Blue Monster

"Chris, are you awake?" a tiny distressed whisper woke me the next morning, followed by a tiny hand brushing the air away from my face. It was way smaller and much much weaker than the arms wrapped tightly around me.

"'Daddy?" a tiny voice called softly again and this time it was enough to make me jump awake.

I was locked firmly in Lucas's firm grip, more than half of my body hauled over him and the blankets covering us in the same spot he lay as we came home from the hospital.

"Chris," the distressed voice was Abby's. I looked up quickly to see her standing above us, her new favorite stuffed animal in her grasp. Her eyes were wide and curious and terrified too.

The living room was dark save for the dim lig