Erica stirred the soup on the stove and checked the clock. There was plenty of time to make grilled cheese sandwiches for the boys while the soup finished.
Speaking of the boys, she frowned slightly. It was maybe just a little too quiet for a group of 5 year olds. She should probably go check on them. Jessica was sleeping, her one year old had worn herself out trying to toddle around and keep up with the boys. She turned the heat down under the soup and headed up to Kota's room to check on them.
She felt a smile crease her lips as she saw they'd all managed to fall asleep themselves, Kota hanging on to a book, Victor and Nathan both with fists curled into Max's fur as the puppy had fallen asleep with them. She felt her eyes soften as she saw Gabriel curled up into himself, a thumb having snuck it's way into his mouth. She looked around for Luke and sighed softly when she saw that he was asleep too, the remnants of the chocolate chip cookies they'd had for a snack earlier leaving his mouth ringed with chocolate and smudges of chocolate on his cheeks as he slept. She glanced around the room one more time and this time, Luke actually woke up. "Come here sweetie." She murmured to him, smiling as he rubbed his eyes and carefully scampered away from his friends, into her arms. "You are growing up so big, Luke." She said, carrying him out of the room and downstairs with her. "Are you hungry?"
He shook his head and rested his head on her shoulder, sighing softly as he fought falling back to sleep. "Is Jessie sleeping too?" he asked.
"Yes, sweetie. Everyone's asleep but you and me."
"Uncle too?"
She chuckled. "Well, maybe not Uncle because I think he's working but he'll come pick you up before bedtime, okay?"
"Okay." He said, snuggling into her as she walked into the kitchen and sat down on a chair with him. "Did you know my mommy?"
He'd asked so quietly that Erica wasn't sure that she'd heard him right. "Your mommy?" she asked. When he nodded, she realized that she'd heard him just perfectly. "Oh Luke." She murmured, kissing the top of his head. "I did, I knew your mommy very well." She said, getting up again with him in her arms and went to the living room. She looked around on her bookcase for the picture she wanted and found it, sitting down on the couch with him and shifting him so that she could show him the picture. "This is your mommy and me. We were pregnant with you and Kota." She said as Luke reached out a finger and traced the other woman in the photo.
"Did she love me?" he asked in a small voice.
Her heart broke. She wasn't entirely sure about the reasons that Natasha left her year old son with his father's brother, they hadn't talked about it before she left. But she did know for a fact that Natasha had wanted him. She'd loved him from the moment she knew she was pregnant and she kissed the top of Luke's head again. "oh yes. She loved you so very much." She said. "She was so excited about you, she called you her little monkey." She said.
He perked up at the idea and sat up a little straighter. "She did?" his eyes widened and he looked up at her face. Erica laughed softly and nodded before telling him a few stories about his mommy. "I want to climb like monkeys." He declared. "And eat bananas. Do you have any bananas?"
"Let's wait on the climbing part, I'll talk to Uncle. There are some classes at the Y for how to safely climb, it would be best for you to be safe, okay?" she said, waiting for him to nod. "And yes, precious monkey. I do have bananas. You can have one with your grilled cheese and tomato soup." He beamed at her and she ruffled his hair.
"Okay." He said happily, no longer tired at all as he settled against her, still looking at the picture of his mommy. He looked up at her. "Do you think Uncle would be mad if I got mommy hugs from you?"
Her heart really broke, right in two at his question. "Oh Luke. I don't think he'd mind if you asked me for mommy hugs." She said softly, tilting his chin up a bit more. "He's an Uncle. He gives Uncle hugs. I think you do have to get a mommy hug from a mommy."
He tilted his head, pondering what she'd said. "Okay. Will Kota be mad if I get mommy hugs from you?" he asked, his eyes worried that he'd upset his friend.
Erica kissed his forehead. "No, Luke. He'll share. I have more than enough mommy hugs to go around." She tweaked his nose before wrapping her arms around him and giving him a bear hug.
He giggled and wrapped his little arms around her neck, squeezing back in return and it was all she could do to keep from crying all over his little head. She smoothed his hair back and kissed the top of his head as he sighed happily within the hug. "Thank you." He mumbled.
"Any time, monkey." She said, starting to hear some footsteps upstairs in Kota's room. "Let's go check the soup and get ready to make sandwiches, okay?"
He nodded and giggled again as she carried him into the kitchen and settled him on a tall chair with the bread and softened butter. She let him spread all the bread with the butter as she stirred the soup and heated up the pan for sandwiches as the boys started to come into the kitchen, accompanied by a prancing puppy who needed to go out.
(fade...)