Chapter Text
Elena got Pucky on a grocery day. She was thirteen months old, round-cheeked and furious, sitting in the shopping cart. Her hair stuck up in the back. She had rejected three crackers, one banana slice and Shane's desperate attempt at singing quietly in the cereal aisle.
"Dada." She complained.
"I know." Shane said, pushing the cart with one hand and holding his grocery list in the other.
"Life is unbearable."
Elena kicked her little feet.
"No."
"Strong point."
They turned into the baby aisle because Shane needed wipes and diapers.That was when Elena saw him. The small stuffed dog sat crookedly on the lowest shelf, half-hidden behind pastel rattles. He was soft brown with floppy ears, one slightly bent from being squished in packaging. His nose was too big for his face. He looked like he had also had a bad Tuesday. Elena went completely still. Shane noticed immediately because silence from Elena usually meant danger.
"What?"
She pointed one tiny, trembling finger.
"Dah."
Shane followed her gaze.
"The dog?"
Elena gasped like he had spoken a sacred truth.
"Dah!"
Shane picked up the stuffed dog mostly to stop her from launching herself out of the cart. The second he put it in her lap, Elena grabbed it with both arms and hugged it so hard her whole body folded around it.
"Oh." Shane said softly.
Elena pressed her face into the dog's head, then she made a tiny happy noise.
Not loud. Not dramatic. Just this little relieved sound, like she had been waiting for him her entire thirteen-month life and was offended nobody had introduced them sooner. Shane's chest did something stupid.
"Okay." He said.
"I guess we're buying the dog."
Elena looked up at him, eyes huge.
"Puh."
Shane blinked.
"Puppy?"
"Puh."
"Puppy." He repeated, smiling.
Elena looked down at the stuffed dog, deeply serious.
"Pucky."
Shane stared at her.
"That is not what I said."
"Pucky." Elena insisted, hugging him tighter.
"Right. Of course. My mistake."
At checkout, the cashier tried to scan Pucky. Elena shrieked like the woman had attempted kidnapping. Shane immediately lifted both hands.
"Okay, nope, sorry."
The cashier laughed and scanned the tag while Pucky remained clutched against Elena's chest. Elena glared suspiciously the entire time.
In the car, she fell asleep before Shane even left the parking lot, one hand tangled in Pucky's floppy ear, cheek pressed to his squashed little face. Shane sat there for a second, looking at her in the rearview mirror. His daughter. His impossible, stubborn, sleepy little girl. And her ugly stuffed dog.
"Welcome to the family, Pucky." Shane murmured.
Pucky, naturally, said nothing. Elena snuffled in her sleep and hugged him closer, that was answer enough.
-
"DADA!"
Shane barely had time to lift his head off the pillow before Elena launched herself onto the bed like a missile. Pucky flew through the air one second later and hit Shane directly in the face.
"Jesus-"
"Pucky park."
Shane groaned into the mattress.
"It's eight in the morning."
"Pucky PARK."
Elena bounced on his stomach for emphasis. At two years old she had somehow developed the physical force of a professional linebacker despite weighing approximately the same as a loaf of bread. Shane cracked one eye open. She stood over him in dinosaur leggings, mismatched socks and a sweatshirt on backwards. Pucky was tucked aggressively under one arm again.
"Why do we have to go to the dog park?"
"Pucky need frens."
"Pucky is a stuffed animal."
Elena gasped like he had said something unforgivable and clutched Pucky protectively.
"He shy."
"Right. Sorry."
Five minutes later Shane was making coffee while Elena dragged her tiny backpack across the kitchen floor.
"Pucky leash."
"Pucky does not own a leash."
"He SAFE."
Shane laughed into his coffee cup.
By ten-thirty they were at the dog park. Elena practically vibrated with excitement beside him while holding Shane's hand with one fist and Pucky with the other. Pucky now had a piece of thread around his neck acting as his leash. Dogs ran everywhere behind the fence. Big dogs, tiny dogs, one absolutely enormous golden retriever carrying a tennis ball the size of Elena's head.
"Wooooow." Elena whispered.
A husky howled somewhere nearby and Elena gasped.
"Dada! He yellin."
"He is."
"Why?"
"Honestly? Nobody knows."
Elena accepted this.
The second they walked through the gate, Elena tried to sprint toward the nearest dog. Shane caught the hood of her sweatshirt instantly.
"Whoa. What's the rule?"
Elena stopped dramatically.
"...Ask."
"Ask what?"
She sighed deeply like this was very repetitive information.
"Ask if doggy wanna pets."
"Close enough."
A woman nearby stood with a fluffy brown spaniel wagging hard enough to vibrate. Elena stared at the dog with the intensity of someone witnessing a celebrity. Shane crouched beside her.
"Okay. You ask first."
Elena nodded seriously, then marched over with Pucky tucked under her arm.
"Hi." She said carefully to the woman.
"Can I pet doggy?"
The woman melted instantly.
"Oh my goodness, yes you can."
The spaniel immediately shoved its whole face into Elena's stomach. Elena shrieked with delighted laughter while trying to pet and hold Pucky at the same time.
"Soft!" She announced.
"Very soft." Shane agreed.
After that Elena wanted to greet every single dog in the park personally. A bulldog named Meatball, a nervous little terrier in a sweater and a giant old lab who sat directly on Shane's foot and refused to move. Every single time, Shane reminded her.
"What do we do first?"
"Ask."
"And if the owner says no?"
"We say okay."
"And why do we ask?"
Elena considered this carefully while petting a corgi.
"Cause doggies got feelings."
Honestly? Good enough.
Then Elena spotted another dog near the benches. A golden retriever lay quietly beside a man in a wheelchair. Unlike the others, the dog didn't bark or run or chase tennis balls. He stayed pressed calmly against the man's side wearing a blue vest. Elena brightened immediately and started toward him. Shane caught her hand gently.
"Wait a second, baby."
Elena blinked up at him.
"But doggy."
"See his vest?"
She squinted hard.
"Blue."
"Yeah. That means he's a service dog."
Elena looked confused.
"Service?"
Shane sat down on a nearby bench and lifted her into his lap.
"Some people need extra help because of disabilities or medical problems. Service dogs help them stay safe."
Elena listened with complete seriousness.
"Like doctor?"
