2 Chapter Two

Shane climbs up into the chair, children's book clenched tight in his hands as he sits down in a chair meant for a far larger person. He turns, short legs swinging as he sets the big book in his lap. The little boy carefully opens it up, the spine bending with a soft sigh, certainly well-worn from years of use. The old pages of the beloved book fall open with a faint flutter, settling on a random image. Shane gazes over the unique, textured looking artwork before him, a slight smile on his small lips as he runs his hand over the flat, glossy page. The artwork almost seems to jump out, a texture of its own, and the colors of the blocky style are vivid and bright.

"Aren't the animals gorgeous?" Granny says softly, leaning over from her seat and gazing at the picture. Shane nods exaggeratedly, grinning up at her.

"Like the fox best," he says happily, turning the pages and pointing at the beautifully done work. The cuts and creases of colored tissue papers are shaped and photographed into the soft, thick, bushy tail of a fox with the right angles and colors. The playful curve of the tail and the combination of colors stand out above the others to the young boy.

"You like the fox the most," she gently corrects, and Shane giggles, nodding.

"Why are we waiting out here for Mama and Papa?" Shane asks, looking around the hospital waiting room. The walls are stark white. A few paintings of different flowers break up the monotony. Chairs and couches fill the room, along with some coffee tables, where magazines, books, and children's toys sit neatly stacked up. Small plants give the room more life, in the corners and sitting atop tables. The television in the corner is playing a brightly colored children's show. Someone has turned down the volume, making it inaudible. People of all sorts fill the seats, from the young to the old, the restless to the weary. Despite their differences, everyone here waits anxiously for news. For everyone, there is little peace in the waiting room. Only with the very young, who don't understand the gravity of hospital visits, does the waiting room hold no weight. Shane himself still doesn't grasp these things well.

"Well, we're waiting for Mama to have Allison. Your little sister is coming today," Granny explains, fingers drumming along the armrest of her chair.

"But we already got Simon," Shane says, pointing over at his baby brother, sitting in Grampy's lap.

"Well, Mama and Papa love you two so much, they want another one of you all," Granny explains. Shane ponders it for a moment before nodding.

"Will Mama be alright? Allison made her tummy really fat. Do they have to cut her out?" Shane asks, nose wrinkling.

"Only if it starts going bad," Granny says. "Mama will be fine."

"Okay!" Shane says brightly, turning his attention back to his book. Simon starts fussing softly, fidgeting and clinging to Grampy's finger, absolutely refusing to let go as he wiggles and whines anxiously, smacking his lips together and kicking his pudgy feet. He's getting hungry.

"Try the apple sauce squeeze packet dear," Granny says to her husband, and consequently, the five-year-old perks up, setting the book aside and climbing down.

"I'll get it!" Shane exclaims, rushing over to their big bag of food and entertainment, packed up for the two kids. He crouches down, his small fingers fumbling with and eventually unclasping the latch to the bag, digging through the thoughtfully packed contents. After pulling out a few baggies of crayons, a jacket, and a few small toys, the little boy finds the apple sauce packets. Shane pulls them out before carefully putting the other things back, and the bag looks lumpier than before, but the boy manages to still close it. He climbs to his feet, shuffling back over quickly and leaning against Granny's legs, handing her the packet meant for Simon. Shane pulls himself back into his chair and opens his pouch, blue eyes glimmering with hunger. Simon quiets as he's fed, cooing softly as he clutches the packet. Shane gazes around as he eats, legs swinging buoyantly.

After about an hour or so of waiting, watching people filter in and out and playing with different toys, a man wearing a white coat steps in and calls out their last name. Grammy takes Shane's hand, shouldering the bag of things for the kids as Grampy carries Simon. They make their way back through the hospital to get to his parents. The austere white halls smell of cleaner and antiseptic, and Shane wrinkles his nose at the sharp smells. To distract himself, he begins leaning around and trying to peer into people's rooms, curious as to what all was going on, the beeping noises, and hushed murmurs drawing his attention. Granny gently raps him on the side of the head, reprimanding him and telling him it's rude. So, the boy stops, his focus shifting to the yellow line of tiles that ran straight down the middle of the hallway, following the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City. Shane let's go of Granny's hand, hopping about on the path of tiles made just for him. He wobbles, giggling slightly as he tries to stay balanced on the line for a bit.

"Shane, come here! We're going to see Mama," Granny calls as the door to one of the rooms swings open, his father answering with a tired smile.

"Come on in, everything went great," he greets, pressing a kiss to Simon's forehead as the toddler is toted past.

"Good to see you, Connor," Grampy says with a smile, carrying Simon into the room. His dad smiles and nods before he turns to Shane, beckoning him over.

"Papa! Did Mama have Allison?" Shane asks as he runs over, excitement in each small step until he leaps forward, launching himself into his father's embrace as the man laughs. Shane feels the strong arms wrap around him, picking the small boy up and carrying him. The door swings shut behind them with a click as his dad nods in confirmation.

"Yup. You wanna go meet Allison, kiddo?" Connor asks his son sweetly, carrying him towards the bed where his mom lay, her hair a mess with her newborn daughter cradled in her arms. The grandparents are already crowding the bed, cooing and fawning over the latest addition to the Byrne family. Simon stares blankly at the baby, a dull gaze in his bright blue eyes as he processes the new information. It's a lot for the toddler who is still struggling with even two-word ideas.

"This is Allison, she's your new baby sister," Connor explains to his eldest son, gently setting Shane down. The young boy stands on his toes, tugging on the frame of the bed to try and see. He peers over the mattress up to his mother and his new sister, bright blue eyes shining with curiosity. Shannon smiles softly, brushing her hair from her face and carefully tilting Allison just enough that Shane can see her.

"Isn't she adorable? You've got to be a doubly good big brother now since you've got two siblings now, not just one," Shannon says jokingly to her eldest son, though a hint of truth rings deep in her gentle tone. Shane nods rapidly in understanding, reaching forward to rest his small palm on the infant's cap. He brushes his hand over the soft cotton and smiles happily at the newest Byrne, feeling the delicate skin with the pads of his fingers as he runs his hand across her forehead. She has blue eyes, just like the rest of them, and the same pale skin. Her button nose fits right in with the family, along with the dark strands of hair Shane sees peeking out from beneath the cap.

"Imma be doubly good," Shane avows, looking at his two younger siblings with love, and a spark of strength in his characteristic blue eyes. He was going to be the best big brother he could possibly be to his little siblings.