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[BABYSITTING]
It was a peaceful day in the Thurston household, but that wasn't anything special...for the most part, anyway. The Thurston family were each doing their own thing; Joel was at his office, writing down plans for the future in a journal, Malina was upstairs playing computer games, and Zaufanie was in the living room, reading through a comic book with Psík by her side, the family doggo content with being showered with love and affection.
Overall, the Thurstons were enjoying themselves.
"I swear, we need a Superman game..." muttered Zaufanie to herself, flipping a page.
"It would make a killing." As Zaufanie was about to turn to the next page, the house phone suddenly rang. The Cambion heaved a small sigh and made her way to answer it. "Hello? Zaufanie Thurston speaking."
"Zaufie?" Helltaker was on the other line, surprising Zaufanie a little bit. "It's me, Nolan."
Nolan was Zaufanie's uncle, not by blood but through marriage, with the former being married to her aunt, Zdrada, thus establishing a familial connection between them as uncle and niece. Zaufanie and Nolan had a healthy relationship, so it was always a pleasure whenever the latter called.
"Oh, Uncle Nolan," Zaufanie smiled, twirling the lower part of her ponytail. "What's up? Do you need something?"
"Yeah, I have a favor to ask, and it's a big one at that." Zaufanie arched an eyebrow in confusion. A favor? "Can you put your old man on the phone?"
Zaufanie nodded. "Uh, sure; I can do that," she replied, grabbing the house phone. "Give me a second, Unc."
Zaufanie walked upstairs and stepped into her dad's office. "Hey, buttercup," Joel greeted, not looking up from his book. "Do you need something?"
"Uncle Nolan's on the phone, Daddy." Zaufanie handed the phone to Joel, who took it. "Said he had a big favor to ask you." Zaufanie grabbed a shotgun that was lying on the ground and set it on a shelf where it belonged. "Whatever it is, it sounds important, especially if he needs to talk."
Joel raised an eyebrow before putting the phone to his ear. "Hello," the monster hunter began. "Nolan?"
"Joey; just the fellow I wanted to talk to." Though Joel couldn't see it, Nolan was smiling on the other line. Similar to Zaufanie, he and the monster hunter had a strong bond, having known each other for quite some time. Other people, most likely Nolan's harem, could be heard on the other line, but that wasn't what was important. "Look, I'm calling because I need a favor from you, and it's a serious one." Joel thought it was strange that Nolan was asking for favors, but he didn't have an issue with it; the well-dressed man usually found a solution to whatever issue they were facing.
"What's the favor?" Joel asked, spinning a pencil. "You rarely ask for those."
"I know, I know, but it's serious," Nolan agreed with a small sigh. "See, the wives and I, along with Michael, planned a night of fun—a date night, if you want to think of it like that." Although Nolan wasn't saying what he wanted yet, Joel was able to figure out what he was asking. "We made our plans and set up reservations at a nice restaurant, but one thing slipped our minds: Jez and Kaz." Zdrada could be heard laughing on the other line.
Joel kicked his feet on the desk. "So you want me to look after the tykes until you get back?" he asked. "I can do that. But why not hire a babysitter?"
"Babysitters cost money, and while we can definitely afford them, why pay when we can have someone do it for free?" Nolan explained. "You have experience with taking care of babies, given that you have a kid of your own." There was truth to that. Taking care of kids was nothing new to Joel.
Joel glanced at Zaufanie, who gave her dad a look of confusion. "What?" she asked. "Do I have something on my face?"
"Yeah, you have a point," Joel agreed, turning away from Zaufanie, who was still puzzled. "Just drop the twins over and we'll take it from there."
Nolan beamed in delight. "Awesome!" he said. "I'll drop them off in a few hours. You're the best!"
"So I'm often told," Joel chuckled. "I'll see you then."
With that, Nolan hung up. "What did you and Uncle Nolan talk about, Daddy?" Zaufanie asked. "You said twins, are you talking about Jez and Kaz?"
"Yep," nodded Joel, leaving his desk and affectionately patting Zaufanie on the head. "Your uncle, aunties, and Mikey are going out for a night of fun, but they forgot about the babies, so they need me, and by extension, you and your mom to watch them until they back. Should be easy for us."
