The land's devil

A child’s rambling came to the mother’s ears. Her eyes were lost on the face of her lover, sitting so elegantly under the patio. His grandfather had built it for his wife decades ago, she loved the place.

And god, she loved the man.

“That sounded mean,” smiled the man as the two children's voices grew higher and angrier. For some reason, the twins never got along. Every time they were together, it was a riot; except when they were asleep. They would stick together like glue in their sleep, it made for the cutest pictures.

He was reading the newspaper, she was looking at him. The nanny was sitting in the grass near an oak tree.

“Dadadadada,” said an annoyed little voice with conviction.

Sophie looked at Nathan like he was an idiot. She was keen to prove her point.

“Dadadada.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. He wouldn't take council from someone that wasn't capable of balancing a tower of more than five bricks. He could do eight.

“Dadadadadada,” Sophie went over the incline of the field again and the disadvantage she had suffered because of it.

Nathan turned her back to her in dismissal and sat on the tablecloth to start his grand project. Furious, she jumped on his back.

“Enough !”

The nanny caught Sophie and lifted her up. She was throwing small fists in the air, red as an apple. Nathan, who had been hit, was tearing up.

“When will they get along, I wonder ?”, the woman sighed as she looked over the scene.

“Maybe they never will”, replied the man.

“Oh no, that would be too sad. They have to get along !”

“Says who ?”

“I do !”

The man laughed.

“Darling, I'm not sure that's how it works.”

“Well it should.”

Her concerns left the children as her eyes fell back on the bridge of his straight nose, then lower. She had kissed those lips to death two nights ago, it wasn’t enough. She remembered thinking the first time they met that life would be incredibly unfair if it had made them meet only to steal him away afterwards. But it didn’t. She was wearing the ring, she was the mother of his children. They were bound together forever.

She pursued her lips.

“Don't you think the will of your wife should come first ?”

He smiled and turned the page.

“Not in all affairs.”

“Oh, and what are those affairs you’re hiding from me ?”

Her voice rose in the air, playful. Nathan was crying in the background, the oak tree’s leaves were rustling in the wind. The two people’s eyes met across the table. Immediately after, Sophie started screaming bloody murder.

“Should I go, you think ?”, she asked noncommittally.

“I think Marie would appreciate the help.”

She laughed.

“That’s very pragmatic of you.”

But she stood up. She put a soft hand on his shoulder on her way to leave, stopped there a second; he kissed her palm and then she went.

“Now, now, children. Pourquoi tout ce bazar ?”