"Kind of. Some service dogs help people walk safely. Some remind people to take medicine. Some help if someone gets sick or scared."
Elena looked back at the golden retriever.
"He workin?"
"He is."
She gasped softly.
"Doggy got job."
Shane smiled.
"Yep."
Elena stared with deep respect.
"Pucky no got job."
"Pucky's unemployed."
"Dada."
"What?"
"He baby."
"Fair point."
Elena leaned against Shane's chest while watching the service dog calmly rest beside his owner.
"So we don't pet service dogs when they're working." Shane explained gently.
"Because they need to pay attention."
Elena nodded immediately.
"Doggy busy."
"Exactly."
A few minutes later, the man in the wheelchair rolled closer while the golden retriever walked perfectly beside him. Elena straightened instantly. The man smiled warmly.
"Hey there."
Elena hid briefly against Shane's hoodie before peeking out again.
"Hi."
The man glanced at Pucky.
"Who's your friend?"
Elena held him up proudly.
"Pucky."
"Very handsome dog."
"Pucky shy."
"Ah. Understandable."
The golden retriever sat calmly beside the wheelchair. Elena stared longingly but stayed firmly planted in Shane's lap. The man noticed.
"You're being very respectful."
Elena nodded seriously.
"He workin."
Something soft crossed the man's face.
"That's right."
Then, after a second.
"He's actually on break right now if you'd like to pet him."
Elena looked at Shane so fast she nearly got whiplash.
"DADA."
Shane laughed.
"Okay, okay."
Shane lowered her to the grounda and Elena approached the golden retriever with the reverence of someone entering holy ground.
"Hi doggy." She whispered.
The retriever immediately leaned forward and rested his giant head against her tiny chest. Elena froze completely, then slowly looked back at Shane with enormous eyes.
"He trust me."
The man laughed softly. Shane felt his chest ache in that familiar unbearable way it always did around her.
"Yeah, baby." He said quietly.
"He does."
Elena spent the next twenty minutes attached to the golden retriever. His name was Murphy. According to Elena, he was now her 'best fren' despite the fact Murphy mostly seemed interested in looking at his owner. Still, Murphy tolerated being hugged around the neck with saint-level patience while Elena whispered very important things into his fur.
"Pucky shy but he brave."
Murphy blinked calmly. The man in the wheelchair smiled at Shane over Elena's head.
"She's good with dogs."
Shane watched Elena carefully stroke Murphy's ears exactly the way he'd shown her.
"She likes being gentle." He said softly.
Elena looked up immediately.
"I VERY gentle."
Murphy sneezed directly into her face. Elena gasped.
"He kiss me!"
The man burst out laughing and Shane nearly choked trying not to.
Eventually they said goodbye, Elena waving with heartbreaking sincerity.
"Bye Murphy! Good luck at work!"
Murphy wagged once like he understood every word. As they left the fenced area, Elena skipped beside Shane holding his hand while Pucky bounced under her arm.
"Murphy good worker."
"He is."
"And good boy."
"Also true."
They walked toward a little coffee stand near the park entrance when Elena suddenly stopped dead. A woman was crossing the sidewalk ahead of them holding the harness of a black Labrador. Unlike the dogs in the park, this one moved differently. Guiding carefully around benches and people. The woman wore dark sunglasses despite the cloudy weather. Elena stared openly.
"Dada." She whispered loudly.
"That doggy drivin."
Shane bit back a laugh immediately.
"He's guiding her."
Elena watched the Labrador stop neatly at the curb before continuing forward. The dog looked serious in a way Elena clearly found deeply impressive.
"He workin too?"
"Yeah, baby."
Shane crouched beside her again.
"That's called a guide dog. He helps her because she can't see well."
Elena's eyes widened.
"She blind?"
"Probably."
Elena looked back at the woman with immediate concern.
"How she know where Target is?"
Shane laughed softly.
"The dog helps."
Right on cue, the Labrador gently guided the woman around someone pushing a stroller. Elena gasped.
"He protectin her."
"He is."
Elena stood there quietly for a second, clutching Pucky tightly against her chest while watching them disappear down the sidewalk. Then she looked down at Pucky thoughtfully.
"Pucky no can guide."
"Pucky has many strengths. Direction isn't one of them."
"He soft."
"Very true."
Elena considered this with grave seriousness.
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"If I blind... you guide me?"
The question hit so fast Shane actually felt it in his chest. He brushed her hair back carefully.
"Always."
Elena nodded like that was obvious.
"Okay."
Then she held her tiny hand out expectantly.
"Up."
Shane lifted her automatically onto his hip. She wrapped herself around him immediately, warm and safe and trusting in the way only little kids could be.
"Dada?"
"Hm?"
"You my service human."
Shane laughed so hard he had to hide his face briefly against her hair.
"Yeah baby, I guess I am."
-
Shane stared at them across the kitchen table.
"Twins."
Jackie smiled nervously.
"Twins."
Hayden lifted two fingers.
"Two babies."
Shane looked at Elena, who was sitting on the floor trying to put Pucky into a cereal box. Elena looked up.
"What?"
Shane exhaled slowly.
"Nothing, baby."
Jackie bit her lip.
"We should tell her gently."
Hayden nodded.
"Very gently."
Elena successfully shoved Pucky halfway into the cereal box.
"Pucky house."
Shane looked back at Jackie and Hayden.
"Good luck."
Jackie laughed, then immediately looked like she might cry. She had one hand resting lightly over her stomach even though there was barely anything to see yet. Hayden noticed and covered her hand with his.
Elena squinted.
"Jackie tummy hurt?"
Jackie softened instantly.
"No, sweetheart. My tummy doesn't hurt."
Elena crawled closer, dragging Pucky by one ear.
"Then why hold?"
Hayden slid carefully off his chair and sat on the floor across from her.
"Because there are babies in there."
Elena went completely still and Shane closed his eyes.
"That was not gentle." Jackie whispered
"I panicked." Hayden whispered back.
Elena stared at Jackie's stomach.
"In shirt?"
"No." Jackie laughed softly.
"Not in my shirt. In my belly."
Elena's eyes went huge.
"You ate baby?"
"No." Shane said immediately.
Jackie covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Hayden nodded very seriously.
"No eating babies."
