Levi sighed to herself and changed the channel from one cartoon to another, glancing down into her empty cereal bowl and wondering if she was hungry enough for more. She'd woken up pretty early and had snuck into Lindsay's room but found her still in a deep sleep, so she'd retreated to the kitchen to take care of herself. Climbing up on the counter had been a little scary and she was glad they were almost out of milk so it made it easier to pour into the bowl. She'd been on the couch ever since, watching cartoons and wondering when Lindsay would wake up and they could start their day. She'd considered getting dressed once or twice but decided against it, preferring to snuggle up on the couch in her pajamas and just relax.
"Good mornin' baby."
"Oh hi mama! I didn't wanna wake you up. But you're up now on your own?"
"Yes I am. Thanks for letting me have a sleep."
"Come sit by me. I'm watching a weird cartoon. I really miss you. You've been at work too much."
"I know," Lindsay replied, sitting down and tucking her daughter into her arms. "I'm sorry. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices."
"That's okay. You are home now and you don't have to go to work today right?"
"Right. And not tomorrow either."
"But tomorrow I go back to school. What will you do?"
"I am going to catch up on all the things I needed to do that I haven't done in the last ten days that I've worked with no day off."
"Oh. Grocery shopping. Yuck."
"Yeah, yuck."
"We need milk, mama. And more cereal. Oh, and some macaroni and cheese too. I'd like that. And my vitamins. Almost out."
"Okay, I'll remember."
"Did you sleep good mama? You don't look like you slept good."
"It was a rough night," Lindsay said softly, dropping a kiss to Levi's hair.
"You had scary dreams?"
"A few. It's okay though. I'm going to go take a shower. You want to go get dressed and pick up your room a little?"
"Well not really but I guess you did ask pretty nice."
"That's my girl."
"After we do all that could we watch a movie together and cuddle on the couch?"
"One movie and then we have a few things we need to do."
Levi nodded and slid off the couch, tucking her hair behind her ear and wrinkling her nose.
"I think maybe I need a bath. I smell kind of bad."
Lindsay chuckled and pulled Levi into her lap, kissing her softly and holding her in a tight hug for a long time.
"I love you baby."
"I love you too."
"Go pick up your room and you can have a bath when I get out of the shower."
"Okay mama. Hurry."
They got off the couch and Lindsay went into the bathroom, turning the water on and rubbing her eyes, wondering how she'd managed to sleep in until noon. Work had been hard lately, too many cases piling up and trying to keep them straight was taking all her brain power. Last night a suspect had pulled a gun while they were chasing him, and while she'd had that happen before, this was the first time in New York, on unfamiliar streets with a new partner by her side. It hadn't shaken her, but it did fuel the nightmares. She stepped into the shower and tried to shake it all from her mind, creating a mental to-do list instead, ticking off things that she could get done today and things that would have to wait for tomorrow. It gave her a sense of calm, having rules and boundaries and goals.
"Mama, are you almost done? I smell ripe."
"Okay, I'm done," Lindsay chuckled, turning the shower off and grabbing a towel off the hook. "Are you Miss Bossy Pants today?"
"I don't mean to!" Levi answered, shoving into the room and turning on the bath water. "Sometimes my tone of voice just comes out that way. Are you gonna stay in here and do your make-up and talk to me while I get washed?"
"Alright."
"So what are we gonna do today? Could we go play in the snow?"
"Maybe if we have time. We need to clean this place up. I've been falling short on the upkeep."
"That means it's messy in here huh?"
"Yes. If we can get that done and do one load of laundry, then maybe we'll have time to go play at the park before the game is on."
"Oh the game, I forgot! Giants versus Eagles and Adam is coming over to watch. I bet grandpa ten bucks on this game. I said the Giants would win and he said that my loyalties have changed and it would be the Eagles. So he's gonna owe me ten bucks!"
"I'm glad you're so confident about this. But what if the Giants lose? How are you going to pay grandpa then?"
"I suppose I will have to take out a loan from the bank of your wallet."
Lindsay chuckled and shook her head.
"Honey, I think it's about time you got some friends your own age and stopped listening to every word I say. You're much too smart for your own good."
"I don't think no one ever said that to Einstein!"
"Sassy Britches."
"That's my name, don't wear it out!"
"Child, what am I going to do with you?"
"I dunno. Could you scrub my hair please? And then when it's all clean and dry could you make it curled like yours?"
"You really want to take the time to do that?"
"Well, maybe not. But at least scrub me real quick?"
"Sure. After the park do you want to go to the store and pick out a special snack for the game?"
"Okay! I'll get pork rinds, I like those crunchy things."
"I won't bother tell you what they're made of."
"Ignorance is bliss."
She should have known that the question "So, are you still watchin' the game tonight?" was going to lead to something other than a friendly inquiry. Danny's TV had finally bit the dust and now he and Flack had nowhere to watch the game. The pathetic begging on the other end of the line hadn't lasted long; Lindsay had gotten the hint and invited the guys to join them for the game too. Which meant that as soon as Adam arrived, he'd gone back out to get more pop and paper plates, and Lindsay felt like she had to clean the place to a higher standard, now that it was becoming a group gathering area. She didn't mind, truth be told. Being a hostess wasn't a hard job and when Danny had called again to say his girlfriend had gotten off work early and would be joining them, all she could do was shrug and wipe off the coffee table.