"Sounds like fun." Jez and Kaz were Zaufanie's baby cousins, although not by blood, similar to Nolan. "They're fun to be around."
"If you can pass all the hard parts like poopy diapers, sudden crying, and trying to put their mouths on everything." Malina was standing in the hallway with her arms folded. The Sour Demon had overheard Joel's conversation and was somewhat annoyed. "You could've asked us first, dude."
Joel chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, sweetheart," he apologized. "It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing."
"You flipping clown..." Malina sighed, walking up to Joel and lightly bonking him on the head. "Next time, give us a heads up before doing something big. Look, hubby, I don't have any issues with babysitting—not anymore, at least—but it's not something you can do willy-nilly." Malina poked Joel in the cheek, stinging him with her nails. The husband wondered if his wife was going to cut those things, but the reply was always no.
"Alright, alright," Joel said, taking Malina's hand off his cheek and holding it. "I'll be more mindful of my decisions, honeybun."
Malina blushed lightly, looking away. "I'll hold you to that."
"You guys have a knack for making love strange..." Zaufanie had a strong love for her parents, like any kid should unless there was a valid reason not to, but she sometimes found their displays of affection to be a bit much; maybe it was because she was still young and didn't fully grasp it yet.
"One day when you meet that special someone in your life, you'll get it," Joel said, patting Zaufanie. "Until then, I want you to babyproof the house."
Zaufanie sighed internally; the human-demon hybrid wasn't in the mood to do any type of work, big or small, but she knew better than to disobey her dad. "I'll get on that, chief..." she complied. "I'm not the best at housework, so don't blow a fuse if it doesn't turn out the way you expect it to."
"Just do what you can, buttercup." Joel grabbed a roll of duck tape and handed it to Zaufanie. "As long as it gets the job done, then we're fine."
Zaufanie gave Joel a half-hearted before leaving his office.
"Guess I'll bust out Zaufie's old toys, provided we still have them somewhere," Joel said, stretching his back. "Lately, I've been cleaning around the house; I can only hope I didn't accidentally throw any of them away during the cleaning. Zaufie will have my flipping head if I did throw them away."
"I doubt the kid will lose her mind over toys," Malina said, sitting in Joel's chair and kicking her feet on his desk. "She doesn't use them anymore."
Joel shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it's for nostalgia as opposed to anything else," she said. "Anyway, I'll be in the attic if you need me."
"Do whatever appeals to your interest, hubby," Malina said, waving her lover away. "Make sure to put your weapons away once you're done. You buy and collect so many of those damn things that you could fill a house with them." Joel was an avid collector of weapons, whether they were guns or blades, which he used on missions and made good use of. "The last thing we need is for the kids to get their hands on them and hurt themselves."
Malina had a valid point. The patriarch of the Thurston household didn't want the babies to hurt themselves, lest he face the wrath of Beelzebub, and by extension, the other members of the Helltaker family, as well as his daughter, Zaufanie, who had a good relationship with her baby cousins.
"I'll wrangle whatever weapons are lying around the house and put them in the attic." Joel gave Malina a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the tip."
Malina waved Joel away. "Don't mention it or whatever," she said. "Better safe than sorry. Go and do what you need to do while you still have time."
"You got it, honey." Joel stepped outside his office and pulled the cord to the attic door, revealing a set of stairs. "Alright, here we go." As Joel ascended the attic stairs, he was greeted by a simple attic brimming with boxes and other items like furniture. The monster hunter had intentions to renovate the place but was unable to find the opportunity or money to do so. "Geez, it's so freaking dusty up here. I've got to clean this place."
Setting cleaning aside, Joel began searching through boxes, rediscovering vintage electronics, old-school movies, records, worn-out clothes, books, video games, and other items until he came across a box with Zaufanie's name. Joel opened the box and found a collection of old baby toys.
"And bingo was his name-o," grinned Joel, a dorky look on his face. "I haven't seen these since Zaufie was a baby. They bring back good memories."
Joel picked up the box filled with toys and went back downstairs.
Hours had passed. Zaufanie was successful in babyproofing the house by padding everything that could potentially hurt Jez and Kaz, such as corners, and storing a lot of items, including a few gaming consoles in the living room. Was it perfect? Not even close. Would it do the job? Yes.
"We should be good." Zaufanie smiled, turning to Psik. "The crib has been babyproofed, so there's nothing to worry about."
