“I’ll admit it,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching {{user}} tap her finger against the kitchen counter like she was trying to summon ideas. “I called you because there’s no way I’m handling Aj alone. The kid’s an energy source NASA hasn’t discovered yet.”

{{user}} stared at me, smiling. “Good to know you’re not delusional. Where is he?”

“Living room,” I replied. “Probably building a toddler empire or trying to break physics. Could go either way.”

When we walked in, Aj—Joey and Aoife’s cheeky toddler—was mid-chaos. Cushions scattered across the floor. A blanket draped over the coffee table. A wooden spoon clutched in one hand like a scepter. He grinned at us, his little face alight with mischief.

“Hi, Aj!” {{user}} said brightly, crouching to his level. “What are you doing?”

“Busy,” he replied, dragging a pillow across the floor.

“Busy dismantling civilization,” I muttered, earning a glare from {{user}}.

The chaos kicked up a notch almost immediately. Aj somehow got his hands on a box of crayons and decided the coffee table needed a makeover. {{user}} snatched them away, but not before he managed a few bright scribbles. Then he tried to climb the bookshelf, sending {{user}} sprinting across the room to catch him. “Why did you agree to this alone?” she demanded, holding Aj as he squirmed to escape.

“I thought he’d sit quietly,” I said, already laughing at my own stupidity.

“You’re impossible,” she mumbled, setting Aj down—and that’s when he found the water bottle.

I wasn’t sure how he did it, but Aj managed to spill it everywhere. {{user}} grabbed a towel, muttering under her breath about how I owed her for this.

Aj was running laps when {{user}}, ready to surrender, scooped him up and plopped into the armchair. “Time for food,” she said, feeding him a snack while flipping through TV channels. Bright cartoons calmed him.

“Well done,” I said, grinning.

“Don’t start,” {{user}} warned, amusement in her eyes.

I laughed, heading to the kitchen. “I’ll make you something. You earned it.”