Their Second Chance
Chapter 35
Rosie did not handle crowds well at all. Mike and Andrea had taken her to get bedroom furniture, linens and toys appropriate for a three year old. She melted down several times. Mike had figured out that Andrea did better comforting her, which bothered him. He wanted to bond with his daughter but she clung to Andrea, Ellie or even Lily at times. On the other hand, he knew it was because she had been around more women than men. Lily had mentioned that she thought Mike's size was what was scaring Rosie.
Once they got home; it was more than obvious that Rosie needed a nap. Mike quickly put her bed together, thinking Andrea wanted to put her to sleep in it but Andrea indicated for him to follow her out to the living room while Hannah and Rosie investigated the new items in Hannah's room.
"I know you are struggling with bonding with Rosie. I think you need to be the one to put her to sleep. Besides, I need to set up the bedroom. May mean that you get a nap too. You didn't sleep really well last night."
"Yeah, I get that but she seems to only want you or Ellie and I don't want to upset her." Mike sat down in the recliner and rubbed his face.
"Mike, she needs to get to know you. I think Lily is right; she is a little scared of you. Of the men she has been around, you are a lot bigger and you have a different bearing. Lily and Hannah are used to it but Rosie is not. Right now, everything is new and different and she's scared, terrified, even. Just be patient with her. I'll bring her out." Andrea bent down and kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand. Ellie and Lily had gone to a grocery store to get more small child friendly foods. Ellie had made some oatmeal that morning, thinking Rosie would eat it. Apparently she didn't like oatmeal, and had another meltdown. They finally gave her leftover chicken from the night before just so she ate something. Andrea brought Rosie out and gently sit her in Mike's lap. As soon as Andrea walked away, Rosie looked at him and started crying.
"Andrea, you'd better get her. She isn't going to get a nap like this." Rosie was reaching for Andrea and looking for Ellie or Lily. Mike was completely clueless as to settle his small daughter down. Andrea shook her head at him and within a minute, Hannah came out and climbed into Mike's lap.
"See, Rosie, Daddy loves holding me when it's nap time. You'll be alright. See." Hannah cuddled close to Mike and he knew it was an act to show Rosie that Hannah felt safe with Mike. Rosie was watching them suspiciously and so Mike pulled Hannah to where her head was on his chest and he gently began rocking the chair. Eventually Rosie relented and put her head against Mike's shoulder and fell asleep. Hannah, by default had fallen asleep as well. Mike couldn't even put the foot rest up or cover the girls up with a blanket. Thankfully, Andrea came in and helped him.
"Whose idea was it for Hannah to come in?" Andrea had covered Mike and both girls up, lifted the foot rest and shut the overhead light off.
"Hers. And you can't say that you mind it either?"
"No. I think Rosie is going to have to watch Hannah and see that she trusts me before she'll start. Maybe we moved too fast." Mike kissed the top of Rosie's head and smoothed Hannah's hair back with his other hand.
"You mean bringing her here? Mike, I don't think you could have left her there. I know what you're saying but I also know you. The second you found out about her, you wanted her here." Andrea knelt down next to the chair and tucked the blanket around Rosie.
"Probably not. This is just horribly traumatizing to her. We know nothing about her aside from the fact that she hates oatmeal."
"We will figure it out. We have to get to know her and she has to get to know us. It will be a rough couple weeks." Andrea leaned over both girls and gave Mike a kiss. "I need to go finish setting up the bedroom. Hopefully she will sleep in there tonight."
"I didn't mind her sleeping with us." Mike was a little confused by her statement.
"She kicks…hard. I have bruises on my leg. She didn't kick you because you were holding her. She also punches in her sleep. She is definitely her father's daughter. What a right hook!"
"Oh, wow. I'm sorry. Did she hurt you?" Mike was looking in wonder at Rosie's tiny hands and feet.
"She's tiny so no. It cracked me up because you and Hannah are both like statutes when you're sleeping. Rosie is like she is going ten rounds with a prize fighter."
"Christine and Lucas were like that too. I would hold onto her, like I do with you, just to stop her. Lucas…he would end up with his head at the end of the bed and his feet on the pillows." Andrea noticed the look of pain in Mike's eyes and the way he put his face into Rosie's hair, and the way he hesitated when he started talking about Lucas. He also had an angry sound to his voice. Was he angry at Christine or Lucas?
"Mike, are you okay? You sound…mad?"
"I…I guess I am a little. It's hard to explain. I have to figure out how to connect with Rosie and Christine, Abby and Lucas died. Christine had it easy, I suppose." Andrea noticed the look of shame on Mike's face. She leaned over and stroked his cheek.
"Mike, she had watched two of her kids die and she had a sick baby. I cannot imagine the fear she had for Hannah and Rosie. You've told me that Christine never felt like she was that good of a wife or mother but in her last days, she was trying to save you and Hannah from more heartache if Rosie didn't survive. She had her reasons for doing what she did, and while I don't quite agree with them, I do believe she did it out of love. She knew those girls would be loved and taken care of. And once we did figure out that Rosie existed, she gave you the answers to your questions. Now, Hannah will have memories of her mom but Rosie will not. She will need yours. I will love her and take care of her just like a mother but she needs to know about Christine and how much Christine loved her. And you need to know that Christine was only trying to protect you. I respect the decision she made. As a mother, even though I don't agree completely, I also understand it as a wife and a mother. I know that's confusing but I promise, Rosie needs you to let this go. She needs to know about her mommy, her brother and her sister."
"I guess you're right. I just have to figure out a way to connect with Rosie." Mike kissed the top of the little girl's head.
"Well, I know one thing. I know that in less than twenty four hours, you've fallen head over heels in love with her. That's all that matters. Everything else will come together."
"I fell in love with her before I even met her and that sounds crazy."
"No. My guess is, you loved Abby, Hannah and Lucas before they were born, before you met them, correct?" Andrea stood up and leaned over and kissed Mike's cheek.
"Yes, of course but this isn't quite the same."
"Your introduction to Rosie is different but the reaction is the same. Just be patient with her. She's just a tiny girl in a suddenly, huge world. The only connection she has to her prior life is Hannah and a kitten. I know two other things though. One is that she is resilient and will adjust in no time at all and secondly, she's only three. She won't remember a time in her life when you weren't in it."
"I have kind of worried about that."
"You and she will be fine. I'm not worried. I'd better get that bedroom put together. You went a little wild buying her stuffed animals."
"She wouldn't pick out one and Hannah was really missing her teddy bear last night." Mike smile made Andrea smile.
"So you bought twenty of them? And dollies too?" Andrea remembered the look on the clerk's face but also how happy Rosie had seemed with everything despite her nervousness.
"I was afraid that if I didn't buy them all; she would get upset. My theory was good."
"Yeah, right. I won't tell the guys at work about how a cute little three year old has you totally wrapped. Course, they already know that Hannah and Lily have you wrapped."
"And you. And maybe even Miss Ellie. Just don't tell anyone about Ellie. It's only because she reminds me of my mom."
"Ah-huh. Sweet. I love you."
"I love you too. Now, go. I am going to take advantage of the afternoon off, and two sleepy little girls and take a nap. Go play with the stuffed animals because we all know that's why you want to be the one to set them up."
"Sure." Andrea bent down and kissed Mike again and then walked into the girl's room to set up the stuffed animals…or play with them.