My Home Is With You [LGBT+]

Six

I WANT TO SAY that things are great.

And they are!

For the most part.

I have a rare day off and we spend it cleaning the house, I sweep and Alessandra mops right after while Eye of The Tiger by Survivor blasts from my phone.

It isn't long before I'm washing the dishes and Aless is feeding Miguel, the fussy almost four-month-old just starting to teeth like the early bird he is and it's causing big fat crocodile tears to roll down his flushed chubby cheeks as he babbles nonsense.

Aless looks a bit frustrated that he won't stop crying, so I wipe my hands and we trade off. Gabby is watching everything from her seat, sipping on some apple juice and playing with her stuffed Minnie Mouse toys.

"Qué paso Miguel? What's wrong? What did that mean older sister do?" I coo softly.

Aless scoffs as she turns to scrubbing a particularly nasty plate and I barely hide my small smirk when she rolls her eyes.

My smile turns into a grimace, however, when I feel a wet slap on my cheek and find Miguel's hand covered in saliva hitting my face to grab my attention.

"Okay, okay, I'll get your teething toys," I sigh.

I grab a teething toy from the freezer and tell the girls that I'm heading for my room where I lay down and watch as Miguel suckles on the toy contently.

His bright wide eyes slowly dim and droop now that he finally gets some relief from the constant ache in his gums.

And just now do I notice how exhausted I really am, how sore my body feels. Every movement causes a twinge to run through my shoulders, a constant reminder from rolling the dough every morning. My feet ache and are swollen from the many hours I stand behind the cash register.

And even when I finally have a day off, I can't relax. I need to take care of the kids. I need to make sure our home isn't a pigsty and it's moments like this that I remember everything my mom has ever done for me.

I miss her.

It's the last coherent thought before I fall asleep.

Warm bodies snuggling close and dipping the mattress with their weight.

Just five minutes.

Just five more minutes.

Jus-

"Oseias!"

"Hm? What is it? Time's it?" I slur, eyes opening but clenching soon after when the sunlight peeking from the horizon of buildings momentarily blinds me.

Fuuuuuck.

"It's 7:47," Alessandra mutters through a yawn.

"Fudge!" I bolt upright, censoring my cusses like second nature now.

Exhaustedly, I get up and get dressed. Alessandra does the same after helping Gabby into a flowery dress, followed by her socks and shoes.

"Go brush your teeth," I shoo.

Gabriela takes a small red chair and drags it in front of a mirror on a dresser pressed against the right wall. I grab a brush and begin detangling her short sleek hair. With a small huff I grab two small pink rubber bands and tie two pigtails. I've seen my mom do this countless of times to my niece, Anabella.

Why can't I get it right? I bite my lip.

Remembering her only brings a frown to my lips.