If you got through Chapter 1 without getting too bored, you might actually enjoy Chapter 2!


Day 3

"She doesn't really need you today, does she?" She questioned him, dumping out the bottle of breast milk their daughter refused to drink that morning, and discarding a red bowl into the pile of dishes stacking up inside the sink.

He grabbed the other two bowls off of the table, sweeping away excess crumbs into his hand, "Amy, we went over this. It's Super bowl weekend, and Bunny is slammed."

She took the bowls from him to add in, turning on the faucet to rinse them, "so have Nora, or Leo come in and help out! Bunny is already giving you a paid week off - you just want away from us!"

"I do not want away from you" He comforted, running his hands up and down her robe-covered arms. "Amy, it's overtime - double overtime - and we really need the money."

She knew he was right, but couldn't help herself from sighing against him, her voice small "Yeah well I need you, Ricky. You promised you'd be here to help me out." A loud dry cry broke them apart, as the infant wailed for her mother's attention across the room.

He followed her into the living room, watching as she stood over their daughter before picking her up, "And I have been here - I am here - I just need to go downstairs and help Bunny for a few hours"

"Ben can help Bunny!" She countered, which made him chuckle "It's not funny!" Rolling his eyes, he walked over to the bookshelf, grabbing his wallet from the bowl by the door.

"Uh oh," John called out from his spot at the kitchen table; his Tonka truck colliding with a half full sippy cup of milk, sending it across the wood in a white puddle. Stuffing his wallet securely into his back pocket, Ricky let out a frustrated breath before walking to clean the mess up.

"So you're really just going to leave me with both of them all day?" Amy huffed, switching the fussy infant from her chest to her shoulder, patting her back gently as she watched him assist their son in swiping a handful of paper towels across the table. Hearing her phone let out a loud chime, she padded over to the bed, craning her neck and letting out an annoyed sigh upon seeing the name on the screen, "Ugh, it's my dad again."

Tossing the sopped paper towels into the garbage bin, he lifted John out of the chair, bringing him back over to the sofa bed. "Why don't you take the kids and go over to your dad's house? John could play in the yard and you'd have an extra set of hands so you could relax for a while."

"Ricky, I don't want to drag everything out of this house, just to go to my dad's! Emma's still all over the place with her eating and sleeping, and she probably wouldn't be content since she doesn't know the place." Her rising voice caused the baby to whine against her neck, frustrating her further. "Are you sure you can't just call off?"

"You guys will be fine. I'm right downstairs if you need me" He assured, pulling their comforter over their son, who was knuckles deep in a bag of goldfish crackers. He stood, walking over and wrapping his arms around her and their daughter. "We can't just hide out in this bubble forever, Amy"

She sighed against his chest, running her left hand over their daughter's head, "I know I just - forget it" She sniffled, hoping that Emma's loud whines wouldn't make him notice.

"You just what?" He sighed in a low whisper

She broke free from his arms, swiping at the stray tears gathering in her eyes, "Nothing, I'm fine. You go to work"

His eyes were sympathetic, watching his wife cradle their daughter against her, blinking back the tears he saw in her eyes before she pulled away from him. Nodding, he pecked her temple with his lips, "love you," and went out the door.


"Got something you'd like to share?" Bunny inquired, not looking up from the clipboard in her hands as he passed by.

Ricky stopped in his tracks, swiping his phone screen for what felt like the 100th time that day, "What?"

Bunny motioned towards the device he was shoving back inside his jeans pocket quickly, "You keep hitting the ignore button on your phone." She raised an eyebrow to him, "trying to hide something?"

"It's Amy." He sighed, shaking his head at her accusatory stare, "She keeps calling me, and I keep ignoring her"

"Is she okay?"

"Of course she's okay. She just wants me to come back upstairs and take care of the baby so she doesn't have to."

"And?"

"And I don't want to do that. I want to stay down here and work." He declared, sighing again as the vibration started in his pocket. Bunny kept staring at him, as he once again swiped the screen, "What?"

