One Husband, Two Kids... And I'm Only Nineteen! + My Life, My Love, My Kids

32. Trying

"Shut up!" Becca begged. "You're gonna wake mom and nana up, and they're gonna be really mad! Or you'll wake Olivia or Isabella up, and they will be mad, too!"

"Go away, Bec!" Ethan shoved her.

"Hey!" I bellowed over the top of the five of them.

My children all fell silent as their eyes landed on me. I felt angry not because I was woken up, but because they were fighting. I hated it! Becca stood there, looking apologetic. She'd tried to stop them so that I didn't know they were arguing. But who could sleep through their bickering?!

"Mom, Zane broke Lily's doll," Addy broke the silence.

"No I didn't!" Zane snapped.

"Oi!" I shouted, and they fell silent again. "You five know better than to shout and yell at each other at seven in the morning. Or any time, actually. Addison, go sit in the corner of the living room. Ethan, you go sit in the corner of the kitchen. Becca, can you go and see if Emily's up yet. If she is, let her out of bed but if she isn't leave her, okay?"

"Do you want me to come back here after that?" she asked.

"No, I want you to sit in the corner of the room," I sighed. "Now, Zane... did you break Lily's doll?"

"Mommy, it wasn't me," Zane said calmly. "Ethan broke it, not me."

"So was Addy lying when she said she saw you do it?" I questioned.

"Yes," Zane replied. "I saw Ethan do it, and I walked over and picked up Lily's dolly and tried to put its head back on. But then Lily came and saw me, and thought I broke it."

"Lily, it looks like Zane's telling the truth," I said calmly to her.

"I'm sorry, Zane," Lily whispered, and she hugged him. Her eyes were filled with tears.

I took their hands and led them each to a corner. I managed to glue the doll's head back on, and left the kids in a time-out. Becca came out with Emily, who was jumping across the floor. I lured all of the kids out of their time-outs, and then sent them off to get ready. I got the twins up and fed them, and they happily laid on the living room floor around the chaos.

I bathed and dressed Emily, and put her into her high chair for breakfast. She sat there laughing at my mother when she came out with her hair in curlers.

"That's attractive, mom," I chuckled.

"Nan, nan!" Emily giggled.

"Nana looks silly, doesn't she bub?" I grinned, kissing Emily's cheek.

"Where are the twins?" mom asked.

"Laying on the living room floor," I smiled. "The TV is on, and they're fed. I'm about to lure the five fighting amigos into here for breakfast. Can you believe they were shouting at seven this morning?"

"I thought I heard arguing," mom sighed. "Let kids be kids, Rose."

"I put them into a time-out, because they could have woken the whole neighbourhood," I frowned. "And they get punished at home, too, when they pull crap like that."

"Let kids be kids," mom repeated. "Siblings fight. If I had've punished you four for every time you were naughty, my hand would've fallen off."

"We weren't that naughty," I chuckled.

"Says the one who went off and got herself pregnant at fifteen," mom said warily. I turned to face her, smiling.

"Never gonna let that one go, are you?" I questioned.