Barber // Defending Jacob

Calm Before the Storm

Andy Barber loves his family. Nothing meant more to him than his two kids. Of course, being a parent wasn't always easy, but he loved being a dad.

The house was filled with silence on this Wednesday morning as his wife Laurie was already gone for her morning jog. His daughter Eleanor or "Nelly" as he likes to call her, was always up early for school. However, he had a feeling she would still be asleep this morning, as she woke up Andy hours earlier not feeling well.

"Dad." Ellie whispers.

The girl felt bad for disrupting her dads sleep but she really needed something for her throat. It was currently 3:12 am and she hadn't gotten any sleep. She looked everywhere for some medicine but had no luck.

"Dad." Ellie gently shakes her dad's shoulder.

Andy opens his eyes slowly. Concern washes over his face as he sees his daughter not looking to well and still awake. He sits up carefully trying not to wake up Laurie, so he can hear her better.

"Is everything okay?" Andy whispers with concern.

"I'm sorry for waking you up. My head and throat hurt really bad and I can't find the medicine anywhere. Do you know where it is?" Ellie apologetically asks.

Andy starts to get out of his bed.

"It's ok honey. I think Jake put it in the kitchen when he used it last. Lets go look." He rubs her back and they head out of the room.

Andy opens the door to Ellies room. She was passed out sprawled on her bed with one leg hanging off and her messy brown hair covering her face. Although he didn't enjoy his little girl being sick, he couldn't help but smile at her. He decides not to wake her up just yet, but instead wake Jacob up.

He enters the boys messy room and sits down on the edge of his bed. While Ellie was a morning person, Jacob was the complete opposite.

"Hey. Come on. Time to get up."

Nothing.

"Let's go. Rise and shine."

The boy stirs and groans at his dad.

"Jake? Gotta see those eyes."

Nothing.

"All right. You leave me no choice."

Andy pulls out his phone, getting ready to blast AC/DC.

"Last chance."

He pressed play and smirks as he sees Jacob finally sit up.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Jacob exclaims.

"There he is! Morning buddy." Andy sends him one last smile as he gets up and heads out of the room. As he approaches back to his daughters room he hears her groan loudly.

"Good morning to you too." Andy chuckles.

Nelly was now sitting up in her bed all cuddled up in her blankets. Andy sits at the edge of her bed and immediately the girl cuddles up next to her dad. She wraps her arms around his neck and lays her head into his shoulder.

Eleanor was a daddy's girl no doubt. She always had been. Andy would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. The girl felt safe with her dad.

Andy wraps his arms around her, enjoying the little moments like these before she grows up.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"No." She mumbles. "Is it okay if I miss school today? I just really don't feel good."