geometry help. I had no clue, but I knew someone available who could help. He didn’t come over — he did it over video chat.”
“And he made it seem easy, Daddy! I totally understand it, now!”
I could tell it took everything in him to merely say, “I’m glad he could help.”
Since the kids were spending the night with me, we went to Gil’s house first, so they could open presents there. He got them clothes, shoes, a basketball and basketball hoop for his driveway, and a foosball table as a joint gift. He also bought a climbing wall kit, and told them they’d have to help build it. When I saw the plans for it, I understood this would be their first true construction project — leveling the ground, preparing the foundation, building the three-sided structure, and then securing the footholds and handholds. I approved.
When we made it to my house, it seemed best to let them open Frost’s gifts first, so perhaps what I got them would shine louder, and their dad would only have to hear a few times about how happy they were to finally have gaming consoles at my house.
“The two packages on the mantle need to be opened first. Frost couldn’t be here, but he wanted to get ya’ll a gift.”
I felt Gil looking at me, but I didn’t turn to him. I focused on the kids. They opened them at the same time, and I was unprepared for just how excited they’d be. Also, it seems these were later consoles than the ones they had at home, so I now had better gaming systems than their dad. Oops. And then they saw the gift certificates, and started planning for which games they wanted to buy. Gil was pissed, but he sat quietly and didn’t say anything.
“Okay,” I told them when it was time to move on, “we aren’t hooking them up tonight, so put them to the side and open your other gifts.”
I got them build-your-own-robot kits, which would make them need to learn some electrical skills and some programming skills. Also, some shirts and jeans, which they didn’t care about quite yet. I also bought them both a .22 rifle. And yes, Gil knew, and he approved. The weapons would stay in my safe, and the boys would only use them under my direct supervision. Shortly after moving in, I’d set up a target area in my backyard, with an earthen backstop to catch the bullets.
We, of course, had to go out back and shoot the guns right away. Gil helped one child while I helped the other. They’d both shot rifles before, so we weren’t starting from scratch with the safety stuff. They knew how to handle them, but these worked slightly different. Also, they looked really cool.
It was more than an hour past the boys’ bedtime before I wished them a final happy birthday, kissed their cheeks goodnight, and turned their light out. I’d given them both a bedroom, and they’d turned one room into a playroom and the other into their bedroom. Neither boy wanted his own room.
Nora was waiting for me in my bedroom when I went to take my own shower.
“Are things better for you? I think you’re doing better with your wolf since your principal started helping you.”
“Yeah. I am. Daddy was pissed about the gaming consoles.”
She’d sat on my bench, and I sat on the loveseat. “Your father is going to have to come to terms with the fact Frost and I are an item. Give him a little more time.”
“Daddy still loves you.”
“And I still love him, but not romantically. I hope he can find someone who’s a better fit for him as a wife.”
“You have sex with Frost more than you did with Daddy.”
“I am not talking to you about my sex life. I will talk to you about your sex life all you want. I will answer any questions you have about sex and boys and even girls if you decide that’s your thing.”
“What? Ewww! No!”
“Okay then, boys it is, but I just needed to say I’ll love you no matter who you love.”
She sighed. “I guess I should say the same thing. I still love you, even if you and Daddy aren’t getting back together.”
“And I will always love you.”
Cheyenne
I spent the morning in the office — going through invoices, matching them up to jobs, logging everything in the computer, and then printing and signing checks. I got those ready to mail,