19
Ruth Anne
Edmonds, Washington – 2018
On Tuesday,for Terrific Twin Time, the boys and I took the ferry boat from Edmonds to Kingston. As walk-on passengers, we boarded first and climbed to the top deck where we watched the vehicles load. When the boys were little, they loved counting the cars and passengers. Seeing a dog through a sunroof would send them into hysterics. Now, they barely seemed interested.
In Kingston, the boys and I walked up to the crepe shop where I bought chicken crepes for an early dinner and chocolate ones for dessert. Carrying our paper plates, we crossed over to the park and found a place to eat.
“Can we come here next Tuesday for twin time?” Ryan asked.
I smiled. “Maybe. Are you enjoying yourself?”
Both boys nodded, which made me happy. As they got older, I knew our time together would change. What entertained them in the past might not hold the same interest for them. Because I definitely wanted to continue our special time together, I needed to put some thought into coming up with new activities for us.
After eating, the boys played for a little bit, then we reboarded the ferry boat. During the crossing back to Edmonds, Caleb complained of the cold, so we went inside and worked one of the jigsaw puzzles available to the public. Public jigsaw puzzles had fascinated me the first time I rode the ferry in Washington. They still did.
In the car on the ride home, both boys were tired, but only Ryan fell asleep.
“Ah, he’s so cute when he’s sleeping,” Caleb said, sounding more mischievous than sincere.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled. “Don’t mess with him, okay?”
“Aunt Ruthie, do you think I would mess with my brother while he is sleeping?”
I laughed. “Yes, I do.”
Caleb made a sound of mock outrage. “I can’t believe you’d say that. I’m the sweet twin, remember?”
“Is that so?”
“Yup.” A devilish smile escaped him. “You don’t by chance happen to have a glass of warm water or a permanent marker, do you?”
“Caleb—”
“I’m joking. I’m joking.” He cracked up, laughing like he was the most hysterical person in the world. “Can’t you take a joke, Aunt Ruthie?”
I gave a little chuckle. “I can take a joke, as long as it’s really a joke.”
“It is.”
We drove a few more blocks in silence, then Caleb spoke. “Aunt Ruthie, why didn’t you come to my mom’s birthday party?”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I didn’t see you.”
“You didn’t? Don’t you remember? You helped me cut the cake. I let you have a piece from the very middle once everyone else was served.”
He shook his head. “No, not that one. I’m talking about the party when she turned three.”
Ryan woke up and shushed his brother. “We’re not supposed to talk about that, remember?”
“You’re not supposed to talk about what?”