I wake up to sunlight through the blinds and Katie already awake beside me, propped on one elbow, watching me.
"You wore me out last night," she says.
"You asked for it," I reply, smirking at her.
"I asked for all of it," she agrees, and rolls over to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching for her hair tie. The room is quiet. Down the hall, the twins' room is still empty, waiting.
I get up and step into the hall. Katie doesn't follow. She knows when I need a minute.
I call Mary.
She picks up on the second ring. "Ben?"
"I need you to do something for me."
"Of course."
"Have the twins stop by this afternoon. I want to talk to them."
A short pause. "They'll be there. Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine. One more thing."
"Yes?"
"On Sunday, when you're leaving church, ask Katie if she can take the girls for a while. Say work pressure. She'll agree."
"Ben... she won't ask questions?"
"She won't. Katie knows how to handle things."
