Tali woke up slowly, and looked around her room. A slither of grey light peaked from behind the curtains.
It was morning.
Her Ima and Daddy had a rule, the sun had to be in the sky for Tali to get out of bed, and when she got up she had to be quiet.
Daddy needed his beauty sleep.
Tali lifted her heavy blanket up, Ima had gotten it for her when it started getting cold, it had a rainbow on the front. Tali loved rainbows.
She loved the idea of a pot of gold at the end.
It was cold when she lifted the blanket up, and she put the blanket down. She moved in the bed like a fish, and tried to get warm again.
Kelev looked at her from his place next to her.
Tali wanted a real life puppy so bad.
She would look after it so well.
Maybe when they moved to America. She would get to see Pop-Pop everyday then, maybe they could walk the dog together.
Tali missed Pop-Pop, so much.
Tali turned over in bed, and looked around her room. Her Daddy called it a closet room, and said that when they moved, he would make sure she got a bigger room.
Tali liked her little room. It felt safe and cosy. She could see all of her favourite things. Her toys and her books on the shelves. Her clothes in her wardrobe.
Sometimes when Ima was not with them, Tali would lay on the bed, holding Ima's special necklace, and it was almost like Ima was with her.
It was much better now that Ima was with them.
Daddy was so much happier now.
Tali flopped like a fish again, and slid down the bed, she wanted to get up but it was too cold.
Daddy said that it got even colder in America. It started snowing around Thanksgiving, which she knew was just after Ima's birthday and right around her Doda Tali's birthday. Or what should have been her birthday.
Tali wished it was summer again. She loved summer. She had loved their summer holiday. Daddy had held her hand when they walked into the sea. The sea was cold, but it was so good on a hot day.
Ima had taken them to lots of museums. She had held Tali's hand, and pointed out all the cool things. Some of them were cool, but some of them were boring. Ima got so excited when they saw some of the history.
Tali liked holding Ima's hand. Ima always made sure she held on just tight that Tali knew she would never leave again.
Tali wished it was still summer.
At least Daddy let them eat ice cream during the winter. Flora's Maman only let her eat ice cream in the summer.
Tali shuffled down the bed, so she could see the door. Her door was kept slightly open, because it was scary when the door was closed.
Tali needed to know that she could get to her parents, if she needed to.
Maybe, when they moved to America, Tali would be a big girl, and close the door.
There was a stream of light coming from the door. Tali recognised the golden glow of the lamp that stood next to the couch.
It meant that one of her parents was up and awake.
Probably Ima. Ima liked to get up early. In the summer she went for runs in the morning. Ima needed to go for runs to have some quiet time.
Ima got sad and scared sometimes. She saw a doctor on Wednesdays to help her.
It was winter, so Ima would go for a run later, or maybe they would ride their bikes to the park instead. Tali liked it when they all rode their bikes, even if Daddy got a little wobbly sometimes.
Ima had promised that when they moved to America, that their house would be near parks with bike paths. So they could go for lots of rides.
Tali stretched in bed, and decided she wanted to see who was in the living room.
When it was just Daddy and Tali, sometimes Daddy would leave the light on when he went to bed. Or he would fall asleep on the couch.
He didn't do that anymore.
There was no one to keep the light on for.
Tali lifted her rainbow blanket off her bed, and frowned at the cold. She sat up in bed and sunk her feet into the unicorn slippers that Daddy got her, because she grew out of her rainbow slippers. She liked the unicorn ones better.
She was growing. All the adults always told her how tall she was getting.
Tali picked up Kelev and walked toward the door. Her slippers slop-slopped on the wooden floor. Tali picked up her fluffy dressing gown from its special hook, the one shaped like a T, because T was for Tali, from the back of the door.
It was still cold, if one of her parents wasn't in the living room, she would sneak into their bed. But quietly, so she did not disturb Daddy's beauty sleep.
When Ima first came home she would sneak into their bed all the time. She needed to be sure that Ima was still there, and that Daddy had not gone anyway.
She had never had both her parents before, and wasn't used to it.
Now, she was, and didn't want to go back to a world where it was just Ima, or just Daddy.
She opened the door into the living room, and saw the top of Ima's head poking up above the back of the couch.
Tali moved around the couch, the belt of her dressing gown dragging on the floor.
"Boker Tov Tali," Ima said, as she looked over the couch.
"Hi, Ima," Tali said, as she stood in front of the couch.
Ima had the big throw dark green blanket over her lap, and was resting a book on her lap. Her dressing gown was coffee coloured.
Her mug was on the coffee table, with steam coming from the top.
"It is cold," Ima said, as she patted the space next to her. "Do you want to snuggle?"
Tali loved snuggling, especially with Ima. When she snuggled with Ima, Tali felt warm all over. Sometimes, Ima told stories of what Tali had been like as a baby.
