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CHAPTER 14 - THE CALM

It had been approximately three years, two months and sixteen days since Rose's birth. The pair continued to be there for her through the good, the bad and the ugly. Night terrors, breathing episodes and tantrums of many kinds undeniably tested Aaron and Cara, creating an atmosphere which could only be described as tense for the vast majority of their time.

Little Rose was simply that... 'little'. Yet deep down even a toddler would be able to see how lucky she was. She was often filled with joy, laughter and compassion. Rose always couldn't help but shake her hips and clap her hands upon hearing the song, 'You are my sunshine', which would light up smiles and rebound them across the house. The pair lovingly captured her happiest moments together. Sometimes with a camera, but mostly with their own watching and guarding eyes.

The fear was always there, yet their capacity for unconditional love overcame it at every turn...

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It was a warm night in April. The Autumn breeze made its way into Rose's bedroom as Aaron read a story to her in his signature 'talking to a baby' tone, giving each word a new meaning. There she rested, brownish-red teddy bear perched beside her on the bedside table and boundless smiles as far as the eye could see.

"What do you say kiddo. Is it story time?" he asked her. The appearance of Rose's widened eyes gave Aaron the answer he was looking for.

"That one!" she announced, pointing to the top row of the rickety, pink and polka-dotted bookshelf.

Aaron grasped the thin book and plopped himself next to Rose in the bed. "I haven't read this one yet..." he said.

Rose pointed to the purple hippo on the front cover. "This one... is my favowite..." she excitingly told him.

"Really, why?"

"Because... purple is my favowite" Rose concluded.

Aaron chuckled condescendingly to himself. "Nuh-uh" he joked, "Purple is my favourite."

His daughter gave a cranky expression and slapped the hippo on the front cover, indicating her impatience. After his laughing subsided, he began to read to her.

"This one is called, THE HIDDEN HIPPO."

Rose childishly slapped her father's shoulder and with a face of irritation pointed to the teddy bear on the bedside table. Aaron knew what that meant. He clutched onto the teddy and placed it in her soft, petite arms.

"On a bright and hot morning in an African waterhole, came out a baby hippo who got scared out of his soul.

A crocodile, mean and ferocious came out on a mission, yet the hippo knew exactly how to change his condition.

The hippo would blink twice and in an instant became hidden, and just like that the crocodile's hunger was forbidden.

Now this was a gift that the hippo used well, but sometimes his laughter would be oh... so hard to tell.

His fun and games made him afraid and lonely, for his brothers and sisters knew he was the only.

He cried and cried from the morning to the night, he was scared and confused with no end in sight.

As the sun began to set and his tears began to dwindle, he had an idea that made him giggle."

"BLINK! BLINK! BLINK! BLINK!"

Rose's eyes were increasingly engaged in the story with every turning page of the story. The pictures leaped off the page, turning the cogs in her head, which then grew into a contagious and mesmerising smile.

"The hippo popped in and out of thin air, causing a ruckus with..."

"Daddy... what's a ruckus?" Rose interjected midway through his sentence.

"Well, a ruckus is when... someone is being very loud and makes a mess. Like yesterday when you didn't get ice cream for dinner. You caused a ruckus you silly goose" he explained. Rose didn't acknowledge what she had just heard and instead decided to turn the page herself.

"Anyway...

The hippo popped in and out of thin air, causing a ruckus with no time to spare.

Just over the hill his family could see, that his gift was the answer to this monstrosity.

You found me jumping around and you came to the rescue, because I am the best me and you are the best you...

THE END."

The story came to a close and Rose's eyes nearly followed. "Did you like the story kiddo?" he asked. Her level of drowsiness was close to hindering her response, yet she couldn't help herself to give the last word.

"It was the very, very best..." she revealed.

"Hmm... I don't know..." Aaron rethought. "It was a good story but I think I would change the ending."

"No daddy..." she yawned. "I wouldn't change anything at all..."

Her eyes sealed as she fell into a tired slumber upon giving her final word. Aaron's face grew feverishly red as he turned to look at Rose upon hearing what was just said. Those words... I've heard those words before... He thought to himself. Aaron churned his head to look at her, but she was already far away in dream land.

That phrase... I know that phrase...

He felt the need to wash his face in the bathroom as quickly as he could. The strange feeling in his stomach was still pressing against him ever since she said that phrase. For a moment his throat felt dry, giving him the excuse to go downstairs and fetch a glass of water.

Cara, fast asleep in the middle of her show, did not stumble or twitch in the slightest upon hearing her husband's feet tread lazily down the stairs. After drinking his water, he then scurried back into the bedroom. Aaron took an elongated look at his wife afterwards and contemplated. He bit his lip and picked at the piece of skin near the bottom of his fingernail.

"Hey... Cara..." he whispered, pressing his index finger into her stomach ever so faintly.

No... there's no waking her this time. He thought. Cara's very unattractive snore answered his thought provoking dilemma. Aaron, this time walking much slower, veered down the hallway, creaked the door and peered into his daughter's room. Everything was ordinary.