Elena looked relieved, then suspicious.
"How baby get there?"
Shane made a sound like he had been shot and Jackie gave him one look.
"Age appropriate." She said.
Then she turned back to Elena.
"Sometimes, when grown-ups want a baby and their body can grow one, a tiny baby starts growing inside."
Elena leaned forward.
"Tiny?"
"Very tiny."
Elena held up one finger.
"Like pea?"
"Even smaller at first."
Elena gasped.
"Baby pea."
Hayden smiled helplessly.
"Kind of."
Elena crawled closer to Jackie and pointed carefully.
"One baby?"
Jackie's face went soft and bright.
"Two babies."
Elena froze again. Pucky slid out of the cereal box and flopped tragically onto the floor.
"Two?"
"Two." Hayden confirmed.
Elena looked at Shane in alarm.
"Dada. Jackie got many babies."
Shane nodded.
"Extremely many."
Jackie laughed, wiping quickly under one eye. Elena turned back to Jackie's stomach with deep concern.
"They crowded?"
"A little." Jackie admitted.
Elena patted Jackie's knee.
"Tell them share."
Hayden lost it first, Shane had to turn toward the sink andJackie laughed until she cried for real. Elena frowned.
"What funny?"
"Nothing, sweetheart." Jackie reached for her hand.
"That was just very good advice."
Elena nodded, satisfied. Then she leaned close to Jackie's belly.
"Babies. Share tummy."
Everyone went quiet. Jackie's face crumpled.
"Oh no." Hayden whispered.
"Jackie."
"I'm fine." Jackie lied, fully crying.
Elena looked worried.
"Jackie sad?"
"No, baby." Shane said softly.
"Happy crying."
Elena looked unconvinced.
"Happy sad?"
"Yeah."
Elena climbed carefully into Jackie's lap, because Elena believed most problems could be solved by sitting directly on them. Jackie wrapped her arms around her, careful and grateful. Elena pressed one small hand to Jacki's stomach.
"Hi babies."
Hayden's eyes went suspiciously shiny. Elena thought for a second.
"I Elena. This Pucky."
She held Pucky against Jackie's belly.
"He shy. Be nice."
Jackie made another tiny broken noise. Shane pointed at Hayden.
"We said gently. Now everyone's crying."
Hayden wiped his face.
"Because she introduced Pucky."
Elena looked up.
"When babies come out?"
"In a while." Jackie said.
"Not today."
Elena relaxed.
"Good. Today we have crackers."
"Priorities." Shane muttered.
Elena patted Jackie's belly one more time.
"Babies can have cracker when they have teeth."
Hayden nodded.
"I'll let them know."
Elena slid off Jackie's lap and shoved Pucky back into the cereal box. Then she paused and looked back.
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"If Jackie has two babies..."
Shane braced himself.
"We need two hats."
Jackie started crying again and Shane sighed.
"Of course."
-
The fire station visit happened completely by accident. Shane had only meant to stop at the farmer's market for strawberries because Elena had declared that grocery store strawberries were 'sad berries'. Instead, halfway down the block, Elena froze so suddenly Shane nearly walked into her.
"Dada."
Her voice carried the exact tone she used right before life-changing discoveries. Shane looked down.
"What?"
Elena pointed with complete awe.
"TRUCK."
Two firefighters stood beside a massive red fire engine parked near the playground while a small group of kids gathered nearby. One firefighter was showing them the hoses while the other handed out plastic fire hats. Elena gasped like she'd spotted actual royalty.
"BIG truck."
"It is pretty big." Shane admitted.
She grabbed his hand immediately and started dragging him across the sidewalk with all the determination of someone half his size and entirely in charge.
"Slow down, speed racer."
"No slow."
"Clearly."
By the time they reached the truck, Elena was vibrating with excitement. Pucky dangled from one hand while her little sneakers slapped rapidly against the pavement. One of the firefighters noticed her immediately and smiled.
"Hey there."
Elena stared up at her with enormous eyes.
The firefighter was a woman. Tall, dark braid tucked under her cap, soot smudged lightly across one sleeve like she'd come from a real call earlier. Elena blinked.
"Oh."
The firefighter crouched slightly.
"You wanna see the truck?"
Elena nodded so hard Shane worried about her neck.
"Yes."
"That's usually the correct answer."
The other firefighter laughed while helping a little boy climb into the driver's seat. Elena clung briefly to Shane's leg, suddenly shy now that she was close. The firefighter smiled gently.
"I'm Sam."
Elena whispered back immediately.
"Elena."
"Nice to meet you, Elena."
Elena looked at the truck again, visibly overwhelmed.
"So big."
Sam nodded seriously.
"It carries a lot of important stuff."
Elena pointed immediately.
"What that?"
"Hose."
"What that?"
"Radio."
"What that?"
"That's the ladder."
"What that?"
Shane snorted quietly behind her.
"Baby, you're gonna make her explain the entire truck."
Sam laughed.
"I've handled worse."
Elena moved closer carefully, staring at everything with intense concentration.
"You drive it?"
"Sometimes."
"You go wee-woo?"
That nearly took Sam out instantly.
"Yeah. We go wee-woo."
Elena looked deeply impressed. Shane watched her face soften into pure fascination. She always loved people with jobs that helped others. Veterinarians, crossing guards, the mail carrier who let her hold envelopes. But this? This was hero-level. Elena pointed at Sam's uniform.
"You firefighter?"
"I am."
Elena frowned suddenly. Tiny eyebrows pinching together.
"But..." She hesitated.
Sam waited patiently.
"You girl."
Shane closed his eyes immediately.
"Oh my god."
Sam burst out laughing.
"It's okay." She promised Shane.
Then she looked back at Elena.
"Yep. Girls can be firefighters."
Elena blinked hard.
"They can?"
"They sure can."
Elena looked genuinely stunned by this information. Like someone had just informed her the moon was made of cookies. Sam pointed toward the truck.
"Actually, lots of girls are firefighters."
Elena turned slowly toward Shane.
"Dada."
"Yeah?"
"Girls do wee-woo."
Shane nodded.
"They absolutely do."
Elena looked back at Sam with renewed awe.
"You strong?"
Sam flexed one arm dramatically.
"Extremely."
Elena gasped.
"Wooooow."
