Adopted by Idina Menzel

Chapter 104

Back at the hotel, everything was quiet and calm. The triplets were sleeping, and she had sent Walker to bed as it was past his holiday bedtime. Erika was sitting with her back against her on the couch, finishing her embroidery piece while Aaron was on the side. The tv was on low. Idina scrolled through her phone, taking these calm minutes to reset from the day. She opened up her email and read through some of the proposals her agents had sent her. Her dad had made her think about how much she did want to get back in the game.

But then, she looked around at her family, her resolve wavering. Did she want to go off to some exotic place and leave everyone at home?

Not right now, she decided. Walker should see her get back to work. Erika should too. The triplets could use a determined role model, but they were too young to understand it right now.

Her agents were pushing her to do a podcast while she was in New York. Maybe she could sneak away for a bit.

She looked up to her husband. "Do you think it would be a good idea to do a podcast?" she asked.

"Start your own?" he asked. "If that's what you want."

"No, like while we're here, just do one," she elaborated.

Aaron shrugged, reiterating if that was what she wanted to do it was fine. Erika was now looking at her, so Idina asked what she thought, receiving another shrug in reply.

"It would be a few hours," she reasoned aloud. "Might be fun."

"Sounds great," Aaron said, a smile on his lips. "When?"

"It's in two days," she said. "Maybe, if they don't have another guest by now."

"Reply and see," he told her, and she did. It was in the morning. Walker would either be sleeping in or begging to go in the pool, so he might not notice or care that mommy was working on the holiday. It would be good to dip her toes in the water again, maybe let people know she actually was better.

The room grew silent again.

"Done," Erika said, starting them.

She held up the fabric in the hoop, showing off the dragonfly that was now completely full of small blue flowers.

"That looks so nice!" Idina exclaimed, shifting in her seat to get a better look in the low light. It was easy to see what flowers she had done, as they were looser and messier than her daughter's. "What do you want to do with it?"

"I was thinking either like a wall hanging," she said, "or maybe a bag. It would look nice as a bag, but it might be hard to find the exact same type of fabric," Erika started, telling them both her in-depth ideas about what she could do to show off her art. She was smiling, eyes gleaming. When she finished, her cheeks turned red and she ducked away for a moment, then looked back up at them, still grinning ear to ear. They were too.

"I'm happy for you," Idina said, and Erika hugged her.

Erika sat down again, staring at the piece, then yawned. She nestled closer to Idina.

"I think I hear one of the triplets," Aaron said after a moment, getting up. A few seconds later he crossed the room with one of the babies, heading towards the bathroom.

Idina sighed and pulled her lovely daughter closer. "You're okay with me working during the vacation?"

"Yeah," Erika plied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just don't want you to feel like I'm putting work over being a good mother."

Erika's face turned quizzical. "How?" she asked.

"Like, um, going to work on a vacation instead of spending time with you," Idina tried to explain. Her children were in two different camps. Walker was likely to have a tantrum and Erika did not understand or care at all.

"You spend a lot of time with me," Erika replied. "And if you want to do something I don't see why you should not."

Idina nodded. "I do not want you to feel upset though," she said. "This morning, I know something I did bother you."

"It's not really your fault," Erika said quietly, her gaze downcast.

Idina move closer as her daughter continued: "It's like, well you didn't really do anything you can be blamed for and it's not you that's upsetting me. Just things I think," she explained slowly, trying to explain the big picture without making Idina feel inadequate. That was the last thing she wanted her new mother to feel. "Like you were talking about how much you love the triplets, and I was thinking about how little they are, and that I do see that if someone ever felt like that about me how I ended up here if that makes sense," she rambled. "Like I don't think anyone was walking down the road worried about me the way you were worried about them when I was that small."

Idina did not say anything, she just hugged her daughter. The girl melted into her hug as Idina brushed her hair and kissed her forehead. "It's okay," she mumbled between kisses, "you're loved now."

Erika did not cry, but she held onto Idina tightly, bunching her shirt in her fists and soaking up all the affection Idina was willing to give her. Slowly, Idina relaxed, still holding her daughter close and closed her eyes, counting seconds. 278 had passed when Erika fidgeted, pulling herself up and placing a soft dry kiss on Idina's cheek, making the star freeze like a deer in headlight.

"Love you too," she whispered, barely audible.

Idina's heart was pounding, and she hugged the girl again. "Love you most," she replied, equally as quiet.