Toddlers, Husbands, and Why I had to be Mature by 18

Chapter Eight: Jasper's POV

I hated leaving Hannah in the hospital alone, but I had to get the kids home. The house felt empty without her warmth. She had seemed so healthy before she passed out.... Dr Robertson explained that her body was desperately trying to find nutrients and forcing them all to the surface, not storing any. That's why her faint was so sudden - her body had just literally run out of vitamins. She had just had a Doctor's appointment too, the bad meds not showing up yet because her body was still trying to heal her.

I put Summer and Lysander to bed, reading them a story with Bella sitting in my lap. I carried Bella to her room and tucked her in, kissing her forehead.

"Daddy?" Bella asked, kicking her feet at her blanket nervously.

"Yes sweetie?" I replied, turning around in the doorway.

"Is mommy gonna die?" she asked innocently, tears spilling over her face. I ran to her bedside and scooped her up in my arms.

"No, Bella, of course she's not. She's just not feeling too well. She'll be better in no time, I promise," I said, kissing her forehead. My daughter sniffled, her lip quivering. 

"Do you wanna sleep in my bed tonight?" I asked her, realizing that no amount of hugs and kisses could heal this kind of worry. 

She nodded tearfully, her breath catching in her throat.

"Breathe, honey, it's okay," I said, rocking her back and forth as I took her into Hannah and my bedroom.

I set her down on our bed and went to the washroom to change into my pajamas. I came back quickly after brushing my teeth too and gave her a hug. She curled up in my arms and fell fast asleep.

Sleep didn't come to me that night.

***

In the morning, I was absolutely exhausted. I hadn't had a wink of sleep due to my worry about Hannah.

I did my best to make one of Hannah's great yogourt smoothies for the kids, but it didn't taste quite right.

"No, daddy, you gotta kiss the strawberries before you put them in!" Bella cried as I attempted to follow Hannah's recipe. The twins giggled. 

When I served the smoothie, Bella grinned at me. "It's good!" she cried. "It's a daddy smoothie!"

I grinned at her and wiped her face. After I had cleaned up the breakfast dishes, I bundled the kids up in their winter coats and took them out to our van. A week until Christmas.

I drove to the office, where I had already talked to my boss and my coworkers about bringing the kids in. The twins were quiet most of the time, and Bella was normally an angel, an exact replica of Hannah.

I came into the huge office from the elevator, Summer in my left arm, Lysander strapped on my back and Bella walking beside me, holding my hand. Matt spun around in his chair and his eyes widened when he saw me.

"God, Jasper, you look like hell," he said, shaking his head.

"Thanks, Matt," I smiled at him.

"Oh, hey, are those your kids?" he asked, trying to get a better look.

"No, Matt, I just offered them some candy in the park," I said sarcastically. He snorted.

"This one's Bella, right?" he asked, pointing at my oldest daughter.

Bella nodded shyly, hiding behind my leg. "It's okay, sweetie. This is Matt."

"Hey kid," Matt said, shaking her hand. "God, she looks like her mom."

I grinned proudly.

"You're gonna have to pry the guys off her when she gets older."

A weight dropped into my stomach. Amazingly, this was the first time that thought had ever occurred to me. Everybody loved Hannah, so naturally, the same would happen to her carbon-copy, my daughter.