"DAD!" Abbey ran through the hallway, around the coffee table and jumped onto the couch where her father was currently napping. "Daddy," she tugged at his shirt until she was satisfied he was awake.
"Ugh, what Abs?" Auggie said as his daughter sat on his chest.
"Arite is being a butthead," she pouted. "He keeps copying me."
"Well honey, he's two. That's what two-year-olds do," Auggie said. He groaned as he sat up, feeling the soreness in his back from napping on the couch. He was getting too old for this. Having kids defiantly aged a man faster than the CIA ever did.
"Well tell him to stop!" Abbey said stubbornly.
"I would, but he'd just say it right back," Auggie teased. But this apparently isn't the result Abbey wanted.
"Mommy would tell him to stop," she said, mostly to herself.
"Mommy is in Aruba," Auggie said frowning. He had been taken off the case for personal reasons. Personal reasons meaning that he didn't think it was a good idea for Annie to go alone, and they had argued through the beginning of the case, then the lines went dead and he couldn't reach her. That was three days ago. He was beginning to worry. "I'm sorry sweetie," Auggie kissed her forehead and then hoisted her off of him onto the floor. "She'll be home soon." I hope.
The pattering sound of feet signified that Artie was waddling his way down the hall after his big sister. Abbey hid behind her father, burying her face between his shoulder blades. "Ow Abbey," Auggie reached behind him and grabbed for her.
"Ow Abbey," Artie repeated, his voice muffled by his pacifier. Abigail jumped down and ran off away from her brother, but Artie grabbed onto Auggie's leg tight. "Up." Auggie bent over to lift his son in the air, which made the little boy giggle.
"Guess what today is Art," Auggie said, lifting himself up off the couch and pulling his light-cane from his pocket.
"Today is Art…"
"Today is New Years Eve!" It was maybe only seven o'clock, no one was really celebrating just yet, but Auggie felt the pain in his gut that, after he put Abbey and Artie to bed, he'd have his first solo New Years in almost ten years. The very thought of being that alone scared him.
"Can I stay up late Daddy?" Abbey's voice was distant; she was probably in the hallway, two rooms away from the kitchen. As she kept talking, her voice grew louder, and Auggie knew she was headed their way. "Jeremy Campbell gets to stay up late and he's FIVE," she insisted.
"Yea Abs, you can try," Auggie said. There, crisis adverted. "After we put your brother to bed though, okay?" he said. "You go put on your PJs."
"Alrighty Daddy," Abbey said, hurrying off to her room. Auggie finished feeding Artie, who judging by how quiet he was getting, was falling asleep in Auggie's arms, and he brought the little boy down the hall into his room and, carefully, because one time he missed the crib and dropped Artie on the floor, to Annie's dismay, placed him in his crib. Slippers scrapped the hardwood floor behind him, and Auggie turned toward Abbey.
"You have to turn the nightlight on," Abbey said. Auggie could almost see the little girl, judging him from the doorway, making sure he did everything right. He didn't blame her. Annie usually did the night time routine. Auggie did mornings.
"I know," he said, though he had completely forgotten. "Want to flip it on for me?" there was a little click. "Thanks baby girl."
"Can we read?" Abbey said, taking her dad's hand and bringing him to the living room and back to the couch. "Till it's time for New Years?" Auggie nodded and Abbey ran to the bookshelf and pulled out her favorite story, Beauty and the Beast, and brought it to her dad.
"Okay, you read and I'll help," Auggie said. Abbey opened the book in her lap. The pages had both words and Braille. They were meant so that blind parents could help teach their sighted children to read. But Auggie and Annie had agreed to teach Abbey Braille when she was younger, and though reading was still a difficulty, she knew the letters very well.
"Once upon a time," Abbey read slowly. She was cuddled into her father's side, half the book on Auggie's lap. Auggie wrapped his arm around her and occasionally, she'd put his fingers on a word to help her out.
"Monster," Auggie said.
"What kind of monster?" Abbey asked. "Big and hairy?"
"Maybe he was a tickle-monster…" Auggie grinned. "Grr!" and he tickled Abbey who squealed loudly when Auggie tickled her.
Abbey didn't make it to midnight. Hell, she didn't make it to ten. But Auggie hadn't expected it. He was content right now, sitting on the couch at a quarter to midnight, stroking Abbey's hair as she slept in his lap, the TV on echoing the sounds of New York's Times Square New Year's celebration.
He missed Annie. He considered waking up Abigail for midnight, but knew he'd regret it in the morning. No, he'd just sit here, by himself, on New Years.
There was a clicking sound. At first, Auggie thought it was the baby monitor, but upon further inspection, it was actually the front door.
Was someone trying to break in?
He gently moved Abbey off his lap and stood up, moving closer to the door. No, someone wasn't breaking in. It was a jingling sound. Keys?
Auggie swung the door open and his senses were hit full on with Jo Malone Grapefruit Perfume.
"Auggie!" Annie leapt across the front door and gripped her husband tight to him. Auggie was shell shocked.
"Annie," he whispered happily, pulling her closer and breathing her in. Her hair was the same smoothness, her voice the same sweetness as ever. It was his Annie, and she had come home. "I'm so sorry I argued with you." He said, his face in the crook of her neck.
"I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you," Annie said. "It was too dangerous and you were right, I'm sorry." They stood like that, in their entry way apologizing and holding each other close, crying into their shoulders.
"I'm making a new year's resolution to listen to you more," Annie said.
"I'm making one not to be such a control freak," Auggie countered. Suddenly from the apartments around them, people started counting down from ten.
"I love you Annie," Auggie said. "So did Arthur and Abigail."
"Oh the kids!" Annie moved into the apartment more to see them, she had just reached Abbey and was about to wake her when Auggie caught her by the arm, spun her around, and kissed her deeply as the clock on their mantel struck midnight.