Psik barked, wagging his tail happily.
Zaufanie scooped up Psik, the corgi showering her with affectionate licks. "Okay, that's enough, you little goofball." Zaufanie patted Psik on the head before setting him down. "As much as it pains me to say this, I have to put you in the kennel for a few hours." Psik whimpered, pulling at Zaufanie's heartstrings. "Dude, please don't give me them puppy dogs eyes; you know I'm a sucker for them. You lose control when you're thrilled."
Once again, Psik whined, trying to convince Zaufanie to change her mind.
"Psik, don't-" Zaufanie sighed. "Alright, I have a nice proposition for you." Psik smiled at Zaufanie with a look of interest. "You won't be caged, but you'll have to stay in my room and be on your best behavior. If you can do those things, you can stay; heck, I'll even take you to that park you like."
Psik smiled, jumping up and down with joy.
Zaufanie chuckled lightly. "Looks like we have an agreement," she said, squatting down and sticking a hand out. "Let's shake on it, little buddy."
"ARF! ARF!" Psik extended his hand, which Zaufanie happily shook. "ARF!"
"Arf to you too, pal," grinned Zaufanie before pointing to the stairs. "Now off you go, and remember what I told you." Psik barked in response as he ran upstairs and into Zaufanie's room. "That crazy boy..." Zaufanie had the strongest bond with Psik out of all the members in the Thurston house.
DING-DONG!
"Zaufie!" Joel's voice echoed from upstairs, originating from his office. "That's probably your uncle! Go get the door!"
"I'm already on it!" Zaufanie strode towards the front door. The Cambion eagerly opened the door, anticipating the sight of her uncle, but to her surprise, it was her aunt, Beelzebub, who stood before her, accompanied by her cousins Jezebel and Kazfiel. "Aunt Beel?" Zaufanie wasn't expecting Beelzebub, but she wasn't going to complain about the crimson milf's presence. Zaufanie liked Beelzebub, the Great Fly had a nurturing air to her.
"Greetings, sweet niece," Beelzebub smiled warmly, Jezebel and Kazfiel reaching out for Zaufanie. "I came by to drop off the children. I appreciate you and your family volunteering to babysit my maggots. "Although I harbor a great love for Jez and Kaz, even I need some time apart from them."
Beelzebub entrusted Jezebel and Kazfiel to Zaufanie, whom the Cambion carefully took from her arms. "Parenting is difficult, so it's understandable that you need time for yourself." Zaufanie had a valid point. Beelzebub had created people before, but none of them were like Jezebel and Kazfiel; the human-demon hybrids were unique in every manner, requiring care and attention among other things. It was stressful as hell, but the Taker family could handle anything that was thrown at them. "We'll, specifically me, take good care of the twins. I mean, we've taken care of them before."
"Hence why I'm putting my maggots in your capable hands." Beelzebub would have reservations about entrusting her babies to anyone outside her close circle of friends, however, she felt confident in the Thurston family's ability to care for them. Despite their eccentricity, they were responsible.
"We'll take good care of them, Beel." Everyone turned to see Joel walking down the stairs. "You go out and have as much fun as you like."
Beelzebub smiled. "I intend to, Mr. Thurston," she said, shaking Joel's hand as he approached her. "Again, I appreciate you doing this." Beelzebub leaned in forward, gently pinching Jezebel and Kazfiel's cheeks. "Momma Beel won't be gone for too long; make sure to be on your best behavior."
Jezebel and Kazfiel giggled adorably.
"It's time for me to get going." Beelzebub patted Jezebel and Kazfiel on their small heads. "I'll check in every now and then. Take care, everyone."
Beelzebub lovingly booped her babies on the nose before taking her leave, waving goodbye.
"And there she goes..." Zaufanie mused before looking down at Jezebel and Kazfiel, happily smiling at the Cambions. "Mommy's gone, but we're here." Zaufanie pinched Jezebel's nose, earning a giggle from the baby girl. "You cinnamon rolls are the closest thing I'm ever getting to siblings."
"Huh, never knew you wanted siblings," Joel said, scratching the back of his head. "You've never mentioned it before."
