Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands

4 years later

“Are you drawing something nice for uncle Rob and aunt Meg?” I asked Sloane and Atticus as they sat at their “art” table doodling.

“Yes!” They said in unison. It was a rare moment that they were both at the table, content. They were good when they had a task.

“When’s daddy home?” Atticus asked without stopping his drawing.

“Dad will be home in two more sleeps. I miss dad, do you guys?”

“Can I draw something for him?” Sloane asked, looking back at me. She was such a mix of myself and Gabe. I wanted to squeeze her every chance I could get.

“Of course! But finish your drawings for aunt Meg and uncle Rob, they will be here soon.” I hurried to finish making stuff for dinner and for Meg and Rob to be here soon.

“Here!” Atticus came and reached up to the counter and gave me his drawing. “Beautiful!” I smiled. “But let me sit with you and we put your name on it, okay?”
I followed him back to the table and sat with him to practice his name.

“A-T-T-I-C— like this,” I helped him correct his C. “U-S. Good job boo!” I kissed his head and took his drawing and put it on the dining room table.

“Now start on one for daddy,” I instructed as I got everything out of the fridge for a salad.

“Mom! I’m done!” Sloane called. I really missed Gabe and his extra set of hands. He had been gone for three weeks and I was tired.

“Okay, let’s write your name on it too,” I knelt next to her to recite her name with her again. They were both getting great at doing it on their own, but needed some reminding on their letters. “S-L-O-A-N-E. Great job, peanut.” I took her piece of art to the table and went back to making salad.

My phone started to ring. Gabe was trying to FaceTime. I answered.

“Come home now, please,” I smiled brightly to him as I answered.

“I will be home soon to rescue you from the monsters,” He laughed.

“Today has been amazing, but last week when they were sick and yesterday when they both just had tantrums for no good reason, I could have used you,” I just gazed at him. The last four years have been so rough, but some of the best too and I was still attracted to my husband, the most wonderful father ever, and such a hard worker.

“Sorry, we will be wrapped up in the studio with this project soon. I’ll be home in two sleeps. I miss you,” He smiled at me dreamily.

“I miss you too. Want to say ‘hi’ to your devil spawn?”

“Put Lucifer and Beelzebub on please.” I laughed and brought the phone over to the kids.

“Look who is on the phone, guys” I turned the phone to them.

“Daddy!” Atticus screamed and ran over to me.

“Hi dude, are you being a good boy for mom?”

“Duh,” He said, straight-faced. I laughed.

“Someone is taking after their father, aren’t they?”

“Duh,” Gabe responded and I shook my head.

“Dad, I’m drawing you a picture,” Sloane turned in her chair to tell Gabe.

“You are? I can’t wait to see it, beautiful.”

“I’m making one too!” Atticus shouted and ran back to his seat to hold up his masterpiece.

“Dude, I love it. I’ll see you both in two sleeps okay? Be good for mom and I love you both,” Gabe blew them kisses and Sloane and Atticus blew kisses back.. It was so cute.

“I’m gonna talk to mom for a little bit okay? Keep drawing,” Gabe instructed them.

“Babe, I miss you so much…” Gabe sighed. “I can’t wait to come home.”

“I can’t wait for you to come home either…” I was getting teary-eyed. “Sorry, it’s you know all the hormones,” I wiped my eyes.

“Let me see you,” Gabe smiled wide. I lifted my shirt over my stomach and put the phone down so he could see. “Hi baby girl in there,” Gabe waved to my 7-month pregnant stomach.

“Baby girl is super active lately. She also needs her dad to come home so he can go on ice cream runs in the middle of the night,” I smiled putting my shirt back down.

“Amazon fresh and stock that freezer up!” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Not the same. But, I need to finish this salad before my guests get here,” I wanted a few minutes to myself before everyone arrived, so I wanted to finish the salad as quickly as possible.

“Okay, see you in just two sleeps,” He said, kissing the air.

“Two sleeps,” I gave him a kiss back and hung up.
I finished the salad and put it in the fridge. The lasagna in the oven had a few more minutes and I had like twenty minutes to sit down.

“Boo’s can you guys finish your cards for daddy and then put your stuff away for our company?”

“Is Owen coming over?” Sloane asked.

“Yes, he is.” They started to put away their stuff with a bit of a fight.

“Atticus, let your sister put her stuff away and you put yours away,” I scolded. I was exhausted. Was a third kid going to kill me?

The door buzzed and the kids jumped up and down for our guests.
“You want to come answer the door with me?” They excitedly nodded and followed me down the hall to the front door.

We had moved shortly after the kids were born into Brooklyn and into a modest brownstone we were almost finished renovating. We just had our bedroom and bathroom to finish upstairs and it’d be complete.

Moving to Brooklyn made my life easier and my commute back and forth to Brooklyn College so nice.
Christoph hired me back a year after the twins were born and it was a blessing.

I loved my kids and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible, but I also needed to work to feel good about myself and life. The kids were at our on-campus daycare so it also made life more streamlined. I was so happy to be back to work.

“Hi Aunt Meg!” Sloane said as Meg and Rob came inside. “Hi Uncle Rob! Hi Owen,” She followed up quickly.

