to go before I'm late, but I'll message you."

"Have a good first game," I say, hoping it is a great one for him.

"Thank you, see you later, sweetheart," he grabs his large gym bag and heads out of the back door.

While the girls are happily occupied in front of the television in the downstairs living room, I go into the bathroom and check on the bath. I put the thermometer in and keep checking the temperature as I add more cold water until it's perfect for them.

"Elise, do you want to go get in the shower, while I bathe your sisters?" I ask of her and she gets up from the sofa, happily taking a pink towel from me, "Remember to keep your door open so I can hear you if you shout."

"I will, it's not hair wash day, so I should be okay," she says before walking off to her bedroom past the kitchen.

I look at Nova and Addie, "C'mon girls, let's get in the bath, I've got a surprise."

"What is it?" Addie asks, getting up and Nova follows, slipping off the sofa.

"You'll see, I think you'll like it," I hope they do.

Once we're in the bathroom, Addie strips immediately, getting in the water, while I undress Nova before putting her in the bath next to her sister, who starts to splash straight away, happy to be in the water.

"Okay, so, daddy told me you both liked to colour and draw, so I got you these," I grab the crayons from the cabinet near their bath toys, "You can draw in the bath, and Addie, you can even practice writing your name."

"That's so cool," she says, "Thanks, Iris."

"T'ank you," Nova says, giving me grabby hands towards the crayons.

I take all of them out of the packet and let them pick which colours they want, Addie tries to write her name after drawing a house first, whereas Nova draws a lot of pretty squiggles.

Once their fun starts to die down and they start to tire, I soap up a loofah and finish bathtime. I make sure they're all bubbly before I rinse them down and allow them out of the bath, wrapping a towel around them.

Pyjamas are waiting in Nova's nursery, next to Nova's diaper and baby powder. With Nova bundled up in my lap, her hooded towel keeping her warm, I dry down Addie, help her into a fresh pair of underwear and then finally her pyjamas.

Addie then sits on the rocking chair while I dry Nova, put a diaper on her and button up her onesie. Nova runs towards the door as soon as she can do so, with Addie swiftly behind her, and I pick up both towels, following them into the main area, where Elise is waiting, watching Disney on the television, in fresh pyjamas like her sisters.

"Okay, girls, what shall we watch?" I ask; we have half an hour until it's Nova's bedtime and an hour and a half until Elise and Addie's.

"Tangled," Addie whispers.

"We watched that last week," I point out.

"We didn't finish it though," she says.

"I'd like to watch it again, it's our favourite," Elise says and I smile, I know it is.