"No, shut up."
"Mimmo, don't talk to me like that"
"Leave me alone and go play with the baby or something." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I know João is a bit busy, he's a bit busy and very spoiled but he's not disrespectful. At least I didn't think he was.
"Get out of my room"
"It's time to eat, Mimmo"
"No. I'm not hungry. I only want my mommy to make me breakfast. Not you"
"Mommy's at work"
"Shut up. Stop it. Stop saying that!"
"Mimmo, Look at me."
"No. Get out"
"Get out!!" He screamed and my eyes widened. Is this what he was like when I went into the office?
"What did daddy do wrong?"
"Get her and now all you care about is her. You don't want to be my daddy anymore. That's why I only like my mommy and not you" He crossed his arms over his chest. I was debating if I should make my presence known but decided against it. I was just going to watch through the baby monitor.
"You don't like daddy?"
"No. Now go away"
"I love you João, daddy loves you. Samira is a bit younger so she needs a bit more care and attention."
"No. Go play with the baby"
"I want to play with you, Mimmo. What do you want to play? Sharks vs Dinosaurs?"
I smiled seeing João nod and grab the figurines. I was proud that Jamie could diffuse the situation by himself.
"No, no. That's mommy's dino. You can't touch it." He snatched the green dinosaur from Jamie and put it on his bed.
"No! That's mommy's shark!" He also took the great white shark that I played with.
"Which one can I play with?"
"The ugly one" he handed Jamie a beat up little dinosaur that was missing his tail.
"Now. We play"
"Can I play with the triceratops?"
"No. Don't be greedy. Get what you get"
"João, you're not being very nice to daddy."
"Gosh, you complain a lot" I frowned seeing Jamie frown. He looked so upset. It was time.
"João"
"Mommy!!" He got up and ran to me.
"No. Stop" He stopped in his tracks, looking at me.
"What's wrong, mama?"
"Why are you talking to daddy like that?"
"Like how?” I put my hand on my hip giving him a knowing look.
"He. . . He. . . Papa was. . . Him was yelling at me and being mean!"
"No he didn't"
"You weren't even here! He was! Call João stupid and big baby!" He spoke in third person thinking it would make me cave.
"So now you're telling stories." He began to cry, sobbing as he walked over to Jamie giving him a hug. That was his way of apologizing.
"Now put your toys away. It's time to take a nap. You're very cranky."
"No I'm not!" I looked at him and Jamie tapped his thigh warningly. He began screaming for whatever reason, thrashing in Jamie's arms. Muffled wails came a few moments later.
"You want to take João or Samira?" I pointed at João. He carried our struggling five and a half year old to me. I kneeled so I was eye to eye with him.
"Cut it out." I spoke sternly. He stopped screaming and looked at me with teary eyes. I hugged him and he began crying again. I had no idea what was going on with him. He wrapped his arms around my neck.
"What's going on, baby?" I brought him to my room and closed the door.
He began having a coughing fit. Saliva dribbling down his chin. He cried often but I've never seen him cry like this.
"Take her away!"
"Where do you want me to take her, bubba?"
"Away"
"If she goes back she will be hurt, João." He looked up from his interlocked hands.
"Her old mother and father were very very mean to her Joey. Daddy and I are here to take care of her and make her feel better."
"They hit her and didn't give her hugs?" I nodded with a frown thinking about the case files. I shouldn't have had access but Jamie can get his hands on pretty much anything.
"We don't need you being mean to her too. She's your little sister. Show her some love and try to be nice. Don't you want to show mommy and daddy how much of a good big brother you are?"
"And Grandma and Nonno?"
"Yes. Can you try for mommy? It makes mama so sad when her babies don't get along."
"I'll try."
"Thank you, Joey. We can start later okay?"
"Let's watch a movie"
-
"Samira, do you want to play?" I watched from in the kitchen. He held his plush shark, handing her a fish one.
"You have to run and I have to catch you." She threw it down.
"Don't throw my stuff!" Jamie pulled him back before he could push her.
"Relax, Joey. Remember what mama said and try again" I told him filling their cups with water.
"Sorry. Wanna play?- No! Give him back!!" He screeched trying to get his sharky back. I could see he was getting frustrated but trying.
"Joey. Come here baby and bring sharky."
"Let's say I'm Samira and you give me sharky. You're trying to play Fishy Fishy, right?" He nodded.
"Let's say I want to be sharky. What do you do?"
"You can't be sharky, mama!"
"I'm not mama right now. I'm samira. What do you say?"
"You can't be sharky, Samira!"
"What if we try something different. If you want me to play with you, you can take turns being sharky. Do you want to go try?"
"No! Don't wanna play with her! I don't like her!" He sat on the kitchen floor playing by himself.