Holy crap was the word Ira was looking for. What a day.
It wasn’t a bad holy crap, as it hadn’t been a bad day, not at all. Just intense. Really intense. Full of as much fun and activity as two young, playful adults could muster up for a couple of four-year-old kids in the space of about thirteen hours. Not counting nap time, at that.
Though Staas had put the kids snug to sleep now, after a couple of songs on the guitar, a bedtime story, and a bit of Ira’s help. But for the muffled pounding of snowfall and the high pitched whine of wind against the building, all was quiet in the apartment as the adults tidied up the living room and waited for the hot water to boil for tea. The silence wasn’t entirely comfortable, though. There was a tension in the air, faint but palpable. The Mooren household was usually so easygoing and, well, happy that even the slightest bit of weirdness had considerable weight to it. Was that strain in the set of Staas’ shoulders as the older man retreated into the kitchen for tea and chocolate, or was Ira just imagining things?
Either way, the evening had taken rather an awkward turn after Alida had asked to look through a photo album of the kids’ mothers. Staas had complied and the three of them had spent about a half hour before bed flicking through it, talking about the events and people in the photos therein. Ira had some context as to who the women in the photos were –one woman was obviously Theo’s mother and Angel was Alida’s, and Staas had given him a cursory explanation earlier in their friendship – but he couldn’t appreciate their significance past that shallow notion.
Not that it was technically any of Ira’s business, of course. During the photo session Staas had his full concentration on his children, and rightly so. In spite of his curiosity, Ira hadn’t minded. Lady had crept into his lap, and he’d cuddled her and gnawed a nail while watching the kids exclaim and smile and point. Of course he couldn’t help but look at the pictures along with them (he did love photographs) and wonder what they meant. Theo and Alida hadn’t appeared upset after the photos at all, switching cheerfully to songs and stories and sleep after the album was shut and shelved. But their daddy, on the other hand, seemed tired.
And though it probably didn’t even come close, Ira was tired, too. Not sleepy, just tired.
Yeah. Intense.
(But at least they didn’t have to change into their pajamas, having not bothered to dress for the day.)
By now Staas was back with two steaming cups and two chocolate bearing napkins, and Ira accepted one of each with a smile of thanks before the other man headed off down the hallway once more. Presumably to check on his children. Ira broke off a morsel of chocolate to savor in the meantime.
He was glad to see that Staas had a lighter expression on his face when he returned to the couch. He warmed his hands on his tea’s steam and nodded, also smiling. “That’s good. Fun's a lot of work, isn't it?”