You were so little. So perfect.
Tali kicked off her slippers and got onto the couch. She sat right next to Ima. Ima lifted up the big green blanket and put it over their laps. Tali sat Kelev on the other side of her, so he got a little bit of the blanket. He needed to stay warm too.
Ima's arm moved around Tali's back, and she pulled her close.
"What are you reading?" Tali asked.
Ima loved reading. Daddy had brought another bookcase to store all of the books.
They had brought eight books for Ima for Hanukkah from the special book store, the one with a mural in the children's section. They had given her a different book each night. Hanukkah had finished last week, and Ima had already read two of the books.
"I was not reading," Ima said, looking down at the book on her lap. "I was writing."
"Writing?" Tali echoed.
Ima nodded.
"Sometimes, I write in my journal," Ima said, "When I need to work out some things."
"Is it a secret journal?" Tali asked.
Ima shook her head.
"Not exactly," Ima said. "But, it is private. It is for me. I would not like anyone to read it."
"Okay," Tali said. "I won't read it."
Ima reached over and put the journal on the coffee table.
"I know," Ima said, with a smile. "I trust you."
"I trust you too," Tali said.
"Do you know what trust means?" Ima asked.
Usually Tali asked all the questions. It was weird to be asked a question.
"Kinda," she said, as she reached out for Ima's hand. The one with the ring.
The ring that Daddy had given Ima, a few weeks ago, in their living room. Ima had cried when she got it.
Happy tears, Ima had said, when she gave Daddy a big hug.
Ima and Daddy had promised Tali that nothing would change when they got married, but Tali knew things would. Things always changed.
"It means you know someone," Ziva said. "So you know what they will do, even if they have not been in the situation before. I know you would not look at my journal."
Tali thought about the word again.
She knew one, but often both of her parents would be there to pick her up at the end of the school day. She trusted them to be there.
She knew that her parents would keep her safe. Daddy always made sure she wore her bike helmet. She trusted Daddy knew best.
She knew Ima wouldn't leave again. Ima had her books and Daddy had given her a ring. Ima always looked so sad when Tali brought up a time where she wasn't there. Tali trusted Ima to stay. Forever and ever.
"I trust you, Ima," Tali said. "And, I love you too."
Ima smiled, a big smile that went up to her eyes. Her eyes crinkled like paper.
"I love you Tali," Ima said, her voice getting soft.
Tali fiddled with Ima's ring. It glistened in the light.
"Can I have a journal?" Tali asked.
Ima looked down at her lap.
"Okay," Ima said slowly. "I was not much older than you, when I got my first journal."
It was weird to think of Ima and Daddy as children. They were so old. Not as old as Pop-Pop, but still really old.
"My parents were having a hard time," Ima said, her voice drifting away like it did when she talked about her parents and her little sister. "My friend Shmeil gave me a place to write down what I was was a safe place."
"Shmeil," Tali echoed. "Have I met him?"
She heard that name a lot. Daddy called him Shmeil the man of steel.
"Yes," Ima said. "Shmeil was a very special friend of mine, you met him when you were very little. You came into the world just as he was leaving it."
Tali nodded.
"Can we get my journal today?" Tali asked.
"I might have a notebook you can use," Ima said. "I will talk to Daddy."
They made decisions together in this family.
"Okay," Tali said.
"You know you can always come to your Daddy and I with your secrets," Ima said.
"I know," Tali said. "Especially, the big and scary ones."
Ima nodded again.
"Okay," Ima said. "I will talk to your Daddy, and if you get a journal we will promise not to read your journal or ask what you're writing about."
Tali remembered the school counselor, who she saw when Ima first came back.
Everything you say in this room is safe.
Tali didn't say much then. She was mostly happy that Ima was back.
Except when Ima sided with Daddy about bedtime.
Things were better now that Ima was back.
"Would you like to know what I was writing about?" Ima asked.
"I thought you couldn't ask," Tali said.
"You cannot," Ima said,"But, I am wanting to share with you. That is different. That is allowed."
Tali nodded.
"I was writing about today," Ima said. "Did you know it is an important day?"
Tali frowned.
Then it came to her.
"Because it's Monday and I don't have school," Tali said.
It was the Winter holidays, but Hannuakah was already over, and Christmas wouldn't be the same if Pop-Pop was only on the screen.
"Well that is special," Ima said, "But, that is not what I meant."
"What did you mean?" Tali asked.
"Do you know what an anniversary is?" Tali asked.
"Like a birthday but not," Tali said.
"Yes, I suppose that is a good way to explain it," Ima said. "Anyway, today is an anniversary. It has been one year since I came back to you."
Tali looked around the room.
Had it really been a whole year?
A whole year since Daddy sat her down for a campfire, and told her that her biggest wish in the entire world was coming true, Ima was coming home.
