Lost & Found

The tale of a healing girl

"Haven Abigail Hawthorne, sit your butt down right now," Emma heard Aiden as she followed him into the living room of their new house that they had finally settled into, both of their daughters already in there, apparently being a bit naughty.

"Daddy," Haven whined a moment later as Emma walked in, watching as Aiden scooped up Lucy who was standing on the couch, and placed her in his arms as he sat down. Haven sat next to them with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed over her chest, having just gotten scolded.

"You can't teach Lucy to jump on the couch, baby. She could fall off and get hurt. You could too. I don't want either of you getting hurt. It would make Daddy cry," Aiden explained to her, jutting his bottom lip out to make himself look sad as he pretended to cry.

"Daddy," Haven cooed, immediately smiling at him as she got up on her knees, pressing her forehead against his to comfort him.

"Don't cry, Daddy," she said, placing her hands on his cheeks.

Emma couldn't help but smile as she sat down next to Aiden and Lucy with baby Jack in her arms.

"Please don't jump on the couch. I need you to be a big girl. Your sister is too little and wants to do everything her big sister does," Aiden explained to the four-year-old.

Emma's heart flourished in her chest as Aiden called the two of them sisters. Just before the baby was born, they had a conversation with Haven about how they would all be a family now. Haven took it very well, adapting to it immediately.

"Okay," Haven told Aiden with the pride of being a big sister in her eyes. She nodded her head as she let his face go and sat back down on the couch to focus on the episode of Peppa Pig that was on.

"Thank you," Aiden told his daughter.

It was moments at home with all five of them that Emma really relished in. Even if it was just them watching cartoons on the couch with the girls.

The five of them sat there peacefully for a few minutes watching Haven's favorite show before Jack began to fuss in Emma's arm. A few moments later, he began to wail at the top of his lungs when Emma wasn't able to sate him right away.

"Oh my goodness," Emma cooed as Aiden and Lucy's attention got pulled to the crying baby.

"Do you need help, baby?" Aiden asked as he watched her tug up her shirt and struggle to unbuckle her nursing bra with just one hand.

"Could you—" Emma huffed, feeling defeated as Jack screamed in her arms.

Aiden quickly leaned over and unbuckled the bra before Emma sent him an exasperated 'thanks'.

"I can't hear," Haven whined, looking up at Aiden as Emma cooed at the baby, pulling the flap of the bra down.

"Your baby brother is just hungry, sweetie," Aiden told his daughter, just as Jack's screaming ceased when he latched and began feeding.

"He's loud," Haven said with a bewildered look.

Jack was, for the most part, a very calm baby, which Aiden relished in after spending many sleepless nights with a very colicky infant his first go around. But Jack definitely had his moments, especially when he was hungry. It was like a light switch flipped on in his brain and wanted to feed that second.

"Yeah. He can be. You don't usually hear it much, do you?" Aiden chuckled.

"No. Just Lucy," Haven said, playfully poking the toddler's tummy, causing the little one to giggle.

Both Aiden and Emma laughed out loud. She wasn't wrong. Lucy was going through a growth spurt and got upset easily those days. Temper tantrums were new for Emma, and having a newborn to take care of at the same time made it that much more challenging - especially when Aiden went back to work after his paternity leave was up.