Chicago Chapter 10

After having four days off, it was time for Tiffany to head back to work. Joe Don and Angel were traveling to Europe for their honeymoon, so Tiffany was in charge of three kids, their house, and two dogs until they got back, in a week. This was Tiffany's challenge to herself; if she could do this, she could definitely take care of a baby.

The Rooney's had left around six that night for a late flight. Ezra and Harper had already eaten dinner by them time Tiffany arrived, so while they watched a movie in their playroom, Tiffany sat in the rocking chair and fed Willow a bedtime bottle.

Her little eyes were closed, leaving wrinkles in her forehead. On fist was clenched tightly around Tiffany's pinkie finger and her other hand laid across her belly. Lavender baby wash and lotion emanated from her, as she suckled every last drop of milk. Tiffany smoothed down her wisps of curly black tuff atop her head, and pulled the bottle from her puckered lips.

It was all a balancing act. She just had to move her left foot from the foot stool, then her right. Next was a bit trickier, leaning Willow on one shoulder, holding her with her arm, and pushing up from the arm of the chair with her other hand, still holding the burping cloth and bottle. Tiffany gently patted Willow's back from the playroom to the kitchen until she heard a small burp fill the air.

Delicately placing the burp cloth and bottle on the kitchen counter, Tiffany adjusted Willow into the crook of her arm, as she walked up the stairs and into the nursery. Willow barely opened her grey-blue eyes, as her head bobbed along with Tiffany's elbow.

The lilac walls were covered with paintings of wild flowers. Sunflowers hung above the white, wooden crib, and soft yellow love-seat sat just under the only window in the room. Tiffany closed the sheer citrus curtains and lowered into the left side of the cotton love-seat. Willow stirred causing Tiffany's heart to stop. She just wanted to watch her sleep, memorize every eyelash in place, and watch her heart beat, up and down and up and down; she did not want her to wake up and fuss all night long.

Making a shushing sound through her teeth, Tiffany gently rocked her and thought of the little one living amongst her other organs. No one but herself and Gary knew it was there, and yet it was causing such an uproar.

She might have my frizzy hair and chubby thighs, maybe Gary's nose and caressing voice. I want her to love reading as much as I do, and I want her to be just as knowledgable of math and science as Gary is. Wait... she... do I want a girl? Tiffany shook her head to get rid of the thought of keeping the living thing inside of her and got up to place Willow in her crib.

Tiffany slowly walked backwards out of the room and shut the door. Shoving all of the ugly emotions down, she put a smile on her face and sat next to Harper on the floor wrapped in two comforters.

“What are we watching?”

“Abengers. Wook Hwulk Smash!” Harper pointed at the television and stared in amazement at the green figure demolishing everything in his path.

Tiffany tried to make small talk with the little television zombies, but turned to her phone when they refused to acknowledge her existence. When the movie was over, Harper was asleep on the floor and Ezra was asleep right next to her. She wasn't suppose to lift anything over fifteen pounds, but Tiffany wasn't about to wake up these sleeping angels, plus this was her favorite part of bedtime.

Getting up, she carried Harper over her shoulder and to her room. A mixture of pink, glitter, blue, and capes filled the room, as Tiffany laid Harper down on top of an Avengers comforter. If she was going to raise her child, she would want them to be as versatile as this, a mixture of all things.

Getting Ezra to bed was a little trickier. Grunting as she heaved him in her arms and up the stairs, he woke up and requested three potty visits and two glasses of water before finally laying down in his own bed for the night.

Tiffany thought she was never going to get to bed, and vowed to do all the cleaning before the kids awoke in the morning. The plush rose sheets and blanket were calling her into the guest room and on to the bed. She set an alarm for five in the morning and closed her eyes. Her brain knew it had only been a few minutes, but her body felt like she had slept for hours, when she heard her phone ringing, fearing it was her alarm.

Tiffany, sluggish, rolled over on to her back to see who would be calling her at ten-thirty at night, and low and behold who do you think it was?

Marc.