Story: Phoenix
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed and Ellie on riding the bus on the first day of school; Abbey warned Jed to stop comparing the girls
Summary: Jed and Abbey take Ellie to school; Jed admits he had no idea the first day could be so scary, given his own experience; the girls react unexpectedly to news of a brother or sister; Jed and Abbey make a romantic wager
The spellbinding scent of a new school is enough to startle any kindergartner, sparking renewed apprehension and possibly even fear. Ellie's emotions overwhelmed her tiny body. Every step her parents took in approach to her classroom was met with great reservation, her steps becoming smaller, her fingers coiling tighter around her mother's.
"Why do I have to go?" she asked as her feet shuffled across the slippery linoleum.
"Because school is fun. I know you're scared now, but you're going to love it once you get to know the other kids."
"Why do I have to go to school at all?"
Jed walked beside Abbey with his hands stuffed in his pocket. His own expression grew more somber with every passing second. "Maybe it's too soon," he whispered. "Maybe she should start next year."
That was a bit of a shock. Abbey slowed her pace to get a good look at her husband. The man who earlier insisted Ellie board the school bus. The man who was now arguing that it was too early for her to go to school. "What?"
"Lets give her a year. Now that I think about it, Lizzie was five when she started."
"Lizzie was five because her birthday is in March. Ellie turns five in three weeks. Do you really want her to miss an entire year because of three weeks?"
"I'm just saying maybe she's not ready."
Or Jed just wasn't ready. His guilt was eating away at him. And the fact that Ellie had basically stopped walking and was now being dragged by Abbey only made his remorse more prominent.
Now it all made sense. "You're trying to make up for before. You're upset about what I said about comparing the girls and now want to make up for it by taking her home."
"I just don't want to push her." If there was one thing Jed Bartlet took pride in, it was how he treated his girls. Today, he felt he failed.
"Sometimes a little pushing isn't completely out of line," Abbey assured with a squeeze of his hand. "She does have to go to school. She just doesn't have to ride the bus. Not until she gets use to it."
As they entered the classroom, Abbey crouched down to Ellie's level. The little girl turned with her as she pointed to all the children her own age. Some sat on the royal blue throw carpet, whispering secrets to one another, while others ran around the room, playing and giggling, and still others hugged Mommy and Daddy goodbye with the same look of sadness that was plastered across the four-year-old's face.
There was an empty chalkboard beside the teacher's desk and another one, much lower, right next to it. A white board also stood nearby, the words "Welcome to Mrs. King's Kindergarten Class" written with red marker. Small work stations were spread throughout the classroom and each table was lined with four autumn leaves, each with a child's name.
"Look, Ellie, here's your seat." Jed picked up the leaf that read 'Eleanor B.' and held out his hand for her to follow. She stumbled over to her father, nearly tripping over her own two feet, a result of her scattered nerves. He grabbed her arm just before her spill and lifted her into the air.
When a cheerful voice called out, "Eleanor!" from behind, Ellie turned around to see the red-headed woman. "Hi there! You're just as pretty as you were on Parent's Night. Remember me - Mrs. King?"
That was enough to draw the first smile of the day. She did remember Mrs. King. "Hi," Ellie replied as Jed lowered her to the ground.
"We're going to have so much fun this year! We're going to get to do all kinds of interesting stuff!" She bent down and leaned forward to rest her hands on her knees. "Do you like to color?"
Ellie nodded. "Uh huh."
"Well, look at this." Mrs. King handed her a coloring book and a pack of small crayons. "That's all yours. Why don't you color a nice picture to take home to Mom and Dad tonight?"
"Okay." Ellie took her seat to begin her assignment, her timid demeanor now a little more relaxed.
"She's scared," Jed warned.
"Aren't they all?" Mrs. King replied. "It's good to see you both again."
"You too, Andrea. Thank you for keeping her occupied."
"I'm sorry about the chaos in here. I do have an assistant who will be teaching with me, but he's not here today."
"Who is he?" Abbey asked.
