So. I've crammed about as much school certificate study as I possibly can into my brain and currently have a throbbing headache. So, this is my little getaway. Oh, and you know the cake tins where the bottom comes out? Don't trust them. Just don't. Read and review,
Love Rhyleigh xoxox
Julie rolled over, reaching for Dave, and got the shock of her life when she found his side of the bed empty. Blinking frantically at the clock- five thirty- she slowly got out of bed, dreading the day ahead. Walking past Ruby's bedroom, she blinked once more when she found Dave sitting in the chair opposite their younger daughter's bed. Dave reached for Julie's hand in response, his eyes never leaving the sleeping little girl.
"How am I gonna get through this?" he whispered in her ear.
"We will", she whispered in reply, as he pulled her into his lap.
"Daddy", Ruby said curiously, padding out of her bedroom. "Are you gonna go to the hostipal today?"
"Yeah, baby. You're going to go over to Ben and Mel's place for the day, and then you're going to have a sleepover at Rachel and Jake's house", Dave told the little girl, lifting her into his arms and kissing the tip of her nose.
"Who's gonna sing me our song tonight, Daddy?" her blue eyes were laced with worry, as she looked directly into her father's identical blues.
"I love you", Dave whispered, kissing the tip of her nose again and purposely avoiding the question.
"You okay?" Julie asked Dave for the umpteenth time that day.
"How can I stay away from you and the kids for this long?" was his only reply.
He watched in curiosity as she advanced across the room, reaching the green environmental bag she had carried in from the car.
"What's that?"
"Oh, just some stuff".
"Oh, some stuff, why didn't I realise that?" Dave said sarcastically.
His wife chuckled. "You have no patience".
"You're a fine one to talk".
Julie pulled the first item out of the bag- a photo of the whole, unorthodox family at Ruby's last birthday. The little girl had pink frosting on her nose, and had the entire family in hysterics. It was the perfect photo, and was framed on their dressing table in their bedroom. The second item, however, had Dave confused. "What is Mr Pink doing here?"
The brown teddy bear that Ruby had lugged around since birth was sitting in Julie's lap, almost smiling at him.
"She said it's so you don't get lonely". Julie, an even bigger smile on her face, pulled the third item out of the bag.
"Oh my God, what is that thing?"
"Isn't it horrendous?" Julie agreed, almost cheerfully. "This is our lovely older daughter's way of trying to cheer you up. I opened up our emails last night and found that. 'Tell Dad to be grateful that isn't him'. I'm not really sure what it is, really..."
"It could be a dog... maybe a cat. No, I'm veering in the mouse direction. My God, Rachel really has a sick sense of humour, doesn't she?"
"I can't believe they're letting the whole crew come", Ben told Melissa, as he lifted Ruby out of the car. His younger sister rested her head on his shoulder, having spent the entire day running wild with her older brother and sister in law.
"You know", Carbo said cheerfully, "After living with Mel for all this time, we'd think you'd know a little more than that about hospitals".
"There was the same amount of people when Rubes was born, Ben", Melissa reminded him.
"We thought you would have gone in already", Ted called, as he climbed out of his car, walking around the passenger seat to help Chel out.
"Nah, we're waiting", Melissa said, as Ruby waved to her grandparents.
"Ready to get this show on the road?" Nathan wanted to know, as Rachel and Jake pulled up in Rachel's bright red Beetle.
"Let's go", Jake agreed, accepting Ruby from Ben.
"Daddy!" the little girl said brightly, as they entered Dave's hospital room.
"Hi baby!" Dave smiled, his eyes brightening at the sight of his children, mother and father in law. "How was your day?"
"We played lots of games", Ruby reported. "Carbo and me played Twister".
The sight of his son's best friend and his three year old daughter playing Twister was too much for him to handle, and he laughed hysterically at the sight.
"Dad, did you like the photo?" Rachel grinned, seemingly innocent, as she took note of the picture on the table. "It took quite a lot of Googling to find that thing".
Dave chuckled gently. "You have a sick sense of humour, Rachel Rafter".
"I got it from my daddy".
They talked for a while longer, the whole family, until Julie noticed the time.
"Alright, well, we better be going", Nathan spoke up, seeing the look in his mother's eyes. "We'll see you tomorrow, hey Dad?"
"Alright, mate", Dave amended. "Ruby, be a good girl for Jake and Rachel, alright?"
"Do we have to go?" Ruby whined.
Jake, seeing the beginning of a temper tantrum (he had witnessed all of the terrible twos in Ruby Louise's life, and was downright scared to have children with Rafter genes), scooped her into his arms. "Come on, munchkin, maybe we can find some ice cream in our freezer".
"Bye Daddy", Ruby kissed the tip of Dave's nose. "See ya t'morrow".
"Bye, baby".
"But I can't sleep!" Ruby cried, clinging to her sister.
Rachel was at a loss- normally, staying at her sister's house was something Ruby loved, and asked on a regular basis to do. Of course, that was after Dave had sung their song and she had her beloved teddy bear in her arms. This situation was not one the three year old liked- her parents were in the hospital and she did not particularly like the disinfectant it smelt like.
"Alright. How about we call Daddy?" she suggested, reaching for the phone.
Ruby nodded. "'Kay".
Dave and Julie were deep in conversation, when the ringing phone startled both of them so much they visibly jumped.
"Hello?" Dave said.
"Hi Dad", Rachel said cheerfully. "We didn't wake you, did we?"
"Did you find another horrible photo? Because I could have quite the collection".
"I could look, if you want", his daughter offered. "No, Rubes wants to ask you something".
"Daddy, sign our song?" the three year old requested.
"If I do, will you be good and go to sleep?"
"Yeah".
Dave, taking a deep breath, began to sing. "Her father says she has to have a name, not the same as her mum's, but a name just the same. A little ray of sunshine has come into the world, a little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl..."
Rachel smiled, seeing the little girl's face light up. Dave had sung to her as a child, and she still remembered looking sleepily into his eyes as his voice rocked her to sleep.
And, even after Dave had sung to her sister, Rachel was not surprised when Ruby spent the night snuggled between Jake and Rachel.