Page 7 of Bear’s House

"Neither of you is watching anything," he said, turning the TV off. "It's bedtime."

"Aw, no, Daddy," JJ whined. "Today's still Sunday. I only have one day left before Monday. I need to make the most of every second—"

"It's well past time for a little baby like you to be in bed. Way past time. Stop complaining and thank me for letting you stay up this long. Or do you want another round of what you got at The Hearth tonight?"

"No, Daddy," JJ mumbled.

I giggled watching the whole thing. He was terrible, but he was also really funny, and also a great brother.

"Both of you go get ready for bed," Daddy said. "Pajamas on, wash your faces. I'll come check on you in a little bit. You too, Mikey."

"Yes, Daddy," I said.

The three of us went up the stairs in very different ways: JJ huffing and rolling his eyes, Sawyer telling him to stop being a pain, and me walking quietly behind them both.

JJ and I shared a bathroom, but we each had our own bedroom — even though we almost always slept together in Daddy's room anyway. The only time we had to sleep alone was when we were being punished, and I thought that was absolutely terrible. I hated sleeping by myself more than almost anything. But tonight everything was fine.

Sawyer, being the oldest in the dynamic, had his own bathroom.

"Go get yourself sorted, Sawyer," Daddy said. "I'll come check on you in a bit."

"You don't have to check on me, Daddy," Sawyer said. "I'm not a baby. I can do it myself."

"I'm sure you can," Daddy said, and let him go.

He came with us to our bathroom. JJ and I knelt on our little step stools at the sink, because we liked brushing our teeth that way. JJ's step stool was green — like most of JJ's things: green toothbrush, green water cup, green little plate. Everything of mine was pink.

Daddy handed me my toothbrush already loaded with toothpaste, and I gasped.

"The toothpaste is purple with glitter!" I said, so excited. It was so pretty — it looked like something a unicorn would use.

"It's a new flavor," Daddy said, and kissed my forehead. He was so much taller than us when we were kneeling on our stools. "I knew you'd love it, which is why I bought it, princess."

"Thank you!" I said, giggling. "You're the bestest!"

"Daddy, can I have a bubble bath?" JJ asked, eyes wide. "I want to make bubbles."

Daddy shook his head.

"Not tonight, baby. It's too late."

"Please," JJ said, making that enormous pout that only he could make. He looked especially small and sleepy when he did that, even at twenty-eight — he was slim and just a little shorter than me, five-six to my five-eight, with blue eyes and blond hair that fell across his forehead in a fringe. We were very different, him and me. But Daddy loved us both equally, which was my favorite thing.

"Not tonight," Daddy said again, firm but gentle.

JJ went sulky and started brushing his teeth by himself, all pouty about it. You could tell he was tired — the night had been long because of his punishment, and his eyes were a little red around the edges. Daddy was right to send him to bed, but JJ would never in a million billion years admit that.

"Open up," Daddy said to me, and I opened my mouth and let him brush my teeth for me. It was one of my very favorite things — it made me feel so small and taken care of and cozy inside, like being wrapped in something warm.

When he finished, I spat and wiped my mouth, and he pressed a warm, damp cloth to my face to clean it properly. JJ did everything himself, still pouting.

"Come on, let's go," Daddy said to him, voice gentle. "I don't like seeing you like this. You had a big night. You were a brave boy. Okay?"

JJ shrugged. He was such a terrible brat sometimes — I honestly did not know how Daddy had infinite patience for it.

"Tomorrow, if you're good, you can have your bubble bath first thing after breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Fine," JJ said, still very pouty, but maybe a tiny little bit less.