Weeks went by and soon Father's Day was quickly approaching. Nellie wanted do something special so I offered to help her cook breakfast for him considering she was five.
"Yea I'm picking her up right now"I assure Leo.
"Okay, I'm really sorry Jules. I'm just all the way in Brooklyn"
"You don't have to apologize"I chuckle as I exit the subway.
"I really thought I got this whole single parenting done"He chuckles.
"You are never alone Leo"I say.
"Sometimes feels like it"I roll my eyes at him "you just rolled your eyes didn't you?" He asks.
"Oh wow, how did you know?" I ask, he chuckles "I'll call you later"
"Alright, give Nellie my love"
"Always do"I say before we bid a quick goodbye and I enter the daycare. It was chaotic considering they just had lunch I assume.
"Hey Julie"The secretary, Laura smiles at me.
"Hey"I smile and lean on the desk.
"Leo busy?" She asks as she hands me the clip board, I nod.
"He's in Brooklyn right now"I chuckle.
"Well I guess the timing is right, the kids made Father's Day cards"
"Really?" I smile as I sign my name with Nellie's name. Laura nods. "I suppose lots of glitter was involved?"
"Oh I've never seen so much glitter in my life" She says and we laugh.
"She's in room C, you can go ahead in"She smiles.
"Thanks Laura"I say before going to go collect Nellie. As I entered the room, it was very much so chaotic. I looked around until I spotted Nellie in the far corner sitting at a table. I say hello to the teachers and make my way to Nellie.
"Hey sweet girl"I smile as I crouch down beside her.
"Julie!" She squeals, dropping her pencil down and wrapping her arms around me. I chuckle as she sits back down in her seat.
"So what are you writing?" I ask, sliding the sheet closer to me. She was practicing on her letters.
"Letters"she smiles proudly. I chuckle and kiss her cheek.
"Oh so I heard you made cards, did you make one?" I ask fully knowing that she already had one made.
"I did, it's a secret" She says placing her finger over her mouth. And I laugh.
"Okay, so you ready to go?" I ask. She nods and quickly picks up her letter sheets she was working on. I go over to talk to her teachers as she gets her backpack. They both tell me that Nellie spent her free time either reading or learning to write her letters.
"I'm ready!" Nellie announces as she skips up beside me.
"Have a good weekend you guys, and Miss Nellie don't forget to give your daddy your special card" Nora says.
"Don't worry Miss Nora, I won't"She smiles.
"Thanks guys"I smile as Nellie reaches for my hand. We exit the classroom and soon we were leaving the daycare.
"So Nellie, what do you think we should cook for Leo?" I ask Nellie as I hail a cab.
"Waffles?"she asks. "Eggs? And hmm bacon?" I laugh as I pick her up and set her on my hip.
"Okay"I agree "so are you hungry?" I ask as a cab pulls up in front of us. She nods. "Want a big girl lunch or snack?" I ask.
"Can we get pretzels?" She asks as I open the door to the back of the cab.
"Of course"I smile at her. And tell the driver where to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I chuckle as Nellie attempts to pour syrup, and practically poured it all "good job"I say and rub her back. She smiles and I take the bottle from her.
"Okay you ready?" I ask putting Leo's coffee on the tray.
"Wait!" She says and climbs off the stool she was standing on. I watch as she runs towards her room and soon comes back, her card in her hand. She hands it to me and I put it on the tray.
"Okay now are we ready?" I ask, she nods and I pick up the tray. "Get the door for me"I smile and she nods as we walk towards Leo's room. She opens the door quietly. "1, 2, 3"Nellie and I say before she jumps on the bed.
"Happy Father's Day Daddy!" She yells as I place the tray on his nightstand "Daddy!" Nellie yells and I hear Leo chuckle.
"Okay woah"Leo says in a husky voice. Nellie settles down beside him as I sit on the edge of the bed.
"Happy Father's Day"Nellie says in a much quieter voice. He smiles.
"Thank you pumpkin"Leo smiles and pushes the hair away from her face.
Her face lights up immediately "my card!" She points to the nightstand as Leo slowly sits up.
"You made me a card?" He asks. She nods as he leans on the backboard of the bed and grabs the card. Nellie moves around and ends up sitting in his lap.
I smile as he opens the card and glitter falls out on the bed, I quickly grab my phone and take some pictures. Leo smiles and wraps his arm around Nellie.
"I love it"he smiles softly down at her "thank you Nellie"He says. She leans into him and he kisses her head.
"I love you"she says.
"I love you too pumpkin"He says. I smile at the two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We had spent Father's Day at my parents, at the end of the day we ended up back at Leo's apartment. Leo walks into the room "she's finally asleep"He sighs as he comes to lay on the bed with me. I chuckle. I put my phone down.
"So, did you have a good first Father's Day?" I ask him, he chuckles.
"I did, thank you"He says.
I laugh "for what?" I ask, he wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer.
"For today" he shrugs. I smile.
"You deserved it, you truly have been a great father"he smiles and kisses my forehead. "You work tomorrow why?" I ask him. He want scheduled to work tomorrow.
He sighs "we're having a harassment course"
"What why?" I ask looking at him as he turns on the tv.
"Apparently someone had harassed a few of the girls in our precinct, he's one of the new guys. I got him in the evidence room. Reported it right away" he explains.
"It was just one guy?" I ask, he hums. "That's terrible"He nods.
"Chief was pissed, apparently he had dealt with these kind of things at his old precinct, he takes it very seriously"I raise an eyebrow "he has four girls"
"Makes sense"
"It honestly made my blood boil though when I caught him in the act, he's older then me way older and as I should be respecting him I was restraining myself from punching him"He scoffs.
