Old Flames

Old Flames: Chapter 16

 “You can't make us clean our rooms 'cuz we're not at home,” Chris told him in an all-knowing tone.

 “No...” Aaron agreed, “but what would be the point of that anyway? You didn't mess up your rooms. You painted Bowser with your food. He's the one who needs to be cleaned.”

 Chloe's eyes lit up. “We get to wash Bowser?!” She clapped happily, but soon reasoned out this was supposed to be a punishment, and modified her ecstatic expression to a mere smile.

 Aaron laughed. How could he not? Chris, with his intelligent logic, and Chloe, with her exuberant loveable self, had stolen his heart a long time ago. Now, he knew, he'd never get it back. There wasn't much else to do, but find a way into Lainie's heart, as well.

 “Come on, you three,” he said. “To the backyard...we've got a dog to wash.”

 The twins whooped and scrambled down from the table – and Aaron saw that they were just as creamy and gooey as Bowser – and the canine barked joyfully and followed.

 Two hours later, Aaron and the kids stood on Lainie's front porch, soaking wet, covered in mud and leaves, and smiling. She opened the door, rolled her eyes, and didn't ask a single question as she hustled her kids into the bathroom for their own bath. Aaron announced he'd be back to read her story, and head home to rewash Bowser and take his own shower.

 *****

 Lainie stared at her blank computer screen, growing bored and frustrated at the same time. Telling stories in your head and putting them into readable words were two very different things. She erased four starts to a story already. It was about a time traveler that wondered through time and space without control...but the tale didn't sound as good on the computer as when she envisioned it in her mind.

 “If you're not relating it well, then you're not passionate enough about it,” she remembered her high school composition teacher telling the class. “Write what you know...and what you want to write about.”

 Lainie slammed the screen of her laptop down. The only thing she knew anymore were her kids, and the quiet in the house was starting to etch along her nerves. This morning, Aaron took them to the park, and a little while ago, they returned. She knew this because she'd been staring out of her front window with a desolate frown on her face. She longed to go over there and join in whatever fun and mischief the kids were creating. Never once did she doubt Aaron's ability to handle her children appropriately. Over the past few weeks, he'd earned her respect and trust when it came to Chris and Chloe.

 She closed her eyes and wondered what they were doing together. Sitting down and coloring a picture? No...too docile for her kids. Watching cartoons? Goodness, she hoped not; they watched too much television as it was. Playing Duck, Duck, Goose in the backyard? Probably not, since she didn't hear Chloe crying that Chris never picked her to be the Goose. Whatever it was, there wasn't a whole lot of activity going on over there.

 Then Lainie imagined Aaron tied to a chair and...

 ...and Chris sitting at his feet, trying to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, and Chloe was gripping at her brother, saying that trick never works and he should just use a match, and Aaron was gagged so he can't tell them not to play with fire, and then Chris gets tired of his sister's bossiness and starts telling her what to do, and eventually, one thing leads to another, and the kids get sidetracked by something else and end up in the backyard playing with Bowser, leaving Aaron bound and helpless in the dining room...

 Yeah, that's more like it. Those two were like little squirrels, always chirping at each other and frolicking around, getting into harmless trouble...