"Oh, nothing" A half smile made its way on her face, even though her wide eyes told an entirely different expression as she clasped her hands together and shouted loudly throughout the store, "Ok, back to work!"


"Why don't you just go up there and check on her?" Nora asked, trying to delicately wrap a large mass of shredded meat into the white paper on the table

With a flick of his hands, Ricky brought the roll of paper across the remainder of the table to cut for the next batch of meat sitting in the cooler by his left leg, "Because I don't think I should have to. Amy is an adult, she's perfectly capable of handling the kids by herself for one day."

She was about to say something, but his stare told her to tread carefully. Instead she nodded, raising her left hand in surrender. "Ok, ok…So when do I get to meet my granddaughter?"

"You have met her"

"I don't really classify watching her through a glass window, as meeting her. When can I actually go up and hold her?"

"Whenever you want. You can go up there now if you want, I'm sure Amy would love that."

"Maybe I will."

"I could use a hand over here!" Bunny shouted from behind the counter as a rush of more customers started making their way into the shop. Sprinting over to attend to them, Ricky took his place behind the counter next to her, waving over an elderly gentleman in a green hat.

Shaking her head at the influx of customers, Nora walked over to the red door, pushing it open to both take out the trash mounting next to it, and to get a breath of fresh air. Coming back inside, she rubbed her hands against the white sleeves of her shirt, shivering slightly from the brisk nip in the February air. A sniffle caused her to look up towards the stairwell; the petite brunette leaning against it, concerning her. "Amy?" She called out to her, watching as her daughter in law stood against the door, with her back to it, "Amy, are you okay?"

Noticing the concerned quiver in her voice, Amy wiped at her face quickly, "I -" she tried to speak, but the words got trapped within her sobs, "I - just -"

Nora put her hand out, her eyes scanning the young mother sympathetically, "It's okay, I'll get him." Amy nodded as a response, swiping her eyes again.

"Here you go, sorry about the wait." Bringing over three white packaged bundles, he handed them to the customer.

"Ricky, can you come here for a sec?" Nora asked, opening the door just wide enough for her to speak to him, but not wide enough for him to see her at the top of the stairwell. He gave her an odd expression, knitting his brow, "I'd really like to speak with you - now"

Taking the cash from the old man and stuffing it into the drawer, he gave her another glance before blowing air from his cheeks as the next customer stepped forward. "Excuse me a minute" Rushing over to the door, "What?" he asked through his teeth, annoyed. Nora didn't speak, just pointed when she opened the door wider, exposing her. Closing his eyes at the sound of his wife's sobs, he took a breath, "Give me a minute to let Bunny know -"

Nora touched his arm, "I'll do it, you just go"

Nodding slowly, he took the stairs two at a time until he was right next to her, "come here" he embraced her, kissing her hair as she sniffled into his white t-shirt, "It's going to be okay."

25 minutes later

"I put John's train set together, and told him to play quietly in his room." he whispered, coming back into the living room, a sleeping Emma pressed to his chest before laying her down inside the bassinet by the bed, "I just changed her so she should be good for at least an hour or so - hopefully."

Nodding, she wiped at her eyes, "I'm sorry I -"

He shook his head at her words, putting a hand out to stop her before taking a seat next to her on their sofa bed, "You don't have to apologize, Amy."

Amy wiped at her right eye with her thumb, sniffling, "No, I do. I know you think I can handle this - and I can but… it's hard." Her voice was cracking, "I -" taking in a deep breath, "I need to know that you're here for me - for us - and that I won't be doing this alone…"

Her words hurt him, because as much as he wanted to tell her she was wrong, he could see why she would think that, "I wasn't around much when you had John - I know that -" Ricky paused, swallowing the lump forming in his throat, "you were alone with him, and I guess, in a way I just… saw you as capable of handling both of them now since you did so well with John." He sighed, pulling her hand over to clasp it with his own, "But... I shouldn't have put that pressure on you. I know it's been hard on you since we took her home. We're a team, and I need to start pulling my weight with Emma, I'm sorry" Kissing her knuckles, he gave her a half smile.

