Falling Fast and Breathing Hard

I was relieved when Saturday finally came. It'd only be a matter of hours till I saw Kris. Today's a fairly nice day, so I picked up Mary and we headed to the local outlets for a couple hours.

"How's Kris?" she asked after I picked her up.

"Really good. He's missing us like crazy though."

She nodded and smiled at Kalea who was behind her in her carseat.

"Hi cutie. You miss your daddy?"

I looked back quickly and saw that she just made a face.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes."

"Well, Daddy's coming back tonight to see us. How's that sound?" I asked at the end of the neighborhood as I was about to make a left.

She giggled.

"I love you." I said, blowing her a kiss.

"I love you, too." Mary said, doing the same thing.

My girl is one of the happiest girls in the world. The outlets were swarming with people including young children and babies. It couldn't have been a more wonderful sight. The fact that I was someone's parent, someone's mother made me tear up a little and smile.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked, touching my shoulder.

"Yeah. I just can't get over the fact that I'm someone's parent and someone's mother."

She smiled and hugged me.

"And you're a fantastic mother."

Then, off we went to shop at a few places before we stopped for lunch. We had gotten there around eleven and ate at noon; we decided to stop for pizza and that's when I heard my phone ring.

"Bonjour."

"Bonjour. What's up?"

It was obviously Kris.

"I'm out with Mary and our lovely daughter at the outlets. We're eating lunch as we speak."

"Ooh... what?"

"Pizza."

"Mmm..."

I could practically see his face right now.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. I might actually go out to eat pizza. Not sure yet."

"You really should. It's absolutely delicious." I said, taking another bite.

"I'm gonna take your word for it. You know your food."

"That I do."

"Can I talk to Kalea?"

"Of course."

I put it on speakerphone and told him to speak.

"Hi Kalea. It's Daddy."

She giggled. I could hear him laugh on the other end. She giggled even more.

"I miss you and love you."

She cooed.

"You hear her?" I asked after taking my phone off speakerphone and putting back to my ear.

"Loud and clear."

"Good."

"Well, I'll let you and the girls go. I'll talk to you before the game?"

"Of course. Je'taime."

"Je'taime aussi. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and stuck it back in my pocket.

"How do you think Kalea's gonna be when Kris comes home?"

"Oh, she's gonna be extremely happy and giggly and I can't wait."

A few hours later, we were done and eating dinner before we sat down for the game. Not even two minutes in, TK scored and all was good, but by the time there was five minutes left in the first, the Cats scored two quick goals in twenty-two seconds. There was an early goal in the second from Duper until the third when we scored the last two; one of which was a goal with ninety seconds left to play. The game was amazing and I couldn't wait to have one of the men on the winning team to come home to me and our daughter. Around one in the morning as I was in the nursery trying to calm down Kalea who was crying up a storm, I heard the door unlock and open. I had a feeling she would calm down once Daddy came.

"What's wrong baby girl?" I said, rocking her in the rocking chair.

She just wouldn't stop and continued to wail. I heard him dash up the steps as quietly as he could. I imagined he could hear her crying.

"Athena?" I heard him say just as quietly.

"In the nursery."

"What's wrong? I could hear her as soon as I opened the door."

"I don't know. I've been rocking her for about five minutes. She just keeps on crying like crazy. I was thinking that she might stop once her daddy held her." I said, smiling.

He smiled.

"Switch me."

I handed her to him once he sat down and not even five seconds after he held her in his arms, she stopped and yawned.

"Oh hi, sleepy girl. You ready to go back to sleep?" he asked.

She yawned again.

"Je prends ça pour un oui." he said. (I'll take that as a yes.)

He gently put her to bed and covered her up; she quickly fell back asleep.

"Goodnight. I love you, Kalea." he said kissing her before turning to me.

I let out a sigh of relief as I leaned up against Kris. He wrapped an arm around me.

"Now, I know you're ready to go back to sleep."

"You have no idea. Today's been a long day. I only went to bed an hour ago."

"Let's go then. You're free to sleep as long as you want to tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Of course I am."

"Thank you." I said sleepily.

"Mon plaisir, mon amour." (My pleasure, my love.)

"You're the best."

"Look who's talking."

He changed as fast as he could and laid beside me. I turned onto my stomach and moved so I had an arm and my head on his chest.

"I love you." I said, looking up at him.

"I love you too." he said, stroking my hair.

"Bonne nuit."

"Bonne nuit."

He kissed my head and I fell asleep nearly as fast as Kalea. I woke up to the sound of Kalea crying again; Kris wasn't next to me, so I got up myself and went to her room. I was feeling good, not great, but that was my girl. When I got there, Kris was picking her up out of her crib.

"What time's it?"

"Six. Please go back to bed. I got this." he said as sweetly as possible.

"Ok. Night. Love you." I said, kissing him.

"Love you too."

"And I love you too, cutie." I said, kissing her on the forehead.

And off I went back to bed, falling asleep just as quickly as I did five hours ago.
About five hours later, I woke up refreshed and before I got out of bed, Kris walked in with Kalea in his arms.

"Good morning." he said, sitting on the bed.

"Good morning." I said, giving him his second kiss of the day.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fantastic. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Wanna hold her?"

"Of course."

The clearly awake baby girl giggled while I smiled at her.

"How did she sleep?"

"Great. She woke up alone only once before I got her up this morning."

"Good. I love what you dressed her in. Very pink and very pretty."

"I have great fashion sense."

"That you do. You look amazing everyday."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Not surprisingly, that was the funnest day we've had since she was born.

Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream

Everything I want the world to be
Is now coming true especially for me
And the reason is clear
It's because you are here
You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen

I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

Something in the wind has learned my name
And it's tellin' me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me

There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me
All I need will be mine if you are here

I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

Notes

Chapter title and lyrics courtesy of Top of the World by The Carpenters.