Chapter Thirty-Seven
Thursday 26th December – 12.20am
"I'm here, I'm here, what does he need?" Chloe announced as she rushed into Elly's bedroom.
Elly was struggling to disentangle herself from the sheets, "Chlo, what are you doing? Is his crying that loud you can hear it from the living room?"
Chloe closed the door behind her and immediately went to the cot scooping up the crying infant up into her arms, as Elly reached out and turned her bedside light on so they weren't in the pitch-black room, "I heard him on the baby monitor."
"Did I leave the baby monitor out there after dinner?" Elly asked as she eventually detangled her legs from the sheets and padded over to the cot and Chloe.
"No, I pinched it from here when I came to say goodnight to you both an hour ago," Chloe responded as she rocked Elliot in her arms, "I think he needs a change. I'll do it. You go back to bed. I got this one, you can get the peanut next time if it's a feed he needs."
Instead of going back to bed, Elly reached out her hand and ran it down Chloe's back, attempting to suppress a yawn at the same time but failing, "Why did you pinch the baby monitor?"
Chloe shrugged as she shifted to the change table and gently laid the infant down on it, "So when the peanut cried, I could help you with him? With everything except feeding him as you have the ability for that one. I want to be that partner with you who takes turns in getting up to attend to the peanut's needs. Only difference being we're not sharing a bed as we can't yet. Why? Do you not want me to help like this?"
Elly stared in awe of the blonde as she shuffled next to her by the table, "I love you."
"I love yo-" Chloe began to repeat before she stopped as she undid Elliot's nappy, "Jesus, what are you feeding this kid? I never knew your boobs were potent!"
Elly broke into a giggle at Chloe's reaction to her first smelly nappy with Elliot, "Welcome to life with a newborn. You know I can take this one if it's too much."
Chloe shook her head as she persisted with removing the nappy, rolling it up and tossing it in the bin next to the table, "No, I can do this. I was just surprised at the smell but now I know how bad it can be I'll be prepared for it next time. Seriously, how does milk from your boobs create that smell?"
"Dunno, that's just babies for you," Elly answered as she watched patiently as Chloe used baby wipes to clean up the infant, "Has this scared you away from helping me with him, baby?"
"Not at all, I'm not going to be scared away by a smelly diaper," Chloe insisted as she pulled out a new diaper.
"I'm glad," Elly smiled at the blonde, "I really didn't think you'd want to be this involved. I thought it was more if I struggled with him then you'd help out."
Chloe stayed silent as she worked on getting the new diaper on the infant, and once completed, picked the infant up in triumph, "See I can do this, I want to help you as much as I can."
Elly wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist, kissing her cheek, "You continue to impress me every moment. Let's see how you feel after a full night of this, a full week, a full mon-"
"I will feel just as I do right now, incredibly in love with you and falling bit by bit more in love with the peanut. I promise you; I'm going to be here for the both of you," Chloe promised.
"Let's get him back in his cot, see how long we can go before he wakes us again," Elly suggested.
Chloe nodded as she put him back down in the cot, "I guess I should…go back to the couch."
Elly pouted, "Okay…I'd tempt you to come to bed with me…but we both know that temptation would be too much."
Chloe licked her lips, "It really would. I'll see you next time the peanut needs us."
Elly breathed deeply as Chloe headed out of her bedroom, "I like the way you say that…'us.'"
"Me too," Chloe smiled as she left Elly alone to go back to bed.
Hours later, Chloe and Elly were sitting next to each other on the couch in the living room, with Elly cradling the infant in her arms, rocking him back and forth trying to get him to sleep.
Chloe yawned for about the tenth time since Elly had been out there, "What time is it?"
"Nearly 5am," Elly grumbled, "This is so tiring. I knew it would be but I didn't think it would be all night tiring. I don't think I've managed more than half an hours' sleep since midnight. C'mon, baby, I really need you to settle, please, mum needs a break for 20 minutes at least."
Chloe rested her head on Elly's shoulder, "I feel lucky to have managed about an hours' worth of sleep and that was only cause you let me sleep through his 3am settling. Here, let me take him again, maybe I can get him to fall asleep."
Elly sighed, "Baby, we've been passing him between us for half an hour now and neither of us have managed to get him off to sleep. Maybe we should put him in the car, take it around the block several times. That's meant to work isn't it?"
Chloe nodded, closing her eyes.
Elly looked at the blonde, "Or maybe not…even driving around the block, I don't think either of us should be behind the wheel. Will we wake the household if we just have the engine running in our driveway? Maybe I should just feed him again, maybe that'll get him tired out. I'll go back to my room."
"You can stay," Chloe mumbled, "I'll burp him after you feed him."
