You were mine, first!
It had been a week since Eric and Calleigh Delko had bought home twins. As they predicted, life couldn't be called anything but crazy. Thanks to their friends at work, Eric had two more weeks of family leave, for a total of five weeks. Their older two children had reacted to the chaos in the manner that their parents had thought that they would. Ethan with tantrums and regression and Chloe with withdrawing; by the middle of the second day with the twins home everyone in the house had lost count of how many times Ethan had said "I don't like them! Send them back!"
His parents tried not to lose their patience with the boy. He was only two after all and this was a huge adjustment, not just for him but for everyone. Having patience with his regression—his resorting back to wanting a pacifier and regressing in toilet-training was relatively easy. They were told and hoped it would be short-lived. More short-lived than being jealous of mom and dad, especially mom holding and giving attention to Zachary and Nadya. As much as it was frustrating, it was better that Ethan use his words, not his hands to express his discontent. He was definitely spending more of the day in time-out then not right now.
"I sorry, mami," he told Calleigh after his latest time-out that day. "But I don't like 'em! I want you to take 'em back to da 'ospital!"
Calleigh didn't the words to heart.
"I know you feel that way right now, sweetie. But you'll get used to them, I promise."
"You can't take 'em back?" The boy asked.
"No," Calleigh said, suppressing a smile. "The hospital said I couldn't take them back once daddy and I took Nadya and Zachary home we couldn't bring them back."
They're final sale, even if we kept the receipt, Calleigh thought musingly.
"Your boy's having a hard time getting used to the twins, huh?" Alexx Woods asked Calleigh.
Ten days after the twins were born Alexx had invited her over for coffee, leaving Eric with three of the children. Chloe was at school.
"Yeah," Calleigh sighed. "He said the other day that Eric and I were his first. Why did we have to have more babies? We've tried lots of ways of explaining how we're still his and he'll get used to Zach and Nadya but he doesn't believe it yet. Yesterday he shouted at Nadya to be quiet when she started crying when I was playing with him. We're trying to have patience with him but it's hard to do when we're so tired all the time at the moment."
Alexx nodded, understanding.
"Yesterday I yelled at Chloe when she wasted water on the floor. It was so stupid. I felt so bad."
That episode had ended in an immediate apology and hugs and kisses for Chloe. Calleigh realized that lack of sleep had to be really catching up to her if she reacted like that to something that would normally she wouldn't bat an eye at. Exhaustion wasn't an excuse to take things out on a child.
Trying to be brave and mature, Chloe had said "that's okay, mommy. You're tired and busy."
"No, it's not, baby girl. Even if mommy is tired and busy, I don't have the right to take it out on you. You didn't do anything for me to yell at you like that. Mommy's very sorry."
"I'm sure your lil' girl forgot all about that by now," Alexx reassured the younger mother. "And do you know how normal that reaction was in your situation?"
Calleigh did know that but it was still difficult to swallow. She wanted to handle everything and not feel or react to the stress it caused. Even if she rationally knew that only superwoman, maybe not even her could do that. She couldn't imagine raising her children without such an incredible, hands-on father and loving husband like Eric. Her eyes began to fill with tears of guilt and exhaustion. Alexx reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"Every mom has those days, baby," she said.
Though such a practice wasn't encouraged, Eric Delko could change a dirty diaper with his eyes closed. He had insisted that his wife get out of the house for a bit. He thought it would be good for her to talk to Alexx. Both knew he was more than capable of looking after the kids.
"You're such a treasure," he murmured to Nadya, picking her up from the change table.
He kissed the tip of her tiny nose.
Nadya gurgled in reply and Eric smiled, holding the baby to his chest.
Yes, four children was the perfect number.
Even with his older son being difficult at the moment, Ethan was still a joy to have. Being the youngest in his family, Eric didn't know what it was like to have a younger sibling—two come into the house and "steal the show," but he guessed it was hard to get used to. Eric carried Nadya downstairs to the living room and sat down on the couch. Zach was still sleeping, it had taken longer to get the newborn boy down for his nap. Ethan was occupied watching The Lion King and playing with his cars. For the moment, and that was how his parents were taking it, he didn't really care that daddy was holding and cooing over Nadya. He had played with daddy for a while before his baby sister had woke up.
"Are you hungry, Ethan?" Eric asked his son.
Ethan shook his head.
"All right. Let me know when you want a snack."
"'Kay, daddy."
Chloe would be home from school soon. She was old enough to walk the five minutes from the bus stop to their house by herself. Some thought she wasn't, even if half the walk was with a neighbor child whose mom took her anyway. So technically Chloe only walked on her for two minutes. Even if the grief some people gave them her parents had instilled in Chloe enough 'street smarts' to go that far by herself. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Eric thought his wife would likely be back soon, she had been over an hour and knowing his wife once she realized that, she would rush home-even though Eric told her to take all the time she needed and she knew that Eric could take care of the kids and keep all perfectly happy.
Zachary was awake by the time Chloe came home. Ethan had decided to have a snack and everyone was in the kitchen, the twins in their carriers. She was surprised to see just her dad.
"Mom went over to aunt Alexx's for a bit," Eric told his daughter. "How was school today, princessa?"
"Okay," she said.
Chloe went over to look at her twin siblings. She gave both a kiss, causing her father ro smile, she didn't see this however. After eating his snack, Ethan\s little friend's mom from across the street called. Ethan definitely wanted to go over to play. His friend had two dogs he loved. With Ethan gone and the twins content, Eric took the time to spend with girl liked the twins even the big adjustment it meant for the family. She didn't understand what Ethan was so upset about. As much vas she loved her new siblings, the adjustment of having them home and how Ethan was making life difficult for others in house was causing the six-year-old stress. All the adults in her life knew this, even though she tried her best to act like it wasn't. Chloe's teacher noticed that the child was seemed tired most of the time and wasn't as nearly as smiley. She understood that it had to do with having new babies in the house. She, like dad and mom knew things would settle down eventually.
Eric found Chloe laying on the couch in the living room. The child did look sleepy. He was glad that her teacher seemed to be easing up on giving the class homework lately. Chloe was just too tired tor it—and if the teacher reprimanded Chloe for not completing homework assignments right now, her parents would side with the child.
"Hi ya, princessa," he said, sitting at the bottom of the sofa near Chloe's feet. "Are you feeling all right?" Eric had noticed that his daughter was a little pale.
Chloe shook her head.
"I have a headache."
That was most likely from lack of and broken sleep lately. Eric kissed his child's brow. "Do you want some medicine?"
Chloe nodded. She fell asleep for a half hour after Eric gave her a dose of children's Advil. She was waking up when her mom was coming home. She heard her parents talking in the kitchen. Calleigh felt bad that daughter wasn't feeling good from lack of sleep.
"She doesn't have any homework," Eric was saying to his wife.
"Not that she's in any shape to do it anyway. Good thing Ms. Perry is so reasonable and understanding," his wife replied.
Everyone was in bed for the night, the twins at least two hours or so. To everyone's shock, Ethan had asked and had given his baby siblings a kiss when they were being put to bed. Mom and dad had to act as if it was no big deal even if it did feel like a break-through.
"Maybe he's going to like bein' a big brother, after all," Calleigh said.
Just as it always did, the parents knew things would work themselves out.
-THE END-