Matt had barely moved a muscle by the time the boys started to stir. Both of them seemed happy to see Matt, which admittedly made him a bit happy as well. He would always harbor a soft spot for his boys. Or so he hoped. "Cash, why don't you run on downstairs? It smells like your Mom has started on dinner." Cash eagerly climbed down from his toddler bed, hurrying out of the bedroom. River moved to follow him, but Matt stopped the older boy. "No, you stay," he said and River shrunk back into his bed. The look on his face told Matt that the toddler thought he was in trouble again.
"You're not in trouble, Daddy just wants to talk to you," Matt told him. He moved over to sit next to River on his little bed. "So Mommy told me that you asked her why I love Cash more than you." At this, River shrunk back even more. He started to cry, mumbling something that Matt couldn't understand, but Matt hushed him. "You know that isn't true, right? I love you and Cash both the same. I was just mad because I've told you a million times before that you've got to be easy with your brother. He's littler than you and you could really hurt him if you're not careful. You're his big brother, you're supposed to protect him and keep him safe, okay?" Matt paused, scoffing at his words. If he couldn't protect his own little brother, then did he really have the right to expect River to do the same? "But I do love you, okay, buddy? Now let's go see what your Mom is cooking for supper."
Matt lifted River from his bed, shutting off the light and closing the door as he followed the little boy out of the bedroom. He could hear Cash chattering away downstairs to Madelyn, but she seemed to only be offering him short responses. He could tell she'd been crying and even from here, it looked like one of her wrists was swollen. It obviously wasn't broken, otherwise, she wouldn't be using it, but she'd definitely hurt it. Probably when he'd shoved her down onto the floor but surprisingly, he didn't feel bad. If she hadn't provoked him, he wouldn't have pushed her. "What's for dinner?" Matt asked, taking a seat at the island and pulling River into his lap.
"You're not in trouble, Daddy just wants to talk to you," Matt told him. He moved over to sit next to River on his little bed. "So Mommy told me that you asked her why I love Cash more than you." At this, River shrunk back even more. He started to cry, mumbling something that Matt couldn't understand, but Matt hushed him. "You know that isn't true, right? I love you and Cash both the same. I was just mad because I've told you a million times before that you've got to be easy with your brother. He's littler than you and you could really hurt him if you're not careful. You're his big brother, you're supposed to protect him and keep him safe, okay?" Matt paused, scoffing at his words. If he couldn't protect his own little brother, then did he really have the right to expect River to do the same? "But I do love you, okay, buddy? Now let's go see what your Mom is cooking for supper."
Matt lifted River from his bed, shutting off the light and closing the door as he followed the little boy out of the bedroom. He could hear Cash chattering away downstairs to Madelyn, but she seemed to only be offering him short responses. He could tell she'd been crying and even from here, it looked like one of her wrists was swollen. It obviously wasn't broken, otherwise, she wouldn't be using it, but she'd definitely hurt it. Probably when he'd shoved her down onto the floor but surprisingly, he didn't feel bad. If she hadn't provoked him, he wouldn't have pushed her. "What's for dinner?" Matt asked, taking a seat at the island and pulling River into his lap.
April 11th, 2018 at 10:14am