The Pretend To Be Agreement

Chapter Thirty-Three

He lets out a low chuckle, a pink tinge coloring his cheeks as his gray eyes lock with Lucas's silver ones. For a second Lucas stops hitting Will with the pillow and just stares at him, wonder in his eyes as he's confused as to why his uncle is laughing, and it makes me smile. There were only few little moments where Will would forget about everyone else in the room, forget that reality existed and just focus on one thing in particular.

It shocks me though when something soft hits me lightly in the stomach, but still causes me to stumble back from the sudden and unexpected contact. My eyes trail to the floor where I see that a pillow is lying at my feet, and it's wrinkled and the pillow case is almost falling off. I glance up and at the two as I pick up it up, bending down with my knees and then standing up straight once it's in my hands.

They look somewhat terrified as their laughter dies down. I tilt my head side to side, deciding what I should do, but instead of going along to have a pillow fight I go with that there's presents downstairs and I'm really just woman-child. I chuck the pillow at Will all the while shouting that Santa came last as I run out of the room.

I hear little, thumping footsteps trailing behind me as I scurry down the stairs, and it doesn't take me long to figure out that it's Lucas. Knowing that Will is probably taking his time with putting on clothes I take this as an opportunity to get to know his nephew a little better. Lucas stops suddenly when he's standing on the two lasts steps and just stares at me with his arms raised.

"Pick me up?" He asks, pouting his lips and widening his eyes. I try to tell myself that I really shouldn't pick him up, but his puppy dogs eyes are pulling me in and it's not long before I'm carrying him in my arms.

"So, you like Spider-Man, huh?" I ask him once were in the kitchen and I set him down on the counter. He nods as he points down to his shirt and I see that it has a version of the beloved superhero printed on it.

He searches the counter for a second and then his eyes land on a jar of cookies. There peanut butter, but before I even consider giving him one a voice behind me interrupts my thinking process.

"He's allergic." The voice sounded oddly like Will's, but older and deeper. I cast a glance over my shoulder and see James standing in the entryway of the kitchen, but what surprises me is that he's wearing pajamas.

I shake my head, looking over at Lucas and I tilt my head, making a tsking sound. "Lucas ... do you know what could happen if you ate those cookies?"

He thinks for a second, shrinking away from me when the answer comes to mind. "The grim reaper pays me a visit?"

I choke on my spit and end up a coughing mess. "Eh ... Maybe. Who told you that?"

"Uncle Will," he answers as he hops off the counter and lands on his feet like a cat. He grabs a hold of my hand and I let him lead me into the living room where we sit down on the couch.

Lucas takes a seat beside me, looking around the living room for something to do while we wait for everyone else but then finds an interest in my hair. It was in messy waves, but still, somehow, wasn't a rat's nest. He doesn't ask for permission, as he most likely took my silence as his answer, and starts to play with my hair.

"Mommy lets me play with her hair," he tells me slowly as he combs his tiny fingers through the ends. "Hers isn't as soft as yours, though, Gracie."

I smile, "Really? Because I think yours is so much better than mine."

I notice that our reflections are showing on the turned off TV and I see him shake his head. "Well, too bad. You can't have it."

A chuckle escapes past my lips. "That's okay, you can keep it."