Elliot toes off his shoes after he steps into his home at the end of a long day. He walks into the living room to find the TV blaring, his kids and their friends crowded around it as they watch the latest episode of Jersey Shore.
"Food!" Rick's friend, Toby, calls before he bounds off the couch and rushes up to him and takes the take-out bags out of his hand. "Thanks, Mr. Stabler," the boy calls as he rushes to the kitchen and begins taking down plates and cups. His children's friends are right at home in his house. With all the sleepovers and hang out sessions, it's like they have two more kids. He's not sure how they are going to afford them once the babies come, especially Toby. The boy has a bottomless pit for a stomach.
"Thanks Dad," Rick says as he runs past him.
"Thanks Dad," Lizzie calls as well.
"Thanks Mr. Stabler," Lizzie's friend, Mary, says as she passes by, Kayla on her hip. She's obsessed with the toddler and how "cute" she is, and Kayla revels in the attention.
"Hey you guys, help your sister."
"I've got it, Mr. Stabler," Mary calls back and watches as she puts chicken fingers on a plate in front of Kayla, then asking her if she would like some fried rice.
As costly as it may be to have them around, neither he nor Olivia seem to have the heart to turn them away. Neither are quite sure what Toby's home situation is, but he never seems to want to go home and he's always there. He's there every night for dinner, and some mornings for breakfast under the guise of needing a ride to school. He's there every weekend and every snow day and just about every holiday. He doesn't understand it, because he's met the boy's parents and they seem like nice people, but he doesn't understand why they do not feel the need to spend any time with their son. He and Olivia have discussed looking into it more, but Toby is a good boy. He's polite and helpful around the house and a good friend to Rick, and they do not want to ruin that for him. They know that Toby's parents fight a lot and he guesses that is what he is running from, but still. They should want to spend more time with their child. With Mary, he and Olivia understand. Her father is some high powered corporate attorney who cares more about billable hours than quality time with his daughter. They still haven't met him yet. Her mother is a socialite that cares more about what other socialites think of her and her family than what her daughter thinks of her. Her days and nights are filled with tea parties, charity functions, all day shopping trips, and gossip luncheons at the club. When Mary says her parents are picking her up they've come to realize that it means that her mother will be sending the limo, and the house staff will be the only ones home. He can tell she loves the family atmosphere at their home. Being surrounded by people that actually like you for you rather than those hoping that you'll put in a good word for them to get a raise. It may be extra mouths to feed but these children need them and neither he nor his wife have it in their hearts to turn their back on them.
Speaking of which…
He grabs the bag he hid in the foyer and heads upstairs to see her. He finds her passed out in bed surrounded by piles of laundry, her laptop still on her lap. He smiles. She must have fallen asleep while working. She started working from home a few weeks ago. He brings her files to work in the morning and brings some back each evening, but tonight he has none- she's still working on the last ones he brought her. He sits on the edge of the bed and kisses her awake like a prince in a fairy tale.
"Hey," she smiles and pulls him down for more.
"Hey," he replies. "Who's all this laundry for?"
She looks at the piles that surround her. "Yours, mine, and your children. That pile is Kayla's so if you could put that away for me. In the right drawers. And the other pile is Rick's."
"You're doing Rick's laundry?"
"Yes, because just like his father, he'd rather wear your socks than wash the dirty ones."
"I don't wear anyone else's socks."
"No, you just buy new ones. What did you bring me?"
"Beef and broccoli and vegetable lo mein."
"You didn't leave it downstairs did you?"
"No. I learned that lesson last time." He lifts the take-out bag and hands it to her. She tries several times to sit up, but to no avail. He laughs.
"Stop laughing and help me up, asshole."
He takes both of her hands and pulls her up then tucks one of the pillows behind her back. "How's your back been today?"
"Still hurts."
"I'll massage it for you later."
"Thanks."
He stands and removes his blazer, but thinks twice before depositing it on the bed when she eyes him cautiously. "I'm going to hang this up and get rid of this laundry," he says instead.
"Yea, I thought so," she snarks.
He returns to their room a few minutes later to find her using her stomach as a table. He can't help but smile. "Is this what pregnant women are doing these days?"
She looks up at him and grins. "I don't know, but it's what this one is doing. Besides, I might as well use it while I have it."
He takes a box of pork-fried rice out of the bag and some chopsticks. "Speaking of which, I don't want you doing any more laundry while you're pregnant. You shouldn't be carrying anything in front of you, and you know I don't like it when you go down those stairs.
"I don't carry anything. The kids help, and you worry too much."
He places his rice on her make-shift table then reaches for the beef and broccoli. "You're supposed to be resting."
"Not too long ago you said I should get out more. Now that I'm getting out you say I should be resting."
"You weren't almost nine months pregnant."
"I'm thirty-two weeks."
"Close enough. Either way, you should be resting more."
"Sure," she replies and switches her lo mein box for his rice. "How's the babies' room coming?"
"Like you haven't looked," he scoffs.
"Well, it's a mess."
"These things take time."
"Well, how long are we going to keep all those things from the baby shower in Kayla's room."
"Rick, Toby, and I will finish the painting tonight then all that's left is to assemble the furniture."
"I thought we agreed to paint the room yellow."
"Yellow sucks."
"Is that what you're going to tell your daughters when they ask why their room is blue?"
