What is wrong?
Ben is standing in the front hall, his entire frame holding open the front door and the screen door and still managing to block out all the light. I kick at the toe of his motorcycle boots with one sock foot and he smiles so gently I wonder if he had to practice to make it look that soft. He hasn't shaved in a couple of days. I noticed because I didn't wake up razor burned nor did I go to sleep that way. He looks a tiny bit wild and a whole lot of sweet right now and he watches me frustratingly kick at his steel-covered toes and try and come up with some words that will work for him.
What if you stayed home and we hung out?
(I'm losing my mind here. I've already made all the boys that are home lie in a circle, heads in and took their picture from the loft. They did not appreciate nor did they understand it.)
I could do that but you have to sweeten the pot.
We could chocolate fondue things!
I'm pretty sure every tooth in my head has a cavity thanks to you. Something else?
The kids have no cavities and I only have like four so it can't be from my influence. I think you just have soft teeth.
If I do they're the only things that are soft.
I don't doubt it. We could...go snowshoeing. Ben loves snow like Bridget loves cake.
Needs to be sweeter.
We could go snowshoeing...naked?
That sounds like a fine idea. Let's do it.
Wait, what? We'll get arrested.
Not if we do it in the bedroom, Bee.
What will we do afterwards? I try and wink salaciously at him and he's not even looking, he's taking off his boots.
Watch movies? Better yet, we'll make a movie, a documentary about naked snowshoeing in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and then we'll send it to Loch.
He's a terrible critic when it comes to docs, Benny.
He'll love this one because it stars us. We'll get him to facetime while he watches it so we can see his reaction to our moves.
Our moves? There are moves in snowshoeing? I thought you just walk.
Oh, Bridget. There are so many moves in naked snowshoeing. I'm going to teach you everything I know.
You've been snowshoeing before?
No, but how hard can it be? I can guarantee one thing, it won't be as hard as watching you ask me if I would stay home today while you broke your toes on my boots and my heart with your eyes.
