“When is Uncle Zac coming?” Zoë asked Clare.
“Tomorrow,” Clare told her.
“Is it tomorrow yet?”
I glanced at Clare and we both laughed silently. I got down to her level and looked into the crystal blue eyes that her, Anya, and I shared. “A couple of hours soon, baby.”
“I’m not a baby!” Zoë protested. She crossed her arms across her chest. I clapped my hand over my mouth. “My bad,” I told her. I pouted. “I sorry!”
She giggled at my funny face and grabbed my neck, kissing my cheek with a loud smack. “I love you, Daddy!”
“I love you too, Zoë.” I placed my hand on her back and gave it a light tap. “Now go get your front row seat back!” She nodded and scrambled back to the curb so she could plop back down to watch the Electric Parade come down Main Street. I stood behind her with the baby carriage which held Anya fast asleep. It was ten at night and both Clare and I wished she was awake to watch the parade with us, but it was better she slept now because she’d sleep the whole trip back to the hotel on the monorail and would stay asleep until morning.
The lights in the park dimmed and the parade announcement came, the familiar music started and I saw the first signs of lights down the road. I glanced at my daughter sitting a few feet ahead to make sure she was still there, she was. She was laughing with the little girl around her age who was sitting next to her. I grinned at the sight of her having fun and laughed as she and the little girl became quiet as the floats started to pass by them. They both starred up at the huge lighted floats in awe. I was just happy they weren’t getting scared and running back to us parents crying. Zoë stayed even when the floats got close up to her. She was brave I had to admit.
I looked over to my wife and we made eye contact. I put out an arm and pulled her closer to my body. “I love you, Mrs. Hanson,” I whispered into her ear.
She placed her head on my shoulder. “I love you too, Mr. Hanson.” I kissed her forehead and sighed. “Look at her,” I told my wife gesturing towards Zoë with one of the fingers on the hand I was using to hold the baby carriage in place, the brakes were on but I didn’t take any chances, I still held it in place firmly with one arm.
“She’s ours,” Clare said, reading my thoughts like she always did so well.
“Our miracle,” I said, looking into her eyes. I held my wife around the waist for the remainder of the parade. The second it was over Zoë was back in front of us asking if we saw how beautiful Cinderella was.
“I’m going to meet her,” she said in a determined voice. “And I’m going to get a picture with her and an autograph.”
“And Daddy’s going to help you,” Clare said with a smile, looking into my eyes.
I laughed and shook my head. “Yes, Daddy is going to help you.” I rubbed my wife’s back and said, “OK guys, I think we better start moving. We’ve got a long day in store for us tomorrow and we all have to get some rest. Come on, this way.” I took the brake off the carriage and we started to walk through the crowd down Main Street to get to the monorail.
Clare grabbed my hand but Zoë found some way to get in-between us and soon we were doing “one-two-three-wee” down Main Street, you know, the game where one person is in the middle of two others and the outside two swing the middle one a few steps in the air. Yeah, that one! We three were pretty good at it. But for some reason whenever I asked Zoë if I could be the middle person she said no! Can’t imagine why!
We boarded the monorail a few minutes later, there wasn’t a very long wait, and once we got back to the Grand Floridian Hotel it didn’t take us too long to get ready for bed and such. Zoë was extremely tired although she would never admit to it. I accused her of falling asleep on the monorail but she insisted that she wasn’t sleeping, she was just closing her eyes for a few minutes.
“Oh yeah, you were huh?” I joked with her. “If you say so.” I pulled her shirt over her head and pulled her night gown down over her small body. Clare was changing Anya on our bed so I agreed to help Zoë. My eldest daughter laid down on her back and I did the same right next to her. I placed my large hand on her small stomach, “you missy must go to sleep now. We have to get up early to hear Daddy sing with your uncles.” I patted her stomach. She scooted up to her pillow and I sat up and pulled her legs up onto the bed. I sunk to the floor near her head. Zoë kissed my nose.
“Daddy, tell me a story.”
“About what?” I asked, folding my arms on her bed and leaning my head on my folded arms.
“About you, Uncle Zac, and Uncle Isaac when you were little.” She turned towards me and raised her head up on her hand. “Please Daddy.”
“A story, OK, I think we can manage one little story.” I started to tell her about one of the concerts my brothers and I performed in Australia but a few minutes later Clare tapped on my shoulder.
“Say good-night to your baby,” she said, holding Anya out for me to kiss. I did it and then took her out of Clare’s hands. “It’s time for lights out now, Daddy will finish the story tomorrow, right Hon?” She winked at me.
“Yep, that’s right. Tomorrow.” I stood up, leaned over and kissed Zoë’s forehead lightly. “Good-night, kiddo.” I carried the very sleepy baby to the crib that was set up in the corner of the room and gently laid her down on her stomach. “Good-night, Anya,” I said softly, pulling a light blanket up on her back. I stood there for a few seconds watching her breathe softly. “I love them when they are that age,” I announced to the remaining awake Hansons. I turned slowly and grinned evilly. “I love them when they are this age too!” I jumped on my daughter’s bed and ticked her. She squealed in delight.
“Oh Taylor!” Clare sighed. “She’s never going to fall asleep now!” She knelt down next to Zoë’s head. I stopped tickling her and whispered into Zoë’s ear, “let’s get Mommy.” My daughter nodded and we both attacked Clare with our fingers. Clare joined us on the bed in the middle of the two of us and begged us to stop. “You two are way too much!” She sat up and grabbed my arm and scooted down to end of the bed. “Come on Daddy, time for lights out. You have got to sing in the morning.”
“Aw shucks, Mommy!” I said scooting down with her. Clare nodded at me, her eyes revealing that she was in a playful mood but there wasn’t enough time for it, and she was right. Me, Isaac, and Zac had to sing in front of Cinderella’s castle at eleven and I had to be at the park by nine for sound check and we wanted to have a family breakfast first so we had to get up early and it was already midnight.
Clare and I settled into our bed after kissing Zoë goodnight and turning off the lamp next to her head. Clare reached up and turned off our lamp, darkness took over the room and it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. I felt Clare turn on her side so she was facing Zoë, away from me. I turned on my right side and placed my arm over her. I kissed the nape of her neck begging for her to turn over but she whispered without moving “Taylor, we really have to get up early tomorrow.”
“I know, sweetie,” I agreed. “The kids are asleep,” I assured her. I rested my head on hers.
“I know,” she agreed breathlessly. She turned a little so she could see my face.
“Not tonight, Tay. We can’t take the chance.”
“You’re right,” I agreed, settling back down on my pillow.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t snuggle,” she insisted. I smiled as she laid her head on my chest. I moved my right arm under her body and kissed her head. “Good-night Clare,” I said softly. She nodded slowly, “mm-hmm”. I pressed my lips up against her and instantly she fell asleep.