"Stand still, Matty." I pulled his blue and green stripe pajama bottoms up as he wiggled around playing with a dinosaur. I took the toy from him, sitting it hastily on the bed as I pulled a top with an airplane on it over his head. He immediately grabbed the T-Rex again, moving its arms and legs around and making roaring noises. "Brush your teeth, and then you can play dinosaurs, Daddy will be here soon."
I followed him into the bathroom where Luca had become completely distracted with the toothpaste and was now wearing half the contents of the tube, completely amused with himself.
"Ugh, what are you doing," I grabbed a towel to wipe his face off and pulled the pajama top with mint goo on it over his head as he grabbed onto me for balance, leaving toothpaste handprints on my outfit. I held my temper but I was annoyed, already running behind, sitting down on the side of my tub to brush their little teeth and quickly put Luca into new jammys.
I turned on a movie for them in the living room, sitting them both on the couch under a blanket and I scurried off to finish getting dressed. We were at my condo while some repairs were being performed at the Malibu house so I had a limited selection of clothing but I was able to find another outfit that would be appropriate for the evening, my hair still in rollers. I could hear them both up from where I left them, now running around laughing, but I just let them be. I applied my makeup with the door open, my mother due back at any moment from a quick run to the grocery store.
I was almost ready to go, just finishing my lipstick when Luca bolted through the door, grasping me around my legs.
"Mama!" He cried.
I squatted down, looking him in the eyes. "What's wrong, baby boy?" I asked, smoothing his baby curls out of his face.
"I don't feel good," he whined. "My tummy."
"Oh Luca," I sighed. "How much of that toothpaste did you swallow?"
He gave me an over exaggerated shoulder shrug as I reached to feel his forehead, checking for a fever. Just as I pulled him closer, he turned a little green and proceeded to throw up all over me. I looked at him, tears welling in his eyes, and immediately sat him in the tub, unable to be mad.
"You feel better, baby?" I pushed his blonde hair back. "Or does your tummy still hurt?"
"Better," he told me pathetically, breaking my heart.
I quickly got out of my now soiled outfit, slipping into a robe before returning to check on Luca, who honestly looked fine at this point. I changed him again as well, picking him up, where he leaned his head on my shoulder and carrying him out to the living room, where Matty was playing. I got them situated with their movie, laying Luca on a towel just in case and returning to attempt getting ready yet again.
I was running out of things to wear. All I could come up with was a completely out of character little black dress. I wondered where I'd even gotten in but given that my options were dwindling I pulled it from the closest with my shoe selection, and returned to attempt to get my hair done before another disaster.
I clasped the two stone diamond necklace that Lindsey had given me before the boys were born around my neck and pulled the rollers out of my hair, spraying it for added volume. I heard a knock, almost immediately followed by a key unlocking the front door and knew it was Lindsey.
