Page 54 of The Taste

Phantom raised his eyes, dipped his head down but looked up, imploring. He held his hands higher. I can take him, he said in his head.

“Thank you, Phantom,” April said quietly, she trusted him. He felt like a champion.

Ring ring.

Colt nodded to April and Phantom. “Yeah, okay,” he said, too.

April passed Phantom the wailing little baby.

Colt finally answered the phone, “Yes, hello?” He breathed, heading into the corner of the room, out of earshot.

Phantom brought the little boy to his chest. He was warm, soft. So floppy and helpless. The baby could tell he was somewhere else, he paused the crying, looking around with his milky gray newborn eyes.

“The next feeding’s at 9 p.m., he’ll just cry, though, until then-” April stammered.

Phantom held him close to his chest and rocked slightly. Not awkwardly, calmly.

“Sounds like colic,” Lyle said, sulkily but not unhelpfully. He shrugged. “Babies get it, nothing can help it, just gotta ride it out-”

“Yeah, I read something about how it’s their tummy contracting or something-”

“Yeah, no one fucking knows. It’ll get better, in a month or so.”

“How would you know, you got kids or something?” Ash frowned.

Lyle shrugged again. “Yeah. Three.”

Everyone stared at him.

“I didn’t know,” April said.

Lyle shrugged. “Go have a bath, get some sleep. Phantom will have him, then we’ll drop him off at nine.”

April sobbed, nodded, and wordlessly turned to go.

Lyle looked at Phantom. “Just walk him ‘round the clubhouse, the garden, he’ll cry, there’s nothing that can soothe him. I would say chat or sing to him, but, you won’t, so fuck that, just be with him.”

Phantom wordlessly turned and walked slowly, bouncing slightly heading toward the back door out into the garden area. It was like holding Shadow the cat. But the baby wasn’t fluffy, he was squidgy and warm and his little limbs flailed about almost drunkenly.

Phantom gazed down into the little red face, screwed up but fearless. He’d paused to gasp and gulp and figure out where he was. He was cute. Phantom felt something gentle within him. Like how he felt when he looked at Sophie sleeping. A quietness settled over him that had eluded him most of the rest of his life.

Phantom slowly paced in the garden with baby Chase. The garden was a slight understatement. It was a chic patio area with rock formations and alpine plants that led to a swimming pool, deck chairs, even a hot tub sunk into the ground.

It then sloped away, it was a former nine hole golf course. They planned to keep a few holes, one of them they’d turned into a crazy golf mini course, with old motorcycle parts.

Otherwise, the green grass was smooth.

April and Colt’s house, the former janitor’s cottage, was over to the left, tucked away behind a tall and tasteful flower bed of bamboo. They planned to move into the penthouse when it was renovated, but for now they were in the slightly tired, but perfectly serviceable little cottage.

Phantom took some deep breaths in and out, and watched how the little baby boy reacted. He seemed to like his breath on his face, the warmth from his chest. Phantom tucked him inside his leather jacket. The baby must like his heartbeat. It might be like April’s womb. He tried to keep calm, and still, he walked around the garden at the pace of a snail, gazing up at the stars and the moon.

He was quite happy in baby Chase’s company. Chase didn’t require Phantom to speak. Didn’t expect him to. There was no social weirdness. Phantom could just be, communicating with him through his heartbeat, his breath. He liked it. It’s how he communicated with Sophie, too. Though very different messages. It calmed Phantom. Chase fell asleep for a bit then woke up with a shout and fussed more. Phantom carried on, not minding the screaming, staying calm. At nine, Lyle came out to find him. Lyle had been drinking, Phantom could tell. Maybe that was why Lyle hadn’t taken the baby, and didn’t offer to now. Lyle was mainly more tired and calm than rowdy. Not just physically tired, though his eyes looked heavy and he was clumsy, he seemed mentally tired, too. Drained. He needed help. He patted Phantom on the back wordlessly and the two of them walked over to April and Colt’s house.

April came to the door wearing fresh pajamas, hair fluffy from the hairdryer, calmer.

Phantom was struck by the thought that Sophie would get on with April. He wanted them to become friends. He wanted to see Sophie all fresh and clean in pajamas after a nap and a bath. He’d message her when he got back to his room. He’d invite her to the club BBQ & run this weekend.

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