"Well, I've thought of it," countered Zaufanie. "If I asked for a brother or a sister, I would either get a hard no or a 'we'll think about it' response. According to my mother, I was a major pain as a baby, so I doubt she'd want to relive all of those problems. You, on the other hand, are a mystery."
"I'm not averse to having another kid," Joel admitted. "I'm not sure if the same applies to your mom, but knowing her, she probably is."
Zaufanie pouted cutely. "Poo..." she said, sitting down. "Well, at least I have these little cinnamon rolls as alternatives."
"That is true, buttercup." Joel took a seat next to Zaufanie. "If your momma and I did have another kid, I think you'd be an awesome big sister. After all, you have the makings of one. You're a kind and compassionate girl who has a strong love for the people you hold dear to you, and that's just the beginning. Anyone would be lucky to have you in their lives, and I should know since I'm your pops, which means I'm the luckiest parent ever."
Jezebel and Kazfiel made cute baby noises. Joel and Zaufanie weren't sure what the hell they were saying, but it was adorable.
"The tykes seem to agree with me," Joel smiled as he tenderly rubbed his niece and nephew's faces. "Isn't that right, kiddos?" Kazfiel giggled, grabbing Joel's finger and nibbling on it. "See, buttercup? Kaz certainly agrees with his old Uncle Joel." Joel pulled his finger away. "Quite the biter."
"Well, he is a baby, kiddo." Malina walked up to Joel and sat next to him. "They do whatever appeals to their interest, no matter how ridiculous it is."
"Was I the same way?" Zaufanie asked with interest as Jezebel toyed with her ponytail, tugging and pulling at it. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Easy on the tail, Jez!"
Malina grabbed a remote sitting on a coffee table and turned the TV on. "You were certainly something," she answered, flipping through channels. "You were a chaotic little troublemaker, but you could be managed. You were always messing with stuff, trying to put your mouth on whatever you could get your tiny hands on, and you took up most of my gaming time. I mean, seriously, I could barely get any gaming sessions in. It was a pain."
"The lack of gaming or everything else?" Zaufanie asked, slightly amused.
"The latter," Malina replied, earning a small chuckle from Joel. "Your dad was the one who had to deal with the difficulties most of the time."
Zaufanie turned to Joel who shrugged his shoulders in response. What could he say? "Eh..." he said unconcernedly. "Compared to all the other babies we've come across, you were tame. If I'm being honest, sweetie, you were more concerned with being as affectionate as possible toward us."
"Seriously." Malina stretched her legs before planting her feet on the coffee table. "Getting you away from us was a struggle."
"Well excuuuse me for being a loving person, mother of mine," Zaufanie joked, feigning shock. "Besides, I was a baby, I didn't know any better."
"She's got you there, honeybun." Joel had a playful grin on his face...only to get chopped on the head by Malina. "Ow! That hurt!" The chop really didn't hurt, but it was always fun to get under Malina's skin every now and then, much to the Sour Demon's irritation. Joel was a goofy-ah husband.
Malina scoffed. "Quit being a baby, Joel," she said, her arms folded and tucked underneath her chest. "You've dealt with much worse in the past."
"I mean, yeah, but still..." Joel couldn't recall the amount of times he came back home injured or was hospitalized. "You don't pull your punches."
Malina snorted in mild amusement. "That's ironic coming from you, husband," she said, poking Joel's arm. "Your butt doesn't hold back your punches, either. The number of instances I've witnessed you reduce an unfortunate monster into little more than a bloody paste is uncountable."
"Oi!" Zaufanie tried to cover the Taker Twins' ears but was unable to do so properly because she only had two hands. "Not in front of the babies."
"Quit being ridiculous, Zaufie," Malina said, annoyed. "I imagine the kids hear far worse at home, especially with Zdrada around." If the concept of 'crackhead' were to take on physical form, it would undoubtedly be embodied by Zdrada. Though everyone's favorite (or not-so-favorite, depending on one's opinion) Bitch Demon mellowed out considerably over the years, she was still bratty and was no doubt a bad influence on kids.
Zaufanie begrudgingly had to agree with Malina. "That's true..." she muttered. "But I still don't want to corrupt their minds."