He said it might be hard for them all to get used to each other at first, but that they would work really hard, and it would be okay.
They didn't go to the airport, even though Tali wanted to, because there was a transport strike, and Daddy said they needed space to be together again.
Ima had looked so different when she first saw her from the living room window. She had looked so scared when she got out of the taxi. Then she saw them, and gave them a big wave.
A few minutes later they stood in the living room all holding each other.
It's over, Daddy kept saying, his nose all snotty from crying. It's finally over.
"Sometimes I forget," Tali admitted. "That you weren't always here."
Ima's lip moved, and she forced a smile. Talking about Ima not being there always hurt.
"It was very hard for me," Ima said, as she reached up for her necklace, "When we were not together. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Tali said, as she looked at Ima's necklace. Ima told her once that Tali had picked the necklace for Ima. It was how she kept Tali close. "What did you write?"
Ima looked at the journal.
"I wrote about how this has been a big year for all of us," Ima said. "So much has happened. Some of it could have been predicted, much of it could not."
"Do you mean this virus?" Tali asked.
"Yes," Ima said. "That lockdown was not something any of us could have planned for."
Tali was glad that the lockdown was over. She liked being able to go outside, and to go to school. Learning through the screen was not the same.
Ima had gotten a little sad for a while during lockdown. She spent a lot of time looking out the window.
Sometimes she talked to someone on the computer, in her bedroom, while Tali and Daddy watched movies. Daddy would sing the songs to distract her.
It is hard, Ima would say to the lady in the screen, So much is not known.
"And, next year our lives will probably look very different," Ima said.
"We'll be in America," Tali interrupted. "With Pop-Pop."
"Yes," Ima said. "And, you'll be at a new school."
Tali did not want to leave her friends, but her school always had students coming and going.
Her friend Flora had been to three schools already, because of her parents jobs.
"And, Daddy is going to get a job," Tali said.
Daddy had spoken to one of his friends from college on the computer. The man had been very surprised that Daddy had a daughter.
Daddy was talking to all these people so he could get a job, and start to help people.
He didn't need to be just a Daddy anymore, because Ima was with them.
Ima was going to stay just an Ima for now, but when Tali got bigger, she might go to college, because she did not get to go when she was young.
College was like a big school.
Tali would go to college one day. Ima and Daddy said they already had a savings account for that.
"Exactly," Ima said.
"And, you and Daddy will be married," Tali declared.
Ima laughed a little.
"Probably," Ima said.
"And, we'll have a puppy," Tali said.
That was more of wish than a fact, but last time Tali had a big wish it came true.
Ima came home.
Ima laughed, a full laugh, that made her hair bounce.
"Maybe," Ima said, "We will see."
That usually meant no, but Tali would keep wishing.
Sometimes wishes came true.
There was noise from the other end of the apartment, and Ima turned around.
"I think we woke Daddy up," Ima said.
Daddy stumbled toward them. His blue bathrobe was pulled tight. His hair stood up like spikes.
Daddy did not like mornings.
"Hi Family," Daddy said, as he leaned over the couch and kissed Ima's cheek. "Good morning."
He patted the top of Tali's head.
"I made coffee," Ima whispered to Daddy.
"I love you," Daddy told Ima, before he moved toward the kitchen. "You want some?"
Ima pointed to the empty cup on the coffee table. Ima didn't drink coffee, she drunk tea instead. For Ima's birthday, she and Daddy had brought lots of fancy teas.
"I am good," Ima said. "We will probably need to do breakfast soon."
Tali's stomach growled.
Daddy smiled, and patted his own stomach.
"I like that sound of that," he said.
He came back a few minutes later with his coffee cup. He sat down next to Tali.
Tali loved sitting like this. Squished between her parents. They would keep her safe.
"Do you know what today is, Daddy?" Tali asked.
Daddy's mouth disappeared behind his coffee cup, then reappeared.
"Monday," he said.
"Yes," TalI said. "And, it's Ima day."
Daddy's eyebrow moved, and he leaned forward to look at Ima.
Tali's Ima and Daddy could talk with a few head nods and eyebrow movements.
"Isn't that in the spring?" Daddy asked. "Remember we celebrated it twice this year."
Daddy said they had to make up for lost time. Ima had said they would only celebrate it once a year moving forward.
That wouldn't stop Tali making cards, she needed Ima to know how much she loved her.
"That's for all the Ima's," Tali said. "This is just for our Ima. It's our anniversary."
Daddy's mouth dropped open, and then closed. He'd worked it all out. Daddy was a smart man, even if he pretended he wasn't sometimes.
"It's been a year, hasn't it?" Daddy said, only looking at Ima. "Since, you came home."
Ima nodded.
"It has," Ima said.
"I knew it was coming up," Daddy said, still only talking to Ima. "I probably would have realised once I finished this coffee. I dunno if we were making a big deal about it."