"I'm sorry too" She whispered, leaning into his side and craning her neck to peck his lips with hers.

He wrapped his arms tight around her shoulder, "Why don't you take advantage of the opportunity and take a nap, I'll be back up here in a few hours and then I'll take over." Pulling at a loose thread on the neck of his shirt, she nodded against him. Giving her lips another soft peck, he whispered "I love you"

She closed her eyes, giving him a soft, but exhausted smile in return, "I love you too"


"Everything okay up there?" Bunny asked upon his arrival back beside her behind the counter.

Nodding, he tied his apron back around his torso, before waving the next customer forward, "It will be. Amy's just having a hard time. She'll get there - I hope."


Day 4

1:33 AM

"Why don't you want it, huh? It's the same milk mommy gives you" Ricky remarked at the screeching baby in his right arm, pressing the bottle of pre-pumped breast milk in his hand to her mouth; closing his eyes in exhaustion and frustration as she turned her head away and began to cry louder. He sighed, looking at his wife, who was cradling their crying son against her, "Are you sure she's hungry? Maybe she needs changed or something?"

"I just changed her 20 minutes ago. Her last feeding was almost 2 hours ago, so yes, she's probably hungry" Amy stated, fixing her gaze on their daughter who kept turning her head away. Knowing what she had to do, she patted John's back before placing him on his feet, "Go with daddy," she instructed him, as his crying got louder. Putting her hands out to take their baby from him, she pulled up her shirt, taking in a sharp breath at Emma's sharp gulps, as she gave her husband the look that said 'I told you so'. "I'm gonna go to John's room, maybe she'll settle enough to sleep for a few hours after she nurses...can you -"

"I got it!" He interjected, swooping up the still-crying toddler pushing his teddy bear against his face, and carting him to the bed to sit atop the covers before he also took a place on the mattress beside him.

"Just lay down and go to sleep, buddy" Ricky whispered softly, swiping at the tears rolling down his son's chubby red cheeks upon seeing Amy leave the room. Pushing back against his efforts, John shook his head and continued to cry, in short, hiccupping bursts. "C'mere" Ricky coaxed, using his free hand to lightly grip John's torso, bringing him closer to him, while the other hand blindly rooted for any type of reading material. "We'll read for a little bit so you can settle down, okay?" Swiping the boy's cheeks again, he opened up the pages of the Sports Illustrated in his hands, pecking John's temple as he prepared to read, "maybe these football stats will bore you back to sleep."

4:27 AM

She shook his shoulder quickly, careful of the boy laying sideways by her knees as her husband jerked and mumbled something inaudible against the pillow tucked tightly behind his head. Trying again, harder this time, she closed her eyes in defeat at his un-waking body.

Clicking her tongue, she used her fingers to pinch the skin on his right arm above his elbow, causing him to jerk again as his eyes shot open, startled.

The cries of their 7-week-old filled his ears as he blinked rapidly, taking in his surroundings.

"I can't get her to stop!" Amy sobbed softly, wiping away the tears of exhaustion falling down her cheeks.

Blinking a few more times, Ricky rubbed his palms into his eye sockets, wincing at Emma's cries from across the room. "What time is it?" He ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to stand up from the bed. She pointed at the clock above the stove now reading 4:29. Shaking his head to help in waking himself up, he trudged over to the bassinet they'd moved over towards the bookshelf, and reached inside. "Has she slept at all?"

She shook her head, adjusting her shirt, "15 minutes, maybe".

He yawned in response, adjusting the infant more securely against his chest. "Great," he sighed upon seeing their son's blonde hair lift from the pillow, and immediately start in on whining; both kids serenading the small space with their pleas for his and Amy's attention.

She sighed heavily, putting a closed fist to her forehead and closing her eyes in pure exhaustion as Emma's whimpers got louder, and John's whines raised in pitch.

"I'll take her, you try to deal with him. He went down after 45 minutes of reading sports stats the first time." Ricky stated, patting the baby's back gently as he went towards the bedroom and shut the door.

