Ellie and I were sitting on the back of my tailgate when the school bus drove up. I could see Alex’s and Colt’s faces light up when they saw us.
Ellie let out a little, “Eep!” as she jumped off the tailgate.
When Alex stepped off the steps of the bus, she ran as fast as she could into Ellie’s arms.
“Oh, Mama! I missed you so much! You look so beautiful. Did you and Daddy have fun? Y’all aren’t mad at each other anymore, are you?”
My heart hurt from hearing our daughter ask that. Colt came running up, and I leaned down and caught him in my arms.
“Daddy! Uncle Jeff said I can shoot my first deer before deer season is up!”
I looked at him and smiled. “He did, huh? I’ll have to talk to him about that.”
Alex pulled back and allowed Colt to run into Ellie’s arms.
“Mama, I missed you so much. No one makes pancakes or bacon like you do. Poor Grams just couldn’t make the bacon the same, Mama. Thank goodness you’re home!”
We all started laughing as Ellie stood and picked up Colt. I looked at how big our son was getting, and I felt tears building in my eyes. When I glanced down at Alex, she was watching Ellie and Colt with a smile. As much as she acted like she couldn’t stand her younger brother, she loved him more than life itself. I picked her up, and she let out a small scream as I carried her to the truck.
After everyone piled into the truck, Ellie turned and looked at Alex and Colt. “It’s y’all’s night tonight. Dinner in? Dinner out? What do you want to do?”
I looked in the rearview mirror at Alex and Colt whispering back and forth to each other. I put the truck in drive and began making my way back to the house. I knew my kids, and I knew they would want to stay home.
Alex cleared her throat. “Colt and I would like to grill hot dogs on the fire pit and then make s’mores.”
I glanced over at Ellie, and she smiled and winked at me.
“Then, I think we’d like to watch Cars!” Colt said with a big smile.
Ellie and I both started laughing.
I grabbed her hand and pulled it to my lips. “Do y’all know that was the first movie Mommy and I watched together? It’s kind of a special movie to us.”
“Really?” Alex let out a giggle. “Then, we have to watch it tonight!”
Ellie tilted her head and gave me the sweetest smile ever. “I think that sounds like the most perfect night ever.”
Both kids yelled, “Yeah!”
“All right, let’s head home and get homework and chores done. Then, we can plan our night.”
Alex and Colt both whined and began arguing over who had to feed the dogs. I squeezed Ellie’s hand as I looked at her.
She smiled as she said, “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
I laughed and said, “Agreed.”
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By the time Colt had his fifth s’more, I was pretty sure he was going to throw up.
Ellie reached for the chocolate bars and marshmallows. “No more, young man. Now, both of y’all, go on in and get cleaned up. We’ll watch Cars in a bit after everything is cleaned up and put away.”
“Yes!” Colt yelled. He jumped up and began wiping chocolate and marshmallows on his pants.
Following him into the house, Alex said, “Colt, I will never get used to the way you eat. Ever. I don’t care if we are old and gray and living together in an old folks’ home. I will never get used to you being a pig.”
“Hey! Alex, don’t call your brother names!” I called out after them.