Bloom

20. thoughtful walks

Zayn

"He really hasn't mentioned anything about the baby?" I wondered desperately, my gaze fixed on my mum as she led me and Hannah over to the living room.

She shook her head, staring at my son. "He hasn't, Zayn. Tears leaked from his eyes during dinner, though, I'm not sure why. He told me he was tired."

"Zeph just needs some time, Zayn." Hannah said softly, reassuring me for the hundredth time this evening. Which was, apparently, needed. My guts had felt heavy after his reaction, which had seemed lost, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing when he was holding that photo.

Biting my lip, I glanced at Zephaniah who was fast asleep on the couch, needless to say, onto his stomach. It was true, it was Zephaniah. It was a big change, both Hannah and I knew that, although, we had figured now was the right time for another child.

"Didn't he want to sleep in my bed?" I suddenly chuckled, pushing my concerned thoughts away by changing the subject.

Mum laughed softly, shaking her head. "He had smoothly hinted he just wanted to lie on the couch. I think we traumatized him that one time where we decided to just let him sleepover."

"It was stupid, from me." I smiled sheepishly. "He woke up disorientated because we had told him we'd pick him up at eleven thirty. Can't blame him. He was pulled out of his structure."

"It was alright," mum gave me and Hannah a smile and as I glanced at the clock, I knew we needed to head home now.

Walking over to Zephaniah, I simply crouched down near his face and rested my cold hand on his warm cheek, softly stroking it. "Zeph," I observed his expression, he hadn't heard nor felt me.

"Zephaniah, wake up." I tapped on his cheek, seeing how his neutral eyebrows turned into a frown, his body rolling onto his back not much later.

"Good morning," I fondly watched him as he awoke completely, looking at us with his head tilted up slightly, confusion written on his face. "Coming home with us?" I whispered, watching as Hannah gathered his stuff, Cooper and kissed my mum goodbye.

Zephaniah nodded quietly and slipped off the couch, sleepily stepping into his Nike shorts as he didn't like sleeping in them. Hannah wrapped his coat around him, and Zephaniah let it be like that as he seemed to be too tired to put it on in the right way.

"Come on, let's go." I mumbled, my eyes fixed onto his face, wanting to know how he actually felt about the baby me and Hannah were expecting, but, it was as if he slept. His eyes still halfway closed, his appearance extremely quiet and calm.

Once we had thanked and wished my mum goodbye as well, we got settled in the car and drove back home. Zephaniah had fallen asleep again, and I let him, knowing the disturbing from his sleep could trigger his seizures.

We arrived not much later and as Zephaniah was about to walk upstairs, he suddenly turned around, wiping away the fringe. "Dad," He gulped, his once sleepy eyes now wide, "I- I forgot to ask grandma- Cooper has not been walked yet, I need to-"

"Go to sleep, Zephaniah. I'll walk him, it's no problem." I gave him a genuine smile, softly pushing him back onto the stairs.

He glanced at the clock, visibly swallowing, "Uhm, but- but it has been three hours-"

"It's okay, Zeph. Dogs can adjust perfectly fine, I'll walk him. It's okay. Goodnight, Zeph." I ruffled his hair and pushed him again, watching him as he walked upstairs, sighing in relief, perhaps.

Turning around, my eyes met Hannah's, smiles automatically appearing on our faces. "Is it okay if I go to bed right away? I'm exhausted," she said, her dimples fading as her smile turned to a serious expression instead.