“Haiden flushed my Barbie down the toilet!” She sternly pointed at the floating doll that was headfirst down the toilet. “Look! She’s stuck, and she’s probably drowned now! I’m going to have to have a funeral for her!”
I breathed out a huge sigh of relief. “Must you scream like that, Haven? I thought something bad had happened.”
She stared at me with wide eyes. “Did you not hear what I just said? A funeral, Mom! I don’t have time to plan a funeral! I have ballet today!”
Out of both of them, Haven was definitely the dramatic one while her twin brother was the troublemaker.
Yes, you just heard that correctly.
Twins.
I didn’t get pregnant with only one baby when I turned sixteen—I got knocked up with two. I had no idea my grandmother was a twin until the OBGYN said there were two heartbeats. At first, I thought I’d heard him incorrectly. After I’d passed out from the news, I was awoken with the reality that I’d be giving birth and responsible for two lives, not just one.
My mom didn’t have the best relationship with her mother, so no one thought it would be important to tell us that we had the twin gene in our bloodline.
I nodded. “I heard what you said. Let me see what I can do. Where is your brother?”
“MOMMMM!” she dragged out.
“Stay put,” I ordered before hurrying my way down the stairs. “Haiden! Where are you?”
“I’m out here, Mama!”
I went toward the backyard, and he came into view. “Haiden! How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t climb that tree when no one is watching you?”
“But, Mama! I’m the man of the house. I don’t need anyone watching me.”
Damn you, Brady!
My brother had been telling him he was the man of the house since before he could understand what it meant. Now, it was his answer for everything.
“Sage!” Aspyn shouted from the front door.
“I’m out back!”
I watched Haiden’s eyes light up as soon as he saw my best friend walk through the screen door. He had the biggest crush on her.
“Hey, little man.”
He jumped off the tree like the daredevil he was. My boy had no fear, and he had the scars to prove it. He was only seven and had already had stitches twice and almost broke his arm last summer. It didn’t matter how many times I told him he couldn’t fly off the swings, he was determined to prove me wrong.
Haiden strode over to Aspyn with the strut of a man.
Where did he get this shit from?
“Mom, my girlfriend is here now. You don’t have to watch me anymore. She can.”
“Haiden, she’s not your—”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I swear he has better swagger than most men I date.”
With a serious expression on his face, he simply stated, “I am a man.”
Before Aspyn could reply, Haven ran into her arms. “Aunt Aspyn! You’re just in time. We’re going to have a funeral today.”
Aspyn picked her up, hugging her close to her chest. Haven was small for her age. My family had a reoccurring joke that Haiden took all her nutrients. He was big for his age. Most people didn’t realize he was only seven until I told them. They were both wicked smart, though. I spent a lot of time with them, so did my family. They were advanced for their age.
After we found out I was pregnant with twins, my mom closed her business and helped me raise them. I was able to finish high school and graduate with my friends. Yet, I was still the cautionary tale of all of Tullahoma, and let me tell you…
Trying to date when I had twins waiting at home was nonexistent. I lived vicariously through Aspyn. With the help of my loving, supportive family and best friend, my life stayed somewhat normal. As normal as it could be with having twins at only sixteen. I even graduated from college with my teaching degree a year ago; I finished that early too.
“Who died?” Aspyn questioned, looking at me concerned.
“Barbie,” Haven told her. “Haiden murdered her.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “You should go to jail.”
“Your brother is not going to jail, Haven.” I gazed over at my boy. “Haiden, apologize to your sister about her Barbie.”
“But, Mama,” he grumbled, looking at me with those puppy eyes he'd perfected since he was two. “I was just trying to see if she could swim.”
“You flushed her down the toilet!” Haven exclaimed. “You didn’t even give her a chance!”
Fair.
“Haiden, I won’t tell you again. Apologize to your sister, and you’re going to buy her a new Barbie with your own chore money.”
“But, Mama… I was saving up to take my girl out on a date.”
“Oh my God.” I shook my head. “It’s too early for this. I’m going to make some coffee; want some?” I asked Aspyn.
She nodded, setting Haven down on the ground. “You guys behave and play nice together. I have to talk to your mom.”
“Go get ready for school.”
“Mom,” Haven responded. “It’s Saturday. There’s no school today.”
“How is it Saturday already?”
The kids took off toward the jungle gym my brother and dad had built for them for their birthdays a few weeks ago. My twins could bicker and yell at one another and then make up like nothing had occurred between them seconds later.
It was amazing to witness. They reminded me a lot of Brady and me. After I had the twins, he became the best uncle a sister could ask for. Picking them up from school, taking them out on activities and their sports to give me a break. Haiden was the best soccer player on his little league team. My brother was his coach; he was adamant from the moment Haiden could crawl that he was born to be a midfielder.
Brady and our dad were the best substitutes for my twins not having a father of their own.
Aspyn pulled me away from my thoughts.
“You’re a mom and on mom time.”
“Is that a thing?”
“After seeing your memory, I’m convinced it is.”
I chuckled, walking back inside. We could still see the twins from the kitchen, and I made sure to keep an eye on them. Sometimes Haiden would make Haven do things she wasn’t ready for, and to prove to her brother that she was brave, she would do them.
Two ER visits in the last six months was never a good thing.
“What do you need to talk to me about?”
She grinned, taking a seat at the kitchen island. With the help of my parents, I moved out of their house and bought this one two years ago. It was right on a lake and had a big backyard for the twins to play. They had their own rooms, but I’d still find Haven in her brother’s bed most mornings. Despite the fact that they fought sometimes, they had this crazy-ass twin bond. They finished one another’s sentences and knew what the other was thinking without having to be told.
“Aspyn, why are you looking at me like that?”