"Michael Chappelle. You probably haven't heard of him. He's just in his second year."
Abbey's face lost a single shade of color. "Does he...I mean, have you..."
Andrea reassuringly cupped the back of her hand. "He's fine. He knows the situation."
With Abbey's attacker still not identified, it was important that Ellie and Lizzie's teachers be aware of the events of the summer.
"I'm just a little worried because in addition to everything else, Ellie's so shy." Abbey couldn't take her eyes off her young daughter. "She does seem to like you though."
"We'll work with her shyness. Believe me, there are many kids just like her. She'll be fine."
A little reassurance went a long way. Abbey's edginess was a direct reflection of her daughter's. She rested her palms on the table and kneeled down to Ellie's side to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you okay, Sweetie?"
"Uh huh." Lost in the task of perfecting her coloring skills, Ellie was too busy to look up at her mother.
"Daddy and I have to go, but I'll be here to pick you up at 12."
That got her attention. She held the crayon in between her little fingers and lifted her head. "You can't stay?"
Jed's presence surprised her from the opposite side. "No, we can't, Princess. But when I get home tonight, how about I take you out for some ice cream to celebrate your first day? Would you like that?"
She nodded sadly. It wasn't like this was unexpected. She was a bright girl and she'd been tutored for weeks on what was to happen on the first day of school. But all the coaching in the world couldn't stop the down-turned mouth that now replaced her perky smile.
"Ellie, you like Mrs. King, don't you?" Abbey asked. She nodded again. "She's going to take good care of you. And I want to hear all about what you did today when I come to get you."
"Okay." Ellie allowed the crayon to slip from her fingers.
"Sweetheart, you're going to have fun."
Jed picked up one of the abandoned crayons and began to color Ellie's picture. "Let me guess, you want his eyes to be brown?"
"No, they have to be blue."
"Why blue?"
"Because your eyes are blue."
"Is this Daddy?" Abbey held up the drawing.
"Uh huh. And that's you, Mommy," she said, pointing to the drawing of a woman.
"So this is going to be a really nice picture, right? One we'll put on the fridge tonight?"
She bit down on her bottom lip as she looked at her father. Now she had a goal. She had to make sure the picture was absolutely perfect and worthy of its spot on the refrigerator. "Yeah!"
"You're going to do a GREAT job! I can't wait to see this!" His enthusiasm energized her as he pulled her head to his lips for one last kiss.
Once she was fully captivated by her coloring, Jed took Abbey's hand and led her out of the classroom. Both hesitant, they had finally made their way outside the building when Abbey took a sharp turn towards the kindergarten wing.
"What are you doing?" Jed reluctantly followed.
"I just want to make sure she's not crying."
She framed her hands around the sides of her face and peered her eyes over the middle frame to see Ellie sitting at her table, content with her assignment. Another little girl pulled out the chair beside her and buried her chin in the small hole she shaped with her folded arms. After a glance, Ellie pushed her pack of crayons towards her tablemate, then tore out a blank drawing from her coloring book and set it beside her.
Jed's eyes shined with subtle tears as he took in the image of his generous daughter. "You were right."
"Of course I was." Abbey grinned, her face still pointed towards the window. "About what?"
"Bringing her here ourselves. Maybe we should have brought Lizzie when she started kindergarten."
"You said yourself, Lizzie WANTED to get on the bus."
"At first she did. But she hesitated when she saw the bus pull up," he recalled. "I pushed her."
Abbey had no idea her words had cut him so deeply. She flipped her head and leaned her shoulder against the brick wall. "And as soon as she got on, she made friends with another little girl. I remember that day, Jed. She was happy."
"Yeah."
Her arms clasped in front of her, her smile faded pretty quickly, a result of the regret she now felt. "Honey, I didn't mean to make you doubt every move you've ever made with the girls."
"I'm not."
"You're doubting this," she countered. "You're a wonderful father, Jed. The only reason you were encouraging Ellie this morning is because you were trying to help her. Not hurt her."
