“Yes.
“Tell her to come to the crib. I’m going to bring breakfast, and we can eat together, aight? Hopefully, that’ll make you feel a little better. Anything you want in particular?”
“You.”
“I’m coming, baby.”
With the girls asleep, I knew it was the perfect time to shower. It had been a long fucking night, and I wanted to clear my head before I went to the hospital to see Ever. It had been two nights too long without her at my side.
I slid from between the girls with ease, knowing that neither of them would wake up. They slept hard, and they slept well each night. Ever was the same. While the slightest noise would wake me, the three of them could sleep through a tsunami. It was baffling to me. I’d never aspired to get that type of rest. It was insane.
It was onlyeight in the morning, and my home was jumping with cartoons playing in the background as I finished a batch of pancakes for Emorey and Essence. They’d loosened the rope on me and allowed me to cook while they watched television on the couch. Pancakes, eggs, and fresh fruit were their choices.
The duo were still in their pajamas. I, on the other hand, was fully dressed and ready to walk out of the door whenever Lyric decided to make an appearance. It felt like she was taking her precious time, but I knew it wasn’t the case. She’d been thuggingit out with us, too. I knew that before she came to my rescue, she wanted to clean herself up. It had been a long two nights for us all.
“Breakfast is ready!” I yelled to the girls.
A second later, I heard tiny footsteps trampling through the living room and heading for the dining room. I followed behind them, happy that they were gaining their independence so quickly. For a moment, they had me spooked. This morning, they were almost back to the little girls I’d seen off to school the day that everything happened.
“You not eat with me?” Emorey was the first to inquire.
“No. Not today. TT Lyric is on her way over to eat with you. Is that OK?”
“Umm hmmm. You not eat?”
“Yeah. I’m going to grab something to eat on the way to see Mommy.”
“I want to see Mommy,” Essence told me as she sat down at the table.
“Me, too, Daddy.”
All movement in my limbs ceased as I turned in Emorey’s direction. Though the smile didn’t reach my face, it was surely on my heart. There’d never been a child to refer to me as Daddy and only three months out of the FEDs, I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon.
I assumed it would be a few years before I found the perfect wife, married her, and then filled her with my babies. Ever stumbling into my life unexpectedly had put my aspirations of fatherhood on the fast track and made it happen within a week. Now, as I stared back at Emorey as she smiled at me, I couldn’t help but thank her mother for that.
“Mommy wants you to stay home until she feels better so that she won’t get you sick, too,” I regained my composure andresponded. My mind was still blown, and my heart was still racing.
Me, too, Daddy.Her little voice rang in my ears.
“OK. Her feel better soon.”
“Yes. She’ll feel better soon.”
Emorey and Essence both had two separate plates to keep their hot food away from their fruit.
“Anybody want syrup?”
“Me, too!” Emorey screamed.
“I do,” Essence said.
“Alright. Not much, or your mother will kill me.”
Ever hated the idea of too much sugar being given to the girls. She tried her hardest to keep them away from candy and even snacks that were loaded with sugar. As I poured a reasonable amount of syrup on both of their pancakes, I heard bags rattling and footsteps nearing.
“It smells good in here!” Lyric rounded the corner. “Hey, Essence. Hey, Emorey.”
“TT Lyric, you wan’ eat wit’ me?”
