My Crazy Fake (I Wish It Were Real) Life

Axel Likes to Tease Us

"Mommy!" Axel toddled over to me in the library. I picked him up and set him on my lap.
"I'm sorry, Axel. Mommy and Daddy must be really boring sometimes when all we want to do is look at books with no pictures."
Axel cocked his head. "I don't like books."
Loki was strutting around looking for another book on the many, many shelves in the library. "You will when you learn to read. Or I'll disown you."
"Loki!"
He grinned. "A jest! I doubt he even knows what that means."
Axel smiled. "Yes I do!" I glared at Loki. Axel continued, "It means I learn to read!"
Loki shrugged. "See?"
"You're lucky."
"Lucky Bucky!" Axel replied.
"Who's Bucky?"
"Steve's friend," I said.
"Who's Steve?"
"Captain America."
Loki growled.
Axel hopped off my chair and resumed running circles around the library. When he raced by his father, Loki stopped him and picked him up. "No! I have to finish!"
Loki ignored him. "Olivia, he's just like me!"
"I thought we had decided he looked more like me."
"Sure, when his hair is brown."
"His hair is black, Loki. Wait a minute." I hopped over the back of my chair, taking Axel from Loki. Axel picked up a strand of my brown hair, twisting it around his tiny finger.
"Your hair is brown, Mommy. Now my hair is brown."
"You're right, Axel. But how did you do that?"
"Daddy's hair is black. My hair can be black."
"Yes, Axel, but how?"
"Daddy calls it magic."
Loki grinned. "I don't know how we'll handle this. I was a difficult child."
"Oh, I know. Axel! What else can you do?"
Axel changed his black hair to bright green. I clapped, or as well as I could while holding Axel. I set him back down and his hair continued to flash and change constantly. And so did his eyes. That was a bit unnerving; when your toddler aged son can change his eye color from blue to violet in a second.
"Well this will be fun," Loki said.
"More than books?" Axel teased. Already, I could tell how stressed their relationship would be. I was going to love this.
Loki glared at me. "You're right. He's more your son than mine."
"You wouldn't disown your only son, would you?"
He grimaced. "You will never let that go."
"Never."
"Never," Axel echoed.