The second firefighter wandered over grinning.
"She asking the important questions?"
"Very much so."
Elena immediately pointed at him.
"You strong too?"
He laughed.
"I try."
She considered this carefully, then pointed back at Sam.
"She stronger."
Sam looked unbearably smug about that.
"Damn right."
Shane laughed quietly while Elena wandered around the side of the truck asking approximately four thousand more questions.
"Where fire sleep?"
"How truck eat?"
"Firefighters nap?"
"Dog firefighter real?"
Sam answered every single one with complete seriousness. Then Elena noticed the helmet.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"HAT."
"You wanna try it on?"
Elena looked at Shane for permission first.
"Please?"
Shane nodded.
"Go ahead."
Sam carefully settled the oversized firefighter helmet onto Elena's head. It immediately slid down almost over her eyes. Elena froze.
Shane pulled out his phone instantly.
"Oh, I need pictures."
Elena grinned so wide her cheeks nearly disappeared.
"I firefighter now."
"You absolutely are." Sam told her.
Elena stood proudly beside the truck while Shane snapped photos, smiling so hard his face hurt.
Then Elena tilted her head up at Sam again.
"Girls do all jobs?"
Sam's expression softened immediately.
"Pretty much."
Elena thought about this with deadly seriousness.
"I be firefighter princess doctor maybe."
Shane nodded.
"That sounds manageable."
Sam laughed again.
"I think you can do all of those."
Elena looked delighted by that answer, completely certain now.
As they finally walked away twenty minutes later, Elena wore a little plastic fire hat they'd given her. Halfway down the sidewalk she stopped abruptly and grabbed Shane's hand.
"Dada?"
"What?"
She looked up at him with absolute confidence.
"I strong too."
And Shane felt his chest ache in that familiar overwhelming way it always did when she became a little more herself right in front of him.
"Yeah, baby." He said softly.
"You really are."
Elena smiled proudly, firefighter helmet slipping sideways over one eye. Then she pointed dramatically down the street.
"Pucky need strawberries now."
Shane laughed.
-
The zoo trip began with Elena standing in the hallway at seven in the morning wearing rain boots, a tutu, fairy wings, and a backpack shaped like a frog. Shane stared at her.
"Sweetheart."
She stared back.
"I ready."
"You're wearing pajamas under a tutu."
"For animals."
"Right. My mistake."
Pucky was strapped into the frog backpack with only his head visible, which Elena had explained was 'for safety'. Shane had not argued because he had learned to preserve his energy for emergencies, like yogurt spills and Hayden being left unsupervised near gift shops.
Jackie and Hayden arrived fifteen minutes later. Jackie was further along now, visibly pregnant, round-bellied and glowing in a way that made Shane emotional if he looked too long. Hayden carried three bags, two water bottles, sunscreen, crackers, a foldable fan, and the haunted expression of a man who had Googled 'twin pregnancy symptoms' too many times. Elena gasped when she saw Jackie.
"Babies came?"
Jackie laughed.
"Not yet, sweetheart."
Elena frowned at her stomach.
"They slow."
Hayden nodded.
"They get that from Jackie."
Jackie looked at him.
"Do you want to walk to the zoo?"
Hayden adjusted the bags.
"I love patience."
At the zoo entrance, Elena immediately tried to run in four directions at once. Shane caught the back of her shirt.
"Baby, we need a plan."
"Penguins."
"Okay, penguins first."
"Bunnies."
"Then bunnies."
"Snack."
"That one is for Hayden."
Hayden already had a cracker in his mouth.
"Correct."
The penguin exhibit was cool and blue and smelled faintly like fish, which Elena announced loudly.
"Stinky birds."
One penguin waddled past the glass, fat and serious. Elena pressed both hands to the window.
"Dada."
"Yeah?"
"That one is boss."
Shane looked at the penguin.
"Definitely."
The penguin slipped suddenly on the wet rock, recovered with great dignity, and waddled away like nothing had happened. Hayden pointed.
"That one's me."
Jackie patted his arm.
"Self-awareness is beautiful."
Elena watched the penguins swim, completely enchanted. One shot through the water like a tiny torpedo, and she gasped so hard Shane thought she might fall over.
"He fly in water!"
"Yeah, baby."
"Dada, I be penguin?"
"You can be whatever you want."
Elena thought about this, then nodded.
"I be penguin with boots."
"Practical."
Jackie stood beside them with one hand resting on her belly, smiling softly. Elena noticed and immediately turned serious.
"Babies like penguins?"
Jackie's face melted.
"I think they do."
Elena leaned toward Jackie's stomach.
"Babies. Look. Boss bird."
Hayden turned away.
"Nope."
Shane glanced at him.
"You crying?"
"No. The fish smell attacked my eyes."
After the penguins came the petting zoo, which Elena treated like a sacred mission. She walked very slowly toward the bunny enclosure, clutching Pucky to her chest. A small brown rabbit hopped near the fence.
"Dada."
"I see it."
"It baby."
"It's a bunny."
"It baby bunny."
Shane crouched beside her.
"Soft hands, okay?"
Elena nodded with terrifying seriousness. When the keeper let her gently pet the rabbit's back, Elena's whole face went quiet with wonder.
"So soft." She whispered.
Jackie's eyes filled instantly. Shane pointed at her.
"Don't start."
"I'm pregnant with twins, Shane. I am allowed to cry."
Elena carefully held Pucky out toward the bunny.
"This Pucky. He dog. He nice."
The bunny sniffed Pucky's ear and Elena gasped.
"They friends."
"This is historically significant." Hayden whispered.
Another rabbit hopped over. Elena looked up sharply.
"Dada."
"What?"
"Pucky need two bunny friends."
"That feels dangerous."
Jackie laughed, then winced slightly and pressed a hand to her back. Shane noticed immediately.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired."
Hayden was already beside her.
"Bench. Now."
"I'm fine."
"Bench."
Elena grabbed Jackie's hand.
"Sit. Babies heavy."
Jackie sighed, smiling.
"They are."
So they sat on a bench near the bunnies while Hayden distributed snacks. Elena climbed carefully beside Jackie and patted her belly.
"Babies, you tired?"
Shane sat on Jackie's other side.
"They're probably having a big day."
Elena nodded.
"Zoo hard."
