All The Little Moments (44 page)

The blanket. Anna tried to not make a big deal of it. When Sally and Jake had first passed away, the blanket had gone everywhere with him, as it had most times since he was a baby. As time had passed and, Anna supposed, he got a little older, the blanket had started to be left behind, increasingly only used for sleep. Leading up to the trial, he’d been using it and his pacifier a lot less. Mostly at night it would make an appearance, but for the last month, that had
been it.

And now it was back, Toby clutching
it firmly.

Anna plodded down the stairs, chatting to Toby until the scene in the kitchen brought her to
a stop.

At the bench, Ella stood on her footstool, eggs, flour, and milk in front of her with the mixing utensils fanned out. A measuring cup was buried in a jar of flour. She looked up. “One of
these cups?”

Anna nodded, walking over with Toby and plopping him down on the floor. Immediately, he started to try climb up her legs, making
whiny noises.

She looked down. “Wanna stay down there with some books, Tobes? We’ll get
your trains?”

Fingers clasped her pyjama pants as Toby tried to scale her
leg. “Na.”

Indulging him for now, Anna bent down and picked him back up. She had no idea what was normal for this situation and felt at a loss all over again. But there was no way she could say no at
the moment.

Content back on her hip, Toby peered over to
watch Ella.

Anna watched her, too, smiling when puffs of flour billowed up in the air. “That’s it, Ella. I’ll help with
the milk.”

They made pancakes, passing the morning by eating far too many of them. They all hung out in the living room, playing with Toby’s trains while Ella studiously coloured in. Relieved it was Saturday and she didn’t have to keep Ella out of school for this bonding time, Anna took the kids in the late morning to the grocery store, then the library. It didn’t take long for her to start to hate the fact that it was Saturday, though: two hours later they returned home, Anna frazzled by the amount of people at the stores and the library. That experience was not one she would be repeating with two children any
time soon.

Toby, full from the lunch they’d had while out, fell asleep on the drive home. Anna settled him in his bed, rubbing circles on his back until he was
deeply asleep.

By the time it was four o’clock, Toby was awake again. He and Ella sat on the floor next to the table in the kitchen, playing with his cars and trains as Anna drank a coffee. It wasn’t long before Toby was back on her lap, train
in hand.

There was a knock at the door and Anna looked up sharply as she heard a
small crash.

Ella sat there frozen, eyes wide, peering towards the hallway, the train she had been holding now upside down on the floor next to her
crossed legs.

“Ella?”

She didn’t look at Anna. Her cheeks were pale, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Ella Bella?”

Ella blinked and looked at her.
“Who’s here?”

The panicked look in Ella’s eye made Anna react instinctively. She held out her hand, and Ella hesitated only a second before standing up and leaning into Anna in a rush, half sitting on
her lap.

“It’ll be Lane or Kym or Grandma.” Anna smiled reassuringly. “Let’s go
see, hey?”

Ella nodded, still wide eyed, and took her hand. Anna led her to the front door, Toby on
her hip.

“Who is it?” Ella called after Anna
poked her.

“Someone
bearing treats!”

Anna grinned, looking down at Ella. “Who did that
sound like?”

“Kym!” Already kneeling to wrap Ella in her arms, Kym hugged her tightly the moment the door opened. “Ella! I missed you!” As she hugged Ella, she looked over her shoulder to Anna and the
baby. “Toby!”

With an excited shout Toby lunged himself forward until Anna put him down. He ran at Kym, leaving Anna without a child on or directly next to her for the first time
all day.

“Did you bring treats?” Ella looked at Kym with all the love and adoration of a six-year-old
promised chocolate.

Kym laughed loudly. “I did! They’re for a picnic at the park though. Know anyone who would be interested in coming to the park
with me?”

“Me!”

“Oh! You want to come? I thought you hated parks. Especially ones with
a picnic.”

“No. I love parks! Who told you that?” She turned and glared at Anna. “Did you tell
Kym that?”

Hands held up, Anna shook her head. “Nope.
Not me.”

As Kym stood, Toby looked at her like she was the
second coming.

Still looking worried, Ella looked back to Kym. “Well, I
love parks.”

“Then you can
definitely come.”

Before they could move inside, Lane pulled up, waving through the window.

“Nurse Lane!” When Ella bolted for Lane, Anna felt some of the lingering tension in her chest relax as she watched them greet
each other.

Kym looked to Anna, rubbing her nose on Toby’s cheek to make
him giggle.

“Hey,”
Anna said.

“Hey.” Leaving Lane chattering with Ella next to her car, they walked inside. “You know, Ella just
adores her.”

Anna looked over her shoulder to Kym.
“I know.”

“Good. So, all is right with
the world?”

While Anna put the kettle on, Kym settled at the table, bag dumped on the floor and a clinging Toby on
her lap.

“All is
very right.”

