Page 15 of Inked Soul

This is something I have to learn to do on my own if I want them both to be part of my life. Why not start now?

****

Famous last words.

Me and my big fucking mouth. Abigail isn’t gone all of five minutes before all hell breaks loose. Tyler goes from a smiling, laughing little boy to a little screaming demon dressed in baby blue. It doesn’t help that between the three of us, not a single one knows anything about babies. I remember the first weeks after Abbi moved into the apartment next door and I suddenly feel soul-deep empathy for what she went through. Now I understand why she burst into tears that first night I went over.

Hailey searches the bag Abigail left for a bottle, but Tyler just spits it out. His diaper isn’t wet or dirty and no amount of swaying and cooing seems to do anything. Suddenly, I feel like a complete and utter failure. I don’t know what’s wrong and he’s too small to tell me. I feel impotent and incapable.

“This worked the last time,” I mumble as I hold him against my chest.

Hailey looks disbelieving and Alistair keeps looking at his phone.

“Should I call them?” he asks.

“No!” Hailey and I shout in unison.

“We can’t admit defeat so easily,” Hailey says with a frown. Tyler is still crying, his fists are clenched, and his little face is red. “Is that exactly what you did the last time?”

“I wasn’t wearing a shirt.”

“I’ll table that for later.” She takes Tyler from me, lightly patting his back. “Time to strip, bitch.”

I don’t think this will work but I’m running low on options. So, I whip my t-shirt off and hand it to my best friend, smiling at his terrified expression. Taking Tyler back, I cradle the screaming infant against my chest and sway a bit. It’s almost instant, the change in him. He stops screaming, staring up at me. Every couple of seconds he hiccups but I hope that, too, will calm down soon.

“What the hell?” Alistair whispers, leaning over to look at the baby I’m cradling.

“I saw it on TV once,” Hailey says softly, smiling down at the now silent little boy. “Skin-on-skin contact lets them feel connected.”

“Wow.” Alistair and I say in unison.

The word is a reverent whisper that falls from my lips. This kid already has me wrapped around his little finger. I thought I was falling for his mother, but it seems I have been falling for them both.

Chapter Nine

Fur Babies

---