Twins

Rowe sighed. ‘Honey, he’s not your daddy. Your daddy must be looking for you. Come on, I’ll take you to him.’ He stretched out both arms but the girl refused to go to him. She blinked and used Austyn’s pantleg as a rag. ‘Daddy, I’m hungry!’ Rowe gave up. He stood up and gave his boss a resigned shrug. ‘I tried.’ Austyn felt a headache coming on. Before he could come up with a response, the girl clambered up his legs and sat on his lap. She grasped the lapel of Austyn’s jacket. ‘Daddy, can we go home? I’m hungry!’ Austyn remained frozen to the spot like an ice sculpture. He felt the girl’s soft body pressed against him. She weighed next to nothing and smelled like baby powder. Austyn was afraid of breathing too heavily lest he blew her off his knees. The little girl was oblivious to the adult man’s nervous state. She was cooing and babbling in the way babies often did, making up words as she went along. When Austyn didn’t move, she flailed her arms about as if to spur him on. Her tiny b