"I've finally reached the moon!" Levi shouted, jumping around on the couch. "It ain't made of cheese after all!"
"Sweetheart could you please-"
"I am not sweetheart. I am an astronaut looking for aliens."
"Well you're going to scare the aliens into hiding jumping around and yelling like that."
"This is why I need a partner! Go get a helmet and be my partner. Please?"
"Okay, we have time to blast off to Mars real quick."
"Whoo-hoo! I know there's aliens there! Hurry up, commencing blast off sequence!"
She jumped off the couch and crawled under the coffee table, laying on her back and pretending she was in the front seat of a space shuttle. Lindsay sighed and joined her, not keen on playing this game right now, but unable to resist Levi's enthusiasm.
"Launching from Cape Canaveral into the beautiful night sky. Astronaut mama, any inspiring words for the people of America?"
"Don't buy on credit."
"And with that we're off to Mars! Look out the window mama, you could see our really tiny house!"
"Oh great I left the porch light on!"
Levi cackled with laughter then made explosion noises and lifted her arms up in the air like she was experiencing zero gravity.
"We're almost to the red planet! Prepare to engage landing gear."
She rolled out from under the table and began to bounce around the room, her arms flailing in every direction.
"I must collect soil samples to send back to NASA," she announced, pretending that the living room was an uncharted planet. "They are important to humankind."
"When did the robot voice start?"
"When we passed the man in the moon. He told me to."
"Oh I see."
"Careful where you step, aliens don't clean up after themselves."
"That's okay, we can take a sample of it back to earth."
"Ew I don't want to collect alien poop!" she shouted wrinkling her nose while there was a knock on the door.
"Hey, you said this was all for research," Lindsay reminded her, walking across the room and opening the door to find they guys standing there with bags of junk food.
"Ahh! Space invaders!" Levi shouted pulling out her toy gun. "Yi yi yi yi yi! I blasted you guys now fall down!"
"Levi, we've landed back on earth now."
"Well maybe just you jumped in the escape pod and headed home but I am still on Mars. I got a meeting with Han Solo, we're making a plan to take out Jabba the Hutt."
"Okay, well he just called and he said he would meet you in the other room and don't tell Greedo."
"Well I guess that's my cue to scram out," she sighed, taking her helmet off and holstering her gun. "I'll be at Mos Eisley if you need me."
She skipped off into her bedroom and Lindsay sighed, rolling her eyes.
"She doesn't know that Han Solo was from a galaxy far, far away?" Flack asked, raising and eyebrow.
"Distance is lost on her. It took us less than two seconds to get to Mars just now," Lindsay explained, letting them in. She'd met Danny's girlfriend Austin Hawthorne briefly a few times and they'd hardly ever spoken to each other but she had a feeling she was going to appreciate having another girl around.
"I thought you said Adam was comin' too," Danny commented, setting a bag of junk food on the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, he was here and then he left again to get some stuff. He'll be back soon."
"Great, when's the game start?"
"Probably about half an hour after it said in the TV Guide when you triple-checked earlier," Austin remarked, grabbing Danny's wrist to check his watch. "Fifteen minutes."
"Well what do we do until then?"
"Here, you can flip channels, I'll preheat the oven."
"Well isn't that just-"
"Daniel, if you make a woman in the kitchen joke, you can imagine what I'll do to you," Austin warned, shooting him a look so deadly that even Flack shuddered.
"Bless you for being female," Lindsay chuckled, turning to go into the kitchen. She couldn't hear the comment Danny made after that but he paid for it with a cuff to the back of his head.
"Hey, I just got handed a religious pamphlet," Adam announced, opening the door. "For a religion I have never heard of. Actually, this could be a pamphlet about a crippling disease. I'm not sure, the guy didn't say anything."
"I don't think you're ready for the streets," Lindsay chuckled, taking the bag from him and peeking at the pamphlet. "Adam that's written in Dutch."
"Well no wonder I didn't know what it was about. Levi, you want some junk mail for your collection?"
There was a yelp and Levi came running out of the room, clapping her hands.
"Oh awesome! Thanks!"
"Can I ask why you collect junk mail?"
"You can ask but I don't know why. I just like it. And now that I am getting better at reading, I can know what things say. I read "new car" on one but mama said it was a hoax."
"Those usually are."
"I'm gonna go put this in my box. Check out my sparkly shoes while I walk away."
She skipped back into her room and Adam bit his lip to keep from laughing. Every day it seemed there was something new to learn about this strange child.
"Come on, she'll be occupied for a while, at least until she smells food."
She pulled him out to the other room and they sat down on the smaller couch, shoving at each other playfully as they both started to sink into the middle.
"You need to get a better couch."
"This was my very first adult purchase and you shall not mock it!"
"Oh really?"
"His name is Clyde and he will boot you off if you're not nice."
"It's not a question where Levi gets her weirdness."
"Thanks."