8:06 AM

"I got her last time. Your turn." She mumbled half asleep, roughly pulling at their red comforter.

He mimicked her action with his eyes still shut, tugging the blanket against his right shoulder, "You fed her. I changed her. Technically it's your turn. She probably wants you anyway" he nestled further into his pillow, not even bothering to flinch when she shoved him before getting out of their bed to attend to their screeching daughter.

"Daddy…" a small voice mumbled from across the bed, rubbing his favorite raggedy teddy bear against his eyes.

Wrestling more blanket against him, he tried to ignore the combination of noises, closing his eyes tighter in hopes that it would deter his son from climbing into the bed and whining into his ear. It didn't work. John's whines only got louder.

Peeling back the cozy comforter from his body, he sat up. Grabbing the watch he'd tossed on the nightstand, and bringing it to his face, he yawned, raising his hands high above his head in a lengthy stretch to prevent from falling back over. John took that as a sign to move closer to him.

"Again?" Ricky mumbled, frustrated upon seeing his son's pouting face and his exposed midsection. It was too early and he was too tired so instead of saying what he really wanted to say, he just sighed and stood, taking the boy's hand to lead him out of the living room. She passed by them, a whimpering baby in tow, raising a brow. "He wet the bed - again" he stated to her, not bothering to allow John to pout for her attention before being led into his room and shutting the door.

Swapping the fussy baby from her right arm to her left, Amy took in a deep breath, and maneuvered robotically around the kitchen for her breakfast as she lifted her shirt and Emma aggressively nursed.

"One of us really needs to stop by your dad's," He remarked, carting an overflowing laundry basket to the edge of the mattress, "we're out of sheets too - since someone keeps having accidents" His gaze falling upon the freshly dressed toddler inching closer to her side.

"Lots of kids wet the bed, It's not his fault, Ricky", trying to take a large bite of her partially soggy cereal resting on the spoon. John's head rubbing against her robe-covered arm causing Emma's attention to wander and detach, frustrating her. Letting the baby reattach, she took a bite, "he's just having a hard time with all the changes."

Pouring himself a bowl of off brand Captain Crunch, Ricky sat down, "If the adjustment to having the baby home is that big of an issue, maybe he should go back to the pull-ups at night - save the sheets since he's regressed from being fully potty trained" he brought the spoon to his mouth, chewing with annoyance.

It was silent for a few seconds - or as silent as it could be with two kids under the same roof.

Resting his spoon in the bowl, his eyes went towards John, a small tired smile coming to his face upon seeing the blonde boy making funny faces at his little sister. "Maybe you should take some time one on one with him." Ricky spoke, taking in another spoonful, "My parents are coming over later to see the baby, you could go in his room and color with him or something?" Taking in a larger spoonful, he put his hands out, offering his services with their fussy daughter while Amy finished her breakfast. Situating Emma against his left shoulder, he rubbed her back gently, giving Amy a knowing look. "He misses you, and… you haven't exactly spent much time with him since we got home."

Adjusting her shirt and robe, Amy blew out a tired breath and craned her head back against the chair, "You're right," picking John up to rest on her lap, "I haven't exactly made the most time for him in the last couple of days" Her voice cracked with sadness and fatigue, swiping the hair away from his eyes as she placed little kisses on his temple and shoveled her spoonful of cereal into his open mouth. "What do you think? You wanna spend some time with mommy while daddy and grandma and grandpa take care of Emma later?" She asked him, resting her cheek on his hair as she offered another spoonful to him.

John tilted his head slightly, his cheeks puffed out with his breakfast inside them, before swallowing and nodding, taking the spoon from her hands to finish it off himself, "Um, yeh!"


"Wed, bwue, and lelllow are mine, and gween and o-wange are mommy's" John stated matter-of-factly to the large mound of child sized legos on the floor; maneuvering them into piles by color and size. Smiling to himself upon seeing his work, "I gonna bwild a big tower and I - I gonna knoc it bak down!" he squealed with delight as the blocks he was holding in his hands became airborne and landed by his bare feet.

