Chapter 4.
"I know what I'm doing!" Callie snapped at Brandon, while trying to fix the zipper on Gabe's jacket, which was stuck. "I'm not stupid!"
"Well, hurry up," he griped back, looking at his watch impatiently. "They're gonna miss the bus."
Callie yanked the zipper tab as hard as she could, to no avail. She and Brandon had been bickering all morning. Callie no longer remembered what the original argument was even about. "I could do it faster if you'd stop nagging me," she mumbled, frustrated. She dug through her purse, and found a lip balm. Uncapping it, she rubbed it on the zipper teeth. It worked, but just as she was zipping the jacket, Rachel shouted from the doorway.
"There goes the bus!" she cried.
Callie turned to see the bus pass by their house. "Great," she sighed. "Brandon, you should've tried to stop it!" It wasn't a big deal, she knew, but she was so tired and stressed, that missing the bus was the last straw. She pressed her fingers to her temples, breaking down in tears.
"Hey...," said Brandon, worried. "Don't cry, Cal. Come here." He pulled Callie to her feet and hugged her, kissing her cheek. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to upset you. It's okay, really, honey. Just bring the kids with you when you go to moms'. Lena will take them to school. They're going to the same place, anyway."
Callie nodded. "I'm sorry too," she told him, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "I haven't exactly been a joy this morning. Do your forgive me?"
"Of course I do," Brandon promised. "Let's just forget about it. I've gotta run now, okay?" He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, Cal."
"I love you, too," she told him quietly.
Once Brandon left for work, Callie loaded the kids in the car. As she was bucking Gabe's seat belt, he looked up at her. "I'm sorry I made you sad, Mommy," he told her apologetically.
"No, baby," Callie sighed. "You didn't do anything to make me sad. Mommy's just having a rough morning." She kissed her son's forehead, brushing back his hair. Gabe was a handsome little boy. He was a combination of both his parents, with Brandon's dark, wavy hair and adorably crooked smile, and Callie's chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at him lovingly, then shut the car door and got in the front seat.
"Mommy?" Rachel asked, as they drove to Stef and Lena's.
"What, Pumpkin?" Callie looked back at her daughter in the rear view mirror.
"Are you and Daddy gonna get a divorce?"
Callie sucked in her breath, pained by her daughter's question. "No," she said, reassuringly. "Why do you ask, sweetheart? Is that something you're worried about?"
"Well," said Rachel. "You and Daddy have been arguing a lot. It scares me. I don't want you guys to break up."
"Rachel, baby," Callie began. "All couples argue sometimes, when they're tired or frustrated. It doesn't mean we're going to get a divorce. Daddy and I love each other, and you have nothing to worry about. Okay?"
"Okay," said Rachel, quietly, as they reached the house. Lena was just getting into her car, when Callie called out to her.
"Could you get these two to school?" she asked her mother. "Please. We missed the bus this morning."
"Sure," Lena nodded. "No problem!" Relieved, Callie kissed the kids and told them to have a good day. Once they were buckled into Lena's car, she went inside the house, where Stef and Lucy were waiting.
"Hey, honey," said Stef, happy to see her. When she took her daughter into a hug, Callie found herself clinging to her mother a little longer, in need of comfort. Once they parted, Stef gave her a list of instructions for Lucy's medications and care. "She's still in bed," she explained. "I'll come home for lunch to check in if you'd like. We can eat together and visit for a while."
"Sounds great!" Callie smiled. "I can have lunch ready, if you want."
Stef patted her daughter's cheek. "That would be lovely." She kissed Callie's forehead, giving her one more quick hug. "I love you, baby girl. And I appreciate you helping out with Lucy. I don't know what we'd do without you."
"I'm happy to help," Callie replied. "And I love you too, mom."
As soon as Stef had left for work, Callie went upstairs to her parents' room to see Lucy. She found her awake in the crib, dressed in a pink sleeper. The baby gurgled, smiling, when she saw Callie. "Good morning, Lucy Goosey," Callie chirped, her mood already marginally better. "Look at you, all pretty in pink. You look like a little rosebud!"
Lucy blew a spit bubble, kicking her feet. Callie lifted her out of the crib and cradled her in her arms. "My babies slept in this crib," she told her. "It's hard to believe they were as little as you once." She carried the baby downstairs to the living room. "You wanna look at the Christmas tree?" She stood in front of the decorated artificial tree, pointing to the different decorations. Lucy reached out with one hand and touched a silver ball. Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the ornaments.
The morning was uneventful. Callie remembered Rachel at Lucy's age, already getting into everything. But the baby girl she held was docile and quiet, even lethargic. Sitting down on the sofa, she held the baby, singing softly to her, thinking that sitting for her would be a piece of cake. That was, until it was time for Lucy's medications. Callie followed Stef's written instructions exactly. However, she couldn't help but feel nervous, and found herself reading and re-reading the instructions several times, just to be sure. There were four liquid medications, including diuretics and blood thinners, which she had to measure carefully with an eye dropper. Tilting Lucy's head back slightly, she slowly began squeezing the contents of the droppers down her throat, making sure she swallowed them. Lucy gagged, trying to spit the medicine out. Not able to do so, her face screwed up and turned red, and she let out an ear-piercing wail. Callie held her breath as the baby cried, unable to stop the panic rising in her chest.
To Be Continued
