love & family
Hannah chuckled as her daughter tackled her husband to the ground. The laughter that floated up from the wrestling duo on the floor was so very innocent - Jane was having the time of her life and Cain, ever the loving father, couldn’t get enough of his joyful daughter. She crossed her arms and leaned farther back in the chair, a content smile falling onto her face. It was times like this that Hannah wished she could remember forever. Jane was growing so fast (already five!) and it seemed like she had missed it all. She was lucky Cain loved documenting everything. She could remember staying up until late hours, planets away, just so she could replay the same video of Jane blowing out her candles or proudly counting to ten. It was hard, the life she lived, but she did it for her family and all the others like hers.
“I yield!” Cain shouted in defeat, holding his arms up as he laid flat on his back. “You win!” Jane gave a triumphant yell from her spot on her father's stomach, little fists still thudding against his chest. Cain laughed happily and quickly grabbed his daughter and heaved her off of him as he sat up. She squealed in delight and grasped his wrists.
“Throw me!” She demanded, grin pushing her chubby and rosy cheeks in the most adorable way possible. Her short red hair was standing up at all sorts of angles and her green eyes were blazing with energy. Hannah once more felt her heart soar in pride but also dip in sadness. She was such a beautiful young girl, but how much more would Hannah miss? If Hannah left again, would she miss her daughter’s first growth spurt? Would she come home to a whole new child?
Cain shook his head and grinned. His smile was exactly like their daughter’s. Even if Jane got her mother's looks, the little girl took after her father in everything else; they had all the same little quirks! Again, Hannah felt bittersweet. Her daughter could have been more like her if she was with them more. She only had her father most of the time and because of that she grew in his image. “I can’t while mom is looking! She might throw me instead,” Cain chuckled out. Jane giggled again (snorted a little too. How precious!) and Cain lowered her back to the ground and brought his knees up into a relaxed position. He leaned back on his hands and looked over at Hannah, giving her a knowing smile. Hannah smiled back. No doubt he could read into her quiet attitude. He was good like that. “Hey Squirt,” he started, looking back to his daughter. Those bright eyes lit up at the nickname and she placed her hands on his knees, “Did you tell mom what Miss Sikimo taught you today?”
“OH!” Jane pushed off immediately and ran to her mother, throwing herself into Hannah’s lap. Her smile appeared again and Hannah noticed the missing tooth. Another memory she missed. “Today, Miss Sikimo took us down to engineering! Dad was there but I wasn’t allowed to say hi, but we got to…!” Her daughter blabbered on and on, and all Hannah could do was listen as the toddler talked about what her class did down in engineering.
Before the war, Hannah's family had traveled with her as she was moved from garrison to garrison, but now, life on many of the colonies was no longer safe. Ships had been built to house the hundreds of families that had evacuated, but wanted to remain as close as possible to their family members on the front lines. Sometimes, Hannah would wonder if her family was safe as she looked to the stars from each planet she was stationed on. Every time she returned to them after months of battle, she wanted to weep at the sight of her loving husband and bright daughter.
“... And then, Dad comes out of nowhere and stops the sparks! It was so cool! I mean, I got in trouble for pulling the wire out, but everyone got to see how awesome Dad is!” She finished, bouncing on her heels in her excitement.
Hannah blinked and snorted, rubbing her daughter’s head before pinching her cheek. “Sounds like a busy day, Janey. I’m glad you’re having so much fun with your classmates.”
Jane crawled up into Hannah’s lap and sighed, snuggling against her mother's warm chest, like she would when she was a baby. “I was really excited that you were coming home. Everyone else was too because we all miss our parents.” Hannah cradled Jane closer, lowering her chin until against the soft wisps of red hair. All the children on a spaceship were in the same situation. One parent here, then gone in the blink of an eye. There was a single father in her squad who had a daughter and son waiting for him. She often caught him praying and when she finally asked why, he simply said that he hoped they would forgive him for always leaving them. Hannah wondered if she should start praying too.
“Mommy is probably tired, baby girl,” Cain stood with a grunt and shook his leg out. His limp was getting noticeably worse as he aged - they feared he might be forced to a wheelchair in his later years. Jane watched from her spot tucked up against her mother. Hannah ran a soothing hand through those tangled and vibrant locks of hair. “Maybe you can ask her if you’re allowed to kick good ol’ dad out to the couch for the night…”
A wicked gleam entered Jane’s eyes and she giggled as evilly as a toddler could. Hannah sent her husband a look, eyebrow raised and a slight tilt of her head. He only smiled, that knowing look plastered on his face. ‘You want to spend more time with her,’ it seemed to say, ‘I don’t mind losing my side of the bed for a night.’
“Or!” Jane shouted and waved her hand at her father, “I sleep in the middle! Like a ham and cheese sandwich.” Hannah snorted at her daughter’s analogy but it only made Jane’s smile grow bigger. Cain pretended to think, hand raised to rub his stubbly jaw.
“I don’t know Squirt… You snore.”
Immediately, Jane jumped up in defense. With the quick movement, Hannah nearly had her jaw clipped by the little girl’s head. The spitfire of a toddler pointed an accusing finger at the smirking Cain. “Liar! You snore! And fart!”
Hannah chuckled softly and hoisted Jane into the air and against her hip as she stood herself. “Don’t worry Janey,” she teased, “Since mom is home, dad said he wouldn’t be gross at night anymore.” Jane gave her mother a skeptical look before shooting a sour look to her father.
“Well… Ok. I still get the middle though!” Hannah smiled and took off to the small cabin. Jane rested her cheek on Hannah’s shoulder and suddenly, the war felt miles away.