Picking them back up off the ground and putting them back in their correct places, "do you - you want some lelllow bwocks too, mommy?" He asked aloud, knitting his tiny brow upon the response he was given - snoring.

Amy laid on the tiny mattress, face down into the mess of bunched up bedding beneath her, light snores making their way out of her lips as she snoozed.

"Mommy?" John got up, walking towards the bed, two plastic blocks in hand, "up, mommy!" He demanded, shaking her roughly to no avail.


"Isn't she just the sweetest?" Margaret gushed over the infant as she cooed in her arms, her husband Shakur also smiling.

Ricky gave them a half smile, rubbing some tension away from the back of his neck with his hand, "Don't let her fool you into thinking she didn't scream her head off for 45 minutes straight before you got here."

"Looks like someone else might do the same thing..." Shakur motioned towards the hallway, just as John started to slowly creep out, pouting.

Ricky turned from his position, watching as his son stomped his tiny feet across the hardwood floor and his arms braced tightly against his chest - knowing full well that John was on the verge of a tantrum. "What's wrong, buddy?" He didn't answer, just held his stance and began to take fast, frustrated, breaths. "Mommy fell asleep again... didn't she?"

John nodded, letting the tears he'd been holding in, and the slack go from his arms as he started in. "M-momm-yyy n-no-no p-w-wayyy wit meee" he whined, outstretching his small arms up to his dad.

Ricky let out an aggravated sigh as he picked the boy up and cradled him against his side. He knew John was tired and overwhelmed and felt like he was on the backburner of his and Amy's attention lately, but he also just wanted the constant whining and tantrums to cease. "You're okay," he spoke softly, letting the mix of tears and saliva dampen his shoulder sleeve as John continued to whine incoherently and cry.

Margaret touched his leg, "Your mommy needs a lot of rest, John." Her tone was soft, but it didn't aid in his tantrum as he pulled away from her touch. "I think I have an idea..." She stood, handing the baby in her arms to Shakur, before taking John from his father.

"Mom, that's not -" He tried to protest as his mother sat his son down on the sofa and moved his daughter towards them both - But it was too late.

"NO!" John shouted fiercely, using both hands to thrust his little sister away from him roughly, causing her to cough and let out an ear splitting screech.

"Hey!" Ricky boomed, taking Emma from his mother, as he bent down to John's level. The boy was crying again, flinging himself back against the couch cushions. "You have to be gentle!" His tone became elevated, sharply turning his attention to his baffled parents as he tried to jostle his daughter back into a semi-state of calm, "I told you that wasn't a good idea. She's not exactly his biggest fan right now."


"What do you want me to do?" Amy huffed annoyed, wincing at the tiny pain in her side as she bent down to grab a discarded coloring book.

Ricky followed on her heels behind her, baby in tow, picking up two discarded diapers and a rattle lying by the bookshelf she missed - about to say something when the door opened sharply.

"So Leo can come by, but I - your own father - has to wait 4 days to see his own granddaughter? What kinda crap is that?" He pondered loudly, raising a brow at the two shocked, and annoyed, faces before him. "Were you two arguing?"

She rolled her eyes at her father, "nice to see you too."

"Nice look - you planning on shaving anytime soon?"

"Umm, I kinda just brought home a baby," Ricky chuckled lightly, brushing his left hand against his chin; the stumble of his five o'clock shadow pricking his fingertips, "shaving my face is the last thing on my mind right now."

"Don't mind him," Nora stated, walking through the open doorway, grinning, "he's just mad that Kathleen went out of town, and now he has to talk to me!"

"I am not!" George pouted, "If Kathleen wants some time to herself, she should take it." His attention turned to Amy and Ricky, "I'm more upset at the fact that my own daughter didn't tell me she was taking my granddaughter home, and I had to find out from her -" pointing directly at Nora who just rolled her eyes at him.

"Dad, we're running on like 3 hours of sleep right now." Amy stated, pushing back her bangs with her left hand while the other held a handful of small blocks, "I'm sorry I didn't have time to call you."