Hayden handed her a cracker.
"You're doing great."
Elena fed Pucky a pretend bite first, then looked back toward the bunny's
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we live here?"
"No."
"With penguins?"
"No."
"With bunnies?"
"No."
She considered.
"Weekend?"
Shane rubbed his forehead.
"We think about it."
By the end of the day, Elena was sticky with sunscreen, half-asleep in Shane's arms, clutching a tiny zoo map. Her favorite animals, officially, were the penguins, the bunnies, and 'Jackie babies because they came too'.
At the car, Elena lifted her sleepy head.
"Dada?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"Penguin was boss."
"He really was."
"And bunny was soft."
"Very soft."
"And babies need see again."
Jackie smiled from the passenger seat, exhausted and glowing.
"We'll bring them next time."
Elena yawned hugely.
"Good. I teach them zoo."
Hayden buckled her in carefully.
"That's a big responsibility."
Elena hugged Pucky to her chest.
"I know."
Shane closed the car door gently.
-
Rose declared Disneyland 'non-negotiable' three months before Elena's birthday.
Shane made the mistake of saying, 'that sounds expensive'. Rose stared at him across the kitchen table like he had personally insulted childhood.
"It is her birthday."
"She'll be three."
"Exactly. A sacred age."
"She asked for pancakes and balloons."
"And she shall have pancakes, balloons and a mouse kingdom."
Elena looked up from where she was coloring Pucky purple.
"Mouse?"
Rose pointed at her.
"See? She understands."
So, somehow, on Elena's birthday morning, Shane found himself standing outside Disneyland with a backpack full of snacks, sunscreen, backup clothes, emergency wipes, Elena's tiny water bottle, Pucky and the deep haunted expression of a man who had already lost control. Rose, meanwhile, wore sunglasses, mouse ears, and the smug satisfaction of someone who had won. Elena stood between them in a yellow dress covered in tiny flowers, clutching Shane's hand with one hand and Rose's with the other.
For a second, she just stared. The music, the colors, the castle in the distance, kids running past in princess dresses and balloons floating above the crowd like magic had gotten loose. Her mouth fell open.
"Dada."
Shane looked down at her.
"Yeah?"
Elena whispered, absolutely awed.
"Is real."
Rose immediately made a wounded noise.
"Oh no. I'm already crying."
"We haven't even gone in yet."
"I'm pacing myself."
Then Elena saw Mickey Mouse. Her whole body went still in that terrifying way that usually meant either disaster or revelation.
"Mickey." She breathed.
Mickey waved. Elena gasped so hard Shane nearly dropped the backpack.
"Mickey know me!"
"He's very polite." Shane said weakly.
Elena took two wobbly steps forward, then turned back and grabbed Shane's leg.
"Dada come."
"Always."
Meeting Mickey lasted exactly forty-two seconds and somehow changed Elena's entire life. She hugged him with her whole tiny body, whispered 'It my birfday' into his jacket, and then looked personally blessed when he clapped for her. Rose took approximately nine hundred photos.
After that, it only got worse. Worse for Shane's emotional stability, mostly.
Elena met Minnie and twirled for her. She waved shyly at Donald. She informed Goofy that Pucky was 'also dog, maybe' which made Goofy clutch his chest dramatically.
Then came the princesses.
Elena saw Cinderella first and stopped breathing. Shane crouched beside her immediately.
"Hey, you okay?"
Elena nodded without blinking.
"She princess."
"She is."
"Real princess."
Cinderella knelt in front of her like Elena was the important one.
"Hello, princess."
Elena's eyes filled instantly. Shane's did too, because apparently fatherhood meant being destroyed by a woman in a blue dress calling your kid princess.
"Oh, we're done. We're finished." Rose whispered.
Elena curtsied because Rose had taught her the night before, except she mostly bent sideways and nearly fell over. Cinderella caught her hands gently and said it was perfect. Elena glowed.
She met Belle and told her books were 'good but sometimes too many words.' Belle nodded like this was wise criticism.
She met Ariel and asked if fish had bedtime. Ariel said yes, especially very small fish. Elena looked deeply vindicated.
Every princess got hugged.
Every princess got told about Pucky.
Every princess became Elena's new best friend for at least three minutes.
And then they turned a corner and saw Winnie the Pooh. Elena stopped so suddenly Rose walked into Shane's back.
"What-"
Then Rose saw too.
"Oh."
Pooh stood beneath a tree, round and golden and soft-looking, waving slowly at a little boy in front of them. Elena's grip tightened around Shane's fingers. Her voice came out tiny.
"Pooh Bear."
Shane looked down.
"You wanna say hi?"
Elena didn't answer. Her eyes were already wet. Rose pressed a hand to her mouth. Shane and Rose could practically recite every movie with that bear in their sleep, that's how much Elena loved it.
"No, no, no, absolutely not, I cannot emotionally survive this."
When it was Elena's turn, she didn't run. She walked very carefully, like she was approaching something precious. Pooh opened his arms and Elena made one broken little sound and ran straight into him. She wrapped herself around his belly and buried her face there. Shane forgot how to breathe. Rose took pictures through actual tears. Pooh patted Elena's back gently, slow and careful. Elena stayed there for a long time, longer than she had with anyone else, clinging with both arms. Finally she pulled back just enough to look up at him.
"I love you." She whispered.
Pooh pressed both paws to his heart and Elena sniffled.
"I have Pucky. He my best. But you my best too."
Pooh nodded like this made perfect sense. Shane turned away for half a second, wiping quickly at his face. Rose caught him.
"Are you crying?"
"No."
"You're fully crying."
"Shut up."
"I'm crying too."
Elena came back holding a signed autograph book against her chest like a sacred text.
"Dada." She said, dazed with happiness.
"Yeah, baby?"
"Pooh hugged me."
Shane smiled, soft and helpless.
"He did."
"He know my birthday?"
"Of course he does."
Elena looked back over her shoulder at Pooh, who waved again.
"Best day." She whispered.
Rose made another wounded sound. Shane picked Elena up and kissed her cheek.
"Happy birthday, baby."
Elena tucked herself against his neck, still staring at the castle, the characters, the impossible bright world around them.
"Can we live here?"
Rose answered immediately.
"I'll look into it."
"No." Shane said.
