Chris and Leonard lugged eight bags up three flights of stairs; all while shivering from the bitter cold that consumed the city. From outside the front door, they could hear the television playing some sort of cartoon, as Chris struggled to unlock the door.
"I fucking hate this place," he hissed, finally getting the key into the lock. "I miss having fucking windows, so that people could see when your goddamn car pulled up."
Finally, the lock clicked and the knob turned, allowing the heavy door to swing open. Stepping into the apartment, Chris kicked the door shut with his foot and followed Leonard into the kitchen, dropping all the bags onto the table.
"Why don't I hear noise that isn't related to some horrifying cartoon show?" Leonard asked, pulling off his coat. "Usually Jim would be running in here like a madman."
"The hell if I know," Chris said, dropping his jacket on the back of the chair. "Mel? Jim?"
Stepping into the living room, Chris caught and eyeful of a Disney cartoon playing on the television, before taking note of the bodies on one sofa. Moving closer, he saw that it was Jim and Joanna, snuggled against one another and fast asleep. Turning to the next sofa, he found Melanie sprawled out across the cushions and out cold. On her chest, covered in a pink blanket and out cold, was Charlotte. Grabbing the remote, Chris turned the television off and moved back into the kitchen.
"Did you find them?" Leonard asked, as he pulled the refrigerator door open.
"They're all sleeping," he nodded, pulling a bag of carrots and a box of pasta out of another bag. "I take it they had a long day."
It was only Thursday, the day before Jim's birthday and Melanie's last work day of the week. An hour after Melanie left for work, Chris left Jim in charge of watching Charlotte, while Joanna dozed in and out on the sofa. With plans to celebrate Jim's birthday with a big dinner and cake, they needed to shop and find a place that would have a cake ready on such short notice. Something, as Chris and Leonard moved from bakery to bakery, that wasn't so easy in Manhattan.
"God, I hope we can get through tomorrow without any issue," Leonard sighed, tossing the empty bags into the wicker basket on the shelf.
"I'm sure everything will be fine," Chris nodded. "Cake should be ready to pick up by eleven and the day will be great."
Just then, Melanie shuffled into the kitchen; Charlotte nestled against her chest and wrapped up in her blanket.
"What's going on," she yawned, rubbing the toddler's back. "Did ya get everything for tomorrow?"
Chris nodded, "Jim's birthday dinner is all covered as well as his cake," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Did you have a good nap?"
Melanie groaned, "No," she mumbled, shifting Charlotte in her arms. "Let's just say I took a three hour "angry" nap and now I feel like shit."
"Bad day?" Leonard asked.
She nodded, "Half of my class is filled with idiots, who will end up failing and will be held back from graduating," she huffed. "Then I slammed my goddamn hand in the file cabinet and stubbed my toe against the lectern."
Moving her hand out from under the blanket, Melanie showed them the medical tape that held both her pointer and middle finger taped together.
"Jesus Christ," Chris exclaimed, grabbing her wrist lightly. "What the hell?!"
"Shhh," she hissed, as Charlotte stirred against her neck. "Do you know how long it took for her to fall asleep?"
He sighed, "Sorry! But Mel, what the hell happened?" he asked, examining her fingers. "Are they broken?"
"No, thank god," she sighed. "I went down to the medical wing and the lady wrapped them up. They were a little swollen, but I was able to bend and move them."
"You should've called me," Chris shook his head. "You should get an X-ray to see if they're fractured."
Melanie nodded, "If the swelling doesn't go all the way down then I'll go," she promised. "For now, I'll just put some ice on it and pop a pain pill."
"Then no wine shall be consumed with your dinner tonight," Leonard snorted, as Chris took the baby. "At least it's your left hand, and not the hand you write with."
"How's your toe?" Chris asked, setting the blanket around Charlotte.
She sat down at the table and yawned, "That hurts too," she said, holding up her foot. "Luckily it's not broken or bruised, but still."
Leonard shook his head, "You need a caution sign on you at all times," he snorted. "You're a walking train wreck."
"Fuck you," she snapped, earning an eye roll from him. "Sorry! Just not in the mood right now for anything."
Chris nodded, "Why don't you go lay down in the bedroom for a while?" he suggested. "I'll put Charlie in her crib and we'll start dinner, that way you can get some more rest."
"Just don't take a pain pill yet," Leonard said. "Take a nap, come out for dinner and then you can take it."
"When did you become a doctor?" Melanie glared at him.
Leonard rolled his eyes again, "I know enough that you shouldn't take heavy drugs on an empty stomach," he shot back, as he moved towards the living room. "I'm going to check on these two."
Once he left, Chris turned and shook his head at Melanie. "You shouldn't be mean, Mel," he said. "I know you had a bad day and that you're tired, but he's only trying to help."
"Yes Chris! I know, I'm a bitch!" she rolled her eyes, standing up from the chair. "Have fun cooking dinner."
"Melanie!"
She ignored him as she started out of the kitchen, storming down the hall to the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her, which made Charlotte whimper, as she buried her face into Chris's shoulder.
"I'm going to kill her," he muttered, hoping that Charlotte wouldn't wake up. "God help me."
Luckily, Charlotte didn't wake up and promptly drooled against on his shirt. "Good girl," he whispered, kissing the top her head. "Let's get you into bed now."
