"Mum! Mum!" Lewis bounced on the other side of Gillian's car window. Cal had had to physically restrain the boy from rushing the car as soon as his mother had pulled in to the garage, even though he knew he was supposed to wait on the little mat at the foot of the steps until either vehicle had actually stopped moving.
"I did it!" Lewis crowed excitedly. Gillian had to open her door slowly and nudge him out of the way with it so she could actually get out. He was already talking a mile a minute, his words running together, his hands fluttering, and she was overwhelmed; she didn't understand. She looked over to her husband, waiting by the internal door and he signed 'bike' to her and she clicked.
"Wow!" Gillian enthused, pushing the car door closed with her thigh while she reached out her arms to lift her son to her hip. He was getting really heavy and she was reminded again that he was growing up. The thing with Owen, it just made her so acutely aware of everything; that Lewis was growing up; that Cal was the super-strength glue holding their family together; that she felt like she was barely keeping her head above water. Cal told her it was hormones, making her feel worse but somewhere in the back of her mind, which she tried to ignore, Gillian suspected she had reached her limit for familial disasters; she just couldn't take anymore. Please.
"I'm so proud Lewis," she ran an 'A' hand from by her waist up her chest. "Will you show me?" She couldn't do a two handed sign without dropping Lewis, or putting him down again, and she didn't want to do either. Sometimes it was nice to get a cuddle, even if it was brief, after going up to see Owen.
She walked around her car while Lewis nodded vigorously and pushed against her to be let down. He slid down her body to the concrete. "Dad!" He called going for his bike, which was stored against the wall by the laundry section of the garage. "You don't close the door!"
"All right," Cal agreed, though Lewis probably hadn't heard him. Cal stepped towards his wife, both of them watching as Lewis wheeled his bike between Gillian's car and a shelf. He checked so carefully to make sure he wasn't too close to either and was going to scratch. He passed his parents and cleared the back of the car and headed out to the top of the drive, then looked back to make sure his parents were watching, or following.
"This bit is too scary so go down there," Lewis told them seriously, using one arm to sign 'afraid'.
Gillian nodded and headed towards her son to follow him down the slope of the driveway and then she found Cal's warm hand in hers and he pulled her closer against his body. He was soothing and she shifted closer, so their hips bumped as they walked down the slight incline to the pavement. "How's Owen?" Cal murmured.
"He's good," she gave a smile, genuine reassurance. Cal nodded his approval and then Gillian focussed on Lewis, her big boy, who was climbing with a little awkwardness on to the bike, keeping a foot out to balance seeing as he no longer had training wheels. When he pushed off, Lewis wobbled like crazy and Gillian fought the urge to rush to his side to help; her hand tightened in her husband's and he squeezed back to keep her put. She was learning a lot about being a parent these days. A lot.
Lewis righted himself and headed down the pavement a bit. Gillian felt a pang, of pride, of grief, of fear, of joy. "You talked to him about cars right?"
"Shhh," Cal whispered, giving her hand another squeeze. He was telling her to just be in this moment, to enjoy it.
Gillian was learning a lot about being a parent from her husband. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and his gaze was slightly amused, mostly delighted. "You make me proud," she told him and then let go of his hand to congratulate Lewis.