"You were clearly upset because you have a daughter now"I say.
"Yea I guess your right"
"Always right"I smile and he chuckles, kissing my cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a tiring night shift and for some reason we were very packed which never and rarely happens during the summer I've been told.
I hand a clipboard to a middle aged women to fill in, she gives me a smile and I return the gesture. It was obviously my turn behind the nurses station.
The hospital doors open up "help! I need help!"Someone yells, I look up as Leo and Finley run in, Erica rushes over to them as I rush over to.
"What happened?" Erica asks.
"I don't know she's just swelling up" Leo explains quickly. A gurney was brought to us and I quickly lay Nellie down on the bed. Erica checks her mouth.
"Allergic reaction, we gotta go"Erica says to me. I nod and I grip the handles of the gurney.
"Leo, Finley stay here"my manger demands as I rush Nellie in.
"I got you pretty girl"I say as I roll her into a room. She looks at me and tries to nod but considering the reaction she was having all she could do was wheeze and look terrified "Erica!" I yell.
"Coming!" She yells following behind me.
Thankfully we got Nellie some antibiotics that stopped the swelling, she was lucky. Leo was allowed in two hours later. He looked terrible.
"What did she eat?" I ask.
"I don't know, we had a late night snack"He shrugs.
"Can you remember what you guys had?" I ask. He was clearly being stubborn while I tried to do my job.
"We had cookies and milk"Finley says as he laid beside Nellie who was asleep.
"What was in the cookie?"
"I think peanuts"Leo tells me, starting at me. I nod.
"Well she's very lucky, considering the reaction she had if you had come any later we would've had a bigger problem" I tell my boyfriend. He nodded. He took me seriously while I was on the clock and I he, which I liked between us.
"Is she gonna need an epipen?" Finley asks. I nod.
"Yes most likely considering she's still a child, but we will explain more of that in morning as of right now we should let her sleep" I tell the two boys.
"We're good to stay right?" Leo asks. I nod.
"Of course"
"Thank you Julie"Finley tells me, I smile at him.
"It's my job" I nod. I motion for Leo to follow me and he obeys. I slide Nellie's folder into the holder on her door as I close it "you okay?" I ask him.
"Yea, just shaken up"He confesses, I squeeze his bicep.
"You did good Leo, I know it must've been scary for you I understand but you did what any parent would've done" he sighs, finally taking in the graduate I was giving him. "Don't feel bad, it happens to everyone. But now you know"I tell him. He nods.
"She just started coughing and getting hives I just I-I"
"Leo"I place a hand on his cheek "it's okay"I tell him, he sighs and nods.
"Are you on break?"
"I would've been but yes I'm on break now"
"Okay, then I gotta talk to you about something"He says. I raise an eyebrow.
"Is it work related?"
"Kinda yea"he nods. "It's about Amelia" I tilt my head confused.
"She came in today, at the station and reported something"
"What?"
"It's her father, again"
"Why? He's here?" I ask, he shakes his head immediately.
"He's been harassing her over the phone, even threatening to come up to New York"
"She didn't tell me?" I say angry.
"You were already at work" I sigh and shake my head.
"I couldn't do much considering he lives in California but if he ever comes up to New York I'll handle it" he tells me, I nod.
"She's spent her entire childhood being afraid of him and I don't want her to be afraid of him still when she's finally got the freedom she deserves"I say, he smiles at me softly and presses a kiss to my forehead.
"If he ever comes back, I'll handle it. I promise"I nod.
"I should get back to work"I sigh. He nods and kisses me quickly. "I'll see what I can do as in terms of breakfast for Nellie"I tell my boyfriend. He laughs.
"Thank you"he says again. I nod before we go our different ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was way past my shift now and I was seated in Nellie's room listening as Camille educated both Nellie and Leo on peanut allergies and an epipen. Finley has left late last night considering he had work but Leo called in.
"If you have any questions you can always ask Julie"Camille smiles at Nellie and Leo as she puts away the epipen in a small cute bag that we were giving to Nellie.
"Thank you"Nellie smiles as she was handed the small bag. Camille smiles.
"Now missy, are you ready to head home?" Camille asks, shoving her hands in her scrub pockets. Nellie nods excitedly. My manger smiles.
"Wanna come with me and file out some papers Leo?" Camille says. Leo nods slowly detaching himself from Nellie as the two shared the small hospital bed.
I watch as Leo and Camille walk out before I sit on the edge of Nellie's bed.
"Are you feeling better?" I ask her. Thankfully before I came into Nellie's room after my shift I had changed into my adidas and long sleeve shirt which was one of Isaiah's old shirts.
"Yes"she nods "I'm very tired"she yawns. I smile softly at the little girl sitting in front of me.
"Don't worry, we'll go home soon and you can sleep in your own bed"I smile.
"Will you still be at home when I wake up?" She asks. I nod.
"Most likely yes"I comment. She was probably right, I probably would go home with Leo after he's done signing some papers and be too lazy to go back to my own apartment.
A few minutes pass and Leo comes in, hands stuffed in his sweatpants, it was the first time I realized how tired he was. He had on a pair of grey sweatpants and a logo-less black hoodie, his hair was differently in dismay from him being stressed all night.
"So? Are my two girls ready to go home?"he asks putting on a smile. We nod and I stand up grabbing my things as Leo picks up Nellie. She immediately lays her head on his shoulder. I say goodbye to those working.
Seeing as all three of us were exhausted we opted to take a cab rather then walk. It had truly been an eventful night and we were all excited to sleep in a bed.