Take My Breath Away

"Well, would you like to take a shower with your brothers?" Erica asked.

Shaking his head, Boswell answered, "No. How about my own bathroom? Please?"

"Okay. Ask the nanny to fill the tub for you. I'll be along after I'm done with your brothers!" She had so many sons and they had to take turns bathing.

"Okay!"

With the nanny's help, Erica finally finished bathing each of her sons.

Erica was in the master bedroom. She stared at the man exiting the bathroom, not saying a word.

Matthew put on his pajamas and glanced at her. "You should probably grab a shower," he said.

"Okay." She nodded and walked into the bathroom, burying the questions she wanted to ask him deep inside her.

At night, Erica was lying on the bed playing a mobile game, and Matthew was viewing the news on his iPad.

Someone pushed the door of the master bedroom open. Eventually, a boy's head could be seen in the widening gap. He gently called, "Dad, Mom."

It was Damian, their youngest son.

Erica sat up from the bed and looked at her son, confused. "What's wrong? Why are you up again, Damian?"

Standing at the door, an Ultraman toy in hand, he stared at them and said, "I can't sleep. Can I sleep with you guys?"

Matthew put down his iPad, got out of bed and walked towards him. Half squatting in front of the boy, he looked at him and asked, "Why?"

"Well, I've never done it before, and I feel safe with you," the little boy answered bluntly.

With a faint smile, Matthew closed the door and carried him to the bed.

As soon as Damian climbed into the bed, someone opened the door once more. This time, it was Colman. He screamed and ran to their bed. "Oh, yeah! We can sleep with Dad and Mom now!"

Under the couple's stunned gazes, he quickly crawled into the bed and huddled under the blanket with Damian.

The two brothers couldn't help but giggle. Erica was speechless. What a clever little guy!

Matthew was nobody's fool, and caught on immediately. "You didn't really want to sleep with us, did you, Damian? Colman put you up to it, huh?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"Yes, Dad. I was scared Mom would spank me if I

ed with their heads on the same side, the bed would be not wide enough.

The only option was for them to sleep with their heads on either side of the bed. Matthew and Erica had to separate and take care of two children each.

Putting his arms around Matthew, Colman blurted out, "I sleep with Dad tonight. I get Mom tomorrow!"

Without even taking a look at Matthew, Adkins and Boswell climbed over to Erica's side without saying a word.

Damian looked at his three brothers. He seemed to have no choice. Eyes wide open, he looked at Matthew and said, "Dad, let's lie down."

Finally, they could drift off to sleep.

The family of six huddled in the same bed, and the four children fell asleep first.

Matthew held Colman in his left arm, while Damian held his other arm and slept soundly.

In the dark of night, the smile in the man's eyes deepened.

The next day, Adkins woke up first. He sat up from the bed and looked at the scene on the bed with his sleepy eyes. Suddenly, he was a little confused.

He remembered that he and Boswell had gone to sleep with his mom last night. When he woke up, he was with his three younger brothers, but his parents were snoozing on the other side of the bed.

Colman slept horizontally, with his legs on Matthew's, and his head on Erica's legs.

Before he could figure out why his brothers were there, Adkins pulled his brother away from Erica.

Matthew suddenly woke up.