As Elly shuffled the infant in her arms, she looked back down at Chloe when she suddenly heard her snoring, "Not when you've fallen asleep on me, baby. C'mon, Elliot, I'll feed you here, can't move now that Chlo's fallen asleep as it'll wake her and she needs to get some sleep. I don't know if I should thank you for bringing Chloe and I together or grumble at you if Chloe changes her mind about wanting to be with us after this night."
An hour later, Chloe was walking back to the living room from Elly's room. When she laid down on the couch, put her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, she was immediately roused once more. Expecting it to be Elly, back with the peanut once more needing help, Chloe was surprised when she saw it was Karl, "Oh…hey, Karl."
"Good morning," Karl greeted cheerfully as he headed to the kitchen.
"Is it?" Chloe groaned as she sat back up on the couch.
"Oh dear, didn't have a good night's sleep on the couch, last night, Chloe?" Karl assumed.
Chloe yawned, "Sure wasn't the couch that was the problem. Your great nephew kept Elly and I awake most of the night. Think I only managed an hour, maybe an hour ten minutes worth of sleep. This baby thing is hard work."
Karl chuckled at the blonde, "Babies do have a bad habit of doing that. We heard him crying a few times but we managed to sleep through the bulk of it. Benefits of being a shift worker and the pair of us going through this ourselves. Did Elly come out here quite a bit for help? We assumed she was managing okay most of the night on her own."
Chloe stood up and walked over to the kitchen island, where she sat down on the stool opposite Karl, who was busying himself in the kitchen, "Elly was out here a couple times but it was more me getting up every time I heard the peanut crying on the baby monitor. I think there was only one time I slept through it, Elly said. Every moment I fell back asleep on the couch I was awake again and back to Elly's room. Surprised you didn't hear me going back and forwards."
Karl begin making a pot of coffee, "You were up and down helping Elly every time Elliot woke up? Would you like a coffee, Chloe?"
Chloe yawned again, "Every time he cried, I sure was except that once. I think I fell asleep on Elly's shoulder an hour ago before waking two minutes later. It was exhausting. I'm glad I was here to help Elly. I did underestimate how much effort it would take to get a newborn to sleep but now that I am, I'll be prepared for tomorrow night…and every night after that. I need all the coffee if I'm to make it through the day."
Karl smiled at the blonde, "I knew you said you wanted to help Elly with the baby and that's part of the reason for sleeping on our couch…I guess I didn't expect you to be…helping as much as you did…like a partner would. Do you want your coffee strong? I'll make you a cup."
Chloe rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake, "I know it seems like Elly and I have come into this decision so quickly that we're going to be together let alone my decision to help Elly with the peanut. It's what we both want. I want to be that partner to Elly, who'll help her with her son…the way Shaun…would've. Oh, I meant the pot, I need the entire pot of coffee to stay awake so I can continue to help Elly. Extra strong, please."
Karl added the coffee to the pot and began brewing it, "Not going to shy away from my surprise that you're so willing to help Elly with Elliot the way you have. I'm sure Elly appreciates how much you are doing for her and the baby. Breakfast? We have a range of cereals, fruit, toast, I think we have ingredients to make waffles. Or if you want to join me, I was about to make myself some avocado on toast with a spread of-?"
"Vegemite?" Chloe interrupted to ask, "Karl, are you singing my tune with my favourite breakfast?"
Karl chuckled again, "Yes, vegemite toast with avocado. I normally have it for breakfast on weekends but seeing as though it's a public holiday it kinda feels like one so I thought I'd treat myself. I'll make you some too. Small spread of vegemite or do you like more than that?"
"Small will be perfect, more avo than vegemite, that's for sure, with margarine too, please. It's my favourite, no way could I only have avo on toast with vegemite on weekends. I have it every morning," Chloe shared with Elly's uncle, feeling pleased she was finding common ground with him.
Karl went to the fridge to grab the avocados and margarine before shuffling to the pantry for bread and vegemite, "Sounds like I better put extra avocados and bread on the grocery list for you."
Chloe put her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle another yawn, "You don't need to do that. I can buy my own groceries. I don't want to cause any burden or have you really notice that I'm here. I don't want to get in anyone's way, just y'know, be here for Elly and the baby."
Karl put 4 slices of bread in the toaster, "Chloe, you're sleeping on our couch and running around at all hours of the night to help Elly with the baby. We're going to notice you around here. You're not a burden. Yes, it might take getting used to having someone new in the house. We haven't gotten used to Finn not being around…but that's not the point. We've always had people staying here with us, family members and non-family members. If you need to be here to help Elly as you see fit, then we're happy to have you stay with us."
"Are you sure cause you were a tad reluctant with my decision to be here for Elly and the peanut? If you don't want me here to help Elly or if you don't want Elly and I to be together…under your roof, then please just say so, Karl. I'd respect you more if you told me now than down the track," Chloe told him honestly.
