Three weeks. Had it really only been three weeks" Vicki wasn't entirely sure. The days were passing in something of a blur at the moment - between Ben's newborn mewlings and constant waking ups, Emily's need for a bit of Mummy and Daddy time, and the frankly brutally bad timing of any visitor that happened to pop 'round, the whole concept of a normal day had gone straight out the window. However, three weeks had established something of a routine, thankfully. A routine that had gone straight out the window when Jon had disappeared for an hour or so, leaving her to manage the nineteen-month-old who was over-tired while the newborn fussed. Eventually, Vicki had given up entirely and manhandled Emily over to the big bed, laying Ben down in his blankets right in the middle of the quilt. Then she'd curled in close behind Emily and informed the little girl that they were all going to sleep, whether she wanted it or not. And as it turned out, that had actually worked.
Jon had only meant to step out for a few minutes to take Cosmo for his nightly walk, but a few minutes had easily turned into an hour when he'd run into Dru and Josh, bursting with excitement about their run of Wicked at the Shanachie, which was proving to be quite the hit. Cosmo seemed to have enjoyed the visit, as well, but by the time they got back to the big house, the border collie seemed anxious to check on his puppies again.
He exchanged a few words with Humphrey, promising him a game of chess as soon as he was able, before heading back up the stairs to the suite of rooms he shared with his wife and children. "Vicki?" he called as he shut the door behind him, letting Cosmo off his leash and free to roam.
He didn't get the answer he was probably hoping for, but neither was there any crying or arguing. In fact, the set of rooms he shared with his wife and children was deceptively quiet, sparking the unfortunate concern that perhaps Vicki had followed through on her threat to drop both children out through a window and catch up on her sleep that way. Cosmo, however, knew exactly where they were, but was stymied in his wish to reach them by the fact that Jon's wife had shut the bedroom door in an attempt to keep the whole world at bay and get the babies to shut up and go to sleep.
Cosmo pawed at the bedroom door, whining at his master to let him in, while Jon deposited his wallet, keys, pocket change, dog leash and other miscellaneous paraphernalia on a table. He arched a brow over at the dog, assuming Cosmo had located his mistress and their missing puppies. "Oh, stop it, Cosmo. I'm sure they're fine. It's only been a few..." Jon glanced at his watch and frowned, realizing he'd been gone longer than planned. Well, at least there wasn't any screaming or crying going on. That was a good sign, wasn't it"
The border collie whined again, high-pitched and slightly irritating, not used to being denied access to the master bedroom, especially when he knew for certain that the rest of the family was just beyond the door. In the bedroom itself, Vicki stirred only a little, tucking her arm a little closer around the sleeping Emily where they both lay arched protectively around the equally unconscious Ben.
It was awfully quiet in there, Jon thought, frowning further as he joined Cosmo at the door. He pressed an ear against the door to see if he could hear anything, but all he heard was silence. Of course, if they were sleeping, it would be quiet, assuming they were sleeping. There was only one way to find out. Jon rapped quietly on the door, whispering, "Vicki?"
Thankfully, Vicki wasn't so deeply asleep that the persistent whining of the dog combined with Jon knocking softly didn't draw her reluctantly out of her doze. "Mmm?" she managed, lifting her head to look toward the door as she registered the weight of both little ones on the bed with her. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Don't let Cosmo jump on the bed."
Jon pushed the door open slowly to take a peek inside, whispering to the dog at Vicki's request. "Easy, Cos. Shhh. I think the babies are sleeping." If only they could be so lucky as to get them both to sleep at the same time. Maybe there really was a God. To Cosmo's credit, he seemed to sense something in his master's voice and though he did wander over to poke his nose over the side of the bed, his four feet remained on the door. Jon was close behind, just in case, whispering encouragement to the dog to behave for once in his blasted life.
Yawning, Vicki tracked their progress across the room by the twilight that peeked in through the closed curtains, gently extracting one hand from the sleeping children to reach over and scratch Cosmo's head. "Good boy, Cos," she whispered, looking up at Jon. "Good walk?"
Jon settled himself on the bed, smiling over at the two angels asleep on the bed beside Vicki. "How'd you manage to get them to sleep?" he whispered, as he leaned over to brush a wayward curl from Emily's forehead.
"I think I fell asleep first," his wife admitted ruefully, glancing down at the pair who did, admittedly, look very angelic now they were asleep and had been for more than twenty minutes. Emily would stay that way until at least 6 in the morning; Ben, however, would probably be awake again in four hours, give or take. "I got fed up of being patient and put them to bed with me."
"Sorry," he apologized, knowing the walk had taken longer than planned. "I'll tuck Emily in," he volunteered, leaning over to very carefully scoop the little girl up in his arms without waking her.
"Don't worry about it," Vicki assured him, obviously feeling better for even just ten or twenty minutes of sleep. "You needed the headspace. I'm claiming the morning walk, though." She flashed him a warm smile, watching as Emily rolled into her father's arms and held on with sleepy arms, barely even stirring as she was transferred.
"You've got it. I'll be right back," he said with a warm smile as he started toward the nursery with his tiny daughter in his arms. "Cosmo, stay," he commanded before stepping into the adjacent room to tuck Emily into her crib for the night.
