Hello, before you read this, I added to the first chapter, it's not important if you don't reread the first chapter, it's just extra stuff. Thanks for all the comments and favourites and follows lately, it's appreciated.
The alarm sounds in the room that Holly and Gail share, Gail reaches over her wife to smack the top of the alarm to stop the sounds. Gail feels Holly stir, "when did you get home?" Gail asks curling into Holly, they've been on opposite shifts for the past little while now. When Gail works days Holly seems to work nights, and when Holly works days Gail seems to work nights, it's completely frustrating but with the new staff and the two ladies being some of the more experienced people in their departments they keep getting scheduled to oversee their sections.
"Mmmm, not too long ago," whispers Holly, wrapping an arm around Gail, forgetting how much she enjoys these quiet moments, lying in bed moments before either of them has to go somewhere, do something, getting to be together silently.
"Why does school have to start so early?" questions Gail, burrowing even farther into the sheets, cuddling even closer to Holly.
Holly laughs lightly, "you're not the one going to school, you just have to get the kids ready and take them to the bus stop."
Gail harrumphs, "have you slept yet?"
"Not enough to get the kids ready for school."
"You know me too well," Gail sighs, enjoying the dark of their room, the warmth of the blankets and her wife.
The alarm sounds again. This time Holly hits it and turns it off, she pats Gail's bum, "go."
Gail whines, "I don't want to put on clothes."
Holly smiles into the darkness, "you don't have to, just put on a sweatshirt so you don't get cold, you'll be fine in your pajama bottoms, but you do need to start getting the kids ready, I'll wait here for you."
Gail extracts herself from the bed, "keep my spot warm Stewart." She picks up a hoodie and puts it on. She leaves their room and shuts the door. She walks to Gilbert's room first, knowing the boy can get dressed himself as long as the clothes are laid out for him. She sits on the edge of her son's bed; she combs her fingers through his dark brown hair, "time to wake up Gil."
The boy's bright little blue eyes open, "morning mom," he says all groggily.
"Morning," says Gail, still running her fingers through his short hair. "I laid out all your clothes for you, meet you in the kitchen after I wake up your sister."
"Kay," he says.
Gail stands up and goes to Laurel's room, the girl is already awake and is colouring with crayons at her desk in her pajamas. "How long have you been awake?" asks Gail.
The girl smiles and shrugs her shoulders. The girl still doesn't say much, Gail knows eventually Laurel will talk more, Gail doesn't mind the silence from her daughter; she actually finds it in an odd way comforting.
"Okay," says Gail, "time for school, let's get dressed." Laurel doesn't argue, she sets her crayon down and stands next to Gail at the dresser. Gail helps her daughter out of her pjs and into some fall time clothes, "perfect," says Gail, "now let's go have breakfast." She picks her up and carries her down the stairs. Laurel can walk on her own, but sometimes it's nice to feel the weight of your child in your arms, and Laurel is still small enough to be easily carried, and some time too soon Gail wont be able to lift her.
Down in the kitchen Gilbert has already helped himself to a bowl of cereal, "what do you want Laul?" asks Gail.
"Cereal." That's easy; Gail pours a bowl for Laurel and sets it down next to Gilbert who helps with the milk.
Gail gets started on making the lunches. She packs the supplies into each kid's lunchbox, when she saw them in the store next to the more common lunch pail, she had to go for the lunchbox, it was a no brainer, now every time she uses them it makes her smile. After herding the kids into the bathroom to brush their teeth and make sure they pass final inspection, like their hair is tidy and no crumbs around their face, she has them put on their shoes. Gilbert's able to tie his own, but Laurel still struggles. Gail patiently shows the girl while Gilbert puts on his coat. After putting on her own shoes, slip on shoes since she's not going far and will be coming right back inside afterwards, Gail opens the door and the three head to the bus stop.
Holding onto each of their hands at the bus stop, Gilbert turns to his mom, "will you be home after school today?"
"I don't think so, but your mum should be here, if not Grandma, I have to go into work tonight."
"Okay," Gilbert says quietly.
"Will you be home this weekend?" asks Laurel hopefully.
"I don't know yet, I already know I wont be home Saturday, but maybe Sunday."
Gilbert sighs. The bus appears and before Gail can ask Gilbert what the sigh was for, he's already saying goodbye and getting ready to climb aboard the bus, Gail only has time to wish them a nice day at school. She watches the bus turn the corner and is gone, she starts to walk back to her house, opening the door, kicking off her shoes, she cleans up the kitchen, and heads back upstairs. She finds Holly right where she left her, but this time fast asleep. Gail closes the door and goes back downstairs not wanting to wake Holly. Gail hates to say it, but she feels like her family is growing apart. She's noticed it over the past year, with her and Holly working opposite shifts more often than not, and usually when they are together they're asleep. Gail knows they need to make a change, but how?
She can't dwell on that too much just now though, she needs to call Keith, see if he found anything and she needs to call Oliver, see if she can get a couple of days off, not necessarily to help with looking into Mrs. Crane's death but to be there for Dan and Dorothy and the kids, and maybe look into the death with Keith.