#tech difficulties

On the other hand Tyler climbed a water tower and nearly gave both of them a heart attack, Claire got gum stuck in her hair and threw a major tantrum before they could take her to an emergency hairdresser, and Patrice broke Adam’s favorite toy while he was trying to talk her down which caused another major tantrum before they could take him to an emergency toy store. That in turn had caused Claire and Tyler to demand new toys as well, because it just wasn’t fair, and at the end of the day they were left a couple of hundred bucks poorer, with a strained shoulder on Brad’s part, and major doubts as to whether he was cut out for this on Patrice’s.

Brad laughed at his evaluation.

“You are forgetting something though.”

“Which is?”

“These are no ordinary children. All Marchand kids are at least part demon.”

Well now, that Patrice couldn’t really argue with. Brad had a point.

“You should write your mom a formal apology in the morning.”

“At least ten pages.” Brad agreed.

Patrice turned to lie on his back as well, fixed his eyes on a spot on the ceiling he could barely make out. They made it through one day but there were six more to go until Brad’s brother and his wife came back from their vacation. If this was a test of how good they would be with kids--which it didn’t need to be; it probably wasn’t to anyone other than Patrice--they weren’t passing with flying colors .

Brad found his hand in the space between them as if he could read Patrice’s mind. He turned his head towards Patrice and opened his eyes.

“You are also forgetting one more thing,” he said.

“I was up in that water tower and back down with Tyler safe on the ground within two minutes. Claire normally at least throws three tantrums before she has to go to the hairdresser but you convinced her after only one, and well, we can afford toys. Also as I said these are demon children we are talking about.”

Patrice nodded with a smile. Once again, Brad might have a point.

“And if--” Brad drew a circle on Patrice’s wrist with his thumb. “If we have kids we will start small with just the one and get a nanny.”

Patrice searched his face, his voice, in the dim light to see if he was joking. They couldn't have kids really, not while they were still playing, and retirement felt too nebulous, too far away, no matter how much Patrice tried to think about it, but--

“Would you like that?” Patrice asked quietly, with more hope than he would admit.

Brad rolled over--finally--and tucked himself into Patrice.

“I think so,” he said into Patrice’s chest, his voice barely above a whisper. Patrice could feel his smile against his skin. It never failed to fill him with warmth.