I stood in the doorway, my heart pounding in my chest.
The house wasn’t trashed. There was no screaming, no chaos. It was… silent.
**Too silent.**
That alone was terrifying because in a house with three young girls, silence wasn’t peace—it was a warning.
Then I saw it.
**The walls.**
Every single one in the living room was covered—**covered**—in crayon, marker, and what looked like… was that **nail polish?!**
My beige walls were now a horrific mix of scribbles, stick figures, and some crude attempt at a rainbow that looked like it had been drawn by a possessed toddler.
I felt my eye twitch.
I dropped my bag on the floor, took a deep breath, and turned toward the kitchen, where I could hear faint whispers.
The three culprits were huddled behind the counter, their eyes wide as they peeked at me.
Ryan, my loving, responsible boyfriend, stood beside them, rubbing the back of his neck with that **“Don’t be mad”** look.
“Hey, babe,” he started, giving me a nervous smile. “So… funny story—”
“**Ryan.**” I said slowly, my voice eerily calm. “Why does my living room look like an art gallery curated by lunatics?”
The oldest, Lily, bravely stepped forward. “It was supposed to be a surprise! We wanted to make the house prettier for you!”
I stared at her, then at the youngest, Ava, who still had a blue marker **clenched in her tiny fist.**
Ryan cleared his throat. “They, uh, thought you’d like some decorations.”
“Decorations?” I repeated, my eye still twitching.
Ava nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! And look, I drew a picture of YOU!”
She pointed to a wonky-looking stick figure with what seemed to be **a unibrow and fangs.**
I inhaled deeply through my nose. I was exhausted. I was **one second away** from losing it. But then… something cracked inside me.
It wasn’t anger.
It was **laughter.**
A sudden, uncontrollable, borderline-hysterical laugh bubbled out of me.
I dropped onto the couch, covering my face as the laughter took over. “Oh my God,” I gasped. “I live in a circus.”
Ryan let out a relieved chuckle, coming over to sit beside me. “You okay?”
I peeked at him through my fingers. “No. But give me five minutes, and I might be.”
The girls hesitantly approached, their guilty little faces full of worry. Lily nudged Ava.
Ava sighed dramatically. “Sooo… are we grounded?”
I wiped my eyes and nodded. “Oh, absolutely.”
They groaned, but then Ava climbed into my lap, wrapping her arms around me. “We’re sorry,” she mumbled.
And just like that, my frustration melted.
Ryan kissed my temple. “We’ll all clean it up together. Promise.”
I sighed, looking at the mess again. “We better. Because next time? **I’m moving into the guest room, and YOU guys can have the crayon house.**”
They laughed, and as crazy as it was, I knew one thing for sure—
I was **never** ready for this kind of chaos…
But somehow, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.