"I think the Cerberuses are going to do that, sunflower," Joel said. "The girls have been trying to convert people to Satanism and all that nonsense as part of a corrupting spree. Surprisingly enough, they've attracted some new members, and it's actually become really bothersome for me. They constantly kidnap people as a sacrifice for Luci and when they're not doing that they're using dark magic, don't know how they got that, to summon monsters in an attempt to take over the world." Joel could feel a headache coming. "The amount of people I've put in jail for the past week is crazy."
"Huh, guess that would explain why you were stressed out for all of last week," Zaufane said, rubbing her chin. "Must've been rough for you."
Joel sighed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. "Rough doesn't even begin to cover it, honey," he said. "Monsters were everywhere, people were being kidnapped left and right, and I think someone opened up a portal to Hell at some point. Overall, it was a major pain in my butt. Thankfully, Luci stepped in and helped out before anything bad could happen and Heaven intervened. Heaven and Hell no longer have any beef, at least to my knowledge, but they could still pose a problem depending on the situation. The Cebs were punished and everything was normal again."
"Were they given the punishment sofa treatment that Judgy likes to use as a punishment?" Malina asked. "I swear, it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I'd tell Judgy it's stupid as all hell, but I like my bones where they are." Whenever the Cerberuses, or anyone else for that matter, did something wrong, they were chained up and put on the punishment sofa as a disciplinary tactic. "The punishment sofa doesn't even do anything."
"It gets the Cerberuses off everyone's back for a few hours," Zaufanie chimed. "It has some use."
Suddenly, Zaufanie's stomach grumbled.
"Speak of use, I have to use the bathroom." Zaufanie handed Jezebel and Kazfiel to Joel, the dilf gladly taking the babies. "I'll be right back."
Almost immediately, Zaufanie ran upstairs and into the bathroom. "That girl..." Malina shook her head. "She gets her outlandish attitude from you."
"Yeah, but you make it seem like that's bad," Joel smiled. "Let's not forget that she got certain traits from you, like her snarkiness and intelligence."
If there was one thing everyone could say about Malina, it was that she had a very sharp wit and a knack for sarcastic remarks, often directed at those who annoyed her. It was a part of her charm; it made her who she was. Joel enjoyed Malina's snark attitude, occasionally finding it charming.
"Think we did good, babe?" Joel asked, playing with Jezebel and Kazfiel.
Malina arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Did good at what?" she asked. "You'll need to be more specific."
"At parenting," Joel said. "Do you think we're doing good?"
"Well..." Malina began, giving it some thought. "Let's go over what we know. Zaufie is happy with her life, has a promising sporting career ahead of her, and, most importantly, doesn't hate us and has no intention of purposely doing anything we wouldn't want her to do out of spite. If you ask me, I think we did well and are still doing well. Are we the best parents to ever grace the land? Not by a freaking longshot, but we could be worse."
"You bring up valid points, hon." Joel leaned against Malina. "I'm happy with what we have."
Malina blushed. "I didn't think we'd get this far, but here we are," she said. "The only question is where do we go moving forward?"
"That's a question for the ages, sweetheart," Joel answered with a shrug. "We'll just have to see down the line, but I'm looking forward to it."
"Always the optimistic one." Joel and Malina had contrasting perspectives. Joel tended to be optimistic, always looking at the bright side of things, while Malina leaned towards cynicism, often focusing on the negative side of things. The couple had a subtle balance between them. "Isn't it tiring?"
"Every now and then," Joel admitted. "The world isn't perfect, but it's important to find ways to make it enjoyable."
The sound of a toilet flushing could be heard above, and Zaufanie returned to the living room. "I'm back," she said. "Did I miss anything?"
"Nothing important, kiddo," Joel responded, waving his hand. "Your mom and I were just talking, that's all."
"Since we're here, why don't we watch a movie?" Zaufanie suggested. Joel and Malina didn't mind watching a movie to pass the time. Movie nights were a common thing for the Thurston family, during which they watched movies of varying quality, so the idea of viewing a movie was appealing.
"What do you have in mind?" Malina asked curiously.
Zaufanie grabbed Jezebel from Joel's arms and sat back down. "I don't have a choice," she said with honesty. "I was hoping you guys would pick."
"Shrek?" Joel suggested.
"Eh, we've seen that movie a thousand times," Malina replied. "Let's go for something else."
"A Pixar movie?" Zaufanie added. "I'm not sure which one I'd like to see, but I'm considering either Cars or the Incredibles—the first one, I mean."