“Hi Sloaney, Sloane,” Rob said as he picked her up and gave her a huge hug.

“Hi Owen!” Atticus shouted. Meg put Owen, her 2 1/2 year old, down for him to run with Atticus.

“Hi Atticus,” Meg laughed and he gave her a kiss and then was off running and pulling Owen with him.

“Hi babe,” Meg smiled and came and gave me a hug and kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“Fat, but that’s cool. How are you?” I laughed and rubbed her pregnant belly too.

“Same,” She laughed. “Don’t I get a hug?” Meg asked Sloane who was still in Rob’s arms. Sloane reached out and hugged her and Meg covered her in kisses and she laughed.

“I’m so glad you’re here Rob, I have so many things I need you to do,” I laughed giving a kiss as he put Sloane down who went off running.

“You know how handy I am, where do you need me?”

“He’s clearly been holding his handiness out on me,” Meghan teased him and he kissed the side of her head and she scrunched her face playfully at him.

“I have a lightbulb out in the bathroom and hallway upstairs and it’s like in a weird place that I don’t trust myself on a ladder in the middle of the stairs like this,” I said pointing to my belly as we walked down the hall to the kitchen where I heard the kids.

Meg had frozen eggs after her first scare in Chicago and they allowed for her and Rob to conceive their children, but not after several miscarriages or embryos not taking. Meg and Rob were a power team, after she got over her fear of leaving Rob alone. They handled everything with such grace and strength.

I wish I had shown even the slightest bit of the strength I had when going through my miscarriage.
Meg was such an amazing mother and it really had softened her in all the right areas. She was still a straight shooter and didn’t mince her words, but she had let her guard down fully, which was also so nice to witness.

“Let me get those bulbs and I’ll do that now,” Rob said as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Here you go, sir! Thank you and I’ll have a beer waiting for you for your services,” I handed him a box of two bulbs and he disappeared back down the hall.

“So, while he is gone. You know how we don’t want to know the sex of our children?” Meg asked.

“Did you give in and want to know?” I laughed as I grabbed a beer out of the fridge for Rob.

“No, I didn’t want to know, but we had a new ultrasound tech the other day and she let it slip...So, now I know and it’s killing me.”

“You’re very composed. Did you rip her head off?” I laughed at her being so zen about this, since this was their one ask during the process, as they were just happy to be having a healthy child.

“I mean, I may have yelled at her just a tiny bit, but…” She smiled widely. “But, now I know and it’s eating a hole in me.”

“Tell me, please!” I was so excited to hear what she was having.

“I guess, our girls will just have to grow up together like we did,” She had tears in her eyes.

“Oh my god! Hormonal and sappy Meg is my favorite,” I hugged her tightly.

“So, maybe we don’t need to shoot for a third if we have a pair?” She laughed. She and Rob wanted to have three kids, if possible.

“No, you need a third. It’s been decided since Emily has three and I have three, we all need to be the same.” I said sarcastically as the timer on the lasagna went off. I quickly took them out of the oven and put them on the stove to cool.

“Makes me not want three now. Peer pressure always did the opposite for me.”

“Emily, makes being a mother to three children look so easy, but I know that won’t be the case for me. I also wish my kids were all closer in age. Makes me feel like I need to have another asap after this one so they have each other.”

“Listen, I would have been pregnant as soon as I popped out Owen too if my body was cooperative and the same for you. It hasn’t been easy for either of us, but to talk you off the ledge of having 4 children and having to buy a new house, think of my girl as your girl’s friend in age.” I hugged her tightly. It was such a nice thought.

“Light bulbs have been changed!” Rob exclaimed as he came into the kitchen. I let go of Meg and handed him his beer.

“Did I miss something?” Rob laughed as he took and swigged his beer.
“No, just excited to have you guys here.” I smiled.

“Hope you’re not eating without me!” I heard from the hall.

“DAD!!” The kids screamed. I walked into the hall to see if it was really him.

“So, when I told you I needed you home you were like waiting outside in a van till all the work was done?” I laughed.

“Nah, I was getting ice cream!” He held up a bag as the kids tackled him. As he lifted them up into his arms, I grabbed the ice cream and gave him a kiss.

“Smells good in here,” Gabe sniffed and we walked back down the hall to the kitchen.

“Are you disappearing later or how long are you here?”

“I lied to you on the dates so I could swoop in and be a relief to see.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“I love you,” He leaned over my shoulder as I put the ice cream in the freezer.

“Good to see you, dude,” Rob said as he held Owen in his arms.

“Good to see you all too. What up Owen.” Gabe gave Owen a kiss on the cheek.

“How’s our pregnant friend?” Gabe hugged Meg.

“Panicked at having another child to deal with, but generally good.”

“You chose to do this, I do not feel sympathy for you.”

“Well, glad I only came for the lasagna and not the support.” Meg pushed Gabe away with a laugh.

This was what I always wanted. A family and friends that were family. I was so happy in this moment and it made everything we had been through worth it. It tested us and made sure we were a team and partners that worked for the long haul.

Gabe came and held me tight and kissed the side of my head. I just held him and smelled his shirt, inhaling his scent was so comforting.

“I missed you so much,” Gabe whispered and I smiled, just happy to have him home and to be loved.