Missing Year

Two Ducklings

Killian and Emma brought Hope to her pediatrician office the next day after they dropped off Henry at school. With Hope's lung issues Emma just wanted to make sure Hope was healthy. They were waiting in the waiting room full of babies parents and toys, Hope was still sick. Emma was holding Hope in her arms. "Hopey, the doctor will make sure you are okay.""Love her fever has gone down.""I know, she is still puking. I just wanted to make sure she is alright." Hope fusses. "You want your Dada to hold you?" She lets Killian hold her on his chest. "You give the best snuggles, little love." The nurse called Hope's name. Killian carries Hope as Emma carried the diaper bag and car seat. Killian changes Hope out of her onesie and hat Hope was crying. "I know Hope you are cold little love but you need to be naked for a little while." The nurse measures and weighs Hope while was crying. Emma hates seeing Hope upset. The nurses leave. Killian holds his little lass. "You are being a good little lass for the nurse little love. We got to see how big you are getting." Hope squirmed around. "Killian, I have an idea." She takes Hope's baby blankie out and wraps Hope in her baby blankie and hugs her by her neck. "It is okay...Mommy is right here...Mommy got you. You are safe and warm...shh...shh..." Hope calmed down. She kisses Hope on the head. Hope coos. "She is happy to be with her Mommy. She knows that she is safe with you.""I am her Mommy, it is part of my job as her Mommy. I love our little duckling so much." Hope's doctor enters the room. "Hi, Emma, Hope and Killian.""Hi, Dr. Glass. Hope had a fever yesterday. She also has been puking and diarrhea a lot.""Let me examine her on the table." Emma puts Hope on the examination table. Dr. Glass checks Hope's temperature, heart rate and examines her organs. "Everything is normal." Hope was crying."Even her lungs? I just want to make sure.""Emma, I know her health history. Her lungs are normal and strong, which is a good thing." Killian gives his hook to calm down Hope. "Hope has a stomach virus. Just keep giving her fluids like breastfeeding her, Pedialyte, and tummy grip water for her stomach. Check her temperature, if her fever goes 100 bring her into the hospital." Hope began puking on herself and began to cry, Killian cleans Hope up with baby wipes."And a lot of laundry. If you have any questions or concerns please call me.""Thank you Dr. Glass." he leaves the room. Emma gets Hope who was cleaned up. "Hopey, we can go home now baby girl." She changes Hope back into her outfit as Killian puts her carseat in her stroller. She bundles up Hope. "You are bundled up and warm baby girl, so you won't get sick." She puts Hope in her car seat. Emma hugs her husband. "You got Hope the right medicine.""Yes, I did love. Hope needed her medicine. I told you, Emma, that we are taking good care of our daughter." Emma pulls the cover on Hope's car seat, they paid the co-pay and walked to their car. Killian puts Hope and her car seat in the yellow bug. He checks on Hope. "She is fast asleep.""We should go home now since she is sleeping before I need to feed her again." Emma sits next to Hope as Killian drove them home. As they were entering their apartment Hope began to cry. "We got Hope home just in time. I know baby you are hungry. Mommy will feed you." Killian holds Hope as Emma was getting her coat off and getting prepped to nurse Hope. "There, there little love. Mommy will feed you." Hope pukes on him. "Hope is your tummy hurting you?" He gave her kisses on her head. "Love, I can give her tummy grip water that will settle her tummy." Hope cried louder. "Killian, she might be hungry too." She holds her daughter as her husband fed Hope her medicine. "Your tummy will be feeling better soon, little love." Emma nurses Hope which got their daughter to stop crying. Killian changes his sweater. Emma looked at their messy room, she was thinking when she will have time to clean. "Emma? What is on your mind love?""It is nothing..." "Emma, I can tell something is on your mind, love." Emma gets a phone call. "Hello?""Mom.""Hi, Henry."I am not feeling well, I just vomited.""Killian, Henry is sick.""Aye, I will pick up the lad from school.""Dad is picking you up. Hope got a stomach bug.""I caught it from Hope?""I am afraid so. Your Dad will be there soon." Their phone conversation ended. Killian puts his winter coat back on. "Emma, I will pick up ginger ale, saltines, and Gatorade before I pick up the lad from school.""Thank you." They kiss. "Hopey, you got Henry sick. You two are going to have bonding time