“I think this is my last shirt without puke on it.” Her voice is
HOARSE with EXHAUSTION, and she slides onto her husband’s
lap, eyes only halfway open. “Are baby humans supposed to
scream this much? I thought babies slept a lot.” They certainly
weren’t sleeping any. Eleanore feels like her last month has been
spent in a half-awake stupor.
“Did I dream that I did laundry or did I actually do laundry?” She
can’t remember anymore. Has she even eaten today? She’s so
tired.
Eleanore looks up at Rick, eyes closed and taking advantage of a
moment of respite, and she can’t help but smile. She intertwines
their fingers and gives his hand a squeeze. I LOVE YOU. She’s
done enough talking for now–he’ll have to FEEL it through her
touch how appreciative she is to have him here with her.
She might have DOZED OFF for a minute or two when she hears
Beth beginning to stir in the nursery (it’s amazing to Eleanore how
in-tune she is with the infant’s needs–no wonder she hasn’t rest-
ed). She dares herself to hope that the baby will soothe herself
back to sleep, but Beth’s begun to CRY now.
She smacks her face a few times to try to STEEL herself. “Just
eighteen more years of this, right?” A few more SMACKS to her
own face. “Okay.” She stumbles into a standing position and tries
to kiss Rick on the cheek (she misses and hits his ear, but
CLOSE ENOUGH). “I’ll get her if you get the coffee.”
CLEARLY , NEITHER OF THEM HAD been exactly prepared for this --------------- each must’ve thought they knew enough , believed they were smart enough . seems like it hadn’t really mattered , though , because here they are . rick isn’t even entirely sure what the date is right now , & he can’t find it in himself to care , either .
❝ NO IDEA , ❞ HE CROAKS AS a blanket answer . it looks like he’s falling asleep already . . . or , at least , he’s transitioning into that tired daze that they’ve both learned to call rest . there’s enough of him there to return the squeeze as they hold hands , existing as a conjoined mass on the couch .
ALL OF A SUDDEN , IN this silence , he remembers what it was like before they’d taken the leap into parenthood . he remembers . . . crying . wait , crying ? oh god , no . it’s too late . the moment is over . rick forces himself back into the world of the living , hands forming fists so he can harshly rub his strained eyes . ❝ yeah . right . ❞ the thought doesn’t really comfort him , but her kiss seems to return a little bit of the light to his eyes . ( coffee ? does he need to make more ? do they have any left to make ? ) ❝ --------------- i’m on it , baby . ❞