The Good Life

Alex

"Here is his diaper bag and I put extras diapers and formula in the bag just in case he needs it." Jack told Vicki and Vic. They came to get Bass for their family reunion that lasted today and tomorrow. Vicki somehow got Jack to agree to let Bass spend the night with them.

"Okay I think this will be enough. If not you guys are right across the street. Anything else?" Vicki chuckled.

"Yeah this is his crocodile, he can't sleep without it being next to him." Jack handed the stuffed toy to Vic. He took it and waited for Jack to hand him Bass.

"And if you can't get him to fall asleep just lay him on his back and rub his stomach. That usually soothes him. And he might become fussy around large groups of people so you might have to slowly introduce him to your family."

"Okay. I'll make sure he's comfortable." Vic promised.

"I think that's everything." Jack sighed. "Bass you be good boy for Vicki and Vic." He kissed him on the cheek and then handed him to me.

"We'll come get you tomorrow afternoon." I told him. I slowly handed him to Vic and he thanked me.

"Should I go let Izzy say bye?" Vic asked and I nodded.

"She's in her room." I told him. He carefully took Bass up to her room.

"I know its hard being away from a baby, especially when he's a newborn. But we'll take really good care of him. There's not need to worry." Vicki told us.

"Thank you." Jack said and she nodded.

Vic came back down a few minutes later with Bass. "Okay we can go." He told Vicki.

"Bye." We said to each other and then they walked out the door.

"I think they took a piece of my heart with them." Jack said dramatically and I chuckled.

"You just have to do something to keep your mind off of him being gone." I said.

"I guess I can think of one thing we can finally do." He said seductively.

"Oh I'm uh actually going to get drinks with the guys."

"Wow you'd rather go out with your friends than stay in and have sex with me?"

"I'm sorry, but I made plans with them first. Trust me we can have sex when I get back home."

"Fine as long as you're not too drunk."

"I can't make any promises." I joked and he rolled his eyes.

"I'll just figure out something to do on my own."

"That's the spirit, now I should go get ready before I'm late." I went to our room to change clothes.
I left shortly after I changed and told Jack I'd be back in a few hours. I was the last one of my friends to make it to the bar. They were sitting at a booth waiting on me when I walked in.

"Hey assholes." I said as I sat down and they all groaned.

"We were actually having a nice friendly moment until you showed up." Rian joked.

"I'm sorry I'm a disappointment." I chuckled.

"We're used to it. And you know the drill, last person to make it has to buy the first round of drinks." Oli said.

"Wait wait I don't remember agreeing to that."

"It was literally your idea. Last time I came late you told me that I should have to buy the first round of beers because I made everyone wait." Austin told me.

"That sounds like bullshit, but I'll get them." I went up to the bar and ordered four beers for us. Then I paid the bar tender and went back to the guys.

"How's the baby, Alex?" Oli asked.

"He's alright. He's actually spending the night with Vic and his family since they are having like a family reunion this weekend." I said.

"Wow Jack actually let him out of his sight?" Rian joked.

"He really didn't want to and I didn't want to either. I'm so used to having him in the house, it's gonna feel weird going home and not having him there." I complained and they laughed at me.

"You sound like a mom." Oli joked.

"Ha ha very funny. I'm just concerned about my grandson that's all." I said.

"He sounds more like your son." Austin said.

"Yeah it feels like Jack and I adopted another. I don't mind it for now because Jack mostly cares for him at during the week since I have to work. I'll mostly care for him on the weekends to give Jack a break. But Jack doesn't mind doing it because he has that obsession with babies."

"It sounds like you two needed this break." Rian said.

"Yeah we should be happier than we are to actually have a baby-free night." I chuckled.

"Where's Izzy? Why don't you guys let her do some of the work since it is her baby?" Austin asked.

"Izzy knows little to nothing about raising a baby and every time Jack tries to teach her something she gets annoyed if it doesn't turn out right. Plus she has the responsibility of a five year old. I don't know why teenagers have the ability to get pregnant."