"I didn't realize how scary this was for her," he admitted as he turned from the window and rested his back against the wall. "When I started school, my dad didn't walk me to my class. He left for work early that day and just told my mother to point me in the direction of the school when it was time. He said I had to be a man about it."
Abbey reached out, stroking her hand lovingly over his arm. "That must have been hard."
"It wasn't bad. I thought it would be, but actually, it worked for me. I didn't cry like some of the other kids. I was happy to be there. That's why it never seemed like taking the girls would be that big a deal."
"Yeah."
"Your parents took you, didn't they?"
Abbey nodded. "But it was different. We were within walking distance and there wasn't a bus. That's the thing that drew Lizzie's attention. Ellie's too, at first." She took his hand in hers. "And stop remembering it wrong."
"I'm remembering it wrong?"
"Yes! Lizzie was scared at first, but she had seen that bus a hundred times. The second she sat down, another little girl sat beside her and she was absolutely thrilled. When she got home that afternoon, the first thing she said was that she was a big girl now."
Jed smiled, allowing a breath to escape his lips almost like a weak laugh. "I do remember that." He swung Abbey's hand under his arm as they headed towards their car.
Yet another lesson on the long road to learning how to be a perfect parent. It was a journey that Jed began the day Elizabeth was born and one that would continue until the day he died. Sometimes, he excelled without even trying. Other times, he became engulfed in a tedious game of regret, second-guessing every decision and analyzing every word.
And soon, the road would get even rockier. The birth of the third Bartlet baby was only five months away and suddenly, there was a new father/child relationship to look forward to.
But before the new baby could soak up all of Mom and Dad's attention, it was time to tell the girls.
Expecting screams of joy, Abbey was disappointed by the grim response. Lizzie was only mildly interested this time. She may have wanted a little sister years earlier, but by now, the novelty had worn off. She loved Ellie with all her heart and she welcomed the chance to love another baby just as much, but the excitement was gone. Now it was simply a matter of logistics.
"So where's the baby going to sleep?"
"Well, for the time being, he'll sleep in his crib in our room," Abbey answered.
"Then what?"
"Then we'll see," Jed added, conveniently omitting the possibility that he and Abbey were considering a move to the farm the following year.
"Are you sure it's a boy?"
"It's a boy!" Abbey declared.
"It's a girl!" Jed exclaimed at the same moment.
Lizzie smiled as she went back to twirling her fork around her lasagna sauce. "Do I have to change diapers?"
"You always wanted to help change Ellie's diaper."
"Yeah, but it's gross." Clearly, she was growing up.
"Your mother and I don't expect you to be this kid's second Mom. If you want to help us out every once in a while, that would be great, but you won't be expected to do anything you really don't want to do. Fair enough?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Fair enough."
"Well," Abbey interjected. "We might ask you to babysit."
"Really!" Being asked to babysit was different, at least at this stage.
"Not now. When you're a little older."
"I knew it!" Her shoulders collapsed and her back fell against her chair with the cruel knowledge that she still wasn't old enough for such adult responsibilities.
Jed met Abbey's eyes, directing her gaze over to Ellie. "Ellie, are you okay?"
She looked up bashfully. "Uh huh."
"Aren't you excited about the baby?" She shrugged as she stared at her father. "You're going to have a little brother or sister to play with. Won't that be fun?" Another shrug.
Abbey pulled her chair closer to her younger daughter. "And when this baby is old enough, you're going to be able to teach him or her all kinds of new things, just like Lizzie does with you. Don't you think you'll like that?"
This time, she nodded. "I get to be the big sister."
"You sure do!" Jed confirmed as she stroked the top of her hair.
Her face lit up with a smile that Jed immediately returned. After Ellie's initial silence, he was comforted in knowing they had her support.
Abbey wasn't as convinced.
"Did Ellie say anything about the baby when you guys went out for ice cream?" she asked him when they were alone.
"No, why?"
"Do you really think she's okay with this?"
His search for a pack of cigarettes monopolizing his thoughts, he wasn't too concerned about anything else. "She's fine."
