Slipping Through My Fingers

Happy

"Have you got the kids' passports?" Janette asked, as she can down the stairs with Angel in her arms...she was 17 weeks old, passed the age that they lost Caleb. "I put them in your bag with the boarding passes...now stop stressing, we're all going to have an amazing time in Miami," Aljaz said, kissing his wife. "Daddy you've go to stop kissing Mummy....it's kinda gross," Sasa said, standing in the living room doorway, holding her twin's hand. Aljaz laughed, and pulled Janette in for another kiss, Janette giggled, "sorry sweetheart but I can't help myself....she's too beautiful to resist." Amelia-Lily smiled at her parents while they kissed, putting her hands over the twins' eyes. The taxi beeped his horn, time to go. In the waiting room Amelia-Lily rested her head on Aljaz's lap as he played with her long dark hair, just like her mother's. The twins were sat next to Janette, flicking through a child's magazine together. Angel being rocked in her carrier on the floor, her pushchair already put on the plane with their luggage. "Can people flying to Miami make their way to Gate 4...That's everyone flying to Miami make their way to Gate 4," the woman with the nasal voice announced over the intercom. They stood up and walked along the wide airport corridor to join the back of the queue of people wanting to board the flight to Miami. Amelia-Lily, Sasa and Leonardo curled up on seats across the aisle from Aljaz, Janette and Angel. Aljaz draped his jacket over the 3 of them as they snuggled up and drifted off to sleep. "You okay bučko?" Janette asked, snuggling up to him, Angel's starfish hand wrapped round Janette's finger. "With you by my side I couldn't be happier," he kisses the top of her head, reaching out to stroke the back of his youngest daughter's hand. Janette snuggled up to him, taking in his scent, not imagining a life without her Aljaz....

It was midnight by the time they arrived in Miami. Aljaz lifted Amelia-Lily and Leonardo up, sleepily nuzzling into his shoulder, Sasa rubbing her head against Janette's neck. The front door to Janette's parents' house opened easily, Aljaz laid the twins and Amelia-Lily in the room next to Janette's old room. Then he slid into bed next to his wife who was feeding there youngest child, then laying her down in the cot that was Janette's once upon a time. Janette curled up next to Aljaz as he stoked her hair, sending her to sleep....

5:30am
Angel let out a screaming cry, Janette shoved Aljaz to wake up and see to his daughter...she had had a feed 1 hour ago so she couldn't be hungry. Aljaz groaned and sleepily walked over to the cot, carefully lifting up Angel and taking her back to the bed....they were a lot more careful with this baby, more cautious, scared that they would lose her like they did with their previous baby...terrified. As soon as Aljaz settled back down in bed Angel stopped her screaming, taking in the features of her father, as if she was taking a copy in her head for future reference.
6:30am the twins came tapping at the door. Wide awake, how? Janette and Aljaz couldn't understand how they could be so lively after a 9 hour flight? Janette groaned as she rolled over, burying her face into her pillow, trying to block out the sounds around her. Sasa and Leonardo jumped in the middle of the bed, Sasa prised the pillow off her mother, making her sit up. Janette sighed and rolled over...coming face to face with her 5 year old daughter...1 hour later they could hear Janette's parents begin to go down to the kitchen, looking for their parents' approval, the twins jumped off the bed and ran downstairs, they could hear them greet their Nanna and Granddad. Janette smiled at her husband...exhausted. Aljaz had his arm round her, her head leaning against his chest, his hands running through her hair. "Tell me what you're thinking princess." Janette paused, "I'm thinking that I'm exhausted and hungry, but also the luckiest girl in the world to be laying here in bed next to you," she said, tilting her head up slightly to face him. Aljaz smiled back at her, "you're crazy." She had a massive grin on her face, "but I'm your crazy."

Aljaz and Janette walked hand in hand, pushing Angel's buggy along the beach, Amelia-Lily running in front with the twins and the dog. Sea water and sand flying about, the wind  blowing their hair across their faces. Half way along the beach they pulled out 1 the towels, it flapping in the breeze. Janette lifted Angel out of her buggy, her eyes squinting in the sunlight shining down on them...She cradled her baby daughter, shielding her from the heat, they were considerably more protective of Angel than they had been with her older siblings, scared that they would lose her like they lost Caleb...
Amelia-Lily and her younger brother and sister were leaping over the waves, every now and then 1 of them would slip, going splash in the sea, leaping up with laughter, the kids splashing each other...reminding their parents of the day that Aljaz first asked Janette out on a date back in LA, they had been swimming in the pool, splashing each other...laughing....happy....