GO THE MIGHTY BLUES! WE WILL WIN THIS YEAR! I updated 'Butterfly Fly Away' last night, sitting in front of my TV, wearing my jersey over my Elmo pyjamas. And we won! I tell you, excitement was high in Rhyleigh's house. Read and review!
xoxox Rhyleigh
"Sammy?" Ruby said unsurely, climbing onto the chair beside her sister in law. "Where's my daddy?"
"Your daddy's sick again, honey". Sammy brushed back her hair, unsure what to tell the little girl. The older kids and their grandparents had all been told exactly how sick their father was the night before, after little Ruby had been tucked into bed. All Ruby knew was that her father was back in hospital, and she was being shared between her brothers and sister and grandparents, her parents barely in the picture.
"My daddy's really sick, isn't he?" she said carefully.
Sammy nodded. "He is, Rubes".
"He didn't even get to sing my song last night". She frowned. "Granddad sang it for me, but he didn't do a very good job. Not like my daddy".
Sammy pulled her into her lap, dropping a kiss to her loose curls. "Maybe Daddy will be able to sing your song later".
"Do you know my song?"
"I do, Rubes".
"Can you teach it to me? So I can surprise Daddy?"
Tears stung the back of Sammy's eyes, as she willingly accepted. "Of course I can, Ruby".
"Daddy!" Ruby ran into the hospital room, skidding to a stop when she saw her father attached to yet another machine. "Oh".
"Hey darlin'". Dave tried to smile at the little girl, and she lifted herself onto the end of the bed with a little help from Nathan.
"Daddy, is today a bad day?"
"I think so, kid".
"Guess what Sammy teached me?"
"Taught", Nathan said automatically, and Rachel glared.
"You gotta listen", Ruby instructed, taking a deep breath. "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".
"That was beautiful, gorgeous". Dave motioned for her to slide closer and Ruby gratefully scooted into his arms.
"Me and Sam practiced, all day!" she waved her arms around to show him how long they practiced for. "I can sing the whole song, Daddy, but I only sung a little bit. Wanna sing it with me, Sammy?"
"You sing it, baby, you show your daddy how well you can sing it".
"'Kay". Ruby beamed at her family. "We'll show her the dress that she'll wear with the gold flowing hair that nature provided. My little ray of sunshine has come into the world, my little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl. A little ray of sunshine, I want to know if you think she looks good in the pink Grandma has bought her ... our own little daughter".
Rachel picked up where Ruby had left off. "She can make you feel good; she can make you feel that it's all worthwhile. Only by her smile, only by her smile..."
And their father had tears in his eyes, as he watched his two little rays of sunshine sing together, in perfect harmony, unable to wipe the smile off his face.
"I want to go home", Dave said firmly to Julie.
Julie looked down at their hands, their fingers intertwined together, remembering what Melissa had so wisely told her that afternoon, before they left. "even the strongest person can fall apart", her daughter in law had said, and Julie had kept her words in the back of her mind.
She couldn't live without Dave. He was her weakness, and at the same time, he was her strength.
"I don't want to die in the hospital", he told her, as Julie settled herself beside him on the bed. "I want to be at home. I want to go home".
Julie didn't say anything, as they lay there in silence, tears in both their eyes.