Kym “oohed” at Toby, who had pulled one of his books off the table and was pointing at a random page to show her. “I was so relieved for you guys. Not that it should have gone any
other way.”

Completely comfortable, Toby leant back against Kym, and Anna nodded as she watched them together. “I was
relieved, too.”

Kym looked up at her over Toby’s head, turning pages for him, her face concerned. “How
are they?”

Anna shrugged and checked that Toby was absorbed in his book. “Blanket’s going everywhere.” An indication with her chin showed what she meant. “And I can’t put him down. And E…well, she’s unsettled. Quiet. We had a chat, which will hopefully help. The knock at the door made
her panic.”

With a sad nod, Kym said, “That will calm down. She’ll realise she’s
safe eventually.”

Anna gnawed her bottom lip, wanting to
believe her.

“No
 
way
!” Ella’s voice cut through
the silence.

“Yes way!”

“I don’t
believe you!”

“Ella, who’s the
nurse here?”

“You.”

“Exactly.”

They entered the kitchen, and Lane looked up from Ella.
“Hello, ladies.”

Kym waved at her and went back
to Toby.

“What were you two talking about?”
Anna asked.

Lane walked over to Toby and kissed his neck in a quick flurry of kisses, making him giggle. In moments, Lane was in the kitchen next to Anna, and soft fingers trailed down her back. “Ella doesn’t believe me that there’s a
Finding Nemo 2
coming out.”

“What does being a nurse have to do
with that?”

Lane shrugged, smirking. “I use what
I have.”

Anna chuckled.

Ella’s voice
interrupted them.

“You two really like
each other.”

They both looked to Ella, who was staring at
them blatantly.

Amused, Kym glanced up. Flicking her eyes from Kym’s smirk to Ella’s honest face, Anna had no idea where that had
come from.

“What, Ella?”

“You two. You really like each other. You’re always staring and smiling with gross looks on your faces. Kind of like how Aladdin looks
at Jasmin.”

Not even attempting to cover the sound, Kym cracked up. Anna resisted the urge to throw something at her. Needing help, Anna turned to Lane, who had nothing to offer with a blank look. With no one else to go to for help, Anna gave her attention back
to Ella.

“Uh…yeah, we do really like
each other.”

“
So
 
obvious.”

“Right, Ella? They’re
s
o
 
obvious.”

Anna was sure Lane was also staring at Ella with her mouth
wide open.

“What?” Ella asked, looking from one to
the other.

Finally closing her mouth, Anna shook her
head. “Nothing.”

Kym snorted again, and Ella looked at
her. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Mouth still slightly agape, Lane still stared
at Ella.

“
What?
”

Lane shook her head.
“Nothing, Ella.”

“You guys
are weird.”

The lights were off, and they were all washed in the flickering blue glow of
Finding Nemo
, because they apparently needed to “be on top of it all” for the sequel in
a year.

The afternoon in the park had been relaxing, and Sandra had looked so happy Anna thought she might cry. Through use of expert puppy dog eyes, Ella had convinced Lane and Kym to stay for DVD night, since it was Saturday and it
was tradition.

Now, with Toby in bed, all four of them were struggling to stay awake on the couch. Ella was half-asleep with her head on Anna’s lap, legs stretched out over both Lane and Kym. Kym kept drifting off and snapping her head up, while Anna and Lane blinked heavily. As she looked at them all, Anna couldn’t help but think about the toll the last few days had taken on all
of them.

Kym jolted herself
awake again.

With a smirk, Anna poked her. “You sleeping here
tonight, Kym?”

“That okay if I crash on your
lovely couch?”

“Definitely. We can all have breakfast in
the morning.”

Through her yawn, Ella asked, “Pancakes again? Lane, you’re staying, too? You make the
best pancakes.”

Slightly panicked, Lane looked
to Anna.

“We’re kind of running out of
beds, Ella.”

“She can sleep in
 
your
 
bed. You like each other and stuff. Hayley and you used to sleep in the same bed here.” Her eyes were back on the screen, problem solved in
her mind.

With a look at Lane, who was trying not to look too hopeful, Anna turned back to Ella. “Would that be okay
with you?”

“I
get pancakes.”

“Okay then.” She looked to Lane. “Wanna have
a sleepover?”

“Yes, please.”

“Ugh.”

With a roll of her eyes, Ella looked up at Kym. “I
know, right?”

Kym grinned.

Ella fell asleep sprawled over them all on the couch, delighted to know she’d be waking up in the morning with her three favourite people. A glance to the right showed Anna that Kym had also
drifted off.

“You take the big one and I’ll take the
small one?”

Lane
chuckled. “Deal.”

Lane found a blanket while Anna woke Ella and guided her, half-asleep, to the toilet and then to bed. As she tucked Ella in, she gave her a hug, and, when Anna pulled away, Ella clung to her shirt. Not having the heart to leave, Anna sat stroking her hair until Ella fell back to sleep, her hand falling away on its own as she
drifted off.