Elena patted his cheek.
"Dada. Think about it."
And because she was laughing, because Rose was crying behind her sunglasses, because Pooh Bear had just hugged his daughter on her birthday and Shane's entire heart felt too big for his body, he did.
-
The first tooth came loose during breakfast. Specifically, during pancakes, which Elena would later claim was an act of betrayal. She had been chewing happily, syrup on her chin, Pucky sitting beside her plate in what Shane called 'the splash zone' when she suddenly froze.
Her eyes went enormous.
"Dada."
Shane looked up from his coffee.
"Yeah?"
Elena's lower lip trembled.
"My mouth broken."
Shane immediately set his mug down.
"What?"
Elena opened her mouth and pointed dramatically at one tiny front tooth.
"It wiggle."
Shane leaned closer, then smiled before he could stop himself.
"Oh."
Elena gasped, horrified.
"Dada, no oh."
"Baby, it's okay."
"It not okay!" She slapped both hands over her mouth.
"My tooth tryin to leave!"
Shane pushed back from the table and crouched beside her chair.
"Hey. Look at me."
Elena looked at him with the expression of someone who had just discovered her skeleton was unreliable.
"It's supposed to happen." Shane said gently.
"Baby teeth get loose so grown-up teeth can come in."
Elena's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"My mouth makin new teeth?"
"Yep."
"Without asking?"
Shane pressed his lips together.
"Apparently."
Elena immediately burst into tears.
"I need all my teeth!"
"Oh, sweetheart."
He scooped her up before she could dissolve completely, syrup hands and all. Elena clung to his shirt, crying into his shoulder while Pucky lay abandoned beside the pancakes.
"I don't want it fall out." She sobbed.
"I know. It feels scary."
"What if it lost?"
"Then we give it to the tooth fairy."
Elena hiccupped.
"The what?"
Shane rubbed her back.
"The tooth fairy. When kids lose baby teeth, they put the tooth under their pillow, and the tooth fairy comes at night and leaves a little present."
Elena pulled back just enough to stare at him through wet lashes.
"A fairy come in my room?"
Shane paused.
"...In a very respectful way."
Elena looked deeply alarmed.
"Does she knock?"
"Absolutely."
"Quiet knock?"
"The quietest."
Elena sniffled.
"And she take my tooth?"
"Only if you want her to."
Elena thought about that, still breathing hard.
"What she do with it?"
Shane had absolutely no idea.
"Fairy stuff."
Elena squinted.
"That not answer."
"It's a secret."
That distracted her. Barely. She touched the wiggly tooth again and immediately whimpered.
"It moving."
"Yeah. It might take a while before it falls out."
"How long?"
"Maybe days."
Elena looked offended.
"Days?"
"Could be."
She leaned heavily against his chest, exhausted by dental betrayal.
"Dada?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"If my tooth scared... you hold it?"
Shane's heart folded in half.
"Always."
That night, Elena made him check the tooth six times. She made Pucky check once. Then she told Shane very seriously that if the tooth fairy came, she was not allowed to scare Pucky because he was sensitive.
Shane promised.
Three days later, the tooth came out while Elena was eating a strawberry. For one terrifying second, she stared at the tiny white tooth in her palm. Then she screamed.
Shane came running so fast he nearly slipped in the hallway.
"What happened?"
Elena held out her hand like she was carrying evidence of a crime.
"It escaped!"
Shane stopped, breathing hard. Then he smiled.
Elena glared.
"Dada."
"Sorry." He crouched in front of her.
"You did it."
"I didn't do it. Strawberry did it."
"Very powerful strawberry."
Elena sniffed, staring at the tooth.
"It little."
"It is."
"And mine."
"Yep."
She looked up at him, nervous but proud.
"Tooth fairy tonight?"
"If you want."
Elena considered this carefully. Then she held the tooth closer to her chest.
"Can I write note?"
Shane smiled softly.
"Yeah, baby. We can write her a note."
So they did. In purple crayon, with Pucky supervising.
'Dear Tooth Fairy, this tooth fell out because strawberry. Please be nice to Pucky.
Love, Elena'
That night, Shane tucked the tooth and note under her pillow. Elena lay very still, eyes wide in the dark.
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"You stay until I sleep?"
Shane sat beside her bed and took her hand.
"Always."
Elena squeezed his fingers.
"My mouth growing up?"
Shane swallowed around the sudden ache in his throat.
"Yeah, baby."
She looked worried.
"But I still little?"
He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Still little."
Elena relaxed at once, hugging Pucky under her chin.
"Okay."
By morning, the tooth was gone. In its place was a glittery sticker sheet, two quarters, and a tiny note in handwriting that absolutely did not look like Shane's unless you knew Shane very well.
Elena held it up, shaking with joy.
"DADA! SHE KNOCKED QUIET!"
Shane stumbled into her room half-awake.
"She did?"
Elena bounced on the bed, hair wild, pajamas twisted sideways, Pucky clutched under one arm.
"She took tooth! And left monies! And stickers! And note!"
Shane leaned against the doorway, pretending he had not been awake at two in the morning, crawling around on Elena's rug because the tooth had slipped behind the bed.
"Wow. Busy night."
Elena held the note like it was sacred.
"Read it Dada."
"Right. Of course."
He sat on the edge of her bed and took the tiny note.
"Dear Elena." He read carefully.
"Thank you for the tooth. It was very brave of you. Pucky was an excellent helper. Keep brushing. Love, the Tooth Fairy."
Elena pressed both hands to her cheeks.
"She know Pucky."
"Apparently he has a reputation."
Pucky was immediately lifted into the air.
"Pucky famous."
"Extremely."
Elena gasped suddenly and shoved her fingers into her mouth. Shane caught her wrist gently.
"Hey, careful."
She froze.
"Dada."
"What?"
She looked horrified.
"I got more teeth."
Shane blinked.
"Yes."
Her eyes widened.
"Dada."
"Yes?"
"They all gonna leave?"
"Eventually."
Elena screamed into Pucky. Shane closed his eyes.
"Okay. Great. Good morning to us."
-
The mall trip was supposed to be simple, which was Shane's first mistake. His second mistake was taking Elena on a Saturday.
