The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 66: Apples and Oranges

Chapter 66: Apples and Oranges

Laying in the back yard on a big blanket, the wind rushes warm air over the three of them. With Kensi in the middle, Beth and Daryl watch clouds go by in silence. Kensi knows. She understands as much as she can for a two year old. She knows Carter is no longer with them. She knows Mommy's in pain and Daddy's in denial. What is she in then? Looking at the clouds, all she feels is weird. Sure, she's felt icky before and she's also felt happy. But weird? Two year olds can feel complicated emotions too. It's evident. That's what Kensi feels now as she lays between two silent valleys of her parents. The silence is odd for her. They aren't laughing, yelling, smiling, or sleeping- they're just there in the quietness of the backyard. Even Ozzie is strange today. He isn't barking or running around and the young girl hasn't seen him go potty all day.

Her whole world is weird today. Her whole world has been weird for the last two weeks, which seems like years to the small girl. Rolling onto her belly, she keeps her face down in the blanket and breathes in the freshly cut grass through the thick cloth. It's funny how everything has it's own distinct smell, taste, texture and sound. Yes, grass has a sound too. As small children, we know this, but as we age we lose that ability to recognize the most complex parts of our world. Grass, to Kensi, sounds like crinkling cling wrap- crisp in the senses.

"Huhh..." The small girl sighs and both Beth and Daryl look at her with a small smile growing on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asks and the girl doesn't look up when she answers so blankly.

"The grass is sad." Looking at Beth, Daryl smiles and rolls onto his side, as does she.

"Whys to grass sad?" Beth asks.

"Cause it's not a tree..." Kensi sighs again and Daryl smirks.

"No, it's not...does it want to be?" He asks her with a sad smile.

"Yeah."

"I see." Daryl says and Kensi let's out another big sigh.

"The trees are sad too."

"Why are they sad?" Beth asks and Kensi sighs again.

"Cause the no have fruit."

"Fruit? Do they wanna grow fruit?"

"Yeah."

"What kinda fruit do the trees wanna grow?" Smiling down at the girl's back, Beth can't hide her amusement with her darling girl.

"Apples n' oranges..." The girl whines and Daryl rubs her back as he tries to contain his laughter.

"We can get some fruit trees..." Daryl begins to say and Kensi cuts him off.

"They wanna grow fruit...Grass wanna be tree, and I want Carter." Now she's crying into the blanket and Beth wants the cry just as hard. Freezing in his place, Daryl's chest feels heavy and breathing becomes difficult. Noticing Beth trying to hold back painful tears, Daryl leans down and kisses Kensi's head.

"Kensi Marie...you know that's not possible. We talked about this baby girl...Carter's with Gramma and Uncle Shawn." His voice is cracking and his tears breaking. Looking up at him, Kensi sees Daryl's tears. He never cries in front of her and seeing it boggles her mind. Touching his cheek with her tiny hand, Kensi touches the tears and looks at them.

"No cry, Daddy." She kisses his cheek and then turns to Beth and wraps her arms around her. "Ove you Mommy."

"I love you two Marie." Beth sobs and kisses the small girl. Soon it begins to rain and Kensi looks up at the now gray sky.

"Carter cry too." She says and they laugh in pain. Getting up they go inside and Beth feels it. The energy in the rain, the spark against her skin. It didn't feel like rain. It felt like tears.

Carter's tears.