Babysitting Bradfords

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Babysitting Bradfords

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

(Because I got a request to make readers smile today)

“What’s this?” Jason asked, looking down at the paper that he’d been handed as soon as he walked in the door.

“The babysitting list,” his cousin Devin said absently as he checked something on his phone.

Jason frowned down at the list in his hands, noting the emergency contacts, bedtime routine, and-

“What’s this?” he asked, glancing up at his cousin.

“Necessary,” Devin said, not bothering to look up from his phone.

Sighing, Jason looked down at the list and shook his head as he tossed it on the counter. “You do realize that I’ve babysat the twins before, right?” he drawled.

“Not since they were toddlers,” Devin said, making Jason shake his head because this was just sad.

“We’ll be fine,” Jason assured his cousin.

“Did you give him the list?” Charlie asked as she walked into the kitchen, smiling when she saw him.

“He didn’t read it,” Devin said, sliding his phone back in his pocket so that he could pull his wife in his arms.

“Wait. What do you mean he didn’t read it?” Charlie asked, frowning as she threw him a questioning look that had him sighing again.

“No, he thinks he can handle the twins,” Devin said, chuckling.

Charlie worried her bottom lip as she glanced from Jason, to the list, and then back to him and-

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said, making his lips twitch because this was just fucking adorable.

“I have three children,” he reminded them, which only made them frown, so he added. “I’ve used to babysit Sebastian and Jonathan.”

“I don’t know…” Charlie mumbled, glancing up at her husband, who looked unsure.

“Look,” Jason said, picking up the list, “I’ll read it, but if you don’t go now, you’re going to be late.” When they hesitated, he added, “They’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Fine,” Devin said, kissing his wife’s forehead as he took her hand in his and gave it a gentle pull as he headed for the door.

When they reached the door, Charlie sent him a worried glance as she mumbled, “I’ll miss him,” before heading out the door and once they were gone…

Jason tossed the list back on the counter and headed to the refrigerator to see what lovely snacks they’d left for him. Five minutes later, he was walking into the living room with two large roast beef sandwiches and a Coke, noting that the twins were quietly sitting on the couch. He sat down between them, stretched out his legs, put his food down, and settled in for the night.

God, he needed this, Jason thought as he handed each twin half a sandwich, took a bite of his sandwich and simply enjoyed the moment as he watched SpongeBob SquarePants. He missed this, missed just hanging out with his kids watching cartoons and spending the afternoon coloring, and drinking imaginary tea. He couldn’t wait until Haley had the baby so that he could do all the things that he missed and-

“Do you want to play hide and go seek?” Dustin asked around a bite of his sandwich.

Taking one last bite, Jason tossed it on his plate and said, “Let’s do it.”

An hour later, he wished that he’d read the list sooner…