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ONE WAS RUNNING AND the other chased after on a 4-limbed crawl.
"Careful, please," the hybrid pushed the child out of the way of the dangling lights on the green tree.
A knock came followed along by the doorbell ringing.
"Hayley!" Elara shouted for the girl to get the door while she fought with her 9-month-old. "Kemp Jackson. Ow! I'm done," she held her finger that he just bit and walked away to get to the door seeing as the doorbell still rang and Hayley wasn't getting it.
Hope ran past her holding a roll of wrapping paper. Elara grabbed it from her in her tracks and continued to the door.
She opened it up with a smile. "You're here. My gremlins are letting their true nature shine," she stepped to the side.
"Hey, Uncle Sammy has gifts!" Sam rushed into the living room with an arm filled with gifts for Elara's two children.
She closed the door and looked at the man beside her. "Rory right?"
He nodded with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Thank you for inviting me, this is a beautiful home," he continued to gaze around the walls.
She smiled at him, "Thank you. And when Sammy told me you couldn't get a flight home I couldn't just let you stay in that apartment. We have plenty of room and alcohol." She led him in.
Sam sat on the couch with Kemp using his jeans to pull up on and Hope climbed up the couch, pushing Kemp down on her way.
"Hope! Be nice."
Hope laughed in her spot and leaned over Sam to open the gifts.
"Ah! No gifts until we eat," Elara reached over the couch to take the box he was about to open. "Under the tree like the rest and then kitchen."
She went over to pick up a helpless Kemp. He was now 9 months old and the healthiest baby she had ever seen.
Elara still sat and watched him sleep afraid that one morning he won't open his eyes again, but she's been getting better with her overbearing.
Hayley helps everywhere she can. Taking care of 2 kids is a two-person job. Elara doesn't know where she would be without Hayley.
"Wow, this is your kitchen?" Rory followed Elara into the open kitchen. The counters were covered in flour, seasoning, food, pans, and everything else Hayley had been using.
Elara was only praying this all tasted good because neither of the girls could cook. Hayley just happened to be slightly better than Elara meaning that if she followed the instructions it came out... good enough.