"Apology not accepted" George shook his head, crossing his arms, which made her roll her eyes again.

Setting the objects he'd had in his hand on the bookshelf, he moved closer to his father-in-law, straightening out his arms to make the handoff. "She just woke up so you should get about 30-40 minutes, maybe - she's a bit unpredictable."

Accepting the wide eyed baby from his son-in-law, he jostled her in his arms, "Thank you!"


"I'm gonna getcha!" Nora teased, taking the plastic toy in her hands to battle the one lying by her grandson's foot.

"No! Don't eat the lellow one!" John shouted, quickly swapping out the bulky Brachiosaurus for the Triceratops, "dis one is fa-aster." Moving to sit more comfortably, his gaze shifted to his grandmother playing alongside him, "don't eat the bwue one!"

"What if I eat both?" Nora challenged, taking both toys into her grasp, "He's a big dinosaur, he needs the extra fuel!"

"Hwre-" He reached out, taking the red one into his hand to give to her, "you tan hav the wed one" before swiping it away quickly and making chomping noises with his mouth, giggling at her mock horrified expression.

"Hey that's not fair, you ate me!" She shouted back at him, swiping away the toys by her knee to try to stand. Quickly placing her gaze on George, "Ok, I think you've maxed out your limit, there are other people here, you know" George looked around the small space, intentionally, before cracking a smile and shrugging, "Me! I'm the other people! You can't just hog her, she's my granddaughter too!"

Pausing his interaction of odd smiles and funny faces at the infant, he looked up at her, "I called dibs, and I was here first!"

"Yeah well, I was born first!" Nora shot back

Getting up from his position by the door, John walked over to the couch, an armful of his toys with him, "Grandpa, you pway wit me?"

Putting up his index finger to the boy, "Just a sec, bud," George brushed the top of his granddaughter's head lightly, smiling at the way she kept pushing her tongue out at him. "Yeah well I created her mother, so ha!"

Nora snorted at his statement, "Well I created her father, so ha, back!"

"Grandpa..." John tugged on his sleeve impatiently, "c'mon grandpa"

"Should we step in?" Ricky asked from his place at the kitchen table, nibbling on a pack of crackers while fighting his drooping eyelids.

"Are you kidding? This is the most entertainment we've had in 5 days." Amy remarked, stealing the pack from him and popping one into her mouth. "Let them hash it out. It'll give us time to talk."

"We've talked all weekend, can't we just enjoy our parent's arguments without having our own?" He whined, throwing his head back slightly. Her look telling him otherwise. "Ok, what do you want to talk about?"

"I called the nursery the other day, and they're ok with John coming back tomorrow."

"You talked to the nursery about him coming back? Why? I thought we agreed to put him back in when we brought Emma there."

"I know we agreed to that but… I don't know how much more I can take with him. We're never going to get her on a sleeping schedule if he's constantly waking her up or disturbing her." She sighed, pushing her hair back from her forehead, "his life has been all over the place since I was in the hospital - getting him back into his routine might make this transition easier on him." He nodded in understanding. "And maybe with him out of the house, she'll actually sleep more than 15 minutes a night!"

"Yeah but John seems happy to be home with you, you really want to put him back in there so soon?" he sat up higher in the chair, contemplating as he drew imaginary circles into the table, "It's only another month until Emma goes there-"

Cutting him off sharply, "I can't take another month of having them both home all day by myself! I will lose my mind!" her tone cracked, wincing as she sat up straighter. Putting a hand out to stop him when he flinched in concern. "Besides John will be 3 tomorrow, he's moving rooms anyways, and the ladies at the nursery miss him"

Resting his back against the wood again, he blew out a breath, "you really think he'll be okay with going back to the nursery without you there?" She nodded, as he silently twisted his wedding band around his finger before he spoke again, his tone lowering in volume. "...I just don't want him to feel like he's being shoved aside for Emma..." Nodding, she stared at him sympathetically and took his hand - about to say something when a loud crash and crying filled the room, stopping her.

