Take on the World

6.

The second Andy walked through her front door, she was met by Luna, who was running as fast as she possibly could through the house to get to her mother. Eventually jumping into her arms, Andy just holding the little girl as close as possible.

Andy had spent yet another night at the hospital with Robert. Every night that she could, she'd go to the hospital and sneak into his room since it was after visiting hours. They'd sleep the same way they did the first night he was there, her head pressed against his chest while his arms held her close.

It was tough sleeping at home, alone. Andy was constantly having these nightmares and could only seem to get a full nights sleep without them when she was with Robert. She'd been given 3 weeks off of work minimum but she knew she'd be taking more time, she wanted to be there for Robert while he recovered, plus being at work and around the aid car didn't seem like a very good idea at the moment.

Luna didn't understand why Andy would leave at night and return early the next morning. Pruitt had temporarily moved in to help watch Luna, but Andy knew she couldn't always rely on him to watch her, but right now he was willing, so she let him.

That cycle lasted an entire month, however, Andy couldn't stay with Robert overnight once he was in rehab, but she'd stay as late as possible. By that time, the nightmares had mostly come to a stop anyway, but she still liked the comfort of being with him.

They did talk about it, what the thing was between them. Because honestly, they didn't know what it was. Were they friends? Were they more? Or were they just confused because they went through something traumatic together and this would all probably wear off in a few more weeks?

It was definitely that last one... At least they hoped it was that last one.

•••

"Don't be nervous," Andy said as her and Robert walked up to Luna's pre-school, just in time to pick her up. "If you're nervous, i'll get nervous, and we both can't be nervous."

Robert reached over and interlaced their fingers, something they did quite often when they were together. "I'm not nervous,"

"Yes you are, don't lie."

"Maybe just a little," He sighed, Andy giving his hand a light squeeze, silently saying she wanted him to go on. "Seeing her for the first time, that's not through a phone screen, it-it's a big deal."

Luna had, well, walked into Andy's room late one night while they were facetiming. Of course, being the curious little girl she is, wanted to know who this man was that her mother was talking to. So Andy told her the truth. Yes, she just outright said "I'm talking to your dad."

It caught all three of them off guard when she said it, especially Luna and Robert. The second the words left her mouth she looked down at the phone and saw a terrified yet amused look on his face, then looked up to see a rather confused look on her daughter's.

Then came the rather tough conversation; Andy and Robert trying their best to explain everything in a way they just hoped the little girl could understand, it was a lot harder considering he wasn't there in person. But they managed to get through it rather quickly and easily. By the end, Luna had taken her mother's phone and ran off with it, talking about literally everything that's happened in her short life to Robert. When Andy finally got her phone back, she was surprised to see that Robert was still on the other end of the screen, mainly she was surprised that he actually listened to the endless rambling that was their daughter trying to explain her whole life to him in her own, rather unconventional, way.

That wasn't the only call they had, Luna asked every night to call Robert so he could read her a bedtime story and tell her goodnight. Andy was confused but also thankful that Luna was still too young to really understand what this really was, the little girl was just excited to have her father in her life, who was going to get in the way of that?