"You'll be fine. Maybe when she turns eighteen she'll be more responsible. Think about how reckless we were when we were sixteen. Can you imagine us being that age with a baby?" Oli asked and we all laughed at the thought.

"I don't think that baby would have made it one year with sixteen year old me." I said.

"It wouldn't have made it a week with me. I would have tried to feed it the same junk I ate. But you can kind of see why Izzy is acting the way she is. She's still a child and a child can't really take care of another child." He explained.

"Yeah I guess, but I'm going to need her to grow up pretty quick. As much as I love Bass, I don't want to start over and raise a new baby from scratch."

***

When I made it home, Jack was sitting on the couch with Izzy. He looked completely stressed and worried. He did the exact opposite of what I told him to do. Instead of using his free time to do something to take his mind off of Bass, he worried about him the entire time.

"I miss him so much." He whined with watery eyes.

"Jack." I sighed and took a seat next to him. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him to lay on me. "This is why I said go do something to take your mind off of him."

"I tried but I couldn't stop worrying about him. He probably so upset because he doesn't know anyone there." He mumbled into my shoulder.

"He's just a baby, he's probably used to them now." I assured him.

"Yeah he warmed up to everyone at the hospital, I'm sure he'll do the same with Vic's family." Izzy told him and he nodded.

His phone vibrated and he picked it up off of the table. It was a text message from Vicki, we both looked as he unlocked it. The text said “Bass and his great grandma” and it was Vicki's mom holding Bass. He was sleeping peacefully in her arms.

"Aw he looks so tired." I laughed and showed the picture to Izzy.

"I guess I am worrying too much. They seem to be taking good care of him." Jack sighed and I ran my fingers through his hair.

"If you ever stopped worrying about things I would know something was wrong with you." I kissed his forehead and he giggled.

"Shut up."

"So we can trust Vicki to take good care of Bass right?" Izzy suspiciously asked.

"Yeah." Jack and I said.

"And Papa you only work on Tuesday's and Thursday's." She stated.

"Yes, honey."

"Well do you think I could maybe start going back to school next month? I don't want to be home schooled anymore. I want to be with my friends again." She complained.

"Ugh I don't know, Izzy. Are you sure you'd be okay with the mean things the other students might say about you?" Jack asked.

"Yes people talk about anyone for anything. Besides they probably wouldn't say anything to my face."

"I think it's a great idea for her to start going back to school." I said and Jack looked at me shocked.

"You do?"

"Yeah it might be better for her to be around more people. Plus she learn a lot of life skills in school like time management, or how to be more responsible." I hinted and he chuckled.

"If you really think so then I guess I'll go to the district and see how soon they can get her back in." He said.

"Yaaaay! Thanks Daddy, thanks Papa!" Izzy exclaimed.

"You're welcome, but since we're allowing this then I need you to make better decisions. If we have another incident like we did on Saturday then we won't hesitate to pull you out and make you be home school again." I warned.

"Yes sir. Does that mean I’m ungrounded since I kind of learned my lesson?”

“No you are definitely still grounded.” I told her. “Actual I’ll bargain with you. If you can go the next two weeks actually taking care of Bass, like changing him, feeding him, comforting him when he’s crying and etcetera, then you’ll be ungrounded. But we have to actually see that you’re trying to care for him.”

“She’s just going to do it for two weeks and then stop after she’s not grounded anymore.” Jack chuckled.

“Yeah that’s true. Okay you have to do all of those things for the next eighteen years and then you’ll be ungrounded.”

“Eighteen years?!” She objected.

“Yeah that’s how long he’s going to need you to actually take care of him.”

“You’re an actual idiot.” Jack said to me.

“I don’t see you coming up with any ideas.” I pouted.

“How about this, Izzy start doing a better job with Bass because you’re his mother and he didn’t ask to be born. So the best you can do is care better for him since you brought him into this world.” Jack told her. That was better than anything I could think of.

“Okay, Papa I’ll start taking this more seriously.” She promised.

“Thank you.” He told her and then turned to me. “Was that so hard?”

Notes

Hopefully Izzy was serious about doing a better job.