Play It Right

1. Routine

The cunning five-year-olds stared up at their unamused mother and instantly like it was planned or something—extreme waterworks began.

As the wailing became louder and louder, the older lady stared down at them with an empty look. "It doesn't work like that, boys. You can't cry your way out of this, you promised me today would be easier."

The two boys cried their crocodile tears harder making her sigh.

"No." And that was final, she didn't need to add.

"But why does sissy not have to go!" Ayaz, the oldest out of the pair by approximately four minutes whined.

His usually quiet companion, Zeki, stood next to him, but she knew them well enough to know it was the quiet one's idea to start this morning's fiasco.

"Because she's only two, that means she doesn't need to go to school yet." She muttered, bending down to get to their eye level. Pretending to let them in on a secret, she said in a fake whisper. "Besides you have to learn everything so that when you get older, you're not completely stupid like Baba."

They heard a throaty reply retort in the background, and she knew he was still half asleep and probably with his head in his pillow.

"Don't listen to her, your mother doesn't even have one working brain cell. If you two don't want to go, then don't."

Mishti watched the cute little brown boys light up in joy, searching their mother's face. "Really, Mommy?!"

She shook her head, looking over at their button noses and matching hazel eyes. "Nope. Not true at all. You're going, and I want you both to try and get yourself ready whilst I finish ironing your clothes. Okay? That means teeth brushed, and both of your stinky butts back in here so that we can change and go down to eat breakfast together."

They took in the instructions with pouty frowns making her heart squeeze tightly.

"Hey." Her hands came out to brush across the soft faces, and she eased her stern act. "I'm only making my babies their favourite for the first day of school. I'm thinking, hm... Mickey Mouse pancakes? I mean my boys like Mickey, don't they?"

Immediately they nodded, letting out loud excited cheers.

It was as easy as that. Tiny footsteps exited the bedroom and down the hall, she knew they were trying to race each other out and turned to face her sleeping husband.

She was still in her robe, busy ironing her little terrors' clothes for the day ahead when they came to her room in a flood of tears, refusing to go to school.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't want you encouraging them to be anything like you."

The argument was brewing and the day hadn't even begun yet.

His gruff chuckle was anything but amused, moving his face out of his pillow to take a look at the exhausted woman. "That's pretty impossible when they have half of my DNA and look exactly like me."

"Emir," she warned, moving over to the dressing table mirror where she put her thick bundle of straight black hair up into a claw clip. "I'm being serious. Anything between us is not supposed to be obvious in front of them, that was the agreement."

She didn't really need to finish ironing since it was done and so she got a start on making herself somewhat presentable for the day.

It was still super early in the morning so she knew the two munchkins were probably sleeping on the bathroom floor with their toothbrushes halfway in their mouth.

Their morning routine consisted of her having to go in to pick each boy up and try to wake them up enough for her to put their clothes on and brush their hair.

The fake tears and the whole grand show were well rehearsed by now.

"I don't understand how me encouraging them to be individual relates to that?" He noted sarcastically, pulling himself out of the unmade bed and sinking his feet into the carpet. "Is this honestly something you want to fight about today, güzelim?"

She looked at him through the mirror, their eyes meeting as she took in his boxer-clad body. His arms were bulging, tanned skin all ripped from his daily workouts and dark brown hair and matching dark features. He was a head taller than her, clean-shaven and had a strong jaw fitting well with his strong nose.

The only thing that wasn't dark about him were his eyes, they were a hazel shade that swirled in specks of green and golden brown.

Her skin was a lot darker than his. Her brown skin was evidence of her Bangladeshi roots, with big inviting lips, a shorter nose than most, big (and what she liked to call obsidian) eyes, and a very petite frame in height, she could see the appeal of them together. Side by side.

They made a good match.

It was too bad that match was made in hell and one that was without her desire.

"By telling them to ditch school." She snapped harshly when he rounded the room and came up behind her. "I don't want them to think school is pointless. It gives them discipline, time management, and how to interact with other children."

He didn't bother to touch her, not that she wanted him to as he ran his eyes over the curve of her body clinging to the silk.

He licked his lips as he spoke. "It doesn't really matter what they do, because, in the end, they'll be taking over from me anyway."

"Over my dead body." She spat, "I'm not having my boys turn out to be a monster like you."

"Oh, that can be arranged, darling."

Before they could start fighting to the full extent, another intruder was making its way in through the open door.

"Baba!" They heard a sweet little voice coo and both of their heads turned in time.

In front of them stood the tiny girl, her two long black braids all messy with flyaways and her pyjamas askew. She stood there, one hand clutching onto one of the stuffed bunny rabbit ears whilst the other was up to her face, sucking her thumb in her mouth.

She was currently running towards the shirtless man who's eyes softened at the sight of her.

Immediately, his attitude was gone and the different man she only saw around the children came out.

"Who is that cute girl? It can't be my little monster, can it? Is that my babacığım!"

He bent down to catch her in time, and she was quickly lifted into his strong arms.

Mishti frowned, turning to face them both. Her hand reached up instantly to tug the thumb out of her mouth, and smoothened her hair down.

The young toddler didn't need to wake up until another two hours at least.

"Oh, my sweet princess Ayla." She says softly. "Did your naughty brothers wake you up?"

When she received a little nod in response, the older woman simply released another heavy sigh.

Then she was turning around, heading straight for one room only and her loud voice was booming down the entire house.

"Boys! You better be ready!"