Rushing from their seats back into the living room "What happened?" Amy shouted, trying to be heard over all the screaming.

Nora shrugged, wide eyed, "He wanted George to play with him-"

"Yeah, and when I put his toy on the table and told him I needed a minute, he shoved her and threw his toys down," George concluded, handing the screeching infant back to her mother before looking squarely at his grandson.

"Pick your toys up" Ricky spit, motioning with his hand for his wife and daughter to leave the room since she was still freaking out.

"NO!" John shook his head fiercely, pushing himself against the couch cushion, "I no want to!"

He shook his head at the boy, unclenching his tight fist before anyone could notice, and took a slow breath. "I'm not asking, I'm telling - come here"

"I no want to!"

"Then I'm picking your toys up and you're going to bed."

"Nooooo!" John protested, sinking to the floor in a heap of whiny sobs. George rolled his eyes at the action, as Nora contemplated trying to comfort John - but Ricky's eyes told her to leave it be, he would handle it.

Taking hold of his son's arms, Ricky lifted him to a standing position, which he protested by limp noodling his body, making it harder for his dad to pick him up. Finally after doing the same actions 3 times, Ricky got him into his grasp, and carted him off to the bedroom as he bucked and squirmed, crying loudly.

Amy was busy pacing the floor, whispering soothing sounds into Emma's small ear as she continued to whimper and fuss.

"M-m-moommm-yyy" John slobbered upon the two entering the room, outstretching his small arms towards her for her protection and comfort. Ricky shook his head in her direction, silently asking her to leave so he could take care of the situation. She hesitated for a brief second because she knew Ricky's temper, but she also knew that he would never do anything to hurt John, no matter how angry and frustrated he got with him, so she left the room and shut the door behind her.

Sitting John on the bed, he took a seat next to him. "Hey, hey calm down." he put a hand on John's cheek as his legs still flailed in his tantrum frenzy, "you wanna tell me why you're upset?"

"I-I-I… "

"Deep breath"

"I - I n-no wike… the-the bay-beeee" John hiccupped, slapping his arms against the bedding beneath him as he choked on his own mix of tears and spit, "wh-when h-h-her mommy go-go-in to tum get h-er?" bringing his knees up to his chest as he continued to sob against his small hands pressed against his eyes.

Ricky sighed at the boy's confession, "She's not going anywhere, John," softening his eyes at him sympathetically as he reached over to pick him up. John swatted his arms away, rolling onto his side. His tone was soft, as he drew imaginary patterns against John's back affectionately, the same way Amy did when she tried to calm him down, "Emma's mommy is your mommy. You and Emma have the same mommy. And you have the same daddy. She's your sister and she's going to be here forever." This news only upset John further, burying his head against the bunched up blanket and coughing into it.

"Hey," Ricky tried to coax him again, "hey, look at me a sec," lightly tugging on John's shirt sleeve to get his attention set back on him. "I know your life has been all over the place since mommy went to the hospital. She was gone a long time and Emma was sick so you didn't get to be with mommy. And now Emma and mommy are both home and you've kind of been left to play by yourself while me and mommy take care of the baby, huh?" John's sobs softened a bit, as Ricky continued to speak, "You don't think it's fair that daddy and mommy spend so much time with Emma, huh? And that Emma's crying wakes you up and upsets you, because mommy is too tired to play with you, huh?"

Not yet rolling over to look at his dad, John's cries turned into softer whimpers, "Yeh…" rubbing his left fist into his eye socket, "mommy no want to pway with me ne-more," as the whiny cries started up again.

Letting him have his moment to calm himself down, Ricky twisted his wedding ring around his finger silently - the tactic he used when contemplating his next course of action when dealing with something - and closed his eyes, listening to the toddlers cries soften a little more, before he opened his mouth to speak again. "I know you're used to me and mommy playing with you all the time, buddy, I'm sorry." John rolled over to face him, his face still red. "You know you are a big boy though. And Emma is a baby. And babies need a lot of attention... So they cry because they can't talk. You can talk. You come and tell me or mommy what you want or if you're hungry, or sad, or sick, right?" John nodded, wiping away the stray tears rolling down his cheeks. "Well Emma can't. She can't tell me or mommy if she's hungry or sleepy, or sick, or anything else. So she cries - and she cries to let us know what she needs."

