Goodbye

31

"Think it through Francisco. Ten plus five plus seven." Lin explained the problem to his son. He was in second grade and math got a bit more complicated for him.

"I don't know." He frowned while setting his pencil down on the table.

"What's ten plus five?" Lin asked. He watched his son count on his fingers and look up at him.

"Fifteen..?" He asked.

"Yes." Lin smiled. "Now, fifteen plus seven." He continued. He worked with his son on how to do his math problems and focused him on reading a little chapter book for school. He introduced Sebastian to Harry Potter so he was inhaling those books. He was on the second book and was still trying to figure out which house he belonged to.

"Dad... What house are you in?" Sebastian asked while placing his bookmark in his book.

"Slytherin. Why?" He asked.

"You're in the evil house?!" Sebastian gasped loudly.

"Slytherins are not always evil!" Lin frowned. "You'll learn as you read." He laughed. Sebastian frowned and continued to read his book. You could tell he was concerned about his father being sorted into an evil house now.

"When can I read Harry Potter?" Francisco asked.

"When you're a bit older." Lin smiled.

It had been weeks since Lin had heard anything from his friends. He worried that they had heard the worst and just went under the radar. He bit his lip as he pulled out his phone. He would probably get a fast response out of Steve...

Lin: Hey man, just checking up on you guys. How's it going?

Lin waited a bit, knowing that since he was a parent to a small child again, it might take him a bit to reply back. After fifteen minutes, he did get a reply.

Steven P: Things are going alright. We had to move the crib into our room that way we can monitor Dot when she gets out tomorrow.

Lin frowned and realized that they had gone a whole month without seeing their little girl at home and not attached to anything.

Lin: if you need anything let me know. We'll even watch Christine for a few days again.

He knew it was going to be tough. He just didn't know how tough.

Steven P: Thank you. I don't think we'll need her to be gone, but we will need sitters for the upcoming doc appointments.

Lin: We can watch her. Don't worry. Just send me the dates and times and I'll swing by to pick her up.

Steven P: You're a lifesaver Lin. Once everything gets settled here we'll have to have you guys over for dinner again.

Lin smiled and hoped that he was helping. Maybe they would explain something later on in life to them about Dot. He just hoped that was her name and not just a nickname.

In the weeks that came and went, Pippa and Steve did their best with their newborn. She was slowly getting up there with life and showing excellent signs of recovering.

"You have to be careful now Tini. She's still very fragile." Pippa warned Christine while keeping a watchful eye on her girls. Dot was sitting in the swing asleep while Christine looked at her.

"Why her name Dot?" She asked while walking into the kitchen with her mother.

"Because your father named her. And she's named after a character I would like to play in a show if it was ever revived." Pippa smiled.

"Am I named after a show?!" Christine gasped.

"You are!" Pippa laughed. "You're named after Christine from Phantom of the Opera." She explained. "Maybe if you want to do acting you'll play her one day." She winked. Christine giggled and ran off to her room, probably to spill all the new information to her stuffed animals.

"Knock, knock." Pippa looked up from the stove and saw Vanessa and Lin walk inside with their children.

"She's asleep so, you two can go into Tini's room and play." Pippa warned the boys. Both of them nodded and walked through the hall to Christine's room.

"How has it been?" Vanessa asked while walking in to help Pippa.

"Hectic. A lot of sleepless nights." She sighed. "Last night I think I got maybe four hours all together." She explained.

"Sounds tough." Vanessa smiled.

"Eh. Christine gave me less sleep than that one." Pippa chuckled. "And Dottie needs medicine every few hours." Both the girls had a laugh while helping each other in the kitchen. Lin walked over to the little swing and sat next to Dot.

"Hey tiny baby." He smiled. The little baby stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes slowly. Lin laughed quietly at her little mittens and watched her. "Pip, I think all of your children just come out with beautiful eyes." He laughed.

"So I've been told. I think it's all Steven." She shrugged. Vanessa laughed and gave her a slight nudge. "But seriously though. Christine still has his blue eyes. Dottie over there has mine." She explained.

"Yeah she does." Lin agreed. He turned back at the little baby, just in time to see her yawn. "Oh, sleepy baby." He cooed. "Can I pick her up since she's awake?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just be very careful. And I don't mean just watch her head. She still has stitches on her chest." Pippa frowned.

"I will be very careful then." Lin felt nervous now. He knew that if Pippa and Steven could pick her up and hold her, he could to. It took him a total of twenty minutes, but he finally was holding the little baby in his arms. She was wrapped up in her blanket and he smiled at her. "You're a very happy baby aren't you?" Lin smiled.

He couldn't help but smile at her. She was precious. He continued to coo over her until she did the unthinkable. She smiled at him. Lin's eyes grew wide and he let out a little laugh.

"She smiled at me! She smiled!" He gasped.

"She what?!" Pippa gasped.

"She's still smiling!" Lin said while walking over to them.

"Oh look at that." Vanessa said while wiping her hands. Pippa fumbled with her phone and was able to snap a quick picture of Dot smiling up at Lin.

"You smile for Lin but not me or daddy. I see how it is." Pippa laughed.