"Shut up guys, the game's about to start."
"Is he going to be like this the whole time?" Lindsay asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Probably, yes," Austin answered. "But by half time he should have loosened up enough that he's not so growly."
"Good to know."
"Hey mama and Adam is my butt bony today?" Levi shouted, jumping onto their laps without warning.
"Ouch! Yes, it's very bony, you didn't need to demonstrate."
"You're funny mama."
"If you're going to sit here and watch the game you need to be polite. Not watching it like you do with grandpa and your uncles."
"I ain't allowed to cuss this time? Aw man!"
"Well maybe it will be a good game and you won't need to."
"Okay. I'm gonna sit over here on the floor. Thank you and goodbye."
She climbed off the couch and went to sit on the floor, propping her chin up in her hands and staring intently at the TV screen. She understood football and she even liked it a little but she'd always wanted to watch in order to be a part of something with her grandpa and uncles. Lindsay wasn't sure she was going to make it very long on her own. Of course, Levi was always good for a surprise.
"But I don't want to go to bed!" Levi protested, her arms wrapped around the leg of the dining room table. "I want to watch the game!"
The last word was drawn out for several seconds and Lindsay sighed, leaning down to gently place her hand over her daughters' mouth.
"I know you do, but we had a deal, Levitica Jane and you did not hold up your end of it. So it's time for bed."
"I'll do better! I will, I will, I promise!"
"It's too late. You had one warning and I think that's enough. Now stand up like a human child, you weren't raised in the woods."
Levi made a grumbling noise and muttered under her breath but stood up like she was asked.
"I want to say goodnight to Adam."
"Okay, you can go in there and say goodnight to him very quickly and then you need to go get in bed."
Slightly happy with the compromise she shuffled out of the room and to the couch, tapping Adam's arm and looking up at him with huge eyes.
"Mama says I have to go to bed. Because I broke our deal we had about me staying up late if I behaved. Well I didn't behave so now I have to say goodnight. Next time I see you could I please see Gabby too? Please?"
"We'll see. I'll have to see when she's free to come into the city."
"Okay! Thanks! She's the only friend I got here you know."
"I know."
"Goodnight! I'll see you next time."
She stretched up and kissed his cheek then ran into her bedroom where Lindsay was pulling back the covers on the bed.
"I am not enthusiastic about going to bed but I won't grumble very much."
"That's all I ask. Ready to say your prayers?"
Levi nodded and knelt by the bed, rattling off a long list of things she was thankful for, asking God for a victory for her team and to see Gabby soon, then promising to do her best to be good tomorrow before she climbed into bed, pulling stuffed animals close around herself.
"Mama?"
"Yes?"
"I like that you've been laughing so much today. It's a sound that makes my heart feel all mushy and nice."
"Well I'm glad."
"Even if I am upset with you about going to bed."
"There's nothing I can do to fix that without undoing all the years of discipline I've already done."
"Well fine."
"I'll see you in the morning, chicken wing. Sleep good."
"Night mama."
She rolled over and closed her eyes and Lindsay slipped from the room, closing the door behind her and heading back out to join the group. To be honest, she wasn't really a fan of bed-time, it meant being without her daughter until morning, and especially on the days they'd been apart it wasn't fun to let her go like that.
"Is that kid ever not outspoken about something?" Flack asked, an amused twinkle in his eye.
"She did go through a serious stage when she was two. She looked at everything like she was trying to take it apart with her mind."
"That's not serious, that's scary."
"It actually was now that you mention it. What's even scarier is the fact that y'all are still watching things game even if it's abysmal."
"So?" Adam asked, stealing a quick glance at her before turning back to the TV.
"I'm going to go start on the dishes."
"I'll come with you," Austin offered, standing up and grabbing up the dishes that were scattered on the coffee table. "This is sports mockery."
Lindsay turned the hot water on, putting a few drops of soap in before she took the first cookie sheet, which was caked with the remnants of twice baked potatoes.
"So," Austin started, scraping some buffalo wings into the garbage can. "You and Adam?"
"What?"
"Is there something going on there or do you just spend too much time together?"
"Too much time together I suppose. We're just friends."
"I had a feeling, but so did Flack, so I had to ask."
"No harm. What's the story with you and Danny then?"
"You want me to start at the beginning or give you the Cliff's notes of the present?"
"Cliffs notes."
"We're waiting for the Centers for Disease control to get back to us on what our story is."
"I see."
"We're more on-again, off-again than Barbra Streisand's career. Basically we can't live without each other but we can't live with each other either, so we just learned to deal with break ups and reuniting like we're an extra couple they were going to have on Friends but scrapped from the script at the last minute."
"He didn't cheat with a copy girl did he?"
"No, he values his manparts too much to do that."
"Them training classes don't come cheap."
"Twenty years of 'em too. He owes me big time."
Lindsay chuckled.
"You guys could never really break up, you know too many secrets about each other."
"I never thought about that. Hey Danny! We can't break up ever again, 'kay?"
"Okay dear."
"Don't call me dear!"
"I think I've spotted your problem, Austin."
"Eh. We're comfortable with them and too lazy to change them."
"True love."