Ricky's eyes shifted to the door, half expecting his wife to be standing there with their daughter, listening, or at the very least trying to help him explain this to a 2 1/2-year-old, "But sometimes those cries get really really loud and me and mommy don't know what she wants, so she cries more until we learn what she needs, so she keeps me and mommy up all night because she needs us, so we're really tired and don't get to play with you like you want us to." Putting his attention back on John, Ricky tried once more to gather him into his arms. This time John accepted, allowing his father to place him on his knees, brushing the hair away from his eyes and wiping away the wetness from his face with his hand. He took his small chubby hand into his, brushing it tenderly, "But just because we can't play all the time anymore doesn't mean that me and mommy don't love you or want to be with you. It just means that we're more busy because now we have to take care of you and Emma, and split our time between both of you." He leaned back a few millimeters to look into the young child's eyes, searching for even a hint of understanding within them, You understand that right?"

John blinked a few times, sniffling, and pushing his tongue out against his lips before nodding slowly, "yeh..."

Ricky drew him closer to his chest, kissing his head and resting his cheek against his hair, smiling in amusement at how John traced the webbing of his large hands.


"Someone's in a better mood" She smiled, motioning towards their son as they stepped back into the living room, John's hand clasped tightly inside Ricky's.

Ricky smiled, swinging John's hand, "We talked. I guess our guests left?"

Nodding, Amy swayed their whimpering daughter, "it just got too exciting for them, I guess," trying to not get frustrated at the way she kept pushing her pacifier out of her mouth with her tongue, and then fussing for it to be put back in.

Rolling his eyes at her sarcasm, he watched her take a slow descent down the couch, leaning her head back against the cushions, and lifting her eyes to the ceiling, blowing out a long breath. Putting John on his feet, he went over to the sofa, taking the baby from her arms, and sat beside her.

"I am so exhausted, I could sleep for a year at this point, and it still wouldn't be long enough." John got up next to her, laying his head atop her stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair, her lip tipping up into a small smile as her son giggled at the ticklish touches around his neck.

Situating Emma at an angle against his left bicep, her small feet resting on his legs, while his right hand held the green rubber in her mouth with his index finger, he let out a sigh, leaning his head back to match his wife's, "you think they'll let us sleep more than a half hour tonight?"

Eye still closed, she shrugged, "have you given any more thought to what we discussed earlier? About him going back to daycare?"

Smiling down at his daughter as she gripped his finger in her small palm, "If you think that's going to be better for him… I won't stop you." Ricky's eyes shifted to their son, "Just make sure he's alright with it. It's a lot of changes for him already."

Nodding, Amy craned her neck a little, "do you want to go back to the nursery tomorrow? Hmm, you can be with your little friends again... does that sound fun?" She whispered, mindlessly running her nails across the small of John's back as he nodded against her shirt, when a small but audible noise perked her ear. She tilted her head, hearing it again, and looked at her husband, "Has he eaten dinner yet?"

He raised a brow, "My mom made him a PB&J awhile ago…" turning his head to look at the clock above the stove, "is it that late already?"

She leaned down, brushing the hair away from his eyes, "is that why you're so cranky, are you hungry, baby?" John nodded slowly against her, taking her hand away from his head, to toy with her rings.

"Why didn't you tell me or mommy so we could make you something, buddy?" Ricky asked him, brushing the pad of his thumb over his daughter's cheek as she started to close her eyes.

John raised his head off his mother, and shrugged nonchalantly, "I dunno." Moving off the sofa entirely, he looked from his dad, to the kitchen, and then to his mom, twisting his foot against the hardwood floor, and pulling at his bottom lip with his right hand, "tan I hav sum pa-sketii Os, mommy?"


And that will do it for Chapter 2! Stay tuned for Chapter 3! :)