"You'll do great Ace," Graham says as she boots up her computer to an email from her new online Professor that got changed at last minute.
"Graham, one of my professors wants to meet. You have work, Sarah Jane has appointments today, both Mom and Dad have showings or have to take Steven who I am not comfortable having around Manisha yet to his next check ups."
"Have you forgiven your parents?"
"I have, I know Steven is just a baby, not yet a year old. He'll learn not to do that. I just won't leave him alone with Manisha until he's older."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Just take Manisha with me. I'll explain the situation. Now get moving. You can't be late."
"I know, which of my girls should I kiss first," he walks to where Manisha is lying awake, "Ace come here."
"What," she walks over to them to find Manisha holding up her head looking at them with wide eyes. "Is her eyes changing?"
"I think they have been, but her head," he turns and kisses Ace's cheek. "She's holding up her own head. Her eyes are turning to look a lot like yours. They are more almond shaped like yours are. I think I see hazel in the color. She's definitely your daughter."
"She has your nose," Ace kisses his nose, "you really need to leave for work."
He bends down kissing Manisha on the forehead, "be good for Mommy," He turns to Ace, "I hate that I have to leave you on a day you need me to take care of our daughter."
"It'll only be for a little while. Graham, you love your job. It gives you purpose."
"Not as much as you two do," he gives her another kiss before heading out. "I love you," he yells; making Ace smile.
"Your Dad is silly." She bends and gives Manisha a raspberry, making her laugh. "Your laugh is music to my ears," she then picks her up. "Is it almost time for you to have some food?" She laughs as Manisha's tongue darts out and licks her lips. "You are definitely your Father's Daughter. Lick your lips when someone mentions your favorite food."
She takes Manisha over to the computer and situates herself so she could feed her. As she hears Manisha start to snore. "I guess you're not hungry anymore. I'm going to lay you down to get ready."
1 hour later Ace arrives at Pembershints, she walks in the main building carrying Manisha in her carrier and the diaper bag on one arm, "your first time in a college building, and you're not even 4 months, Mani, how does it feel?"
She just looks up to her and gurgles. "Ace."
She turns to see Mel coming towards her, "want to say hi to Auntie Mel."
"What are you doing here," she looks down and bends down to lightly tickle Manisha.
"There was a slight change in online professors, and my new one wants to meet."
"Was there no one to watch Manisha?"
"Not on short notice. Graham had to get back to work, Mom and Dad are both busy with work and Steven, and Sarah Jane has a few appointments. You three have classes."
"Well, I don't have a class for 20 minutes, why don't I watch her."
"Are you sure?"
"She's my little niece of course I am. I will sit outside the office so you can still be near to her."
"That sounds good, want to spend time with Auntie Mel," in response Manisha sticks her thumb into her mouth and closes her eyes. "I think she is about to fall asleep. Here you go," she hands Mel the carrier and diaper bag bag.
"Dorothy McShane," says a voice she hasn't heard in over a year. "Professor?"
"I moved up, I'm surprised that you were on my list for online only."
"I had a baby a few months ago."
"Is Mr O'Brien the father?"
With a smile, "he is. He didn't want to leave again for work today."
"Again?"
"He's a school bus driver. He couldn't really take Manisha with him, and my parents along with his aunt had plans today."
"So where is she?"
"Mel has a short break between classes, so she's sitting outside with Manisha while I meet with you. So?"
I am wanting to meet with all of my online students, you were the first to respond."
"I am determined to graduate on time. I want to run a charity for kids."
"Is it because of your little one out there?"
"No, it's been a dream since not long after I moved to the states. I want to be able to help kids like Liam, Graham and myself; that are in bad situations to get out."
"I see, what happened to you guys?"
"Abuse from one of our parents, and more than that in my case."
"What do you mean?" A loud cry is heard from the hallway.
"That isn't her hungry or wet cry," not waiting to be excused she runs out. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know she was napping peacefully and all of a sudden started to cry," Mel tries to calm down Manisha who tries to refuse her aunt.
"Let Mommy see what's wrong with you." She takes Manisha from Mel, bouncing her as she does so.
"Could she be teething, babies can start to teeth around 4 months," Mel looks up to see the question mark wearing teacher from high school come out of the office. My son teethed around that age." He smiles at the baby who continues to cry as people come out of classrooms. Whispers are heard, but the three adults close to the baby don't pay any mind as Ace opens Manisha's mouth with a finger to find something sharp.
"Two milestones in one day, holding your head up and teething. You're growing too fast."
The Doctor laughs, "just you wait. It feels like yesterday Hex was in diapers, but now he's ring shopping." Ace bends down with Manisha in one arm to get out a toy.
"Mel, can you please open this," Ace hands her a teething toy. Ace then inspects Manisha's thumb and is relieved to find no scratches.
