uncle just didn't want to have to give you baths every day."
Abby looked at Henry, her eyes wide. "Did you lie to us, Uncle Henry?"
Henry looked embarrassed. "Well, now I wouldn't call it a lie. It was just—a different version of truth."
Avy shook her head at Henry. "You did lie to us. How can we ever trust you again? I'm so disappointed." Avy got down off the couch and took Samara's hand. "Can we take a bath together in Uncle Henry's big bathtub please?"
Samara nodded. "Of course, you can. Do you want bubble bath?"
Abby squealed excitedly. "Bubbles!" She ran for the stairs, Avy at her heels.
As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Samara rolled her eyes at Henry. "Their skin would fall off if they bathed every day? Really?"
"I'd have told them I lied before they were old enough to start stinking!"
"That doesn't make it any better. Unbelievable." She hurried up the stairs to find the girls sitting on the floor in her bathroom totally naked. She started the water. "Did you get a bath last night?"
The twins nodded in unison. "Yes, ma'am. Anytime we have to stay the night, Grandma Betty gives us a bath," Avy answered.
"Did she start watching you when you moved in with your uncle? Or did you know her before?" Samara added bubble bath to the tub while the water ran.
Abby shrugged. "We've always known her. Since we were teeny tiny babies. She knew our mommy."
"Okay, I'm glad you've always known her. She seems to really love you girls."
Avy nodded. "Of course, she does. We're lovable."
Samara laughed. "You sure are!" She picked up Avy and put her in the tub and then Abby. "Do you have boats?" she asked, looking around the bathroom for toys.
They shook their heads. "No boats at all. We used to, but Uncle Henry threw them all in the garbage," Avy said.
"He did?" Samara frowned. "Rubber duckies?"
"We don't have any bath toys at all. It's so hard to have fun in the tub without them. We used to have a little orange fish that squirted water out its mouth. I liked to squirt it at Avy."
"That does sound like a lot of fun!" Samara told them. Why was Henry against bath toys? The girls would have more fun in the tub with toys. She gave them each a washcloth. "Scrub your sister's back for me."
She moved over and put the seat down on the potty, picking up her Kindle from where she'd set it on the counter. The girls would be fine while she read.
She made it through exactly one chapter before the cries of, "Aunt Sami!" started. When she looked up, she saw that the girls had managed to empty the bathtub of water, but not down the drain. Instead, the water and bubbles were all over the floor.
"Wait in the tub while I clean up the mess," she said calmly. She got out a towel and threw it on the floor, skating around on the mess, soaking it up as best she could.
"Let us help!" Avy said, standing in the tub watching.
"No, you sit down. Let me get this cleaned up, and then I'll get you both out. I don't want you falling on the slippery floor." Samara grabbed another towel, hanging the dripping one off the side of the tub. Four towels later, the floor was dry enough to get the twins out. She dried them quickly and took them through the halls naked to put their clothes on.
She'd need to remember to take their clothes with her into the bathroom. It wasn't brain surgery. She'd just never had two children to raise before.
Once the twins were dried and in their pajamas, she tucked them in. "Wait," Abby said. "You told us you'd read stories."
Samara stopped at the doorway. "You like stories?"
They both nodded.
"Okay, then let's all meet on Abby's bed and we'll read." When Abby moved to the bed Avy was in, Samara got confused. She looked back and forth between them. "Did I get your names confused?" she asked.
"No," Avy responded.
"Well, then why did Abby get in your bed?"
Abby grinned. "You put us in
Abby looked at Henry, her eyes wide. "Did you lie to us, Uncle Henry?"
Henry looked embarrassed. "Well, now I wouldn't call it a lie. It was just—a different version of truth."
Avy shook her head at Henry. "You did lie to us. How can we ever trust you again? I'm so disappointed." Avy got down off the couch and took Samara's hand. "Can we take a bath together in Uncle Henry's big bathtub please?"
Samara nodded. "Of course, you can. Do you want bubble bath?"
Abby squealed excitedly. "Bubbles!" She ran for the stairs, Avy at her heels.
As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Samara rolled her eyes at Henry. "Their skin would fall off if they bathed every day? Really?"
"I'd have told them I lied before they were old enough to start stinking!"
"That doesn't make it any better. Unbelievable." She hurried up the stairs to find the girls sitting on the floor in her bathroom totally naked. She started the water. "Did you get a bath last night?"
The twins nodded in unison. "Yes, ma'am. Anytime we have to stay the night, Grandma Betty gives us a bath," Avy answered.
"Did she start watching you when you moved in with your uncle? Or did you know her before?" Samara added bubble bath to the tub while the water ran.
Abby shrugged. "We've always known her. Since we were teeny tiny babies. She knew our mommy."
"Okay, I'm glad you've always known her. She seems to really love you girls."
Avy nodded. "Of course, she does. We're lovable."
Samara laughed. "You sure are!" She picked up Avy and put her in the tub and then Abby. "Do you have boats?" she asked, looking around the bathroom for toys.
They shook their heads. "No boats at all. We used to, but Uncle Henry threw them all in the garbage," Avy said.
"He did?" Samara frowned. "Rubber duckies?"
"We don't have any bath toys at all. It's so hard to have fun in the tub without them. We used to have a little orange fish that squirted water out its mouth. I liked to squirt it at Avy."
"That does sound like a lot of fun!" Samara told them. Why was Henry against bath toys? The girls would have more fun in the tub with toys. She gave them each a washcloth. "Scrub your sister's back for me."
She moved over and put the seat down on the potty, picking up her Kindle from where she'd set it on the counter. The girls would be fine while she read.
She made it through exactly one chapter before the cries of, "Aunt Sami!" started. When she looked up, she saw that the girls had managed to empty the bathtub of water, but not down the drain. Instead, the water and bubbles were all over the floor.
"Wait in the tub while I clean up the mess," she said calmly. She got out a towel and threw it on the floor, skating around on the mess, soaking it up as best she could.
"Let us help!" Avy said, standing in the tub watching.
"No, you sit down. Let me get this cleaned up, and then I'll get you both out. I don't want you falling on the slippery floor." Samara grabbed another towel, hanging the dripping one off the side of the tub. Four towels later, the floor was dry enough to get the twins out. She dried them quickly and took them through the halls naked to put their clothes on.
She'd need to remember to take their clothes with her into the bathroom. It wasn't brain surgery. She'd just never had two children to raise before.
Once the twins were dried and in their pajamas, she tucked them in. "Wait," Abby said. "You told us you'd read stories."
Samara stopped at the doorway. "You like stories?"
They both nodded.
"Okay, then let's all meet on Abby's bed and we'll read." When Abby moved to the bed Avy was in, Samara got confused. She looked back and forth between them. "Did I get your names confused?" she asked.
"No," Avy responded.
"Well, then why did Abby get in your bed?"
Abby grinned. "You put us in
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