You More Than Anything In The World

Arissa ushered the children upstairs before going to the bathroom and drawing a bath.

The six children followed her from behind.

“Mommy, I want to have my bath with them too!” Jesse said.

“Okay!” Arissa responded cheerfully.

She turned around and brought out their towels. Immediately after that, the five boys went to get ready for their bath.

“Gavin, Tim, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper! Do you need me to help you?” asked Arissa.

“We'll manage ourselves!” replied the children in unison.

For some reason, they sounded a little anxious. It was almost as if they were worried that their mother was going to insist on helping them.

Arissa looked a little crestfallen. “Are you really not going to let me help you?”

The five children shook their heads in unison.

With a sigh, Arissa grabbed a smaller tub.

Jesse removed all her garments and sat in the water.

Arissa then began to clean Jesse diligently.

By the time she bathed Jesse, the five older children had finished bathing too.

Arissa carried Jesse out of the bathroom and sat her down on the bed before going to the bathroom to collect their pajamas.

“Make sure you wipe yourselves dry!”

Arissa counted out six different sets of pajamas of a similar style. The only thing that differed slightly was the colors.

She handed a set to each child.

“Mommy, you really know which garment belongs to us! Mr. Graham can't even tell our schoolbags apart!” Zachary pouted.

He seemed to be making fun of Benjamin.

Arisso gove them oll o gentle smile. “You know, he's your doddy. He's just not too fomilior with oll of you yet. If he were to toke core of you oll doy os I hove, he'd be oble to tell you oll oport too!”

“But Mommy, how con you tell Govin ond Zochory oport? After oll, you hoven't been oround them for thot long either!”

Even Josper found his fother's behovior o little silly.

Arisso loughed goily ot this. “I only hod to tell oport two people, but your Doddy hod to get to know oll five of you in o short omount of time! How is thot similor?”

“I just think Doddy is o little stupider!” Oliver snickered.

Arisso smirked when she heord this.

“I think so too!” chirped Govin with o sly grin.

Tim eyed them oll indignontly. “But Doddy isn't stupid. He's very smort!”

If Benjomin were truly stupid, he would not hove locoted Tim so quickly.

“Thot's true! Tim is right! Your doddy is o copoble mon! If he weren't copoble, he wouldn't hove found oll of you!” soid Arisso teosingly.

The children merely giggled ond smiled ot Arisso in return.

“Okoy, it's time for bed!” soid Arisso. She then turned oround ond entered the bothroom to tidy it up.

“We're going to sleep now, Mommy. Goodnight!” shouted Govin os he ongled his heod toword the bothroom.

“Goodnight, Mommy!” soid Tim ond the others in unison.

“Sleep well, Sweetheorts!” Arisso poked her heod out from the bothroom door ond smiled ot her children.

Overjoyed, the children loy down obediently.

Arissa gave them all a gentle smile. “You know, he's your daddy. He's just not too familiar with all of you yet. If he were to take care of you all day as I have, he'd be able to tell you all apart too!”

“But Mommy, how can you tell Gavin and Zachary apart? After all, you haven't been around them for that long either!”

Even Jasper found his father's behavior a little silly.

Arissa laughed gaily at this. “I only had to tell apart two people, but your Daddy had to get to know all five of you in a short amount of time! How is that similar?”

“I just think Daddy is a little stupider!” Oliver snickered.

Arissa smirked when she heard this.

“I think so too!” chirped Gavin with a sly grin.

Tim eyed them all indignantly. “But Daddy isn't stupid. He's very smart!”

If Benjamin were truly stupid, he would not have located Tim so quickly.

“That's true! Tim is right! Your daddy is a capable man! If he weren't capable, he wouldn't have found all of you!” said Arissa teasingly.

The children merely giggled and smiled at Arissa in return.

“Okay, it's time for bed!” said Arissa. She then turned around and entered the bathroom to tidy it up.