The Beat Goes On

“You know you’ve got two babies now, right?” Tom smirked as he rested his elbows on his knees.
“And you’ve got one yourself, if I’m not mistaken.”
We sat in the empty hospital lobby after the remainder of family and friends who’d dropped in to see Sadie Graeme Pattinson had left.
Ella, who had fallen asleep in my lap hours ago, stirred slightly as the PA system went off. She had exhausted herself over the new baby. At one point I had to take her for a walk around the building just to kill some energy.
I’d been a wreck (surprise, surprise) the entire day, and was reluctant to leave Abbey alone even after they’d both been declared safe and healthy. The two of them were actually asleep, but I didn’t plan on going home until Child Protective Services came to tell me to take my firstborn home to bathe, eat, and go to school.
“I think we’re officially grown-ups now, man.” Grace had left earlier with Ramona, but Tom wanted to stick around. He claimed we hardly had any bonding time now that we both were living real lives, despite the fact that we were now brother-in-laws and saw one another more than we did before we fell in love with the Jones girls.
“It took a while, yeah?” I chuckled, shifting my six-year-old in my arms. Thankfully she was still pint-sized.
We talked about little things in hushed whispers. It was funny how many times our girls came up in conversations.
“Daddy?” Ella looked around, blinking slowly. “Dad, can I see her?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my t-shirt as she yawned. I wasn’t sure of the last time I had worn anything that was completely spit, snot, food, or beverage free.
Ella and I excused ourselves and walked down to the nursery, hand in hand. I could no longer call her my favorite, which at the moment didn’t seem to bother her. Her feet dragged and she wobbled into my side. We would probably have to go home after a quick visit.
I tousled her hair, nodding at the window. Her eyes brightened instantly.

“See her?” I held her close to the window, pointing at her baby sister. Ella’s head bobbed up and down.
“Babies are real tiny.” She squinted.
“You were small too.” I remembered that night so vividly I could feel a newborn’s head in the crook of my arm.
“Nu-uh.”
“Would I lie to you, Ellie?” She smiled as I pressed my forehead against hers.
“Nooooo,” she said in a sing-song voice.
We watched our newest addition sleep soundly for a while before Ella’s mouth twisted into a yawn.

I poked my head into Abbey’s room, just to make sure she was still there, and I found her wide awake looking out the window.
“You’re still here,” she murmured. Her eyelids drooped slightly and her voice was a little hoarse.
“Of course.”
“Ella too?” She beckoned for me to come closer, as if I wouldn’t on my own.
“Ella too.” I pulled up a chair. “I’m going to take her home in a few.”
Abbey nodded closing her eyes. Leaning over her, I kissed her forehead softly and started to stand up.
“Stay.”
“Am I allowed?” I smiled at her as she shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s my room,” she stated firmly. “So fuck ‘em.”