when Dada brings Henry home." Emma burps Hope and puts her in her crib with a baby apnea monitor on her. She lays out Henry's pajamas out. They hear the door enter, Henry was home. "Henry." Henry hugs his Mom. "You have two choices, you can sleep on your bed or on the couch.""My bed with you.""Yes, I can sleep with you.""Lad, I have gingerale and saltines for your stomach.""Thanks, Dad." "Kid, I have comfy pajamas for you to wear. I will be in soon." Henry goes to his room. Emma hugs her husband. "Love, I can stay home today.""Killian, you need to work. I will be fine with both of them." She kisses him on the cheek. "Call me if you need me to come home.""I will." Hope was crying in their room. Emma gets Hope and returns to Killian. "Hope wanted to say bye-bye to her Daddy." Killian holds Hope in his arms. "Hope, Dada will come home later from work. When Dada comes home we will have our pirate talk. Be a good little lass to your Mommy." Hope coos. He gave her kisses on her head and hands her over back to his wife. "Have a good day at work." They kiss. Killian leaves. "Hope, it is just you me and Henry." Emma carries Hope to Henry's room. "Henry, Hope wants to join us." Henry smiles. "Hope can join us." Emma and Hope join Henry in his bed. Henry hugs his Mom. She kisses him on the head. "Little sis, our Mommy is going to take good care of us. What did the doctor say?""Hope has a stomach virus. Your Dad was right and bought her the right medicine." "I caught it from Hope.""Yes, you did, Henry." Henry runs to the bathroom and pukes and returns. Hope was crying. "I know you need a change." Emma changes Hope in their room on her changing table, she had diarrhea. Hope pukes on herself and cried more. Emma decides to give Hope a bath. "Henry, can you run the water in the bathtub?""I am on it." "Hope, you are going to get a nice bubble bath." She stripped Hope's clothes off and wrapped Hope in a towel. Emma takes her clothes off too, she needed a bath as well since she was covered in baby vomit and poop and puts a robe on. "Hope, we are going to have a Mommy and Hope bath time." Emma takes Hope to the bathroom."Mom, let me fill the bath more since you are bathing with her.""Thanks, kid." Emma gets into the bath with Hope, she bathed first. "Mom, she loves the water.""Yes, she calmed down once she was in it because it is nice and warm." Hope coos and kicks around. "Hope, you like the water just like our Dad." He tickles Hope. She kicks the water which splashes Henry. "Hope, did you just splash Henry?" Hope coos. "You are just being your little pirate self." Hope fusses. Emma repositions Hope lying her on her chest. "She looks comfy on you Mom."Emma smiles. "Your sister loves snuggling on me." Hope makes poop."Hope, that is gross little sis." Emma lifts Hope up and cleans Hope more. "She is clean, Henry. I need a bath." He gets a towel and takes his sister from their Mom."Hopey, you are okay. You are with Henry. You are not in trouble, little sis.Shh..shh.." Emma takes a shower and cleans the bathtub. Once he got his sister calmed down, Henry changes Hope into a clean diaper and into a BB-8 onesie. "Here you go Hopey. You are clean and in a new outfit." He takes Hope into his room and let her snuggle on him. "Hope, this is the onesie I chose for you when you were growing inside of Mommy's tummy." Hope coos. "You like the onesie." Hope smiles. "Mom! Mom!!" Emam runs into Henry's room with only a towel. "Henry!" "Mom, Hope smiled!"Emma smiles and joins them on Henry's bed. "Hopey, do you like the onesie that Henry bought for you?" Hope smiles. "See I told you! Hope is smiling.""Yes, she is smiling, Henry." She holds Hope's little hand. "Hope, are you happy to be with Henry?" Hope coos and moves around. "You are having so much fun with Henry." Hope coos. "Mom, Hope and I are just talking. She is a great listener." Emma smiles. "How about after I dry up, we can snuggle and watch a movie in the living room.""Can we snuggle in here? I got Hope to calm down in here.""Yes, we can. Hope likes your room." Emma changes into a comfy outfit and brings some colorful books for Hope. Hope was crying. "Henry, she is hungry." She nurses Hope on Henry's bed. Henry brings Pedialyte and tummy grip water. Henry sits next to his Mom. "Is she eating normally?""Yes, she is which is a good sign." Henry runs to the bathroom to hurl and pours himself a glass of gingerale. He returns sitting to his Mom and sister. "Mom?""Yes, Henry?""Does breastfeeding Hope hurt?""Yes, there is a little pain but it goes. When I eat food it comes from my stomach to my breast to feed Hope.""Oh, how it