Aspyn didn’t miss a beat, she added, “His friend Sawyer sure has some moves. I don’t remember the last time I… Mom, cover your ears.”
“Aspyn, I know all about moves. I’ve been married for thirty years to the same man for a reason.”
“Ewww,” Brady and I expressed.
“Why do young adults always think they invented sex? We have decades of moves that you probably haven’t even tried yet.”
“Mom!” I exclaimed. “I don’t need to know about you and Daddy still doing it. It was bad enough that you locked your door every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Do you have any idea how many times Haven and Haiden have asked me what you were doing in there?”
“Given the divorce rate, I’d think that you would appreciate that your parents still have the hots for each other.”
“Ugh … so gross.” I waved her off. “Anyway, Ashton asked me out.”
“Like on a date?” Aspyn inquired.
“Yeah.”
“For when?”
“I don’t know. I told him I’d check my schedule and get back to him.”
“I love it! Playing hard to get. I’m sure he’s not used to that.”
“I don’t think I’m going.”
“Sage, you’re going,” Mom informed in that mother’s tone that meant business. “I can watch the twins again.”
“That isn’t why I’m not sure. I didn’t tell him I’m a mom. I can’t. He’s going to go running for the hills. It’s hard enough to tell a man like him that I have one kid… Could you imagine his reaction if I told him I had not one, but two?”
Brady didn’t hesitate. “If he’s not man enough to handle kids, then he’s not man enough to be with you. No loss on your part, sis.”
“Brady, when you say things like that to me, it only reminds me of how much of a good man you really are. How are you not married?”
“That’s easy. I’m waiting for Aspyn to marry me.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Haha. Funny.”
He winked at her. “On that note, I’m heading out. Let Haiden know I’ll be by at six on Tuesday to drive him to soccer practice.”
“Oh, your man time?”
“You know it.” Brady kissed my mom, me, and then slapped Aspyn on the butt. “Later.”
He’d been slapping Aspyn on the ass since we were kids, and none of us thought any more about it.
“You know you don’t have to tell him right now, sweetie.”
“Mom, are you saying I should lie?”
“Not lie, but more like withhold the information until you see where this is going. No point in telling him now if you end up not liking him. I’m not saying to lie to him for weeks and months, but at least for a few more dates. See where this is going before you drop that bomb.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be the problem. The issue is that I already like him too much.”
“From the little I have seen of this guy, Sage, he acts like a huge kid himself, so there’s that.”
“It’s one thing to act like a kid, and it’s another to be around two of them twenty-four seven.”
“Honey, your kids are well-behaved. Any man would be lucky to have them in his life.”
I sighed. “You think?”
“I know.”
“How long should I wait to tell him then?”
“I’d do it when it feels right. It’s still so new, and I’m sure there are things he hasn’t told you about himself yet. Wait it out. You’ll know when it’s right to tell him.”
“I guess … I could do that, Mom.”
“Mama!” Haven shouted, causing me to jump. Her loud footsteps followed, and it sounded like a stampede was coming through the second floor of our house.
“We’ll talk about this later. I don’t want the kids to know about him.”
They both nodded.
Quickly, Haven barreled into the kitchen with Haiden right behind her.
“Haiden kept me up all night trying to shift into a Transformer.”
“It wouldn’t have bothered you if you hadn’t come into my room.”
“Well, I get scared at night and you’re my brother, so you’re supposed to protect me!”
“Exactly! It was why I’m trying to become Bumblebee.”
“That doesn’t even make sense!”
“Neither does your face!”
“Says, my twin brother!”
“Your fraternal twin brother!”
“Okay,” I ordered, regretting the day I told them the difference between fraternal and identical twins. “Enough, you two.”
“Mama!” Haven jumped into my arms. “Where were you last night? Grammy said you were out on the town. When do I get to go out on the town too?”
“When you grow boobies,” Haiden mocked, making his way over to Aspyn. “Hey, baby.”
“Haiden,” I emphasized. “Don’t call her baby.”
“Why? She’s my girl.”
“She’s not your girl.”
“Yeah! She doesn’t date little boys,” Haven reminded, knowing it would only upset him.
“I’m a man. Uncle Brady and Grandpa said so.”
“You’re not a man,” Haven corrected, rolling her eyes. “You think you can turn into Bumblebee.”
“I can turn into Bumblebee.”
“No, you can’t!” Haven got out of my arms. “You’re just a dumb boy.”