OtC: Life isn't fair.
The house phone started ringing seconds after Sasha's cell phone went off. That alone should have had her worrying that something was wrong with someone, but the result of two loud, unexpected noises was an awake and extremely unhappy baby who responded to the sounds by screaming at the top of her lungs. She jumped up to get Lexie, leaving Henry to play on the floor with his trucks, and intentionally ignoring both calls. If they couldn't leave a message, she couldn't be bothered to call them back.
Truthfully, Sasha forgot about what had gotten Lexie upset as soon as she was holding her. "It's okay, sweetheart, everything's okay," she whispered, rocking her in her arms. She breathed a sigh of relief as the ringing stopped and Lexie started to wail with less enthusiasm, slowly beginning to calm down. "They said you were so quiet in the hospital. What happened, Little Girl?" Her tone was quiet and soft, and she was attempting to match her movements with a more peaceful sound than what Lexie had woken up to.
"You're just like me." She could hear Henry coming as she said the words, his little feet racing through the apartment at a speed that wasn't unusual for him. He ran up to her as soon as he entered the room, tugging on the pant leg of her jeans, half-hugging her. "We'll get back to trucks in a second. Your sister wants to play too," she promised, leaning down slightly so that she was a little more on his level.
"Mommy, now. See the TV!"
She cringed when his enthusiasm was met with a wail from Lexie, who didn't appreciate her big brother interrupting them. "I will, I know." They were missing Spongebob, or Max & Ruby, or something with a talking animal in it that she couldn't think of when Lexie was so upset. "We'll all watch together," she insisted, focusing her attention on rocking and quieting Lexie again. "You get your crankiness from Daddy," she teased, kissing the top of her head.
"No, now!" Instead of waiting for Sasha to move, Henry put her hand in the pocket of her jeans and started to pull, going back on his heels as he practically swung on her. "Mommy. Come. On."
She barely had time to think about how impatient he was being before both phones starting ringing in unison for the second time in five minutes. Giving up, Sasha carried Lexie into the living room, following Henry as she halfheartedly tried to get Lexie to quiet down again.
"See!" Henry pointed to the TV, walking over to touch the screen where Jean-Paul's picture appeared on the local news. He couldn't read the headline underneath; "BEAUBIER IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER RIOT AT ANTI-X PROP PROTEST". And, not knowing what was going on, Henry was excited to have discovered this information. "It's Uncle Jean-Paul," he said, thinking it was something good. "Mommy, it's Uncle Jean-Paul."
Sasha couldn't speak at first, but stepped closer to the TV, trying to block out everything but the report that she could barely hear over the phones and the crying. "Yeah," she answered in a shaky voice as a commercial break started, reaching over for her cell. "It's Uncle Jean-Paul."
She could have sworn that Lexie had gotten louder the second she'd admitted that. "Change the channel for me, Henry," she said quietly, trying to call Peter and wipe her eyes at the same time. "I don't like the News."
Sasha Hoffman
Original Character
579 words
Truthfully, Sasha forgot about what had gotten Lexie upset as soon as she was holding her. "It's okay, sweetheart, everything's okay," she whispered, rocking her in her arms. She breathed a sigh of relief as the ringing stopped and Lexie started to wail with less enthusiasm, slowly beginning to calm down. "They said you were so quiet in the hospital. What happened, Little Girl?" Her tone was quiet and soft, and she was attempting to match her movements with a more peaceful sound than what Lexie had woken up to.
"You're just like me." She could hear Henry coming as she said the words, his little feet racing through the apartment at a speed that wasn't unusual for him. He ran up to her as soon as he entered the room, tugging on the pant leg of her jeans, half-hugging her. "We'll get back to trucks in a second. Your sister wants to play too," she promised, leaning down slightly so that she was a little more on his level.
"Mommy, now. See the TV!"
She cringed when his enthusiasm was met with a wail from Lexie, who didn't appreciate her big brother interrupting them. "I will, I know." They were missing Spongebob, or Max & Ruby, or something with a talking animal in it that she couldn't think of when Lexie was so upset. "We'll all watch together," she insisted, focusing her attention on rocking and quieting Lexie again. "You get your crankiness from Daddy," she teased, kissing the top of her head.
"No, now!" Instead of waiting for Sasha to move, Henry put her hand in the pocket of her jeans and started to pull, going back on his heels as he practically swung on her. "Mommy. Come. On."
She barely had time to think about how impatient he was being before both phones starting ringing in unison for the second time in five minutes. Giving up, Sasha carried Lexie into the living room, following Henry as she halfheartedly tried to get Lexie to quiet down again.
"See!" Henry pointed to the TV, walking over to touch the screen where Jean-Paul's picture appeared on the local news. He couldn't read the headline underneath; "BEAUBIER IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER RIOT AT ANTI-X PROP PROTEST". And, not knowing what was going on, Henry was excited to have discovered this information. "It's Uncle Jean-Paul," he said, thinking it was something good. "Mommy, it's Uncle Jean-Paul."
Sasha couldn't speak at first, but stepped closer to the TV, trying to block out everything but the report that she could barely hear over the phones and the crying. "Yeah," she answered in a shaky voice as a commercial break started, reaching over for her cell. "It's Uncle Jean-Paul."
She could have sworn that Lexie had gotten louder the second she'd admitted that. "Change the channel for me, Henry," she said quietly, trying to call Peter and wipe her eyes at the same time. "I don't like the News."
Sasha Hoffman
Original Character
579 words