“Mother, I can’t believe you were ever as flat as me when you were my age. I’m never going to have breasts and hips. All my friends are developed and I still look like a boy.” Naomi sat in her mother’s lap, and Denise put her arms around Naomi’s thin waist.

“Sweetheart, my breasts and hips didn’t start developing until I was in my second year of college. I was a late bloomer, and you take after me.” Denise rested her head on Naomi’s back as she talked lovingly with her daughter. For Naomi, William’s fib had been a bonus. She got to sit with her mother and talk about girl stuff. Naomi knew that as soon as the little ones were bathed, dried, powdered, greased and clothed in their pajamas, they’d be competing with her for Denise’s attention.

No sooner had Naomi finished the thought than her naked little brother and sister bounded out of the bathroom with William bringing up the rear.

“Come back here, you two!” William was holding a towel and trying to catch Benjamin and Sarah before they left a trail of wet footsteps from the bathroom to the dining area. He wasn’t fast enough.

“Mother! Mother!” Benjamin and Sarah reached Denise and Naomi before William could get past the coffee table and over to the dining area table. Denise opened the arms she had around Naomi and hugged all three of the children at the same time.

“My mushy-wet, little munchkins,” Denise exclaimed and flashed a dazzling smile at Benjamin and Sarah. Naomi was forced to smile, as well. Even though she wanted her mother to herself, she understood how much her little brother and sister missed Denise, too. Besides, Benjamin and Sarah would be going to bed soon and Naomi and William would have a couple of hours before their bedtime, and they could spend some time with Denise then, if she wasn’t too tired and/or didn’t have too much work. William actually demanded much less of Denise’s time these days, so there was a good chance Naomi would have Denise alone again and they could finish their discussion. Naomi wanted to talk to her mother about getting a training bra.

“How was your day, Mother?” William dried the little ones off right in the dining area. He knew it was fruitless to try to get them back in the bathroom, plus it was nice for them to all be there in the same space. His mother was smiling, Naomi was feeling special sitting on Denise’s lap, and the little ones were still and letting him dry them off. They all were quiet waiting for their mother to speak. Naomi didn’t look around at her. She trained her eyes on William, who purposely avoided her stare. She knew he was up to something. She couldn’t forget what she’d seen in that letter on his desk.

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