Elsie had spend the majority of the day stuck in a surreal feeling of deja vu. She'd woken up cold, with Bentley snoring softly beside her and she could have sworn her toddler was her husband for a moment. But the dread settled again into the pit of her stomach like a rock sinking in a river. She'd dressed and gotten Maisie up while Ben had slept on so soundly that she almost envied him, even if the fact that she'd fallen asleep made her feel immensely guilty.

They had started making pancakes, both for something for her to do with her hands, and because they were Ben's favorite, but there was already a plate of them in the icebox and Elsie distinctly did not remember making them the day before. The day the storm started she'd been far too busy worrying about Tyb to do much of anything, anxiously pacing the house and trying not to let her babies feel the panic emanating off of her in spades. The pancakes looked like a Tyb-sized portion and Elsie had to wonder just if they had all gotten a little out of whack during all of the waiting.

Mrs. Robinson had had gone off to do the wash and Miss Halliwell was playing with the children in the parlor while Elsie cleaned Bentley's room after he'd gotten a little too adventurous with his toddler-sized bookshelf. She repaired pages with careful consideration, almost glad for the distraction, even if she couldn't shake the feeling that something was entirely off. By early afternoon everyone was ready for a nap and she was worried Ben was coming down with a little something. He was tired and a little warm and she tucked him back into her bed for a nap while she took Maisie to her nursery for a feeding and some cuddles. Unable to truly settle, Elsie changed her mind at the last minute and brought Maisie back to the cot Els had put in her own bedroom. If the children were around she could keep it together and even if they were sleeping she couldn't lose her composure.

Once they were both down, she climbed carefully beside Ben, a book in her hands, but unable to focus on anything other than the steady, quiet breathing of her babies. A tear leaked down her cheek and she swiped it away, taking a deep breath. She didn't want to wake them, but she wanted the suffocating feeling in her chest to dissipate. She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. He had to come home, he just had to. Elsie sunk further into the covers and snuggled in close to Ben, burying her nose into his curls and willing herself into a nap too.