Sweet Twins

Charles stepped closer to Nancy and wrapped his arms around her neck, pinning her to him seductively. "How are you going to tank me? I know you have to lay next to Bobby until he falls asleep, but afterwards, why don't you do the same for me?" Charles lifted his eyebrows suggestively as he asked Nancy this.

Nancy clammed up at his question. Not knowing what to say, she mumbled, "Of course I stay with Bobby until he sleeps. He is just a child. You are an adult! Are you jealous... of a child?"

"Of course I'm jealous, Nancy," Charles twirled her hair around his finger trying to sound romantic. "Come on."

Nancy realized then that he was serious. Anxiously, she replied, "Charles, please do not do anything stupid or ask me to do anything stupid. Your mother would kill me if she finds out. I still want to live, you know?" Nancy pushed him away as she said.

Charles paid no attention. Instead, he pulled her closer, moving his hands up to the back of her head, and moving his face closer to hers.

"No. Please." Nancy hoped if she spoke clearly and with authority, Charles might listen. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he continued to ignore her.

As Nancy was contemplating her options, an innocent voice cut through the tension, "What's going on?" Bobby had snuck out back into the room.

Nancy panicked, but Charles released her upon hearing Bobby's voice.

"Mommy, is Daddy bullying you?" Bobby sounded sleepy and confused. Bobby rubbed his eyes and became more alert, assessing the situation. He started to look angry as he took the scene in fully.

"Yes," Nancy blurted out, the panic crippling her ability to lie. "That is not good, Daddy." Bobby said, wagging his finger at his dad, mimicking a teacher reprimanding a misbehaving student. Nancy turned bright red as Bobby scolded his father.

When he received no response from either adult, Bobby continued, "Daddy, is this true? Were you bullying Mommy?" Bobby looked at his father in askance. However, Bobby's voice was clearly upset.

'Oh my baby! Why did you appear at such a time?' Charles thought to himself.

'Why are you asking me such questions? I thought you were smart to understand?'

"I just want to finish what you asked me to do yesterday. Bobby, please go to sleep alone, okay?" Charles rolled his eyes in irritation at the boy.

Bobby was confused. He didn't remember saying anything relevant yesterday.

All he could recall from yesterday really was that Grandma had fallen and he had dropped his phone. Yesterday was actually pretty bad, he thought to himself, sadly.

thought and then he said, "No! I want Mommy to sleep with

my room, Mommy?" Bobby looked up at Nancy with puppy

Nancy answered quickly, almost sighing with relief at the escape option the boy had given

said happily now that Nancy had agreed. Bobby waved his chubby, little hand at Charles before

sitting on the table and finished it in a

to the bathroom to take

Charles' face was blank

had felt for Nancy was gone as if it had never

that he

no one to whom he could vent and discuss his feelings in hopes of unraveling them, but it was almost an empty sort of sadness that had washed over him with the morning light. He didn't even blame Nancy;

blamed him for putting them both in that position last night. She tried not to think of the situation for fear of getting angry and

with Fannie," Charles said this without inflection as the hospital came into sight. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Charles cut her off. "Don't thank me. I don't want to hear it," he muttered in

things and slowly opened the car door. She was confused and just trying to not break the

didn't even look at her

lips and grabbed his mobile phone.

was

Without checking to see who it was, he screamed into his

a bum," Charles shouted in disgust. His pent up emotion from the last few days finally had an outlet and his

He collected himself and started talking in a much calmer

know it was you who called. Tell me,

Charles said,

to call in so many favors to gather enough evidence to have Fannie in the first place. He and Hiram had put a

he squinted his eyes and

able to change that," Charles tried to explain. Charles lit up a cigarette and

his charmingly attractive

exclaimed in a fit

suddenly raised his voice and snapped at Jay

call the police to tell them I was wrong and to release Fannie right this second," Jay said, hoping to