No Regrets

Chapter Forty - Until the Clock Strikes

***QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE*** Chapter forty! I have actually written forty chapters worth of story, wow! Thank you everyone who is reading this story & chapter. I hope you enjoy!

KATIE'S POV

    Two-thirty in the morning, I don't know what woke me up but something did. I assumed that Mollie was crying for a few seconds and instinctively buried my head into my pillow. However, as I began to wake up more, I realized Mollie wasn't crying. I knew for a fact neither of my parents were up, they wouldn't be getting up for work for another two hours.

    I hesitantly and slowly opened my door. I walked over to Dominick's room, I reached for the door knob but stopped mid-way. Let them sleep. I tell myself. When I was four years old up until a few years ago, I used to go into Dominick's room whenever I randomly woke up in the middle of the night or had a nightmare. He wouldn't get mad or annoyed with me for waking him up, he'd only rub his eyes and sit up. Sometimes all I would need was to crawl into bed next to him and other times we would talk.

 You're not a little kid anymore. I tell myself. On my way downstairs, I notice that the light in Mom's office is on. I quicken my pace down the stairs and head over to Mom's office. "Mom?" I say quietly. Please don't be a burglar. Please don't be a burglar. I silently repeat as I get closer to the office. I don't have a bat or weapon to defend myself against an intruder.

   Why didn't I bring the bat from my room? I really begin to consider running upstairs and getting Dominick; but something keeps me moving forward. I push the door open a bit more to get a look inside the room. I let out a gasp of surprise and relief when I see Dominick inside. He doesn't' see me, he's too busy pacing around the room.

"Dominick, are you okay?" I ask quietly. He flinches and lets out a startled gasp. I open the door up a bit more and enter the office.

    Dominick yawns and looks at the clock sitting on Mom's desk next to the baby video-monitor. He lets out a loud sigh. "Yeah. I'm fine, just lost track of time." he answers with a wary voice. "Are you okay?" he asks with a concerned expression.

   I nod and quickly explain just waking up randomly. "Is Mollie still sleeping?" I ask. Dominick checks the baby monitor before nodding. "Probably should check on her though." he says.

"I'll do it." I say. "You go make some coffee." I start walking out of the room.

   Dominick replies with something along the lines of, "Yes captain!" I'm not facing him, but I swear out of the corner of my eye I saw him do a sailor salute. I turn up the corner of my mouth and continue walking.

   Upstairs, I am very relieved to find Mollie both still asleep and still breathing. To make things even better, she stays peacefully asleep. I gently rest my hand against her back to double check she's still breathing. She's kicked her blanket off again, I gently pull it up to her stomach. It's extremely hard not to love and adore Mollie when she's awake; but when she's asleep there's something so precious about her that is impossible to doing anything but adore.

   I make sure to be extra careful as I leave the room. I slowly shut the door and slowly walk away from the door. The smell of coffee gets stronger the closer I get to the kitchen. Dominick is pouring himself a cup when I enter the room. "Still alive and breathing, she is currently a peaceful little angel." I say to make my presence known.

   "I'm relived, I was worried she would be a little Tasmanian Devil." Dominick says with a bit of a chuckle. He gestures for me to hand him another cup. I grab one of the simple coffee cups off the hook and hand it to him. He pours coffee into the cup.

   I start reaching for a cup, but he gently swats my hand away. I look up at him confused; but he only smiles and puts his finger to his lips. He takes both cups to the table and sets them down. "Don't touch them yet." He says. I stand by the counter completely muddled.