Craving Absolution
Page 14

“Hey, Will! You want some Cheerios, dude?” Farrah asked calmly as she strode out of the kitchen holding a little bowl of dry cereal.
“Wan’ Mama.”
“Yeah, I hear ya, buddy,” she told him with a sigh as she crouched down in front of him, the long skirt of her dress pooling around her on the floor. “Mommy and Daddy are on their way. You sure you don’t want any of these absolutely scrumptious little o’s?’
She popped a piece into her mouth with an exaggerated look of pleasure, and I couldn’t help but smile when Will walked between her knees and laid his head on her shoulder, then grabbed a Cheerio from the bowl with his chubby little fingers.
“Only a little bit longer, bud,” she murmured gently, kissing the top of his head.
She stayed that way, crouched down in front of him while he leaned his body into hers for a few minutes, before he scooted back to sit on one of her thighs. He was standing on her dress and as he moved, pulled the dress down until she dropped the Cheerios to the floor as she scrambled to catch her neckline before her tits came popping out. I watched the surprise on her face while Will pushed at her, and in what seemed like slow motion, they both toppled over and burst into laughter.
“My legs are like Jell-O!” she screeched at him, pulling him up so he was straddling her belly. “You’re getting too big, Wilfred.”
“No Wilfred!” he yelled back, giggling.
“Wilbur?”
“No!”
“Wilhelmina?”
“No!”
“Will-you-take-me-out-to-dinner?”
“No!”
They got louder and louder, completely oblivious to the world around them as Will belly laughed, bending at the waist like he couldn’t hold himself up any longer, his sturdy little body shaking Farrah’s underneath him.
“Well, what is it then?” she asked in mock exasperation, their faces close together.
“Willam Butter Hawtorn!” Will yelled back, spraying spit all over Farrah’s face.
“Oh, right. Well, that’s boring,” she told him, rolling her eyes with a huge smile on her face as she nonchalantly wiped off the spit.
It was clear the argument was a familiar one by the way they each played their parts, and I watched in awe as Will’s face relaxed for the first time in hours. He rubbed his eyes blearily before lying down flat on Farrah’s chest and reaching up to grab one of her loose curls so he could run his fingers through it. They were flat on the old carpet that I knew Farrah hated, but she made no move to get up as she rubbed his back softly.
“My William.” She sighed softly before she closed her eyes and began humming.
I hated interrupting because I knew she’d forgotten that I was even in the room, but I couldn’t just stand there watching anymore. As I stepped closer to them, her eyes popped open and she gave me a sleepy smile. It was the most beautiful she’d ever looked.
I couldn’t stop myself from reaching down and picking her up, cradling her and Will at the same time and carrying them to the couch. Will had already passed out, and he didn’t move a muscle as I pulled the cushions off the back of the couch so Farrah could scoot in, leaving room for me to lie down next to them.
“You gut me,” I whispered as I wrapped my arm over the two of them.
“Because I pretend I don’t know your nephew’s name?” she asked with a smile, linking her fingers with mine as she closed her eyes.
I wasn’t sure how to explain it, shit, I didn’t even know what it was, so I kept my mouth shut as I watched her fall asleep. I finally closed my eyes, listening to Will’s soft snores, and at some point I eventually passed out.
I woke up sweaty and hot as hell when I heard voices outside the front door, and watched sleepily as it unlocked and opened, Grease directing my sister into the apartment with a small slap on her ass.
“Shhh!” she whispered to Grease, catching sight of us on the couch. “They’re sleeping. That’s so freaking cute!”
I nodded my head at Grease, then glared at Callie as she whipped a camera from her purse and proceeded to take a shit ton of pictures.
“Pretend like you’re sleeping!” she whispered, pausing in front of us.
I pulled my arm from Will’s sweaty back, the kid was like a furnace, and rolled gently off the couch instead, leaving Farrah and the baby undisturbed as I pulled Callie in for a hug.
“I missed you, little brother,” she mumbled into my chest, squeezing me hard.
“You too.” I kissed her on the top of her head. “Will’s getting huge.”
“I know, right?” She leaned back to look up at me with a huge grin on her face. “He’s a little tank.”
“Not surprising since his dad’s a fucking monster,” I said, teasing her and enjoying the way her face lit up for the first time in over a year. “Everything good with you guys?”
“I don’t know how he put up with my shit for so long,” she said sheepishly.
“Bad shit happens, sis. It always will. But you’ve got a man that loves you, and after all this shit, you know he’s not leaving. Just be thankful for that and stop worrying about stuff you can’t change.”
“When did you become . . . a man?” She searched my face in surprise.
“Last night,” I answered with a dramatic leer, lifting my eyebrows up and down.
“You’re fucking disgusting!” She laughed, pinching the skin on my side.