"Okay, okay just one moment."
They were already running behind on their morning, thanks to an unset alarm and a broken water heater. They’d spent the past 30 分钟 gathering up all the belongings they needed for their short trip to the Palmer house for a ‘family’ brunch, but they quickly learned that having a child comes with needing many 更多 items and bags than normal.
She had just changed their daughter’s diaper and was bustling around the room, 袜, 放养 the diaper bag for their afternoon outing.
"Where is her purple zebra?" She calls out.
A voice down the hall shouts back. “It’s in here, but she doesn’t like that as much as the 橙子, 橙色 frog, remember?”
"Well then," she answers, slightly annoyed, "where is the 橙子, 橙色 frog?"
A moment passes. “I don’t know,” he replies.
She outwardly sighs as she stuffs baby wipes into the bag. “Grab the purple 斑马 then, that should be alright for the ride.” She thinks for a beat. “Get my 钱包 off the counter as well, please!”
"On it!" He confirms, and she returns to milling about the room.
A 分钟 later he arrives, her 钱包 slung on his shoulder, with the stuffed animal in one hand, and a pacifier in the other. “Okay, I’m good. 你 got everything?”
"Yes," she answers, zippering the bag shut. "Diapers, wipes, the whole he-bang."
"It’s ‘shebang’, Ziva," he corrects as he takes a moment to breath.
They stand there looking at one another, and suddenly the rushed concern on their faces dissolves into soft laughter.
"This is crazy," he says through his chuckles.
"It is what it is, Tony," she says, shaking her head as her smile turns to face their daughter, who lays observing her own feet on the changing table. "It is what we do for her."
"Oh yes," he answers, stepping over to their daughter. "We do it all for you, little ninja," he coos.
She laughs once 更多 as she slings the diaper bag over her shoulder and picks up their daughter, who’s now started reaching for the toy that her father holds. He gently hands it over, and she takes it full force, clutching it to her body.
They watch their daughter for what feels like 分钟 before being zapped back into reality. He looks down to her smiling. “Ready to go, sweetcheeks?”
She leans up on her toes and kisses him softly in reply.
"Yes. Let the 日 begin."