"No, I'm going to tell our sons that Isle of Capri was a lot better looking than the Citrus you picked out." She stares at him as if he's grown a second head. "What?" he asks around a mouthful or rice.
"You've been spending too much time with those paint splotches."
"You're just jealous that my color is better than yours and you don't want to admit it."
"Yea, that's it," she laughs and rolls her eyes. "Just make sure the room is done by the time the babies get here."
"We have two months."
"No. Twins are known to come early."
"I'll have the room done in no time. Don't worry."
Olivia glares at him.
xXx
The next morning Elliot groans when his alarm clock goes off. He hits the snooze button twice before finally deciding to get up. He takes his time relieving himself, washing his face, brushing his teeth and shaving. When he finally steps out he is surprised to see his wife is still in bed. Normally she is up, getting Kayla ready and waking up his kids.
"Liv," he calls. She moans back at him. "You ok?" he asks and walks over to her side of the bed.
"Tired," she responds. "Can you get Kayla ready for me today?"
"Sure, anything. You sure you're feeling alright?"
She speaks to him with her eyes closed. "Yea. Wake up Rick too. Make sure you call him before you start getting Kayla ready and again after. If he doesn't get up just pull the covers off of him and take them with you otherwise he'll just pull them back on."
He smiles. "Don't worry, I'll get him up."
"Just put on a pair of jeans on her. It shouldn't be too bad today so she can wear short sleeves, but put on one of her Old Navy fleeces on her just in case."
Elliot sits on the edge of the bed and tucks her hair behind her ear. She doesn't feel warm. "Liv, you sure you're ok? Normally-"
"I'm fine, El. I'm just tired."
"You sure that's all? Because if not-"
"Elliot. I am thirty-two weeks pregnant with not one, but two of your offspring. I'm allowed to be tired. Especially when I spent most of the night going to and from the bathroom while you snored the night away."
"I know, it's just that normally-"
"You're telling me to get back in bed and let you handle everything. Now that I'm staying in bed you're worried. In fact, weren't you the one telling me just yesterday that I need to rest more?"
"I know, I can see the irony in the situation."
"Go get Kayla ready, and don't forget to make her cheerios and milk."
"I won't."
"And Lizzie's paper is on the dinning table. She asked me to give it another once over and I left it there for her. Make sure she takes it."
"Got it," he says and begins to head for the door.
"Also, can you bring Kayla by so I can say goodbye?"
"You mean so you can inspect my work?"
"Yea, that too."
"Sure." He reaches the doorpost when she calls to him again.
"And El?"
"Yea?"
"I love you."
"Love you too," he replies then goes to get their children ready.
xXx
He returns with their daughter several minutes later and sits on Olivia's side of the bed with her on his lap. "Liv," he calls softly.
She opens her eyes and smiles when she sees their daughter. "Hi Baby," she croons.
"Hi Mommy."
"All ready for school?" she nods. "Good. Can Mommy get a hug?" The little girl gives her mother a hug. "What about a kiss?" she kisses her quickly. "I love you."
"Love you Mommy."
"Why don't you run downstairs and ask your sister to help you put on your jacket?" Elliot tells her.
"Ok." He sets her down and she toddles off down the stairs.
"A head band, I see your hair dressing skills are improving," she teases.
"Yea, something like that."
"You're not wearing a suit to work? You should have a couple left that you haven't worn yet." she asks, taking note of his casual dress.
"I'm not going to work today. I'm staying home with you. I'm just going to drop the kids off and then come back here to wait on you and do some work on the baby room."
"Elliot, I told you I'm just-"
"I know. Tired. And that's why you're going to stay in bed and let me take care of you all day."
"El, I'll be fine."
"I know, because I'm going to be here to see to it. Now, I better get going before they're late."
"Alright, how'd waking up Rick go?"
"Piece of cake?"
"Liar."
"It was."
"What'd you do?"
"Same thing I used to do to his sisters. I sent Kayla in to wake him up. He used to love it when I let him do that. My way of inflicting some karma of my own."
"Nice," she chuckles before snuggling back under the covers and going to sleep.
xXx
She wakes later, still exhausted and slightly disoriented. She glances at the clock and sees that it is shortly after eleven and grimaces at the pounding in her head. Her throat is dry, but she is too tired to get up. "Elliot," she tries, but no sound comes out. She clears her throat and tries again. "Elliot!" this time her voice carries throughout the empty halls, but there is no answer. She knows that she is not going to fall back asleep without a drink of water so she gives in. With a sigh she flips the covers off of her and maneuvers her large pregnant body off of the bed. She stands and she takes a moment to right herself before waddling down the hall. She peeks into the nursery to see if he's in there, but the room is still and silent and still in various stages of repair. She continues shuffling down the hall and checks the other bedrooms and bathroom before coming to a halt at the top of the stairs. "Elliot!" she calls down, but once again, there is no answer. She holds the banister and takes one careful step down the steps, then another and another.
She doesn't see it coming.
She stumbles and before she can realize what's happening, she is falling. She grapples for the banister, the rails, anything to keep her from tumbling down, but all she can feel is thin air and a sharp pain in her head. No one hears her scream or the sickening thud her body makes when it comes to a heap at the bottom of the stairs. No one is there to wake her unconscious form.
No one.