Karl took a moment to dig around in the cupboard for the largest coffee cup they owned and proceeded to pour Chloe's coffee into it, "I know I was a tad reluctant. It has nothing to do with not wanting Elly and you to be together. If what you share between you is half of what I have with Susan then I feel very lucky for the pair of you that you found each other. If by 'under your roof' you mean if we didn't approve, you'd move Elly and Elliot to your place to still be close to one another… I have a lot of faults, Chloe, I've been tempted away from Susan myself, I just think it would be in both your best interests to…hold back on what you're doing…until you've ended things with Pierce. The bond you're building with Elly now…there's temptation there between you."
Chloe took the coffee cup from Karl when he handed it to her, sipping a mouthful first, sighing in joy at the taste, "Great coffee, Karl. I get it, okay. I should break up with Pierce first and if he was here I would without hesitation. I'm not going to lie and pretend I haven't been tempted into wanting to kiss Elly on multiple occasions but with the exception of Elly kissing me in the shipping container after she gave birth to Elliot-"
Karl narrowed his eyes at Chloe revealing that fact.
Chloe cleared her throat before taking another sip of coffee, "I mean…she did take me by complete surprise when she did that…I didn't get the chance to stop that kiss. There won't be any other cheating on Pierce. Not physically, emotionally yes, what Elly and I are doing is strong emotional cheating and it will keep happening until Pierce returns where I'll tell him everything. I'm keeping my distance in that me falling asleep on Elly's bed should not have happened yesterday, I won't be going near Elly's bed whether she's on it or not. I'm all about the neat rocking chair Elly has in her room. There won't be any bed action between Elly and I…wow I really just said that, didn't I?"
Karl smirked as he watched the blonde blush in embarrassment before turning back to the breakfast as the toast popped up out of the toaster.
Chloe placed her hand over her face in embarrassment, "I meant innocent 'bed action' in the case of me sitting or lying down anywhere near Elly's bed until I've broken up with Pierce. I won't be doing that…cause temptation. And not that temptation, I mean the kind of falling asleep holding Elly in my arms because I do see that as a form of cheating on Pierce…even though I already did that and shall be honest with him about it. And I mean obviously there isn't going to be any 'bed action' between Elly and I for a long time because she just gave birth and will need several months to regain confidence in her body. Elly's already told me that she won't with me either until she's settled into her new life as a mum because she's afraid of falling asleep between my le-Oh my God, please shut me up right now! I cannot believe I'm discussing this with anyone else who isn't Elly."
Karl chuckled once more at the blonde, "The mind has a way of being more honest when you're extremely tired, Chloe. I get what you're trying to say. The temptation is there in smaller ways that are still cheating on Pierce and even once you have broken up with Pierce, the pair of you still need to take time before you can…take things further. Here, have some breakfast, maybe that and the coffee will help you wake up a bit more."
Chloe took the plate of food Karl offered her, still blushing at him, "Thanks. Maybe Elly and I aren't going about this the right way but it feels right to us. We'll know if we need to take a step back. I know your friends with Pierce so you don't want to see him hurt when he inevitably will be."
Chloe picked up one of the pieces of avocado toast and was about to take a bite out of when she heard Elliot crying on the baby monitor, "Duty calls," and as she placed the toast back on the plate and stood up from the stool, asked Karl, "I should get used to this…having meals and well anything that I want…interrupted by the peanut's needs shouldn't I? That's kinda…a thing…parents get used to, right?"
"Only for the rest of your life," Karl pointed out with a smile.
"Cold toast and cold coffee…I'd better get used to it," Chloe decided as she headed to Elly's room.
Ten minutes later, Chloe returned to the kitchen to see Karl still milling about. Chloe nearly huffed, "Karl, did you eat my breakfast?"
Karl shook his head as he pointed to the toaster, "I'm making you another serving so it's fresh. I only have one avocado left, won't be going to the shops tomorrow and since you'll need breakfast tomorrow morning, I am re-using the avocado…I'm not trying to be cheap."
"I bet," Chloe teased.
"Everything go okay with Elliot?" Karl asked.
Chloe nodded before yawning, "No problemo, Elly had to feed him and I got Elly to go back to bed before I burped him and put him back to sleep in the cot."
As Karl passed Chloe her new serving of breakfast, she thanked him before getting interrupted, this time by her phone vibrating in her dressing gown pocket. Chloe pulled the phone out and stared at it for a moment.
"You need to answer it if it's Pierce, Chloe. You can't avoid him forever. After you told Susan and I about your mix up with Hendrix yesterday and not answering Pierce's calls, the panic that put Pierce in…you do owe him an apology," Karl tried to make Chloe see.
"Yeah I know…can you…give me a minute?" Chloe asked slowly, feeling like she wanted Pierce to hang up the call first but he didn't.
Karl nodded in agreement before leaving Chloe alone.
Chloe yawned again before she finally answered the call, "Pierce…hi…"
