Triplets Make Five

I was Uncle Caleb.

I sat back on the leather couch, taking in the scene, the three of us huddled around the glass coffee table in my living room, eating Ramen noodles while some Disney movie about a talking fish played on the big screen TV in the background.

I didn’t often entertain guests at my apartment, but when I did this was far from the typical scene. Maybe that was what made tonight feel even more endearing. The hearty smell of soupy noodles filled the air, instead of cheap perfume and booze; the sound of Emmy laughing gleefully at the movie, instead of the whiney squeals of women snapping selfies that they would later use as proof that they had fucked someone famous.

I was not sure what it was but something about tonight just felt… right. I could see it on Emmy’s face. The kind of contented belonging that I always craved myself as a child, but could never find. Even now, as I looked back on my entire childhood, I couldn’t remember one instance that had felt as intimate or personal as tonight.

“It’s past your bedtime, missy,” Daisy said suddenly, glancing at the digital clock display under the TV.

“Nooooo,” Emmy whined, not wanting the night to end.

“You’ve gotta get some sleep,” I said, taking Daisy’s side. “Besides, the sooner you do, the sooner we can all hang out again.”

Daisy shot me a glare, but I was already ushering Emmy down the hallway towards one of the apartment’s guest bedrooms.

“It’s not pink or princessy,” I said, “But if you do have to stay for a while, maybe you can help me decorate it!”

I pushed open the dark wooden door to the guest bedroom and flicked on the light. Like the rest of the apartment, it had been completely fitted with modern and sleek pieces, custom ordered by the interior designer I hired when I first moved in. The interior designer had worked with nearly all of The Camden’s tenants, dec

orating each apartment differently to suit the personality and lifestyle of its inhabitant.

For me, that custom decor ended up being dark woods and lots of glass; sleek, modern lines, and clean finishes. I’ve always loved the decor in my apartment, and I’ve always thought that it suited me perfectly, but now, seeing Emmy look around the room glumly, I realized that it might not be so well suited for children.

“Maybe Caleb can take you shopping after school tomorrow,” Daisy suggested quickly, her eyes flashing desperately back to me.

“Of course we can!” I agreed, smiling down at Emmy. “I’ve meaning to decorate this room anyway, and now you can help me out!”

Emmy smiled, but she didn’t look entirely enthusiastic. Probably about as enthusiastic as I felt about the prospect of replacing my sleek and modern decor with bright, plasticky kid’s furniture.

Oh well, I thought. It’s a small price to pay if it would make her feel a little bit more at home while she’s staying here, and the kid’s had a rough ride so far.

“Come on,” Daisy said, nodding at the bed. “It’s way too late for you to still be awake, missy.”

I sat on the bed, while Daisy took Emmy into the attached bathroom. I knew there were spare toothbrushes, but I made a note to grab Emmy some toiletries too.

A few minutes later, Emmy walked out with a huge grin on her face, her hair brushed out and she was drowning in one of my spare white t-shirts.

“Looking good, kiddo,” I laughed as I stood and she bounded over to the bed.

Emmy climbed up onto the bed and scrambled to get under the covers quickly. Once she got herself situated, Daisy and I both took a seat at the foot of the bed. I let Daisy take over, flattening the sheets and smoothing out the pillows.

“Miss Wright,” Emmy said reluctantly, “When am I going to see Mommy again?”

“I don’t know,” Daisy said gently, and I could tell she was conflicted about the answer. Torn between telling the awful truth, or telling a lie.

“But you don’t need to worry about that,” I added quickly, and Emmy’s eyes shifted to me. Even in the dim bedroom light, I could see the start of tears puddling under her eyes, and I wished there was something I could do. Something I could say to comfort her.

“Everything is going to be ok,” I said. “I promise.”

I felt Daisy’s eyes staring up at me, and I had a pretty good idea why. She was probably going to tell me that it was not a good idea to make promises that I couldn’t keep. But I didn’t need anyone to tell me that. That was a lesson I already learned the hard way. I would never make a promise I did not intend on keeping. And when I promised Emmy that everything was going to be ok, I meant it.

We said our goodnights, then Daisy flicked off the bedroom light and gently closed the door. We padded softly down the hallway, back to the living room.

Daisy collapsed onto the couch and stifled a yawn, then glanced down at her cell phone on the coffee table as she shook the braid loose from her hair, letting the golden curls spill freely over her shoulder.

“Still no word from CPS?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she shook her head.