Splinters In Time

Little Lilith Gray

Lawrence was at work when it happened. One moment, he was at work in the shop; the next, his leg had seized and and he had gone over. Now, sitting in the backroom with his leg up, on his bosses insistence, he was chatting with a friend on break when a young lad in a flat cap came running in, clearly out of breath. "Mister Gray! Mister Gray! I've found you at last! Your wife is having the baby!"

Immediately Lawrence jumped up, staggered, clutched the wall but still tried to make to the door. His co-worker jumped up with him, reaching to give Lawrence a hand. "Come on, you're in no state to go like that. I'll drive you."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Nah, it's fine. Boss will just have to understand. Besides, you can owe me for when mine comes."

Too long of a time later, Lawrence was half-running-half-hobbling through the hospital halls. The traffic had been an absolute nightmare and the shop was almost the complete other side of town. Lawrence couldn't stop the blood pounding in his ears, the squeezing in his throat. What if something had gone wrong?

At last, he reached the room. Ava was inside, pale as a ghost; but surprisingly, sitting upright, propped against the pillows. "So you got here at last, did you?"

"Come on, Ava. Don't be like that." Lawrence was looking around the room in confusion; it seemed too calm for what he had been expecting. "You know I had to go to work— I'm sorry I couldn't get here very fast."

"You promised not to leave me!" Tears welled in Ava's eyes and as she raised her hands to cover her face, Lawrence rushed to embrace her. "You knew I didn't want to go through all that again on my own! I didn't want to be by myself! Lawrence, you promised!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Lawrence softly stroked her hair. Then, pressing his forehead to hers, he looked into her eyes. "...Did something happen? Is the baby alright?"

Ava sniffed. "See for yourself. She's over there." She gestured with her head towards a crib at the side of the room.

Lawrence went over and looked. There, inside the crib, was the smallest, sweetest little baby girl he had ever seen, dozing peacefully with her tiny fists clenched and mouth half open. "Oh, Ava..." Reaching in, he lightly brushed his finger over the baby's cheek, and she opened her eyes, looking at him with his wife's familiar grey. "Ava, she's lovely."

"If you say so." Ava said miserably, rolling onto her side away from them.

***

"... But why Lilith? You've never even mentioned that name to me before, why would you want to call her that?"

"Well," Ava said, stepping back inside her home for the first time after the birth. "If you wanted a say in naming her, you should have turned up on time."

"I said I was sorry." Lawrence followed after her, the baby nestled peacefully in his arms. "And you could have waited. Besides, I thought you wanted to call her Annabelle, after your aunt."

"She doesn't look like an Annabelle." Ava grumbled.

"Yes, but... Lilith?" Lawrence looked again at his little daughter, her tiny hand wrapped around his fingers. "I mean... Lili, maybe..."

"— I'm tired." Ava said abruptly, tossing aside her bag— which she had insisted on carrying on lieu of the baby— and starting up the stairs. "I'm going to bed."

"... Alright." Lawrence watched her warily. "Do you need a hand upstairs or anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

She was evidently not fine, but Lawrence didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure what was upsetting her— but she had been given a clean bill of health by the hospital, so he resolved she likely just needed time, and to give her rest and keep an eye on her.

"Come on, Lili." He said to the baby in his arms. "Let's show you around your new home."

***

"... And there we go, all nice and pretty in your pretty little dress!" Lawrence smiled at the baby, booping her on the nose, which made her laugh and kick her legs. "I told you I'd figure it out. Dresses aren't really my forte."

Fatherhood fit Lawrence like a glove. He had taken off work, citing that his wife still needed recovery time— fortunately his boss had seen fit to give it to him, with only blessings for the new family— and now Lawrence was doing the lion's share of the work looking after the child.

Ava was still not back to her old self, and now it was really starting to worry him.

He had managed to coax her down from the room and had set her up in a comfortable chair in the sun, a plate of cheese, ham and biscuits on her lap that Lawrence had presented with a flourish and encouraged her to nibble at to recover her strength.

She watched with contemplative eyes as Lawrence played with their child. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"There's something not right with that child."

Lawrence's face fell immediately and he looked at their daughter, then his wife. "Wait, what? I thought the doctors said she was okay! They checked her thoroughly after... last time. Why, have you noticed something? Should we take her back to the hospital?" Urgency was flooding his veins now; his whole body tensed in panic.

"Don't you see?" Ava said again. "There's nothing behind her eyes."

Lawrence looked at their daughter— their beautiful, sweet daughter and her lovely, grey eyes, glistening with life. "I don't see what you mean. She seems fine to me."

"Just forget it." Ava muttered, closing her own eyes and leaning back against the chair. "You don't see."

A/N: Apologies for the wait— I keep getting distracted with my other projects XD
No Henry in this one, but don't worry, he should be returning very soon!

Anyway, if you're out there, please leave a like and a comment! :D