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.
“We're going to sleep now, Mommy. Goodnight!” shouted Gavin as he angled his head toward the bathroom.
“Goodnight, Mommy!” said Tim and the others in unison.
“Sleep well, Sweethearts!” Arissa poked her head out from the bathroom door and smiled at her children.
Overjoyed, the children lay down obediently.
After ensuring that things were in order, Arissa went over to tuck the children in.
“Go on and rest. I'll wait for all of you to fall asleep before I leave the room.”
Arissa stood up and kissed her beloved children goodnight.
“Yes, Mommy!”
The children were huddled together as they nodded in unison. Their obedience and generally cute mannerisms were enough to make anyone's heart melt.
Arissa sat by the bed to keep the children company. She waited until they were all fast asleep before turning off the lights and shutting the door behind her quietly.
She turned around and walked toward her bedroom. When she opened the door, she saw Benjamin lazing about on the bed.
His pajamas were loose, revealing his exquisite, rippling muscles.
Under the dim light, his sharp and handsome features were very alluring.
Benjamin was not just attractive, but he was aesthetically pleasing in the traditional sense. He was exceedingly handsome without any distinctly feminine features.
What he had was a domineering attractiveness that made it difficult for anyone to take their eyes off him.
Benjamin was on the phone. When he heard the door open, he tilted his head slightly.
Arissa could feel her heart skip a beat when her eyes met his deep ones.
Her ears began to burn, which made her feel like a giddy young girl in love once more.
Thump...
Her heartbeat began to feel like thunder in her chest.
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