Act 2, Scene 33: “Oh, It’s Really Not That Hard, Don’t You Think?”

S volunteers to man the sign-in desk for the SB Newcomers Club Bake and Crafts Fundraiser. This bears repeating: the SB Newcomers Club Bake and Crafts Fundraiser. TRL realizes he is now deep into a life he would never have imagined for himself.

The fund raiser is at the SB high school. S drops off her brownies and goes to sit at the sign-in desk. TRL brings C&E down to the gym where they bounce up and down on the mats and toss a ball around. C shows real aptitude for kicking around a soccer ball and E shows an inclination to being the cool kid lounging on the mats, watching the other kids do all the running around. TRL feels like he is somewhere in-between, though the truth is probably more towards being the uncool kid watching from the sidelines, hatching plans of revenge and world domination.

After the boys are sufficiently exercised, thus increasing the possibility that nap time will be taken up with naps rather than screaming and protests, they go back upstairs to visit S.

Momma, the boys call out, extending the M in their signature sing-song.

Boys! S gushes.

At that moment, a mom and her two blonde boys, around 8 years old, approach the sign-in desk.

Hi, says S. Are they twins?

Yup, says the mom, handing over her $3 admission fee.

There’s our twins, S says, gesturing to C & E, and smiles.

It’s a lot of work, huh, S offers, one mother of twins to another.

Oh, it’s really not that hard, don’t you think? the other mom casually responds, and saunters off.

S and TRL look at each other and start laughing.

This mother of twins is either pathologically competitive, in deep denial and doesn’t remember the early years, is on lots of Valium or is a complete idiot, speculates TRL.

Or a combination, agrees S.

Oh, it’s really not that hard, don’t you think? becomes the phrase of the day.