By noon the place was absolute chaos. Music echoed from three different stores at once, teenagers traveled in loud packs, and someone nearby was aggressively sampling perfume like chemical warfare had become a hobby.
Elena loved it.
"Dada LOOK."
"I am looking."
"No, LOOK."
She pointed dramatically toward the center of the mall where a man was making balloon animals for a cluster of children. Shane sighed.
Five minutes later he was ten dollars poorer, holding shopping bags in one hand and watching Elena march proudly beside him with a giant red balloon tied around her wrist.
"It dragon." She informed him.
"It's literally a circle."
"It dragon balloon."
"My mistake."
Pucky was tucked under her arm while the balloon bobbed above her head through the crowd. Every few seconds Elena glanced up at it just to make sure it still existed.
"Dada."
"Yeah?"
"If balloon fly away, he lonely?"
Shane looked at the ceiling instinctively.
"I mean... probably."
Elena looked deeply concerned and tightened her grip on the string.
"No lonely balloon."
"Good plan."
They were passing the food court when Shane noticed it. A little boy standing near one of the benches. Alone. He couldn't have been older than four. Tiny sneakers, dinosaur shirt, tear-streaked face. He turned in frantic little circles looking through the crowd with the unmistakable panic of a kid who had realized their grown-up was gone. Shane stopped immediately.
Elena almost kept walking before noticing.
"Dada?"
Shane was already crouching beside the boy.
"Hey, buddy."
The little boy startled hard and wiped at his face with both fists.
"Hi."
His voice shook. Shane kept his tone calm and gentle.
"You okay?"
The boy tried very hard to be brave for approximately two seconds before bursting into tears.
"My mommy gone."
And there it was. Shane felt his chest tighten instantly.
"Oh, hey, hey." He softened immediately.
"We're gonna help you, okay?"
The little boy cried harder. Elena stared at him with enormous eyes.
"Baby sad." She whispered.
"He's scared." Shane said quietly.
The boy hiccuped hard, trying to breathe around the tears.
"I-I can't find her."
Shane glanced around automatically. No frantic parent in sight yet.
"What's your name, buddy?"
"T-Tommy."
"Okay, Tommy. I'm Shane, and this is Elena."
Elena immediately stepped closer holding Pucky.
"Hi Tommy."
Tommy sniffled miserably. Elena looked at Shane.
"We help."
"Yeah, baby. We do."
Shane stood carefully and took Tommy's hand.
"Okay. We're gonna go talk to mall security and help find your mom. Sound good?"
Tommy nodded shakily. His little hand clung tightly to Shane's fingers the entire walk. Elena stayed right beside him with unusual quietness, watching Tommy carefully while her balloon bounced overhead.
They found a security desk near the center of the mall. The security guard immediately picked up the phone when he saw Tommy's face.
"We've got a lost child here." He said gently into the radio.
Tommy's lip trembled again.
"I want my mommy."
"I know, buddy." Shane rubbed his back carefully.
"She's looking for you too right now."
A few minutes passed, security made another announcement overhead and Tommy started crying again every time adults walked past and weren't his mom.
Then Elena looked up at her balloon. Really looked at it. Shane saw the exact moment the thought entered her head. Her little fingers tightened around the string. Then she looked at Tommy, then back at the balloon. Internal conflict took over her entire face.
Shane stayed very quiet. Finally Elena slid carefully off the chair to stand in front of Tommy.
"Tommy?"
He looked up, cheeks wet. Elena held out the balloon string.
"You can have dragon."
Tommy blinked. Shane's breath caught a little. Elena looked visibly heartbroken about it already, but kept holding the string out anyway. Tommy stared up at the bright red balloon floating above them.
"For me?"
Elena nodded bravely.
"So no sad lonely."
Tommy took the string carefully. The second he did, Elena's hand fell empty at her side. Shane saw her glance up automatically toward where the balloon should have been attached to her wrist, saw the tiny flicker of loss she tried very hard not to show. Then Tommy gave one watery little smile and Elena smiled back immediately.
"There." She said softly.
"Better."
Shane had to look away for a second. Jesus Christ. The security guard smiled at him knowingly.
"Your daughter's a good kid."
Shane swallowed hard.
"Yeah." He said quietly.
"She really is."
Then suddenly-
"TOMMY!"
A woman's voice cracked across the mall. Tommy's entire body lit up.
"MOMMY!"
A woman came running toward them through the crowd looking absolutely terrified, tears already streaming down her face. Tommy launched off the chair straight into her arms. She dropped to her knees immediately, clutching him so tightly Shane thought she might never let go.
"Oh my god, oh my god, baby-"
"I lost you." Tommy sobbed.
"I know, sweetheart. I know. I'm here now."
Elena watched silently from beside Shane's leg, one hand curled into his jeans. Tommy's mom finally looked up at Shane and the security guard.
"Thank you." She said shakily.
"Thank you so much."
Shane waved it off gently.
"He did great."
Then Tommy looked at Elena. He still held the balloon string in his hand. Tommy's lip wobbled again.
"You gave me balloon."
Elena nodded.
"You was sad."
Tommy looked up at the floating red balloon above him like he still couldn't believe it was real. Then, before his mom lifted him fully into her arms, he leaned forward quickly and hugged Elena. A tiny fierce toddler hug. Elena froze in surprise, then hugged him back.
"It okay." She whispered seriously.
"Mommy found."
Tommy nodded against her shoulder.
"Yeah."
His mom mouthed another thank you to Shane before carrying Tommy away through the crowd, red balloon bobbing above them so brightly Shane could still spot it halfway across the mall. Elena watched until they disappeared, then she looked down at the empty wrist. Shane crouched beside her immediately.
"You okay, baby?"
Elena leaned quietly into him.
"I miss dragon little bit."
His heart cracked clean open.
"Yeah?"
"But Tommy needed."
Shane brushed her hair back gently.
"That was a very kind thing you did."
Elena shrugged in the tiny way she always did when she didn't understand she'd done something extraordinary.
"He was scared."
Shane pulled her into his arms and held her close right there in the middle of the noisy crowded mall. Pucky squished between them.
After a minute Elena tilted her head up.
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"...Can I maybe have pretzel now for bravery?"
Shane laughed so hard people turned to look.
"Absolutely." He said, standing up and lifting her onto his hip.
"My heroic child deserves a pretzel."
