Ignite

Now they were playing their favorite game, which was to stand next to me while I slept and talk shit about me.

Hallie scrambled into the bed too, forcing me to move to the middle to accommodate them both. “Can we sleep in here?”“Do I have a choice?”“No.”

On one side of me, Hallie snuggled closer and brought up her knees, which jabbed me painfully in the hip. On the other side, a sleeping Luna rolled over, slapped a hand on my chest, and kicked me. But they were still breathing, which meant I’d successfully kept two humans alive for one more day.I called that a victory.

“Get dressed and we can go for donuts on the way to Aunt Bree’s.”“Mom doesn’t let us have donuts,” she said.“Mom’s not fucking here,” replied Hallie.“Hey!” I gave my older daughter a sharp stare. “No cursing.”“But you do it all the time.”“That’s because I’m a grouchy old man, and I earned the right.”

“How come Mom says she’s still young and you say you’re old, but you’re both thirty-four?”