Despite his best intentions, Cosmo was a pretty obedient bundle of hyperactive fur, taking the instruction to stay and doing as he was told for about a minute before he was up on his paws once again, padding after Jon to find his accustomed place on the rug beside Emily's crib in the nursery. Vicki watched the dog go with a small grin of her own, gently easing herself off the bed with Ben in her arms to settle the little boy in his Moses basket.
Jon had only meant to step out for a few minutes to take Cosmo for his nightly walk, but a few minutes had easily turned into an hour when he'd run into Dru and Josh, bursting with excitement about their run of Wicked at the Shanachie, which was proving to be quite the hit. Cosmo seemed to have enjoyed the visit, as well, but by the time they got back to the big house, the border collie seemed anxious to check on his puppies again.
He exchanged a few words with Humphrey, promising him a game of chess as soon as he was able, before heading back up the stairs to the suite of rooms he shared with his wife and children. "Vicki?" he called as he shut the door behind him, letting Cosmo off his leash and free to roam.
He didn't get the answer he was probably hoping for, but neither was there any crying or arguing. In fact, the set of rooms he shared with his wife and children was deceptively quiet, sparking the unfortunate concern that perhaps Vicki had followed through on her threat to drop both children out through a window and catch up on her sleep that way. Cosmo, however, knew exactly where they were, but was stymied in his wish to reach them by the fact that Jon's wife had shut the bedroom door in an attempt to keep the whole world at bay and get the babies to shut up and go to sleep.
Cosmo pawed at the bedroom door, whining at his master to let him in, while Jon deposited his wallet, keys, pocket change, dog leash and other miscellaneous paraphernalia on a table. He arched a brow over at the dog, assuming Cosmo had located his mistress and their missing puppies. "Oh, stop it, Cosmo. I'm sure they're fine. It's only been a few..." Jon glanced at his watch and frowned, realizing he'd been gone longer than planned. Well, at least there wasn't any screaming or crying going on. That was a good sign, wasn't it"
The border collie whined again, high-pitched and slightly irritating, not used to being denied access to the master bedroom, especially when he knew for certain that the rest of the family was just beyond the door. In the bedroom itself, Vicki stirred only a little, tucking her arm a little closer around the sleeping Emily where they both lay arched protectively around the equally unconscious Ben.
It was awfully quiet in there, Jon thought, frowning further as he joined Cosmo at the door. He pressed an ear against the door to see if he could hear anything, but all he heard was silence. Of course, if they were sleeping, it would be quiet, assuming they were sleeping. There was only one way to find out. Jon rapped quietly on the door, whispering, "Vicki?"
Thankfully, Vicki wasn't so deeply asleep that the persistent whining of the dog combined with Jon knocking softly didn't draw her reluctantly out of her doze. "Mmm?" she managed, lifting her head to look toward the door as she registered the weight of both little ones on the bed with her. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Don't let Cosmo jump on the bed."
Jon pushed the door open slowly to take a peek inside, whispering to the dog at Vicki's request. "Easy, Cos. Shhh. I think the babies are sleeping." If only they could be so lucky as to get them both to sleep at the same time. Maybe there really was a God. To Cosmo's credit, he seemed to sense something in his master's voice and though he did wander over to poke his nose over the side of the bed, his four feet remained on the door. Jon was close behind, just in case, whispering encouragement to the dog to behave for once in his blasted life.
Yawning, Vicki tracked their progress across the room by the twilight that peeked in through the closed curtains, gently extracting one hand from the sleeping children to reach over and scratch Cosmo's head. "Good boy, Cos," she whispered, looking up at Jon. "Good walk?"
Jon settled himself on the bed, smiling over at the two angels asleep on the bed beside Vicki. "How'd you manage to get them to sleep?" he whispered, as he leaned over to brush a wayward curl from Emily's forehead.
"I think I fell asleep first," his wife admitted ruefully, glancing down at the pair who did, admittedly, look very angelic now they were asleep and had been for more than twenty minutes. Emily would stay that way until at least 6 in the morning; Ben, however, would probably be awake again in four hours, give or take. "I got fed up of being patient and put them to bed with me."
"Sorry," he apologized, knowing the walk had taken longer than planned. "I'll tuck Emily in," he volunteered, leaning over to very carefully scoop the little girl up in his arms without waking her.
"Don't worry about it," Vicki assured him, obviously feeling better for even just ten or twenty minutes of sleep. "You needed the headspace. I'm claiming the morning walk, though." She flashed him a warm smile, watching as Emily rolled into her father's arms and held on with sleepy arms, barely even stirring as she was transferred.
"You've got it. I'll be right back," he said with a warm smile as he started toward the nursery with his tiny daughter in his arms. "Cosmo, stay," he commanded before stepping into the adjacent room to tuck Emily into her crib for the night.
Despite his best intentions, Cosmo was a pretty obedient bundle of hyperactive fur, taking the instruction to stay and doing as he was told for about a minute before he was up on his paws once again, padding after Jon to find his accustomed place on the rug beside Emily's crib in the nursery. Vicki watched the dog go with a small grin of her own, gently easing herself off the bed with Ben in her arms to settle the little boy in his Moses basket.