It's You: Book Two

Chapter Eighteen

I push the eggs around the frying pan, rubbing my forehead tiredly while I listen to the cartoon playing in the living room. Annalise just took a bottle a little while ago, and after burping her, I put her in her rocket to sleep. Declan is awake, standing in front of the TV in his diaper, and I'm making up breakfast for the two of us.

I've been home for about five days now, and I'm so exhausted. I've hardly slept since Lex went into labor about a week ago. With her heart stopping and now the baby waking up every two hours to eat, I'm beyond tired, and all I want is a good long stretch of sleep.

And my wife to come home. I miss her so much. Our bed is so empty without her.

I wish she had a normal labor and got to come home with Annalise.

I could really use her help.

The kitchen is a mess, the bedroom is disgusting, there's a ton of dirty clothes all over the floor of mine and the baby. Declan's room is messy, and no matter how much I want to clean, I'm feeling extremely exhausted and every time both kids are asleep and I have a chance to clean, I end up falling asleep.

Our family comes over every now and again to check on me.

Today is a special day today, because today was Lex's initial due date, and it's also the day that they're inducing my sister, because she was supposed to have the baby a week ago, but she still isn't having contractions.

I feel my cell phone buzzing in my pocket, so I pull it out and hit answer without glancing at the screen.

It's around seven in the morning.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Hey."

Lex sounds awake, alert, and very happy.

"Hey baby," I smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I was wondering if you could wait until like...ten to come here?"

"Ten?" I repeat. "I was going to give Declan breakfast and head your way in about a half hour. Why would I wait until ten?"

"Because I'm going home today."

I pause.

"What?"

"I'm coming home. The doctor came in, said that I'm off my pain meds, that I'm going to the bathroom fine, that I've been eating and keeping my food down...so I'm getting discharged at ten."

"Are you serious?" I ask.

"Yeah." She laughs. "I can't wait to get out of this hotel and go home. Take a shower, stop wearing this stupid hospital gown. Oh my god, Aiden, can I wear one of your shirts?"

I laugh.

"You can wear whatever you want. Are you sure you don't want me to come now?"

"I'm sure," she says. "You've been doing so much for your whole family, baby. You take some time for yourself, okay? Relax. Don't rush here. I'll message you when I'm ready to go, and then you can come."

"Alright," I smile, dumping the eggs in a bowl.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me and the kids," she says. "Thank you."

"Of course." I smile.

"Alright. I love you."

"I love you too."

We get off the phone and I call Declan to the table, eating dinner with him.

He goes back to the TV, and while Lex and I usually don't let him watch so much of it, at this point I'm too tired to give him something else to do.