Always Us

family reunion

Gianna's eyes shot wide open as the roll of the toilet paper fell out of her hands and unrolled across the bathroom floor. Snapping her head to the side, she stared at her brother who sat on his plastic potty with his shorts pooled at his ankles, knees pressed together, and arms tucked into his stomach. His eyes were equally as wide.

"I get it," she ran to the other end of the bathroom to where the roll had hit the wall. Picking it up, she dragged the trail of toilet paper back to her twin. "Here."

"Mommy no do it like that," he looked down at his sister's offering. Mommy always ripped off an appropriately sized piece for him.

Gianna shrugged then stuffed the roll into his hand.

Whimpering at the predicament he was in, he ripped at the paper. His sister then made the executive decision to help, once again, and bundled the loose tissue off of the floor and into her arms, presenting him with a second offer.

"Tank you," he mumbled before taking the mass of paper and finishing his business.

"We big kids now," his sister announced confidently as she pulled the bowl from his potty and carried it to the toilet like she had seen her parents do. Just as she was about to pour it over, she lost her grip and the bowl clattered onto the ground.

"Uh oh."

"Go, go, go."

The duo scrambled out of the bathroom and down the hall, leaving their evidence behind them. While running through the entryway, Gianna slammed into their father's leg and Caleb slammed into her.

Gianna's eyes went wide again. Daddy wasn't supposed to be here.

But before either of them could let out a yell of excitement, Spencer's finger shot up to his lips. Slowly, he set the bouquet of flowers on the floor and picked up one kid in each arm.

"We have to be quiet," he whispered, kissing their cheeks repeatedly.

_____

On the other side of the house, Olivia paused and looked up from her keyboard. It had been oddly silent for too long.

"Caleb?" she called out.

Silence.

"GiGi?"

Still nothing.

Concerned for what she would encounter when she found them, she pushed away from her desk. It had been a long week with Spencer gone for work, and she prayed that they had just fallen asleep.

Wandering through the house, she checked the kitchen, then the pantry, then the playroom. There were no signs of the twins. She took a deep breath and kept on her search. As she neared the front staircase, she heard whispering and her heart rate sped up when she recognized one particular voice.

He was back.

Early.

But instead of rounding the corner to meet him, she started crying. Whether from happiness or relief, she wasn't sure. Her body just needed the release.

A few seconds later, he came through the archway, leaning to the side as he held onto both kids with one hand. In the other, he held a large bouquet of red roses.

"What's wrong?" he furrowed his eyebrows. This wasn't the reaction he had been expecting when he decided to cut his business trip short to return home.

Seeing the tears on his mom's face, Caleb let go of Spencer's hand and scurried over to Olivia, wrapping his arms around her calf.

"I'm so happy to see you," she pouted as her salty tears reached her lips.

A wide smile broke across Spencer's face as he set the flowers down and closed the gap between them, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist, pressing her small frame against his chest. Her head fell to his shoulder.