NOT EDITED
PUBLISHED ONLY ON WATTPAD

JESSE KLAVER

"Here you go. Watch out," Rob gently said as he wiped the smeared ice cream off my kid's face. All four of them were seated on one side of the booth while I sat alone in the opposite seat.

It was a beautiful sight, that's for sure. My heart felt like melting and I couldn't help but think about us as a family. Like married and having kids type of family, not just the two of us living together.

"You okay?" Rob asked me, bringing me out of my thoughts. He was smiling at me with his million euros smile.

"Yes."

"Go play at the playground, don't go far," he instructed the boys. "Did you hear what they're talking?"

"Boys?"

"No, public and our co-workers."

I sighed. "Don't listen to critics."

"How can you not? We literally work with them, you can't avoid overhearing. And you can't avoid social media in our type of job."

"Don't let it cloud your true self —"

"I'm not! I'm just pissed they can't mind their own business or accept us," he whispers yelled.

"They do, just not all of them. It'll all work out, you'll see. Believe me like you did when I told you it's going to be okay on that plane."

He fell silent after that, probably thinking about that life-threatening situation. I was scared too, it was a close call. The pilots succeed to land the plane, we were swaying to the sides and at one point I thought they would say they can't land properly and we'd crashed. When we got below the clouds, the rain was heavily falling, the wind was strongly blowing but they didn't manage to disrupt landing — since they weren't that strong like they were on a higher point — and the pilots landed safely.

"Okay," he nodded. "You better be right about this."

"I will — shit!" I exclaimed.

"What?"

"I forgot I watch the kids this weekend."

"So you'll have fun. I'm not helping, I've barely managed to control them over this past 45 minutes."

"Hey! You'll help me."

"Nope."

"Yes. How am I supposed to deal with the three little demons on my own?"

"How does Joelin do that?"

"They listen to her."

"They listen to you also. You're their father."

"Yeah, I'm the fun dad. Bit if it gets too much you're coming to help me, even if you're in another city."

*     *     *

It wasn't going great.

They were unbearable. They were screaming and running around. They wouldn't calm down. I've called Rob to come here and he still didn't. Maybe I should call Joelin to come earlier for them... That wouldn't be fair. She had dealt with them every day, she deserved a break.

The knock on the door was heard. "Thank God." I went to open the door and was met with Rob's tired face.

"I was sleeping."

"Sunday afternoon?"

"Yes!"

"Daddy, who came?!"

"Ohh, it's nice mister from the other day! Hello!"

"Hello to you two also. Where's your brother?"

"In the kitchen making cookies."

"Making what?" I asked confused.

"Cookies, daddy!"

"But we weren't making... Cookies... Together. Fuck!" I yelled and ran to the kitchen.

"Daddy said a bad word!"

I was met with my oldest messing with the temperature button on the stove. I hurried to him, moving his hands from it and putting the pointers to 0, turning the stove off.

"Don't do that without an adult! You'll hurt yourself or everyone!" I had to say it harshly, it wasn't my intention to traumatize him accidentally, but he had to know he can't do that without adult watching. And I regretted it immediately, even more when he started crying.

Rob came into the room, kneeling before my oldest. "Hey, it's okay. Your dad didn't mean it in a bad way. He's just worried you might have burned yourself or start a fire," he said as he wiped his tears. I knelt next to them, bringing them in the hug.

"I'd never yell if it isn't important, remember that," I said, but wasn't sure if to kid or both of them.

School's finally finished :)

14:47,
19th June 2021.