After 2 hours at the park and exploring their neighborhood through the eyes of a two year-old, it was getting dark and time to go home. Eddie had a strange feeling they were being watched. Chalking it up to the new state of hyper awareness she had since Elizabeth came into their lives, she brushed off the uncomfortable sensation and pushed the stroller towards home. Watching Jamie play with the baby and push her on the swings had been the highlight of her day. She had a bunch of pictures of Elizabeth with Jamie and she already decided to grab a frame this week for at least one of them.
Watching Jamie play with the baby and push her on the swings had the opposite effect on someone else. Following the family from their apartment to the park nearby had been simple. It was a beautiful afternoon, crisp and cool, and the park was filled with families enjoying some fresh air and time together. Watching Jamie from afar and imagining the three of them were there together had been a pleasant experience. Sydney easily blended in with the crowd until her sense of disgust at the appearance of Jamie's wife in her field of view made her conspicuous. Quickly she made her way back to her car to avoid being sick or having either Reagan recognize her.
Jamie was surprised how quickly Elizabeth's presence had changed everything. The overwhelming feeling that he needed to protect his girls was palpable. While he thoroughly enjoyed playing with her and watching his wife shining from within in her new role, he felt an intense feeling of overprotectiveness. He knew he would need to control that or he would never be completely in the moment with his family. Making a mental note to work on it with Father Markham when he visited the chaplain next, he grabbed his wife's hand and kissed the back of it as they headed home.
As soon as they got into the apartment, Eddie finished the pasta dish she had prepped earlier. 30 minutes later, their first meal together at their table was served. It was apparent that while Elizabeth was not overly picky, she ate very little. A few bites of everything and she was bored with the whole thing. Eddie was unphased by it and took it in stride. She used the same technique she had employed at snack time and did her best to distract the girl with lively conversation and engagement. A few more bites found their way into her mouth but that was it. After dinner, Eddie prepared a bath for Elizabeth while Jamie enlisted her "help" with cleanup and dishes.
Playing in the warm water at bath time was possibly the most fun Elizabeth had all day. The bath toys and bubbles were an entirely new experience for her. She was amazed with the three little boats that held princess figures. By the time she was done, and wrapped in a thick towel, she was getting sleepy. After Eddie dressed her in pajamas and a pull-up, she switched off with Jamie. He wrapped the little girl up in a quilt and sat with her in the rocking chair. He grabbed a thick anthology of bedtime stories that Eddie had bought out of the basket. Two stories later, and the baby had let the rhyming cadence of the words and Jamie's voice make her drowsy and ready for bed. He placed her into the crib and switched on the sound machine. The only piece of advice everyone had given them was about bedtime. They resolved to be consistent and develop routine even if it was rocky at first.
Their first night with Elizabeth hadn't been terrible, but it wasn't easy either. The little girl woke up several times and needed reassurance before she would fall back to sleep. Each time, Jamie laid her back down, rubbed her back for a minute or two then left the room. He resisted the urge to pick her up or bring her in with him.
As she drove to work for her midnight shift, It made Eddie realize she was glad to be taking three weeks of family leave starting the next rotation. She would work tomorrow and the next day while Linda cared for the baby, then spend a few weeks getting to know the child and making sure she was settled after that. The sudden nature of their addition to the family required her squad sergeant to do significant readjustment to the schedule. They were happy to rely on family for a couple of days in order to buy some time for him to set it up.
Linda arrived at their apartment in time for Jamie to leave for his day shift. The baby was still sleeping and Eddie was due home any minute but would need to sleep for a few hours. She was looking forward to a little girl time. By the time the baby was awake and eating breakfast, Eddie got home. She greeted her sister-in-law and Elizabeth briefly before climbing into bed. When she woke up 5 hours later, Linda was making cookies with her little helper. Eddie had to laugh because if her appearance was any clue, the majority of that help appeared to involve taste testing.
"Tollhouse cookies! I'm going to bring some home for my crew and drop a few off to Frank and Henry. There will still be plenty for you guys! Elizabeth was a big help. She was in charge of dumping things in and quality control. I took lots of pictures - I'll text them to you."
"I help," was the enthusiastic reply from the little girl.
"She had some peanut butter toast, about half a piece, for lunch and some raisins. Drank some milk too. I see what you meant about her having a small appetite."
"Do you think it will get better?"
"Yes, of course, it just might take some time. Plus as long as she's got healthy things going in, you can always increase the calories of her meals if the volume isn't increasing." Linda assured her.
Linda put the last cookie sheet in the sink and wiped off the counter. "And she ate a cookie too, she laughed. So there's some calories there." With the kitchen clean, she grabbed her things and two paper plates with cookies. "I'm going to go home. You ladies have a great afternoon."
Since Eddie noticed the little girl enjoyed baking with her aunt, she decided to try a little recipe of her own. Gathering Elizabeth up and leaving a note for Jamie, they headed out for their first girls' adventure. Switching the stroller handle to face her, Eddie chatted with the toddler about their plans.
"So Miss Ellie, how about we make some pizza tonight."
Eddie and "Ellie", as Eddie and Jamie decided to call her, went to the Italian market around the corner, and bought some ingredients including a couple balls of pizza dough ready to rise. One last stop at the kitchen store for a child sized rolling pin and a cheese shaker and they headed home. On the way out of the store, Eddie heard a familiar name cross the lips of a woman on the phone. The woman with the long dark ponytail wished someone named "Jamie" goodbye with a promise to talk as soon as possible. For just a moment, Eddie thought "Maybe?" But immediately dismissed the notion. Brooklyn was filled with the Irish and for all she knew, the woman could be talking to a male or female. After the woman rushed off without facing her, Eddie was slightly unnerved.
When they arrived home, she parked the stroller back in the garage cage. Back in the apartment, Eddie left the dough on the counter to rise and took out the sauce, sliced pepperoni and fresh mozzarella from the bag, placing them in the refrigerator. She cut up some mushrooms and onions and put them in the fridge for later too. She decided to spend a little while playing with Ellie before Jamie got home from the gym. When he returned to an empty apartment, he had left a note of his own teasing that he was "so lonely he had to go work out."