Dad Mom

Vivian balanced Lucy carefully on her shoulder while stirring pasta with one hand and answering Lorraine’s endless questions with the other. “Moooom, Lois said my drawing looks like a potato!” “Because it does!” Lois shouted from the living room. “It’s a CAT!” Before Vivian could respond, her phone rang loudly on the kitchen counter. She glanced at the screen and immediately straightened. “Girls, one second.” Daniel barely looked up from his laptop at the dining table while Vivian answered the call. “Hello, ma’am.” A pause. “Oh… Boston?” Daniel’s eyes slowly lifted. “Yes, I understand. Three days? Alright, I’ll be there.” She ended the call with a sigh. Daniel leaned back in his chair. “Who the hell was that?” “My boss,” Vivian replied casually, adjusting Lucy in her arms. “And?” “She said there’s a business seminar in Boston. Apparently I have to be there.” Daniel shrugged like it meant nothing. “Okay. Whatever.” Vivian narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Whatever?” “Yeah.” She folded her arms. “So you can handle these three tiny war machines while I’m gone?” Daniel scoffed immediately. “Vivian, how hard can it be to handle three little girls? They’re kids, not rocket science.” From the living room came a loud crash. Both of them froze. Then Lorraine screamed, “LOIS BROKE MY CASTLE!” Daniel blinked once. Vivian smiled sweetly. “You were saying?” “They’re still not complicated.” Vivian laughed softly and shook her head. “They are, Daniel.” He waved dismissively. “Please. I run a billion-dollar company. I can survive three children.” “Mhm.” Vivian grabbed a cup of juice. “And your boss? He’ll be okay with you coming late?” Daniel looked offended. “I’m Superman. I don’t come late.” That made Vivian burst into laughter. “Let’s see if you still say that in the next two days.” Daniel stood and walked over dramatically, wrapping one arm around her waist. “You doubt my parenting skills?” “I doubt your survival skills.” Before he could answer, tiny footsteps came running down the hallway. Lorraine appeared with tears in her eyes and marker all over her cheeks. “Mommy!” she cried. “Lois is picking on me again!” Right behind her came Lois, defensive already. “She started it!” Vivian sighed deeply. “Lois, stop picking on your sister.” “But she called me bossy!” “Because you ARE bossy!” Lorraine yelled. Lucy suddenly started crying too, almost on cue. Daniel stared at the chaos unfolding around him. One screaming baby. One crying child. One angry child. And Vivian handling all of it without losing her mind. Still, he smirked confidently. “Yeah,” he said proudly. “I got this.” Vivian just looked at him like a woman watching a man volunteer for his own funeral.