Wait For Me

Nora has been with my kids for a few short hours, and already, the mood of the house feels different. For the first time in I don’t know how long, Jack opened up to me—truly opened up to me—and now music, baby giggles, and belly laughs waft through the house, a far cry from the normal screaming and arguing I come home to, and all I can think is this is how it’s supposed to be.

I stop at the entrance to the living room and smile at the sight of Nora on the floor, dressed like a princess. She has a pink boa around her neck, a tiara in her hair, and a Superwoman cape draped over her back.

She’s so good with them, a true natural.

Poor Henry is even dressed up beside her. He tugs at the fancy hat Emma put on his head, and Nora laughs.

“Is there enough tea for me?” I ask.

Emma is delighted to have another participant, but Nora looks up at me and pinches her lips together.

“You, kind sir, are not dressed appropriately,” she says in her best British accent.

“She’s wight.” Emma runs back to her room and returns a few seconds later with a pink tiara. “Here, Daddy.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I check my male pride at the door, put the tiara on my head, and take my seat at the royal table beside Nora.

“Hey,” I whisper. “You spent the entire day with my kids, and you’re still alive.”

“Barely. Your kids have an endless supply of energy. I’m going to sleep for days.”

“Sleep? What’s that?”

We laugh, and Nora leans in. “Pink is definitely your color. Very chic.”

Emma gives us a look that has us both shutting our mouths. Henry stumbles from the plastic chair and crawls onto my lap.

“Hey, big guy.” I kiss the side of his head and hand him a toy. “Are you hungry?”

“I am!” Emma announces.

“You’re always hungry.”

“Can we have McDonald’s?”

“I…uh…actually, I made dinner,” Nora says, looking a little unsure of herself.

“You did?”

She nods. “I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s more than okay. I didn’t expect you to cook.”

“I know you didn’t. I wanted to. I knew the kids would be hungry, and I assumed you would be too when you go home.”

“I’m starving. Emma, sweetheart, why don’t you go wash your hands and get cleaned up for dinner?”

“Den we can pway pwincess some more?”

“As long as you eat a good dinner.”

“Come on, Henwy.” Emma takes off her crown, sets it on the table, and grabs Henry’s hand.

We watch them walk out of the room, and then Nora turns to me.

“How did it go with Jack?” she asks, sliding the tiara from her head. She winces when one of the prongs gets stuck in her hair.

“Here. Let me.” I remove my tiara and then lean forward and work on untangling the strand of hair in hers.