"It is not a big deal," Ima said. "I know that day brings up a lot of feelings. I was working through some of them before Tali woke up."
"Yeah," Daddy said, looking away. "I think we should do something."
"It is not a big deal," Ima said again.
"Oh it is," Daddy said, as he turned and looked at Tali. "It's been quite the year. We should celebrate that, or at least acknowledge it."
Tali didn't know what acknowledged meant, that was a grown up word.
"Overall," Ima said. "It has been a good year."
Daddy nodded.
"We should celebrate," Daddy said. "How do you think we should celebrate, Tali?"
She thought really hard for a monument. Then her stomach growled.
"Pancakes?" Tali offered.
Ima and Daddy laughed a little.
"Well that's a good start," Daddy said, "Pancakes are a special breakfast, and it's a special day."
"We do special things everyday," Ima said. "You make every day special."
Tali thought about that for a second. She thought of the special walk they did on the way home from school, that passed the house with the rose garden. Even though it meant a longer walk.
She thought about the song in Hebrew, she and Ima sang when it was bath time. That was special.
So was the way Daddy did different voices when he read bedtime stories. He got so involved.
"I try," Daddy said with a smile, "And, I'm going to make today extra special. This time last year everything I ever wished for came true."
Ima's mouth formed a smile, and her eyes crinkled.
"If we are going to make it a thing," Ima started.
"Oh, we are totally going to make it a thing," Daddy interrupted. "At least this year."
Ima shook her head.
"I was going to say," Ima said, "That we cannot call it Ima day. It may have been me that came home, but we all had to grow and change. Are we not celebrating all of us?"
Daddy smiled a big grin.
"We should call it Family day," Tali said. "Because it's when we became a full family."
Ima and Daddy nodded at each other. Speaking their secret language.
"Happy Family Day," Daddy said, as he placed a kiss on Tali's cheek. "I'm so glad we're all together."
Ima did the same, placing a soft kiss on Tali's other cheek.
Daddy's hand reached for Ima's. They were all connected.
Tali felt a warmth in her tummy.
"Happy Family Day," Ima said. "I am so glad we are all together."
Tali giggled.
Then she reached out for her parents, and pulled them closer. They were a pile of family on the couch.
This was love.
This was family.
They were a family forever.
"Can we have pancakes now?" Tali asked.
Ima and Daddy laughed. Big loud laughs.
"She is your daughter," Ima declared, as Daddy started to get up.
Breakfast that day was lazy. Tali ate pancakes at their big dining table. Tali poured sickly sweet maple syrup on her pancakes, and ate until her stomach ached.
Ima and Daddy smiled at each other, and laughed.
Then once Tali's stomach stopped aching, they went to the park to ride their bikes. Daddy challenged Tali to a race, but Tali won.
Ima said pink made the bikes go faster.
When they got home, Ima presented Tali with a notebook that she could use as a journal. The book had a plain cover, but Daddy helped Tali write 'Tali's Special Journal' on the front in neat letters. Tali had not decided where to hide it yet, but she was not too worried about her parents finding it. She trusted them.
She wrote her first entry, when they were having quiet time.
I love Ima.
I love Daddy.
I'm so glad we're all together.
That night they had made pizza in their tiny kitchen. Tali got to use her fingers to stretch the dough, and Daddy ended up with tomato sauce on his face. Ima had held onto Tali as they watched the cheese turn golden through the window of the oven.
After the pizza, Tali sat squished between her parents, as they watched a movie. Tali liked sitting so close. She liked being able to hear Daddy's breaths, and touch Ima's hand.
It had been a special day. Not because something amazing happened, but because they got to do all of her favourite things.
And, because they were all together.
Later that night, when Tali was supposed to be asleep, Tali pulled her journal out from its hiding place, and wrote.
Today was the best day ever.
A/N: I don't own a thing.
Well folks that the end. I hope you liked it. As I've mentioned a few times, I struggle with writing kids, but I decided to end this fic with something from a kid's point of view. I guess we can either call that growth, or madness.
2020 has been a ride so far, and this fic has been a constant. I am proud of these 100k words. Thank you all for your kind words, reviews, and PMs. Thank you all for being so patient with the updates. I'm a little sad this is over.
Fanfic is always interesting in that it's written so in the moment. Some of the COVID-19 stuff written in earlier chapters feels like poor taste in hindsight. Also, I will forever want to edit the chapter where Tony and Ziva talked about why Ziva didn't tell Tony about Tali. But, this is fanfic and it is imperfect.
Future fics in this universe will likely be one shots, or shorter fics. I already have a few ideas about little moments in our favourite family, many of them after the family returns to the U.S. I'm currently following the instagram account for the 'town square' of the suburb I'll probably move our little family to, so I'm getting lots of ideas.
Dear readers thank you for coming on the journey, see you soon.