You Are Loved, Baby.

I made dinner around six that night after forcing Juliann to sit down in the kitchen and actually do his homework for once in his life. The four of us sat at the kitchen table and ate tacos together like a real family. We talked about school and all attempted to make Blaik laugh as I spoon fed him his baby food.

My mind kept replaying the scene with Zack. I kept losing focus of what was going on around me and eventually Juliann asked what was wrong. He was the only one old enough to notice, but still I'd been hoping that he wouldn't.

"Nothing, Junior," I murmured, shaking my head, "Nothing is wrong, I'm just a bit distracted tonight."

Juliann shoved another bite of taco in his mouth and looked to Bronx with raised eyebrows. "What's going on, kid?" Juliann asked with his mouth full as Bronx looked away quickly.

"Nothing," Bronx said quickly, shrugging.

Juliann groaned. "Liar. You've even got the kid in on it. Tell me what happened today, Niss."

"Mommy saw Zacky!" Bronx cheered, happily, pointing at me accusingly.

"Bronx!" I shouted, feeling like a child who stole from the cookie jar and got caught, "Remember what we talked about? You just lost."

Bronx pouted because now he wouldn't get an extra treat after dinner. I looked to Junior with a bored expression on my face. "What now, baby brother?" I asked, standing up and taking the bare plates off of the dining room table, hoping to avoid the interrogation.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, following after me with Blaik in his arms.

I shrugged. "Because it's not important, Jules," I told him as I pulled Blaik out of his arms and set him on the counter so that I could wash the mess off of his face and fingers. Juliann hopped onto the counter as well and sat there giving me the look of a protective brother. I groaned and finished cleaning off the baby. I handed Blaik back to Juliann and called for Bronx.

The five year old came running into the room with sticky fingers and a dirty face. I heaved him up onto the counter next to the other two and reached for the wet rag again. I continued to talk to my brother as I washed Bronx off.

I put Bronx on the floor and told him to go to the bathroom for a bath. He whined for a minute before I pushed him away and he shrugged his way upstairs. I pulled Blaik from Juliann, ignoring his pleas for me to tell him what happened. He jumped off of the counter and followed after me as I walked out of the room.

"But Nissa!" he shouted, "Isn't Zacky going to tell Brian that he saw you with a baby? Then what?"

I brushed him off. "If you're going to follow me you can bathe the boys," I told him, turning around shortly with my eyebrows raised.

He sighed, deciding that he couldn't be more stubborn than me. "No thanks," he said, and hopped back down the stairs. I watched as he disappeared into the basement.

I groaned loudly, causing a squeak from Blaik. I looked to him and smiled, nuzzling my nose against his as I continued on my way to the bathroom. Bronx was sitting on the toilet seat, kicking his feet back and forth as he waited for me. I grinned at him as I entered, shutting the door behind me. I handed Blaik to Bronx, showing him once more how to hold the six month year old. I then leaned forward and turned the water on so it would fill up the tub. I pushed Blaik's baby tub in at one end so that they could both fit. I undressed Blaik as Bronx undressed himself. And about 10 minutes later I had both of the boys in the tub, as it filled with bubbles.

Another 30 minutes later, they were both out and wrapped in towels. Bronx stood there, the moisture from his hair dripping onto his face. Blaik was yawning as he laid cradled against my chest. I scooped Bronx up with my right arm as he rested his head against my shoulder sleepily. I carried them both to their rooms. I went to Blaik's first seeing as Bronx liked to help me put the baby to bed. I dressed Blaik in his feety pajamas as Bronx stood in the middle of his little brother's room, his towel's hood pulled up over his hair. Blaik's walls were grey with little stars on the ceiling. His windows were large and let light flood through and hit the hard wood floors. He had a dark oak crib that rested against the left wall, his closet was to the right and a cliche rocking chair sat in-between the two windows.

I placed Blaik in his crib and covered him up with the blue blankets that used to be Bronx's. I leaned down and kissed his forehead before I picked Bronx up so that he could do the same. I turned the mobil on and watched as Blaik stared up at it in amazement, his eyes drifting closed as tiredness weighed down on him. I cradled Bronx in my arms like I used to when he was a little baby like Blaik and I carried him to his room, missing the days when things were so simple.

Bronx's room had three light green walls and the other, fourth one, was painted with the same type of green paint that a chalk-board was made of. That wall was covered in drawings made by Bronx, Juliann, and I. Bronx's bed sat in between the two large windows. He had a deep blue blanket that had trucks and boy toys on it. His closet was on the right as well and across from that, resting against the left wall, his chalk wall, was his toy box. I pulled Bronx's pajama's from his own dresser and helped him get dressed. I rubbed his towel over his hair, trying to dry it off more, and pushed the blonde strands from his eyes.

I picked him up and rested him in his bed before I covered him up and sat down on the edge of his little bed. "Good night, baby," I whispered, leaning down to place kisses on his face, "I love you so much."

Bronx cracked his eyes open and reached up to touch my cheek. "I love you too, Mommy."

I smiled, loving the sound of his tired voice. "Good night." I walked out of his room, shutting the light off and closing the door, leaving it open just enough for light to get in from the hall. I wandered down the stairs and then down the basement stairs as well. Juliann laid on his bed. He looked up when I emerged and I rolled my eyes.

"Lights out by ten thirty," I told him, turning to go back up the stairs.

"Good night, Nissa," he called after me.

I smiled to myself, feeling the tiredness in my bones. "Good night, little brother."