Brave the Storm and Embrace the Rain

Two hours later I was in the boys' room, helping them get dressed. I decided that we'd get them all ready to go and then mention to Dad and Karli that we were going to the park.... With Eadon.

Maddy wore a sleeveless blue t'shirt and black blasket-ball shorts so that he could race around the park. I handed him a brush and told him to go in the bathroom and brush his hair and teeth while I helped his brother pick out clothes as well.

Wyly was picky about what he wanted to wear. His side of the closet was full of clothes although whenever I pulled something out he would turn up his nose and shake his head.

"Come on, Wyler!" I groaned as I pulled another outfit out. I handed him a red short sleeved shirt and khaki pants that had a million pockets. This was the last cute outfit in his closet and I demanded that he at least try it on. Once he had the clothes slipped on I pointed out everything that looked good about him in those clothes and he ended up grinning and agreeing to wear them.

I huffed happily and pulled him over to me. I started brushing through his matted curly hair, softly, knowing that he would take forever if he did it himself.

I hurried him into the bathroom and grinned when I saw Maddox standing there with his orange toothbrush in his mouth. His hair was still tangled but I figured that I'd deal with that in a minute. I grabbed Wyler's blue one and handed it to him. I put toothpaste on it and ran it under the water for a moment before I told him to brush, ignoring when he whined that the other toothpaste works better. I left them there with Maddox and I ran off towards my own room to get dressed. I plugged my straightener in and set it on my dresser as I picked clothes out to wear. I grabbed my favorite pair of jean shorts and a cute blue tank-top. I pulled my clothes on quickly and went over to my red straightener.

I pulled my black hair out of the messy bun that it was in and raked my purple hair brush through it roughly, trying to detangle it as quickly as possible. When it was smooth I sprayed it with the stuff that was supposed to keep it from burning and I started pulling the straightener through it.

It took a little bit to get it as straight as I wanted it. When I got to my makeup both of the boys were sitting on my bed, watching as I covered my face in makeup and smeared eyeliner under my hazel eyes.

"What are you doing?" Maddox questioned from where he sat.

"My makeup," I told him with a smile, looking at the two of them through my mirror, "It makes people look better."

Wyler and Maddox both nodded, but Wyler murmured, "Can I wear makeup?"

I busted out laughing as I looked to the shaggy headed boy. I shook my head at him and then nodded slightly.

"I don't think that Dad would be too happy about that. You can wear it when you are old enough to put it on yourself... If you still want it then."

The boys watched me while I finished for a couple more minutes and then I turned to face them for a moment. I looked over them, their cute smiles, similar faces, their identical curled hair, and their stunning blue eyes. I smiled at them and turned back to the mirror.

"Go get your jackets," I told the twins as I finished up on my eyeshadow.

They both nodded and raced out of my room and towards their own. I laughed at their eagerness and looked at myself once more in the mirror. I thought about how I was going to convince Karli to let the boys out of the house with me and Eadon. It would take some serious convincing and I knew that I probably should've talked it over with Dad and their Mom before telling them 'yes' but I couldn't say 'no' to them earlier when they were unstable and sad.

The twins came walking back in. Wyler had his jean jacket in his hands and I smiled at the young boys' sense of style. The jacket matched his khaki shorts in a different way than I had expected.

Maddox had just a plain black cotton hoodie that he slipped over his head and then grinned at me. The boys might be twins but they were definitely different people with different interests and likes. I smiled back at Maddox as I went over to my closet and pulled out one of my favorite hoodies. It was gray and bunches up over the chest section. The bottom splits and opens like an upside down 'v'. I pulled it on over my head and flattened down my hair as it fell around my shoulders.

I reached out and yanked Maddox back over to me. I grabbed my brush and started combing out his hair, ignoring his complaints.

"Sissy, your phone beeped!" Wyler shouted with wide eyes as he passed it over to me. I smiled at the name he called me and pushed Maddox away playfully as I grabbed my phone from his brother.

"Our ride is here!" I shouted excitedly as the twins jumped into the air happily.

The boys followed me down the stairs and I froze when Karli peered out towards us from the kitchen. The boys were too excited to pay any attention to their Mom, but I noticed when she looked out the window to the red car and then back to the boys and I where we stood, our jackets already on as the boys pulled their shoes on.

Karli came walking towards us, her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed the boys sitting on the floor, happily.

"Where do you think you're taking them?" She questioned as she folded her arms over her chest.

I shrugged, "To the park," I said simply, "It's a nice day out."

Karli pressed her lips together and then shook her head. By now the boys were standing up and they were grinning at their Mom, happily, oblivious to the exchange that just happened between Karli and I.

She addressed the boys next, "You boys need to stay home today," she said as she reached forward and tried to pull them over closer to her.

But the boys wouldn't comply. Wyler and Maddox yanked themselves back, trying to get their Mom to release her hold on their jackets.

"We want to go to the park!" They shouted simultaneously, "Indy said she'd take us!"

Once again Karli shook her head, "You are going to stay home today and that's final." She uncrossed her arms and pointed to the floor next to her, gesturing that the twins had to get over next to her, now.

The twins, however; didn't want to. They began to screech loudly, stomping their feet around and flailing their arms. I sighed and tried to calm them down. I kneeled down to their height and they immediately wrapped their arms around my neck, begging me to make their "mommy" let them go.

"Boys, calm down," I cooed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that you could go."

My words didn't calm the boys down. They had tears on their cheeks as they wrapped their arms tighter around my neck. They were to a point where if they got any tighter I'd have a hard time breathing. I sighed and stood up, forcing them to let go of me. But I took their hands in my own and looked up to face Karli.

"Why can't they go?" I questioned as I wiped their tears off of their baby faces.

Karli stared me down as she replied, "They might get hurt."

I shook my head, dismissing her fear, "I wouldn't let them ever get seriously hurt. I love these boys." I squeezed the boys' hands as I spoke. They copied my actions as they sniveled.

Karli refolded her arms, "They don't know your friends."

I shrugged again and offered a friendly smile to the boys and their Mom. "My friends are nice guys. They love little kids. Some of them have older siblings who have kids. They'll love the boys."

"They still don't know them, Indiana. Two little boys around rowdy teenage boys. Not a good match."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "The boys," I mocked, not yet ready to admit that most of them are grown men, "Are a little rowdy but the twins will never get to know anyone unless they meet people first."

Karli looked snooty for a moment and then she shook her head again, in a way that a mad woman who was acting calm could. The boys, who were paying strong attention, started screeching again.

I groaned, finally unable to hold myself back.
"You won't let them go because you don't trust me, isn't that it Karli? You think that when I go out with my friends that we do horrible things! You think that I'll expose the twins to all the bad in the world! Well, news flash, Karli, I don't do anything but go to movies, skateparks, and hang out at their houses. I haven't even been in Eadon's house yet!" I quieted down, my hands were shaking as Karli didn't deny that she had no trust in me, "I haven't done anything wrong."

Karli arms fell to her sides and for a moment I thought I had won just this once. But then she reached out and grabbed the boys. She pulled them towards her and they tried to pull away but when I released their hands they gave in and walked towards their mother. I looked at them sadly and tried to ignore the tears in their eyes as I turned and walked out the front door, giving in.