Hours later Ace and Graham are laying in bed with Manisha on Graham's chest, her second favorite place it seems. "So how was it?"
"What," she has started to doze off.
"You're meeting with your new professor?" He repeats himself.
"Mel saw me walking in with Mani and watched her outside of his office.
"Do you like him?"
"Mhhmmm, you know him."
"I do?"
"One of our teachers that teased us before we got together."
"One that wore a question mark jumper and always had that umbrella?"
"The one in the same. Mani interrupted our meeting with her starting to teeth."
"Our Manisha is teething."
"And wouldn't stop crying except to eat until her Daddy got home."
"Do you want to sleep?"
"After we put Mani down." Graham slowly gets up, careful not to wake Manisha and puts her in her crib.
"Mommy and Daddy are proud of you," he kisses her crown before crawling back in. "May I hold you tonight?"
"You don't have to ask," she lays on her side and Graham spoons her. He finds his hand moving all around her stomach. "Yeah, it seems I have lost all of the baby weight. Is that ok?"
"Ace, to me you are always beautiful."
"I know," she yawns, feeling his lips on the side of her face. "Love you too." She mumbles before falling into an easy slumber hearing the even breathing of her family around her.
….
A few weeks later Ace has finished her classes for the day and is on the ground with Manisha as she starts laughing when a smell greets Ace's nose. "Did someone just go poo poo?" More laughter, she picks up her daughter and takes her to change her. "Not just any type, guess who needs a bath?"
"Waaaaaaa!" she wonders if Manisha knows the word bath, then shakes her head after reading all the baby books, she knows that's not possible.
"It's ok, Mommy will make it fun." She then takes Manisha to where they keep the baby seat for the bath, sets her in it and starts the water. "Who is 4 months today, you are," Ace says in a weird voice.
10 minutes later she can feel someone watching her. "She's almost cleaned. Do you want to dress her while I get changed?"
"How did you know it was me," Graham crosses the rest of the ensuite in two strides and splashes some of the water onto Manisha making her laugh.
"I just felt you."
"How has she been feeling today?"
"Another tooth is forming."
"Man, she is growing up," he says before grabbing a towel to dry off Manisha before taking her to be dressed.
"Your daughter loves to splash me, and you come in splashing her."
"I just want to hear her laugh the second thing when I walk in the door."
"What's the first?"
"You telling me something. Could be I need to give her a bath while you shower, because she just threw up all over you, or that you love me."
"I love you, Graham O'Brien."
"I love you too Dorothy McShane." They share a quick kiss and turn their heads in time for Manisha to roll onto her stomach so she can reach for something to grab. "No, not that." He picks her up and the three make their way to the living room where they have some of her toys.
"Is it playtime again," Nyssa asks.
"Just getting her something to chew on before I rock her to sleep for a nap."
"Her teeth bothering her?"
"Not yet Nys, but I try to be safe," Ace looks at Graham. "We both are."
"I'll make dinner while the two of you put her down for a nap," Nyssa smiles as he bends down for a forgotten toy, taking it to the kitchen and rinsing it off as Manisha starts to tear up.
"Here you go Sweetie, Dad found this." Manisha looks at it, grabs it and puts it into her mouth. Letting out a small noise as she does so making Ace laugh and Graham thinks of a noise he makes. "Does she do this often?"
"Usually if I ask if she's hungry. Her tongue goes to lick her lips like yours do sometimes."
Tegan who was on the couch, "I guess there is no doubt she is your daughter now."
"There was no doubt to begin with," he says.
Once they are in their room Ace goes to a small rocking chair. "You know Tegan meant nothing right?"
"I do."
"Has anyone asked you that?"
"No, it's clear to everyone we know that we love each other and Manisha is both of ours. She has my nose after all," he jokes. She smiles before refocusing on the wiggling baby in her arms. She starts to sing a soft song.
'Took quite a time but you made up your mind
You'll never know the hurt you leave behind,' as she continues singing Graham is always curious as to why she does such a sad song. After she puts her down, he takes her hand and kisses it.
"I have meant to ask you this for 4 months, but why do you sing such a sad song?"
"You mean So Sad the Night?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know, I just like how soft sounding it is and Manisha seems to love it."
"I think a part of it is that her mom has a beautiful voice."
"Oh Shut up."
"Never. I love everything about you; you know that."
"I do. Graham, do you think that soon we can ask for someone to watch Manisha, so we can have time just the two of us. We haven't really had any since before she was born. I am missing you."
"I miss you too, I didn't know it was possible to miss someone that you sleep next to every night." They reach the living room as Mel sets the table.
"How is the little horror," she asks.
"Asleep, will probably be for about an hour. I see we are having grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner."
"We are. Something simple," Nyssa smiles as she puts two sandwiches on Graham's plate then Ace's.
