I would've written more, but I have to go and I wanted to post this. I hope you like it!
"Nevie," Leo cooed to his daughter, picking her up gently, "Someone's here to see you."
Max slowly walking into his friend's apartment, pushing Jeffy along in a stroller, packages dangling from his arms.
"Hey Leo," he said, "How's it going?"
Leo's face turned sour for a moment. "As good as it can be."
Max leaned over the baby. "Someone has Daddy's big, brown eyes," he said in a high voice.
Nevaeh gurgled, wriggling around in her father's arms happily, causing Leo to smile. "What brings you here Max?" he asked, making sure the baby didn't fall from his grasp.
"I brought Nevie some gifts," he answered, unloading the bags softly because Jeffy had fallen asleep.
An assortment of baby toys covered the floor. After scanning the gifts, Leo picked up a cute, little, purple dog with darker ears and a patch over its eye and smiled at it.
"Hey Nevie," he said lightly, "Look at the puppy."
Max smiled as he watched Leo play with the baby. He needed this. Ulla, though very nice, wasn't really what Leo needed. Leo needed something he could take care of. Something utterly adorable, like the little bundle he held in his arms now.
The Producers
Leo glanced at the clock. 3:47 am. Exactly three years ago Nevaeh had been born. Of course, it'd been three whole years since Ulla had passed on. Leo dug out the forest-green, leather journal he'd had for the past three and a half years about. He opened to a fresh page and began to write.
March 12,
Nevie is officially three years old, which means I've been a daddy for three years as well and it's been three years since we lost Ulla. I'm sure she'd be proud of our daughter. She, as I've already written, has said her first word (it was Daddy and I couldn't have been prouder). Nevie's also taken her first steps. She has her Fluffy-Marko-Dog (but we just call him Marko Dog). It's almost like my blue blankie. She's really grown attached to it. Nevaeh loves her Uncle Max and Jeffy, who's going to be four in just a few months. And, of course, she loves her daddy.
Leo stifled a yawn as he put the journal safely away in the drawer.
"Three years," he mumbled to himself, his eyes filling with tears, "Three whole years. Has it really been that long?"
Nevie stirred in her sleep, making a small squeaking noise and causing Leo to jump nervously. He'd never been caught up this late at night (early in the morning?) or writing in the journal. Even Max didn't know about it. However, his friend seemed to be catching on that Leo wasn't getting enough sleep. It was the truth though. Ever since Nevaeh's birth he hadn't slept through the night. He'd get up every night at 3:47 and would have trouble getting back to sleep after that.
Leo made his way to bed. He'd never gotten used to the emptiness and it seemed to swallow him up.
