DAY ONE [declan rice]

SEVEN

Anna's POV
23rd February 2021

I wake up to Dec and Theo hogging the covers so naturally I'm quite cold.

I look at my phone and see the time.

6:32am

Are you kidding? Its too early to be awake but I won't be able to go back to sleep now so I may as well get up.

Theo had a nightmare in the middle of the night and was crying and it woke us up since the baby monitor was on so we heard him and went to go and got him to make sure that he was ok.

Dec will be asleep for another half an hour so I keep busy and clean up downstairs since last night we didn't have time as it was a late night.

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I'm half way through cleaning everything up when I hear Dec coming down the stairs.

"Anna? Where are you?" He was probably wondering where I am since I wasn't there when he woke up.

We often sleep in the same bed, not because we're together but just because sometimes I need company after what happened with my mum.

"I'm in the kitchen." He walks in the kitchen and gives me a weird look. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning up from last night." I put a plate in the cupboard and get another to dry.

"And why are you up so early?"

"Oh because I woke up being quite cold and couldn't go back to sleep." He looks at me like I'm stupid.

"Why didn't you wake me if you were cold?" He walks over and begins to make his morning coffee.

"Because you and Theo were sleeping and I didn't want to disturb you." I shrug my shoulders and feel his eyes on me.

"I wouldn't have cared."

"I know but I don't like waking people up when they're asleep for a stupid reason." I look at him and he's looking at me and smiling.

"We'll next time wake me up, I don't care how stupid it is." I sigh in defeat and agree.

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Dec insisted on making breakfast today so I go upstairs to wake up Theo.

I walk into Theo's room and start to panic when he's not there but then I remember that he slept the night in Decs bed.

I sit next to him and stroke his cheek to wake up like usual.

"Good morning Theo." His eyes crack open but close when the light hits them.

I sit there stroking his back until he opens his eyes and yawns.

"How can you be tired mister? You just woke up!" I joke with him all the time.

I pick him up and place him on my hip whilst walking to his room so we can have a cuddle on his rocking chair.

We do this most mornings, I found it helped us build a relationship when I first started my job and I never stopped because Theo loves it.

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Dec left for work a little later than usual since he made breakfast but he said his coach wouldn't mind.

Me and Theo are going upstairs so he can have his nap but I've noticed recently that his naps are getting shorter and shorter and he's also not tired when it's nap time so I'm going to call Dec when he's asleep and ask him if we should continue with them.

Theo isn't tired whatsoever so I sit in his rocking chair and cuddle him to get him tired.

It always works.

A few minutes later Theo is asleep on my chest like he did when I first met him.

I put him in his cot and turn off the light as I walk out and go downstairs.

I call Dec to ask him if we should continue his naps, but I don't know if he will answer.

Dec: Hey, is everything ok?
Me: Hey, yeah I just wanted to ask you something.
Dec: Ok, go ahead.
Me: Basically, when I've been putting Theo down for his nap, he's not tired anymore so it's difficult. I obviously still do but then his naps are also getting shorter and I don't think that he needs naps unless he's tired.
Dec: He needs his naps!

Why is he being so defensive about a nap?

Me: O- ok. I'm sorry, I just thought he might not need them anymore despite he's nearly 2 and a half. 
Dec: He needs naps so he's not getting tired at 5pm!
Me: I get your point but he's not tired at all at nap time so what's the point of them. He may as well have a nap later in the day when he's tired so that eventually he doesn't need naps.
Dec: Is Theo having naps inconvenient for you or something?
Me: What?! No! It'll just be easier when he goes to nursery next year!
Dec: Ok, whatever. I need to get back to training, talk later.

I don't even have a chance to say bye before he puts the phone down.