"I dunno..." Malina scratched her head. "With the recent decline in good Pixar movies, my tolerance for them is gradually dwindling."
"Then what do you suggest?" Joel asked. "Was never much of a movie guy. Hopefully, you got some choices." When it came to movies, Malina was a big fan of them; the Sour Demon enjoyed gaming far more, but nevertheless, it was her second favorite thing to do...aside from drinking, of course.
"How about Man of Steel?" Malina recommended. "The movie was good, plus you guys are big fans of the big blue himbo."
Joel and Zaufanie looked at each other before turning back to Malina. "Sure."
Following the completion of the decision-making process, the Thurston family, which included the Taken Twins, made the decision to watch Man of Steel. Zaufanie prepared movie food such as popcorn, candies, chips, soda, and everything else she could find, while Malina went to find the movie.
Everyone was in for a good night.
Time has passed. Everyone, save Joel, was asleep. Man of Steel was enjoyable, particularly for Superman enthusiasts Joel and Zaufanie, who went on to watch additional superhero films like Spider-Man and Batman until they fell asleep. Joel let out a small yawn and he stood up and looked around.
"Boy..." Joel murmured. "This is going to be a hassle to deal with."
The living area was cluttered with empty popcorn bags, soda cans, chip bags, and candy boxes. Malina would lose her mind if she saw the mess.
"Better get cleaning befor-"
DING-DONG!
"Turn the volume down..." Malina murmured in her sleep, with Jezebel sleeping soundly in her arms. "Zzz...I'm trying to...sleep...zzz..."
Joel shook his head and opened the door, seeing Beelzebub and Justice, the demonesses, dressed in dresses. Joel had to admit that the ladies looked good, but then again, they always looked got...not that he'd say it to their faces and potentially face a jealous Malina's wrath. "Hey, ladies."
"Howdy, homie," Justice waved, giving Joel her trademark smile. "We just came to pick up the chirren."
Joel pointed to the Taker Twins. Jezebel was sleeping with Malina, and Kazfiel was sleeping with Zaufanie. "We had a lot of fun."
"Good to know; my darlings aren't hard to please; between you and me, I think they get it from their father." A hand was extended by Beelzebub, and she telekinetically grabbed her babies from Malina and Zaufanie's arms before placing them in her own. "Thank you so much for babysitting."
"It was nothing," Joel smiled, scratching his back. "Ironically, enough they were angels. I'd be happy to do it again if need be."
"I'll keep that in mind." Beelzebub turned around, her back facing Joel and Justice. "Until we met again, Joel Thurston. Tata~"
Beelzebub walked to a van with the Helltaker family inside. Lucifer, who was the driver, was the only person awake outside of the majority of those who were sleeping. "So...?" Joel began. "How was the date? Seeing as you're wearing a dress, you must've gone to a fancy restaurant or something."
"It was pretty good, chief," Justice admitted. "I'm not into fancy stuff, but Taker really wanted us to go, and I didn't want to disappoint the big guy."
"Fancy places were never my thing, either," Joel said. "I usually take Mal to the movies or a good diner. I have recommendations if you want any."
"Eh, I'm sure we can come up with something; the big guy's good a planning dates." That was true. Nolan was really damn good at it when it came to preparing dates for his wife. He was a master of the subject. It would be dishonest of the ladies to claim that they didn't enjoy the nights they had with their husband. "But we'll keep your ideas in mind." Justice playfully patted Joel on the head. "Take care, Joey. Tell the fam I said what's up."
Joel smiled, waving goodbye. "Will do, Jussy," he said as he watched Justice leave, swaying her hips in the process. "What a night."
Joel watched as the Taker family's van left before walking back inside his house and closing the door.
"Guess it's time to clean this place up," Joel said to nobody but himself. "But first, I should take the ladies to bed." Zaufanie was holding a pillow, while Malina was leaning against the side of the couch. "Even when they're surrounded by garbage, they still manage to find a way to be adorable."
"Joel..." Malina whined, alternating between consciousness and unconsciousness. "Joeeel..."
"Yeah, honey?" Joel asked, slightly amused with Malina. "Is everything okay?"
Malina, with her eyes closed, stuck her hands out. "Take me to bed and cuddle with me."
"Will do, hon," Joel said. "Will do."
[END]