Here Comes The Sun

Julie

It was a few hours before Phil heard from May again, but when he did, he got the sinking feeling that it would be the last time before she went radio silent, and he was right.

"Hey," he said, trying to sound light and casual. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to hear your voice and Skye's babbling before I go and potentially die." May chuckled. "Put her on, please?"

Phil lifted Skye to the telecom. "Say hi to May, sweetie," he coached her. "You might never see her again."

Skye's eyes welled up in tears. "Ma... May!" she bawled.

"Oh my god, maybe we should stop saying really upsetting things to her," Phil said.

"Nonsense. She needs to be ready for the world," May replied. "But aww, she said my name right!"

"May." Skye flopped onto Phil dramatically and started sobbing.

"Wow," he said. "Anyway, I wanted to see how you were."

"I'm good." There was a pause. "Hey, we need to go now. I'll call when I'm back."

Phil sighed. It was now or potentially never. "May?" he asked. "Wait."

"Yeah? What?"

He told his two conflicting sides to shut up mentally. "I love you!" he blurted out.

"I know."

"Romantically."

"Oh, same. We'll talk about it when I get back. Stay safe!"

"You too-" Phil heard the telecom disconnect and sighed, slumping further into the couch. He played with his daughter's dangling foot. "I guess now we wait," he said.

Skye babbled and smacked his face with her tiny baby hands.

"I know; that was out of pocket," Phil said. "But she might die!"

Skye smacked him again.

He sighed. "Yeah, alright." He ran a hand through his hair. "You're right." Phil lifted her off of his chest and up into the air. "Do you want to practice walking so you can run up to May when she gets back?"

"Mama!"

Phil smiled. "If only." He set her down on the carpet and moved about five feet away. "Now come get me, sweetheart."

Skye stumbled towards him in an effort to get to him and fell into his waiting arms.

"Can we go further?" Phil asked her.

Skye babbled and he set her down and moved away about ten feet this time. She looked at him and the stretch of carpet between them.

"Come on, Skye!" her father urged. "You can do it!"

She walked her way into a hug and they cheered. Phil put his arms up and Skye mimicked him, throwing her hands up in the air.

He chuckled. "Do you want to try some ice cream?" Phil asked the baby. "I've got some in the freezer. It's May's, but we can always get more."

Skye wrapped her arms around his leg and rode it to the kitchen, where she was put on the counter as Phil pulled out the ice cream.

"This is called vanilla," he explained, scooping a little into her baby spoon. "It's cold and it makes people happy."

Skye guided the spoon to her mouth and giggled as she tasted the cold ice cream.

"I like it too." Phil ate a spoonful himself. "When you're older, I'll get you your own cone. It'll be glorious." Skye leaned forward to the carton and the agent laughed. "Wanting more. Of course." He fed her another bite and sighed. "I hope May's okay."