Next to me

Fourteen

Seven months later Oliver is a month old, it's April:

"Logan did you pack Oliver's bag for daycare?" I call across the hallway where he is trying to get Gaia ready and I'm getting Lennon ready. "Yes, he has everything he needs so does Gaia just make sure that Lennon has everything for school." he calls back and I walk down to the kitchen with Lennon in tow. "Alrighty little miss what do you want for breakfast, we leave in twenty minutes so toast, eggs, or cereal?" I ask her and she purses her lips, tapping her chin with her index finger a few times before responding. "I'll have some cereal with almond milk momma." she answers, I have no clue where she picked up her thinking face, but it's adorable. "Coming right up." I chime, and I get out a bowl and everything else I need to make her cereal. "Momma, I'm hungry." Gaia whines when she comes down the stairs with Logan behind her, our little Oliver sleeping in his arms. "Do you want some cereal?" I ask her and I pass Lennon her bowl of cereal. "Yes please." she chimes and then climbs onto the stool next to Lennon. "Babe I need to get going so that I'm there on time so I'm going to put Oliver in his swing." Logan tells me and I give Gaia her cereal and give Lennon a cup of juice. "Sure, sure honey. Don't forget your lunch." I tell him, he gives me a quick hug and then he rushes out the door.

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"Bye Gaia. Daddy will pick you up later." I tell her as I hand her bag to the daycare person. "No Oliver today?" the daycare person asks and realization hits me. "Oh my god! I will be right back." I blurt out and I run out to my car, getting in and driving back towards the house not bothering to do the speed limit. "I forgot my own son, I forgot him!" I scream at myself and I pull the car into the driveway, I get out as quickly as I can. I run up the pathway and to the front door, I turn the key in the knob and run inside. The house is filled with Oliver's little screams and I rush into the living room where he is in his swing. "Oh my goodness Oliver I am so sorry!" I coo, tears streaming down my face as I pick him up and hold him to my chest. I call the school and tell them I'm not coming in today. "I forgot my own son." I mutter as I breastfeed him, not bothering to turn on the TV, just staring at the black screen. My phone chimes and I look down at the screen, its from Logan.

Why aren't you here? Did something happen? I don't know how to reply so I just call him. "Brennan, what's the matter?" he asks after the second ring. "I forgot our son at home, I left the house I left him alone for twenty five minutes!" I blurt out and I start to cry. "Brennan hey! It's okay, he's okay now." he says soothingly and I look down to see Oliver looking up at me with his light blue eyes. "I can pick Lennon and Gaia up later, so don't worry about it. I just feel so guilty for leaving him, I'm staying home with him." I tell him not breaking my gaze on my little boy. "Alright, this summer we can talk about options. You might be able to become a stay at home mommy or maybe just work part time." he tells me trying to be reassuring, but it doesn't work. "Logan, I love my job I can't quit... I.. Oh my god I'm turning back into a work obsessed monster." I stutter out and a tear falls onto Oliver's forehead, making him flinch a little. "Okay well, think about it. I gotta go, see you later. I love you." He says with a sigh and I nod my head even though he can't see me. "I love you too." I murmur and hang up on him and I start rocking the chair lightly, Oliver's little eyes flutter shut and he lets out a content sigh. "I love you Ollie." I mutter and I sit with him in comfortable silence.  

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(3:00)

"Hey Lennon! How was school today?" I ask her when she runs into my arms, her dark brown hair blowing in the light breeze outside the school in the student pick up section. "It was fun. Me and Henry colored and built a castle." she chimes as I lift her into the car and help her buckle into her car seat. "Sounds like you had lots of fun, now let's go get Gaia." I reply, I close her door and then jog around to my door, I climb in and close my door. "Mama?" Lennon asks a few minutes later, I glance at her in the rearview mirror, her blue eyes glittering. "Yes baby?" I ask her and I look back at the road. "Why did you have another baby?" she asks and I look back in the mirror to see her frowning at Oliver. "Me and daddy decided that you two needed a baby brother, and so we were blessed with little Ollie. Do you not love him?" I explain to her hoping that I had answered her question. "I love Ollie but Gaia is my favorite because she doesn't cry all the time and can play with me." she answers and I give a small laugh. "Speaking of Gaia, we are here." I tell her as we pull into the daycare parking lot, I get out, set the child locks and walk up to the front door. "Here to pick up Gaia?" the lady asks when I walk up to the desk and I sign Gaia out. "Yep." I murmur and she hands me Gaia's bag before going to get Gaia.

"Mommy!" she cheers and I lift her up, I walk out to the car, buckle her in and then we go home. "Honey I'm home!" I chime as soon as I open the door, Lennon and Gaia rush into the living room and I follow them with Oliver's carrier hooked in the crook of my arm. "Hey sweetie!" Logan chimes and he pulls me into a tight hug before taking Oliver out of his carrier and holding him to his chest. "Ugh don't get too cozy with him, I feel like I'm going to explode." I tell him and I set down his carrier next to the couch and I go sit in the rocking chair. "Uh oh, here ya go mama." Logan says as Oliver starts to cry.
"What if I told you that you could stay home with them?" Logan asks and I look up at him. "I don't know, how would we survive? We can barely afford our life with two incomes." I say and I rock the chair lightly as I feed Oliver. "I got offered a job in the biology department at the university, the job pays more than what we made combined and I would work the same hours. The only thing is that we would have to move, the university is too far to commute." He explains with a hopeful smile on his face, I just nod at him. "So I will start looking for a house and put in my notice." I tell him and he gives me a kiss on the head. "Alright, and I was thinking. There's this amazing private school close to the university, we could look at it for Lennon." He suggests sending a small smile over to where our daughters are playing quietly. "I would love that." I say and I pull his face down and give him a light kiss.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Hey guys! Nothing really to say  except isn't Oliver just the cutest little boy name?. Comment, vote, tell your buddies!
Love ya!
~Kaylynn