Abbey leaned back against the sofa, a book in her hand and reading glasses slowly creeping down her nose. "I don't think she is."
"Why wouldn't she be?" His voice carried through from the kitchen as he slammed the cabinet doors.
"That's the million-dollar question. Lizzie loved the idea of having a little sister!"
"Maybe it's because you insist this baby is a boy," he reasoned, walking out of the kitchen and resting against a corner.
She glanced up over her frames. "It is a boy."
"Yeah. Where are they?"
"Where are what?"
"My cigarettes. I've looked all over the house and I can't find them."
She adjusted her glasses and went back to reading. "That should be a clue."
"Abbey."
"Keep looking."
"Abigail, it's bad enough you won't let me smoke in the house..."
She dropped her book onto her legs. "Excuse me, we have two kids living in this house, not to mention the fact that I'm pregnant."
"...but when you hide my cigarettes, I become very cranky."
"Like I'm not used to that," she mumbled softly, repositioning the book in front of her eyes.
"It's not funny!"
She sat up against the cushions, her legs falling to the floor to offer him a place to sit. He accepted. "You've been promising me for a long time now that you would try to quit."
"I have tried."
"For more than three hours, Jed." He chuckled. "I'm not trying to be mean. I just worry about you, Honey."
He never doubted that, but it was sweet hearing it nonetheless. "I know."
"If you're serious about trying to quit, this is the perfect time, especially with your little willpower speech this morning."
"Is this part of a bet?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Okay, let's hear it. What's the bet?"
She tossed her glasses over her shoulder and moved closer to him. "If you can stay away from your smokes for the duration of my pregnancy, once I heal, I'll do whatever you want for two whole weeks."
"That's not really a bet, Abbey," he teased. "You know I won't feel comfortable ordering you around."
With a light nibble to his ear, she replied, "Not like that. Like this."
"Hmm?" He turned towards her, his brows raised in anticipation.
"Yeah."
"So I stay away for five months and you..."
"Anything you want for two solid weeks." It was a safe enough wager. Jed would never suggest she do something she wasn't comfortable doing anyway.
"Does that include wearing special little garments of my choosing?"
"Anything."
This had possibilities. Just the idea stirred his desire. But there was one more thing he wanted. "And..."
She stopped her flirtatious seduction. "And?"
"You have to stay off my back for six months." Her constant lectures about the dangers of tobacco had been the source of many arguments.
Silence lingered between them as she contemplated his terms. "Only six months," she finally agreed, reluctantly. "And you still can't smoke in the house."
"Give me some credit. I wouldn't do that to you or the girls or to our new baby," he assured her as he rubbed her belly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "So what if you win?"
"You have to admit that men have zero willpower."
"Problem."
"What?"
"I don't think the men of the world have nominated me as their official spokesperson."
"That's just because they haven't met you." She winked at him. "If I win, you have to do whatever I want for two weeks."
"We're talking about the other thing again, right? I mean, you won't be ordering me to cook dinner."
"Believe me, dinner won't be part of it." Her soft-spoken words, whispered discretely into his ear, aroused him beyond belief.
His eyes drifted towards the ceiling as sexually suggestive ideas popped in his mind. "I can live with that."
"And you're on diaper duty for the first month." She figured she could sneak that in since she was doing so well.
He took a deep breath to collect himself and the bit of sexual lust that disappeared at the word 'diaper' before pushing his body towards her, forcing her to recline. "You drive a tough bargain, you know that?"
"Do you accept the bet?" She laughed as he attempted to steal another kiss.
"Yes, I accept the bet."
"Wait!" she called out. "Jed, wait!"
He sat up quickly. "What?"
"Shake."
After a fast handshake, he grabbed the backs of her knees and slid her down the sofa until she was relaxed comfortably on her back. With their legs entangled, his kisses became more passionate, leaving a warm trail from her lips to her cheek to the soft flesh of her neck. She moaned with every gentle caress.
Suddenly, smoking a cigarette was the last thing on his mind.
TBC