….
Chris was the first one up the following morning, easing his way out of bed quietly to use the bathroom around seven. Moving quietly across the hall, he stepped into Charlotte's room and found her standing up against the bars of her crib.
"Pa!"
"Shhh, baby," he made his way over to her. "Everyone's sleeping."
Taking her out, Chris set her down on the changing table and quickly went about, changing her diaper and talking quietly to her. Once a fresh diaper was secure and her onesie was snapped up, Chris scooped her back up and grabbed her Mickey doll out of the crib.
"Daddy's gonna make breakfast for you," he told her, as they started towards the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast? Last time we had eggs you had to take a bath twice, so we wont go that route again."
"Pa-Pa, 'nanas!" she babbled, before drooling on her fingers.
He grinned, "Bananas?" he asked, pulling the highchair closer to him. "You want some bananas?"
Setting her in, Chris moved to prepare her breakfast of mashed bananas and a bowl of rice cereal. Along with a bottle of formula warming up on the stove and the coffee pot running, Chris sat at the table and fed Charlotte slowly.
"Mommy's not feeling good," he told her, as she sucked down the spoonful of cereal. "Should we bring Mommy coffee and see if she wants breakfast?"
"Mamamamama," she wiggled in her chair, slapping her hands on the tray. "EEE! EEE!"
Chris chuckled as she giggled, throwing her hands up against her face. "You're a silly girl, Charlie," he wiped her mouth with the edge of the bib. "Let's finish your breakfast and get Mommy out of bed."
Once the bowls were half empty, the bottle was warm enough and the coffee was finished. Juggling a toddler, a cup of coffee and a bottle took a lot of practice, which Chris had plenty of for the last year and a half. When they stepped into the bedroom, Melanie was buried underneath the bedding and Charlotte was growing fussy.
"Shhh," he whispered, setting the coffee cup on the dresser. "Go wake up Mommy," he said, setting her down on the bed.
Charlotte squealed and crawled towards the pillows, as Chris picked the coffee up. Hearing the sudden noise, Melanie began to stir under the mountain of blankets.
"Mel?" Chris pulled the blankets down just enough to see her face. "I have coffee… and a baby."
"Hmmmm?" she cracked on eye open. "Wha?"
He set the coffee cup on the table and pulled the blankets down a bit more, "Coffee and a baby," he repeated. "Charlie's here."
Turning her head, Melanie spotted Charlotte crawling on Chris's side of the bed. "Charlie, what are you doing?"
"Ma!"
Lifting her arm up, Melanie carefully pulled the toddler closer and sighed. "Did you eat?"
"She had bananas and cereal," Chris nodded, as Charlotte tried to crawl onto Melanie's chest. "I have a bottle on the dresser with her name on it."
She nodded, "Kay," she sighed, closing her eyes again.
"Drink your coffee," Chris said, as he went to get the bottle. "It's bad enough that you didn't eat dinner last night. "
Melanie grumbled as she sat up slowly in bed, reaching for the cup with one hand. Taking slow sips, Melanie kept her free hand on Charlotte, who took to climbing on her like a jungle gym.
"Here comes Daddy with your bottle," she said, as Chris climbed up onto the bed. "Bottle time!"
Taking the toddler from her, Chris sat Charlotte on his lap and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Here we go," he said, easing the nipple into her mouth. "Eat this and then we'll see about watching cartoons."
As Charlotte slurped the rest of her breakfast down, Melanie drank her coffee quietly with one hand. Her now bruised fingers on her left hand, laid stiff in her lap, the medical tape fraying.
"Did you take a pain pill last night?" Chris asked, as Charlotte grabbed onto her bottle. "You were out cold when I came in to tell you that dinner was ready."
She nodded, "And how's the pain now?" he asked. "Swelling doesn't look like went down at all."
"They hurt, but I'll live," she sighed. "I'll go to the doctor tomorrow, Chris. I'm not going to sit in the ER all day long, especially on Jim's birthday."
"So we'll go tomorrow," he nodded, as Charlotte finished with her bottle. "All done?"
Charlotte smacked her lips together while looking up at him, "Half a bottle," he shrugged, as Melanie took it from him. "What do you think, Mommy? Should we let her watch cartoons?"
Melanie shrugged, "I think we should let Mommy sleep some more," she suggested, setting the cup and bottle on the nightstand. "Because right now she feels like a tsunami is in her belly."
"Uh oh," Chris gasped, looking down at Charlotte. "Should we leave Mommy a bucket?
"Just leave this bathroom free," Melanie sighed, sinking down under the blankets. "Because I have no idea what's going to happen."
Chris winced, "I'll make some toast, " he said, moving Charlotte from his lap and onto the mattress. "You need something in your system, Mel. That's why Len said to wait until you ate something before popping a Vicodin."
"Yeah well…" she mumbled. "Come here, Charlie. Keep me company so Daddy can make toast.
Pulling her close, Melanie pulled the blanket up and covered both herself and Charlotte.
"I'll get that toast ready and some water so that you can rest a bit," he sighed, getting up from the bed. "Just try not to move around too much."
"Aye aye, Captain," she nodded, hugging Charlotte to her chest. "Watch your feet, Ninja baby. One kick to the belly and I'll be puking all over you."