-
By the time Ruby and Jade finally arrived, Elena had been ready. She had packed a hospital bag for herself, despite not being invited to the birth. It contained three crackers, Pucky, two tiny hats, one sticker sheet, and a rock from the zoo.
Shane found it by the door at six in the morning.
"Elena."
She appeared in the hallway wearing her pajama shirt backward.
"What?"
"Why is there a rock in this bag?"
"For babies."
"Babies cannot have rocks."
Elena frowned.
"Not eat rock. Look rock."
"Still no."
She sighed like Shane was being very difficult. Then his phone rang. Shane answered immediately.
"Hey."
On the other end, Hayden sounded like he had forgotten how air worked.
"They're here."
Shane froze. Elena froze too, because she was excellent at detecting emergency tones. Shane's voice went soft.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Hayden laughed, shaky and disbelieving.
"Ruby and Jade. They're here. Jackie's okay. Babies are okay. They're tiny. Shane, they're so tiny."
Shane closed his eyes for a second.
"Congratulations, man."
Hayden made a sound that might have been crying and might have been laughing.
"Elena awake?"
Elena was already tugging Shane's sleeve violently.
"Babies?"
Shane smiled down at her.
"Yeah, baby. Ruby and Jade are here."
Elena gasped so dramatically Pucky fell out of the bag.
"They came out?"
"They came out."
"Today?"
"Today."
She grabbed Pucky off the floor and held him up to Shane's phone.
"Uncle Hayden! I bring hats!"
Hayden fully cried then.
They were not allowed to visit immediately, which Elena found deeply offensive.
"They born. I ready."
"I know."
"They need hats."
"They're in the hospital."
When they finally got the okay, Elena walked into the hospital with the seriousness of a tiny royal advisor. Shane carried her backpack. Inside were the approved gifts: two soft hats, two stuffed rabbits, one drawing of penguins, and Pucky, who was apparently there as 'big cousin babysitter'.
Outside the room, Shane crouched in front of her.
"Okay. We have to be very gentle. Jackie is tired, Hayden is probably weird, and the babies are very, very small."
Elena nodded.
"Soft voice."
"Yes."
"Soft hands."
"Yes."
"No rocks."
"Correct."
She patted his cheek.
"You do good, Dada."
Shane blinked.
"Me?"
"You emotional."
He stared at her. Then the door opened. Hayden stood there in yesterday's hoodie, hair a disaster, eyes red and shining. Elena looked him up and down.
"You look like new baby too."
Hayden laughed and covered his face.
"Honestly, yeah."
Inside, Jackie was propped up in bed, exhausted and pale and glowing anyway. Two tiny bassinets stood beside her. Shane stopped dead in the doorway.
"Oh, Jackie."
Her smile trembled.
"Hi."
Elena forgot every instruction and whispered loudly.
"Where babies?"
Jackie laughed softly.
"Come here, sweetheart."
Shane lifted Elena carefully so she could see into the first bassinet. A tiny baby slept inside, bundled in pink, face scrunched and perfect.
Elena went completely still.
"That's Ruby." Jackie whispered.
Elena stared.
"She real?"
"Very real."
Then Shane turned her slightly toward the second bassinet, where another tiny baby slept with one fist tucked near her cheek.
"And that's Jade."
Elena's mouth fell open.
"Two."
Hayden nodded, crying again.
"Two."
Elena looked back at Shane in awe.
"Jackie had many babies."
Jackie laughed, then winced.
"Still true."
Elena reached slowly into her backpack and pulled out the hats.
"I bring heads clothes."
Hayden made a broken noise and Shane rubbed his forehead.
"Hats. She means hats."
"I know what she means." Jackie whispered, fully crying now.
A nurse helped place the tiny hats gently near the bassinets for later. Elena watched the process like she was supervising surgery.
"Do you want to hold one?" Jackie asked.
Elena's eyes went huge.
"With help." Shane added.
"With help." Jackie agreed.
Shane sat in the chair and settled Elena carefully in his lap. Hayden placed Ruby into Shane's arms first, then Shane helped support her so Elena could touch one tiny blanket-covered foot.
"Hi Ruby." Elena whispered.
Ruby made a tiny squeak and Elena gasped.
"She said hi."
"Basically." Shane murmured.
Then Jade stirred in her bassinet, making a small grumpy sound. Elena looked alarmed.
"Jade sad?"
"Maybe hungry." Jackie said.
Elena leaned toward her.
"It okay, Jade. Ruby share tummy before. Now share world."
The room went silent. Hayden sat down hard on the edge of the chair.
"Nope. Can't handle that."
Jackie covered her mouth, tears sliding down her face. Shane pressed his lips to Elena's hair because his own eyes were burning.
Elena looked around, confused.
"What?"
Shane's voice came out rough.
"That was just really nice, baby."
Elena nodded seriously.
"I nice to babies."
"You are."
She looked down at Ruby again.
"I Elena. This Dada. This Pucky."
Shane lifted Pucky slightly. Ruby slept through the introduction with deep disrespect, but Elena didn't mind.
"Pucky shy too." She whispered.
"You can be shy."
Later, after both babies had been admired, both hats approved, and Hayden had cried approximately four more times, Elena climbed carefully onto the bed beside Jackie. She rested one hand near Jackie's arm.
"You tired?"
"So tired." Jackie admitted.
Elena nodded.
"Babies hard."
Shane snorted softly.
"Expert opinion."
Elena ignored him.
"I help."
Jackie smiled.
"You already are."
Elena looked at Ruby, then Jade, then Jackie.
"When they have teeth, crackers."
Hayden pointed at Shane.
"She's been planning this."
"Since the announcement."
Jackie laughed, soft and tired.
"We'll tell them."
Elena settled against Shane when he picked her up to leave, sleepy now that the miracle had been inspected and properly welcomed. At the door, she lifted her head one last time.
"Bye Ruby. Bye Jade."
Both babies slept on. Elena smiled anyway.
"I love them."
Shane's chest tightened.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She yawned against his shoulder.
"They family."
Shane looked back at Jackie in the bed, Hayden beside her, Ruby and Jade sleeping tiny and new beneath their hospital blankets. Then he kissed Elena's temple.
"Yeah, baby."
His voice went soft.
"They are."