Further Down The Road

(Chapter Two: The Little Things)

Olivia sat in the nursery rocking the baby as she nursed her. Hannah appeared beside the chair and rubbed her fingers softly over Abigail's soft dark hair. Olivia smiled down at the curiosity of her daughter and her want to learn everything that had anything to do with taking care of the baby. Hannah stood there with her pink teddy bear dangling from one hand watching in silence as the baby nursed.

"Why don't you go ask daddy to hand you the bottle I sat out so you can feed her?"

Hannah smiled as her big brown eyes lit up and she ran from the room. She returned a few minutes later with the bottle. Olivia pulled Hannah into the rocking chair with her and helped her hold Abby with one arm and showed her how to hold the bottle with the other. Hannah leaned her head back against her mother as she watched the baby drink the breast milk from the bottle. Abby grunted and moved her little fingers and curled them around Hannah's finger.

"Look, mommy."

"Yeah, she likes it when you feed her." Olivia rocked the chair gently as she stared down at her two beautiful daughters.

Elliot walked quietly into the room a little while later to check on them and took a picture of Hannah feeding the baby.

When Abby was finished with the bottle Olivia handed it to Hannah and asked her to put it in the kitchen sink and she burped the baby. Hannah returned to the nursery and climbed up on her little step stool at the end of the changing table to hand Olivia the diaper and baby wipes.

Olivia changed Abby and dressed her in a little white sleeper with a bunny on the front of it. She carried the baby over to the crib and held her in one arm as she wound up the mobile with her free hand. She knelt down so that Hannah could kiss the baby good night then placed Abby inside her crib and turned on the little lamp beside the crib and turned off the overhead light in the room. She stood over the crib watching for just a second until the baby had closed her brown eyes and fallen asleep.

Olivia turned to see Hannah looking up at her with a book in one hand and her favorite blanket in the other.

"Mommy," she asked, "is the rocking chair just for babies? Or can big girls sit in it, too?"

Olivia smiled as she felt her tears rise at the thought of her first baby now being a big girl.

"No, honey. This chair is for babies and big girls."

Hannah grinned and climbed into it in her night gown and little fuzzy slippers.

"Can you read me a story?"

"Of course."

Olivia walked over to the chair and picked Hannah up sitting down and pulling her into her lap. Hannah quickly curled up on Olivia's lap covering them both with her blanket. She opened her book to the page that started the bedtime story she wanted her mother to read to her and leaned he head back against Olivia. She pulled her bear into her lap and covered it with the blanket as well and listened carefully as Olivia rocked her in the chair and read her the story.

Hannah was asleep before the story was even half finished. But Olivia looked down and kissed her gently and continued reading out loud until she had finished the story. She closed the book and sat it on the table beside the lamp and scooped Hannah up in her arms and carried her to her bed. She pulled off her little slippers and tucked her in before kissing her and turning to walk out of the room.

"Mommy?" She heard Hannah's tired little voice behind her.

"Yes, baby?" Olivia answered turning and walking back to her side.

"You forgot to kiss Rose good night," Hannah said holding up her teddy bear.

"I sure did." Olivia leaned in and kissed the top of the bear's head. "Good night, Rose. Good night, Hannah."

"Good night, mommy. I love you."

"I love you, too Hannah."

Olivia kissed her again.

"I'll send daddy in to tuck you in."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome sweetheart."

Olivia reached over and turned on Hannah's night light and kissed her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, honey."

Hannah smiled and held tight to her bear.

A few minutes later Elliot entered the room to say good night to his daughter. He kissed her bear and then her and tucked her in tight. He pulled the door partially shut leaving just enough space so that they could hear her if she called to them, then headed down the hall to check on Abby.

Elliot leaned over the crib and brushed his fingertip through the baby girl's hair. He leaned in and kissed the top of her little head as he felt Olivia's arms wrap tightly around his waist. He turned around to pull her into his arms.

"Tell me how I got so lucky," he said smiling down at the sleeping baby.

Olivia smiled at him.

"I have a beautiful wife and two beautiful little girls who look just like their mother."

Elliot cupped his hand softly against the side of her face.

"I love you so much, Olivia."

"I love you, too."

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and just held her for a few minutes.

"We should go to bed, before she wakes up to be fed again."

"I am amazed that Hannah is doing so well with her."

"She loves helping out with Abby."

"I know, but Kathleen was about her age when the twins came along and she didn't want anything to do with them."

"Hannah is so curious about the baby and so gentle with her. She wants to help me with everything. And tonight she brought me her book and blanket and asked me to rock her and read to her."

"Momma's girl."

"Yeah. I think maybe she is just trying to figure out where she fits in to all of this. She isn't a baby anymore, but she isn't exactly a big kid yet either. Now mommy has a new baby. And as much as she wants to be a big girl, she still craves the attention the baby gets."

"We'll just have to be a little delicate with her for a while until she gets used to all of this. But I think she is doing great."

"She'll be fine daddy," Olivia said kissing her husband. "She just needs a little time to adjust."

Olivia locked her fingers in his and kissed his lips, then lead him to the bedroom. They climbed into bed and she snuggled in against him as she quickly drifted off to sleep. Elliot held her tight in his arms and watched her as she slept.

The next morning Elliot awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. He sat up in bed to hear Hannah giggling in the other room. He smiled and shook his head. She was one of the cutest kids he had ever seen in his life and that was only partially due to the fact that she was his.

He sat up and got dressed. Then headed down the hall toward the living room. Abby was in her swing, cooing and sucking on her fist and Olivia was holding Hannah down in the floor tickling her.

"Hey," she said as she looked up and smiled at her husband.

"Daddy," Hannah squealed and ran to hug his leg.

Elliot smiled and leaned down to hug her.

"Good morning Hannah."

"Morning dad," she said placing her hand on her hip. "We've been waiting for you so we could eat breakfast."

"You have, huh? Well, why didn't you come in and wake me up?"

"I wanted to but mom wouldn't let me," she said pointing over her shoulder.

Elliot laughed.

"I just finished it. Then Hannah helped me feed Abby. I thought I would give you a few more minutes before I woke you up."

"Thanks for letting me sleep in," he said leaning down to kiss her. "Let's eat."

"Yeah," Hannah squealed as she ran to her chair at the table.

Olivia picked Abby up from her swing and carried her to the table sitting her in her bouncy seat on the edge of the table, as Elliot handed Hannah a plate. Olivia helped her cut up her eggs and toast while Elliot fixed their plates. Olivia poured the each a glass of juice and Elliot handed her a cup of coffee as they sat down and had a nice breakfast as a family.