Mannies Incorporated by Michael, Sean (read this if txt) 📕

"Do you want me to?" He couldn't believe he might actually be winning her over thanks to bug-eating of all things.

"No."

"Uh, I think she was asking for reassurance, Drake…"

He chuckled. "No, honey, I'm not going to make you another one. We might dare your mommy when we see her, though."

"Want Mommy home. Soon?"

Oh, fuck. Those eyes were going to break his fucking heart. "You'll get to talk to her on the computer in just a little while."

She started crying again, this time so quietly, and she reached for him, leaning from Slayde.

He opened his arms to her, astounded as he took her and her little legs wrapped around him. He held her close. "It's okay, Maggie. Me and Slayde are going to stay and take care of you until she's home."

Slayde had this look on his face -- pure satisfaction, which Drake had to say, surprised him. He'd sort of expect Slayde to be pissed. It was nice, though, not to have to fight Slayde on this. He was able to just enjoy having Maggie finally accept him.

Maggie rested on his shoulder, and Slayde frowned, suddenly. "Where's Jenny? Christian, have you seen the baby?"

Jesus. His heart wasn't going to take the constant panic. "Do you know where the baby is, Maggie?"

Maggie shook her head and Slayde headed in, at a dead run. "Jenny? Jenny girl, where are you?"

"Come on, Maggie, help us look?" He held her tighter, following Slayde inside.

"Jennifer? Where are you?" Slayde looked at him. "You check down in the front room. The baby gate is in front of the stairs. I'll look in the bathroom."

"Got it." He jogged into the front room. "Jenny, honey? Where are you?"

"Unca Dake? Unca Dake? He'p me! I stuck." Sure enough there was a pair of tiny feet sticking from under the sofa.

Oh, fuck. Fuck. "Okay, honey, I'm gonna lift it and get you out. Slayde!" He called out for the man.

"Coming." Slayde came running, feet slapping on the floor. "Well, I'll be."

"I'm gonna lift the sofa off her, you pull her out."

"Put Maggie down first."

"Oh, right." He'd almost forgotten he had her. He set her down. "You stay here, out of the way, okay?"

"Uh-huh."

"Unca Dake! He'p! Unca Slayde!"

"We're helping, baby girl." Slayde was staring more than he was helping.

He went to the front of the sofa. "From here, you think?"

Slayde shook himself and got on the ground, hand sliding underneath. "Straight up."

"The whole thing?" What if he couldn't do it like that? What if it slipped from his hands?

"Just lift it. You won't drop it. I'll pull her out."

"Okay." He nodded. He wouldn't drop it. Jenny was going to be fine. "One, two, three." On three, he lifted the fucking sofa off the ground.

Slayde had her out in a split second. "Okay. Got her."

"My baby!" shouted Jenny.

"I'll get it after," promised Slayde.

Drake let the sofa drop and sat on it. Man, that had been tense.

Slayde held Jenny close. "Okay, new rule. No climbing under the sofa."

"That's a good rule, man."

Maggie was staring at him, eyes wide, still standing where he'd put her down.

He held his arm out for her. "You can move now, honey."

She ran right to him, holding on tight, and Christian pushed close, too. He put his other arm around Christian and hugged them both. "It's okay, guys. She's fine. You both are fine. We're all good."

Slayde nodded. "Uncle Drake to the rescue."

"That's me." Thank God he'd been there, though, right? So he could lift and Slayde could pull.

The kids all settled, and Slayde smiled at him. "We'll start supper in a few."

"Yeah, my heart might be back to normal by then."

"Maybe." Slayde rocked Jenny, nice and slow.

Drake sat back with his two. "One of you want to get a book for me to read?"

Maggie shook her head. "Tell me story."

"A story? What kind of story?" He wasn't very good at fairy tales.

"'bout Mommy."

"Oh." He chuckled. "I think I can do that. What kind of story?"

"'bout Mommy." She looked at him like he was stupid.

He chuckled. Maybe he was, Maggie certainly seemed to think it was obvious.

Slayde came to his rescue. "How about a story about when Mommy was little, Uncle Drake."

"Well, let's see. Once upon time your mommy wanted a Barbie doll for Christmas. She wanted that Barbie doll more than anything ever."

Maggie's eyes were huge, like he was telling the best, most important story ever.

"Our Momma kept telling her she wasn't sure Santa was going to be able to swing a Barbie doll."

"Santa can do anything," Christian announced.

Oh, damn. He'd forgotten they would still believe in Santa Claus. "That's right, he can. Which is why when Christmas came, that Barbie doll she wanted was under the tree. Although Santa had set it right at the back so it was the very last present any of us opened."

"Oh, that was mean." Christian looked at him, frowning. "Did you move the Barbie?"

"Hey! Why do you think I did that?"

Christian was so serious. "You made her eat a bug."

"Okay, maybe you have a point." Damn, the kids didn't let you get away with a thing. "But Santa wouldn't like it if I moved his gifts around. He put it there." Or rather their father had.

"Oh."

Slayde looked at Christian. "I bet it was a surprise for your mommy."

"It was a surprise and she was so happy. She took that Barbie with her everywhere."

"What was the Barbie's name?" Maggie asked.

Barbies had names? He wracked his brain and finally answered the only thing he could think of, which was what the girls called their dolls. "Baby."

Maggie nodded and hopped up, running out of the room.

Drake blinked and looked over at Slayde. "What?"

Slayde shifted the dozing Jenny on his chest. "She's going to get her baby."

"Oh, thank God. I thought I'd fucked up."

"Push-ups!" shouted Christian. "Ten push-ups! Unca Drake said a swear!"

He winced. "Fu-- I mean. Sh--"

"Thirty!" Christian ran around the room, jumping and shouting.

"Christian! Hush! Jenny is sleeping!"

"But Unca Drake swored! Three times! Now he has