It seemed young Addison was in a hurry to enter the world also. Because she came early and in a hurry. Eliza was awake this time and bustling around the bedroom. She'd been ignoring a few twinges here and there, thinking they were just Braxton Hicks. That's when her water broke, right there by the basinet. Not the big messy gush, like in the movies, but a sure sign that something was happening.
"Bob" Eliza said in as calm a voice as she could manage "Call Sylvia." Sylvia was the midwife.
"What?" Bob asked, oblivious to what was going on "I thought your appointment was tomorrow?"
"Call Sylvia and tell her my water's just broken!" Eliza snapped, and then fully succumbed to the grip of another contraction.
Bob couldn't find Sylvia's number, panicked and called the ambulance. The paramedics were just in time to help deliver the baby there at home. They said they everything looked fine and they wouldn't take Eliza and the newborn to the hospital in the rig; but they suggested they both get looked over by her primary carer.
Addison was healthy and happy. One of those placid babies people tell you about, you know, the baby that has no trouble feeding, that prefers to coo and giggle rather than cry and that sleeps through after a few weeks; and you think they must be lying?
Ainsley pretended to ignore her new sibling; though that was mostly a front for her parents benefit. No fourteen year old wants to be labelled the built-in baby sitter and no way was she going anywhere near a dirty diaper. So she'd screw up her face when Eliza would ask her to mind her sister while she popped out for bread and eggs, then hurriedly sneak to the basinet as soon as the door closed.
Unfortunately, Addison did have a tendency to kick up a fuss when Ainsley held her.
Ainsley had been bottle fed nearly from the beginning. Wanting a better mother-baby bond, Addison was exclusively breast fed. Eliza even put off returning to work straight away, instead starting to write a book. This first effort was a collection of short stories about food "heroes" she had encountered on her rounds of the city. These included a regular volunteer at the local soup kitchen and a man who made doughnuts that almost qualified as art.
Bob tried to make sure Ainsley didn't suffer from the transition to big sister. Misplaced guilt about 'lack of attention' may have had something to do with Ainsley getting her first cell phone sooner than later. She was on it all - the - time.
And she had more freedom in her teen years than may have been the case had the Pancakes not just had a second child. But babies, however placid, demand a lot of care and Ainsley was oh-so-reasonable when she'd ask for bus fare to go meet friends -including Yuki, who still sported blue hair and loud music.
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