works." Emma burps Hope. "Little sis, you burp loud." Emma giggles. "Can we talk in here?""Yes, we can." Hope fell asleep on Emma. "She loves sleeping by your neck.""That is her favorite spot." Henry hugs his Mom. "You are a great Mom to me and Hope.""Thanks, kid.""I know you will be great with us forever.""I am doing that because I did not have any of these snuggles, hugs, kisses, kindness or a family not until I had you, Henry.""Mom, you are raising Hope and me together with Dad who is the best man for you and best Dad for Hope and me." "We are making family memories all the time, kid. The next holiday is Christmas.""We are going to have a tree and presents?""Yes, Henry. I was thinking we can go to see the big tree in Rockefeller Center!""Yes! Mom, you made a good choice for our family to live in New York.""I knew New York has a lot of work opportunities and a lot of transportation.""Can we go ice skating soon?""Yes, we can. Your Dad can hold Hope as we ice skate.""Awesome." Henry yawns."You can sleep on me, Henry. I have room. Hope would not kick you." "Can we talk later?""Yes, we can.""Great. I am tired.""You need to rest."Emma hugs her son and kisses her son on the head. "I love you and Hope so much, my two babies." She enjoyed them sleeping on her, her two babies. Killian arrived home finding Emma with their two children fast asleep in Henry's bed. He takes a picture of his little family sleeping together on his iPhone. He kisses Emma on the head. She wakes up. "Hi, Emma. How did it go with the kids?""Hope and I had a bubble bath, let's just say Hope pooped in the tub and mostly on top of me." Killian chuckles. "They both took turns puking but they both wanted to be with me. We have been sleeping in here most of the day.""Aye, I can see why because they love you so much. Have you eaten?""A little.""I brought you home grilled cheese and onion rings.""You did?""Aye, I knew you had a long day and needed to fuel up.""Thank you. You are so sweet." They kiss Hope wakes up crying. "Emma, Hope needs her one on one time with her Dada." Killian takes Hope from Emma. "Hope, Dada is home, Dada..." He sniffs her. "You need a diaper change." Killian changes Hope. "There you go, little love. You are all clean." He sits with Hope on the rocking chair. "Hope, did you have a good day with Mommy and Henry?" Hope coos and fusses. "What is wrong little love?" She reaches her hands out to her Daddy's hook, "Aye you want Dada's hook. Here you go." Hope grabs her Daddy's hook. "You are my little pirate..yes you are yes you are..." He gave Hope kisses on her forehead. "I know you had fun today with Mommy who took such good care of you." Hope coos. "You had so much fun with Henry today?" Hope coos. They continue to have their pirate talk, which Killian loved, he kept thinking about his family all day at work.Henry wakes up. "Mom, where is Hope?""Your Dad is home and he is with your sister." "I am cold." She checks her son's head and he was sweating. She uses the thermometer, his temperature was 102.00%."You have a temperature." She gives him Tylenol and fed him saltines and gingerale. "I am cold." "I know but you are sweating to which means you have a fever." She gives him an extra blanket and he lies down on her lap. "Stay...""I am not going anywhere, Henry." He falls asleep."I am staying right here." Killian comes in carrying sleeping Hope. "How is Henry?'"He has a fever and fast asleep. How is Hope?""She fell asleep after having our pirate talk. She is puking less.""That is a good sign of her getting better because she was puking a lot today." "Mom?" Henry was talking in his sleep. "Henry, I am right here...you are okay..." Killian gets an ice pack and hands it to his wife. "Thanks, this will help lessen his fever." She puts it on Henry's head, he calmed down. Killian sits next to his wife. "You are being a brilliant Mommy to Henry and Hope, swan.""Thank you. I hate seeing them sick but I am enjoying them both snuggling on me. My two little ducklings need me, I am there for them. I am their mom and it is my job to take care of them when they are both sick.""Of course, love. You took care of them all day. They love you so much."Emma smiles. "They love you too, Killian, so much.""Aye, I was thinking we can buy a Christmas tree tomorrow or when they get better.""Killian, they are looking forward to Christmas.""Aye, we are going to create Christmas traditions the Jones family way."I like that, Jones Christmas traditions. You, Henry and Hope.""Aye, you will always have our family traditions with our family love.""I love you, Killian.""I love you, Emma." They kiss.