Only Once
Part IX
January 4th
Eric and Calleigh sometimes got compliments on how even their stressful jobs, crazy hours and just the stresses of life in general, the two made it such a priority to just enjoy their kids' childhood. Their children were only this age once, to not slow down and savor this time would be something they would regret. They often heard as well, people envied the bond they had with their children. The children were attached to their parents but at the same time the children didn't show any anxiety when separating from them, expect for the odd occasion.
"You look tired, man," Speedle said to Eric the next morning.
Perhaps it was the fact Eric was on his second cup of café Cubano in less than two hours that gave this away.
"Good observation," Eric yawned.
"The kids or Calleigh?" Tim asked.
"Kids. They're teething."
Being her husband had to work and needed the sleep for the job, Calleigh had got up when Zach woke up at 2:00a.m. and when Nadya woke at 4:00a.m..
"I'm sorry, querida," Eric murmured to Calleigh when she got back into bed at 4:30, referring to the fact he didn't help her out.
"That's all right," she said to him softly, kissing his cheek and cuddling into him. "I'll definitely be taking advantage of the two grandmas being here, today."
Although Roberta wasn't technically "grandma" she was a grandmother to the kids even if they called her "Auntie."
"Good," Eric said, kissing her brow before both fell asleep.
Along with the twins teething, Chloe seemed to be getting yet another cold. She was sneezing and coughing most of the night. By the morning she had red, watery eyes and a runny nose. Eric bought her in a glass of juice in the morning and kiss her goodbye before he left. Kissing Chloe's forehead Eric realized the girl was slightly warm but didn't have a fever.
"Feel better, princesa. I'll see you this evening." Eric made a mental note to pick up Triaminic Thin Strips before he came home.
Chloe just nodded.
Ryan smiled, laughing under his breath, looking at what only be described as a small mountain of prophylactics still sealed in their individual packaging.
"This guy was hoping for a good time. I've never seen so many condoms in my life. I'm not gonna ask before Calleigh, if you did."
Eric grinned.
"Well, Wolfe, if you wanna get into that, I have."
Though not of this cheap no-name brand, Eric thought. The guy must have went to every drugstore in Miami.
Call him a "man-whore" in his past but being stupid enough to ever have unprotected sex in a casual fling, the Eric Delko of six years prior faithfully had a condom or two in his back pocket. Hence, his familiarity with the pile of contraceptives in front of him. Those days there was often the same sight at his place. He had used protection with Melissa all the times he was with her. Once he knew for sure the condom had broke. He panicked, not thinking Melissa could get pregnant but fearing he could have caught an STD from her. Not wanting his parents to hear about anything, he drove all the way to Tallahassee to be tested, giving an alias and using a throw-away cellphone as a contact number while staying in a motel for three days. Feeling supreme relief, this was the last time Eric had casual sex.
But he was also eternally grateful for that broken condom. It gave him his beautiful six-year-old daughter.
The first time and many times following when he and Calleigh had sex, it was unprotected. But theirs was different from the beginning. It wasn't just sex, it was making love. When he thought back on it, it was amazing Calleigh didn't get pregnant long before she did.Eric felt bad for his wife's aunt and his mother when he called to check on his family mid-way through the day. His home must have been a zoo, more than usual that was. Ethan was in a sour mood because his grandmas were paying more attention to two fussy babies. Eric wasn't about to ask how many times either had to put the toddler in time-out. Chloe was definitely sick but when he called she and her mom were taking a nap together. Despite the many colds the girl had, she seldom missed school. Eric doubted, being the marine life enthusiast Chloe was, that she would miss her field trip because of a few sniffles.
"I heard my favorite twins gave you are giving you two a hard time," Horatio said to a tired Eric in the trace lab.
"And add to that, Chloe's not well and Ethan's having a tantrum-filled day."
Horatio knew that Ethan Delko was still having a difficult time adjusting to his twin siblings and that Chloe Delko had frequent colds. Contrary to what some parents may have thought, the "stress" Eric would head home to was the kind he'd rather face than any at the lab.
"What's the matter, hijo?" Eric said sitting down on the living room carpet after greeting everyone else in the house.
Ethan was sitting on the floor, playing with his megablocks with a sour look on his face.
"I mad, daddy," he said.
"Wanna talk to daddy about it?"
Eric was glad his toddler was now talking to express that he was unhappy; something he hadn't done most of the day. Ethan then told his dad how he didn't get to play with his mom or grandmas most of the day. They were "too busy wit da 'tupid babies or 'tupid Chloe," he said.
First thing Eric said his brother and sisters weren't stupid and not to call them that.
"Chloe was sick, she needed mommy today. And you were a baby once, too. You had bad days like Nadya and Zach."
It would be have a lie for Daddy Eric to say Chloe hadn't called Ethan "stupid" during that time as well.
"But I still mad, daddy."
"Why didn't you just tell mommy, grandma and auntie that instead of what you were doing today?"
Ethan shrugged his shoulders.
Eric sighed. They were trying to teach Ethan to use his words when he got upset but it was proving to be harder than thought. Roberta didn't seem that surprised with the dilemma of the parents. She told the couple that Calleigh were the same way at their son's age. She did so but had a difficult time holding back her laughter. The boy was so much like his mother.
"But you two are doing a good job. You're trying to be patient and not lose it with him and that's great," she said.
Roberta informed Eric that she were spending the night.
"You have to work in the morning. You're probably not gonna get that much sleep anyway."
Chloe had to sleep sitting up that night she was coughing so much.
"I think I should take her to the doctor in the morning," Calleigh said. "I don't like the sound of that cough."
Eric nodded. "Makes both of us."
A chest cold turned into pneumonia for their oldest child twice in her life. Her parents would rather be seen as worriers and be told Chloe had a regular cold than have to take her in if she got worse.
