The Good Life

*Alex*

“Jack your daughter’s crying.” I whined. We brought Izzy home a few days ago and so far every night she’d wake us up around this time to be fed, changed, or because something startled her.

“She likes you more.” He said sleepily and rolled over to face me.

“Paper, rock, scissors?” I suggested.

“Alex it’s rock, paper, scissors.” He argued. He could never let me get away with saying it how I want to say it.

“I’m not going to have this argument with you at three in the morning.” I said and we put our hands up getting ready to play. I won, of course, because I did rock and Jack did scissors so he grumbled and got out of bed to go get Izzy. I turned to lay on my stomach and to go back to sleep, but I could hear Izzy crying and Jack walking into her room talking to her on the baby monitor. I could see everything going on with the camera that also came with the monitor.

“Honey, don’t cry Papa’s here to make it all better.” He yawned. “What’s the matter huh? Oh you’re just hungry let’s go make you a bottle.” He picked her up from her crib and started to go to the kitchen. I decided I could go for a snack too so I went down to meet them in the kitchen.

Jack sat Izzy down in her swing set while he made her bottle, but that didn’t calm her down one bit so I walked over to pick her up. “Let’s find me something to eat while Papa makes your food.” I said to her but she probably didn’t hear me over her cries.

We walked to the pantry and I picked up the first bag of chips I saw. Jack finished her bottle and took her away from me so he could feed her. Taking care of a baby wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The nonexistent hours of sleep was pretty bad and changing diapers is gross but it’s all worth it. Izzy wasn’t a difficult baby either she would only cry if she needed something and she slept most of the time. I doubt she would stay this way though.

“What time does your mom’s flight come in today?” I asked Jack remembering that Joyce was coming to see Izzy.

“Eight am.” Jack said and we both looked at the clock to count how many hours of sleep we could still get.

“How about you sleep for a little bit longer and I’ll go pick her up from the airport?” I asked him.
“Okay!” he agreed quickly. He had to be pretty tired because usually he would argue with me on these type of things.

Izzy finished her bottle and Jack put her over his shoulder so he could burp her. I walked over to touch her chubby legs. She looked away from Jack’s shoulder and stared at me as I touched her legs. She moved her legs up and down and made weird noises I guess trying to make me stop.

“She’s ticklish on her legs.” Jack warned. I chuckled as I kept tickling her until she threw up her formula onto his back. I looked at Jack with the most apologetic look I could give him and he handed me Izzy without saying a word. He went to our room to go change his shirt. I took Izzy’s bib and cleaned off her mouth. I finished burping her and walked us back upstairs so I could put her back to sleep.

“Your Papa’s going to kill me when I go back to our room.” I told her. She looked up at me with her huge eyes as if she understood me. She loved for people to talk to her, especially Jack.

“I’m too sleepy to kill you now. I’ll do it in the morning.” Jack said through the baby monitor in our room. I sighed and kept swaying Izzy back and forth for a few minutes until I saw her eyes lids become heavy. I laid her down in her crib and turned her mobile on for her. She watched one of the pink stars go around until she closed her eyes.

I walked back to our room and got into bed with Jack, who was on his phone. “Why are you still awake? Go to sleep!” I told him.

“It’s too late, I’m fully awake now.” He laughed.

“You’re ridiculous.” I laid down on my side already feeling myself fall asleep.

***

I woke up and looked at the clock to see it was noon. “Jack! Jack! Wake up your mom is at the airport!!” I yelled.

“Calm down. She’s in the living room with Izzy. She called this morning and said she was going to catch a cab.” He said while yawning. I don’t know how I understood him.

I got up and went to shower and brush my teeth before going to say hello to Joyce. When I walked into the living room, after finishing up, Joyce was burping Izzy. “Oh thank you for feeding her for us.” I told her.

“Of course! She’s so beautiful! Aren’t you cutie?” Joyce said and Izzy just sat there sucking on her pacifier Joyce had placed in her mouth. “Is Jack still sleeping?” She asked me.

“No he’s just now getting up to go take a shower.” I told her.

“Okay. I guessing she’s been keeping you both up late at night.” Joyce giggled.

“Yes that’s the hardest part about this so far, waking up in the middle of the night and having to do things.” I sighed.

“It’ll be over before you know it.” She smiled. “Did you guys get her any mittens because she’s been scratching herself and I’m afraid she might cut herself with her nails?” Joyce asked me.

“I think Jack brought some. Let me go look.” I ran upstairs and looked in the dresser with Izzy’s socks and found a few pair of baby mittens Jack brought for her. I grabbed one pair and went back down to hand it to Joyce. She thanked me and put them onto Izzy’s hands. Izzy looked down at her hands and tried to move her fingers, but she couldn’t. She was so upset she started to let out a loud wail.

“Nana’s sorry, baby, but I don’t want you to cut yourself.” Joyce told Izzy between her cries. I hated to see and hear her cry, I hated to see her upset in general.

Jack came from our room with his hair still dripping wet to see what was making Izzy so distraught. He saw Izzy moving her tiny hands in a motion that suggested she didn’t wanted the mittens on and he understood what was wrong. He walked over and kissed his mother on the cheek to tell her good morning and she handed Izzy to him.

“I’ll let you take care of her while I make you two breakfast.” Joyce said and walked to the kitchen.

“These mittens aren’t so bad mama, you’re just overreacting.” Jack told Izzy as he began rocking her back and forth. Jack kept talking to her as he rocked her. I didn’t think something that simple would calm her down, but it did. Izzy became quieter and quieter until she closed her eyes. Jack sat her in her bassinet that we placed in the living room for her naps. I watched as he kissed her on the forehead and turned her mobile on.

“I’ll never be as good as you with her.” I whined and Jack laughed.

“Maybe you should have read those baby books I brought.” He scolded and I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’d rather wing it.” I said while walking to the kitchen and sitting at the table.

“Yeah remember you used to wing your math test and that didn’t work out to well.” Jack chuckled as he sat next to me.

“How do you know what I did on MY math test?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“We had math together like sophomore year, Alex. And you used to tell that one guy, uh Vinny or whatever, that you were just going to wing you test and hope for the best.” He said. The Vinny part sounded familiar but I don’t remember having class with Jack.

“We had class together?” I asked and Jack glared at me.

“You copied my homework sometimes.” He yelled at me and I laughed at how angry this made him.

“I’m so sorry, but I really don’t remember any of this.” I said. “I copied anyone and everyone’s homework.”

“I hate you.” Jack said and picked up his phone to ignore me. I understand why he would be angry, he had a major crush on me and probably thought it was a big deal that he was helping me, but I only cared about passing math. I exactly wasn’t the nicest kid in high school.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember, Jay.” I apologized. He didn’t looked away from his phone he just kept ignoring me. “Jack!” I whined, but he still looked unphased. “Jack!! I’m sorry!!” I whined again, but he continued to ignore me.

“If you tickle him I’m sure he’ll respond.” Joyce told me. I was going to do it, but Jack gave me a look that said if I attempted to do it he’ll murder me. So instead I leaned over and kissed all over his cheek. He tried to fight me off, but I was stronger than him.

“Alex stop!!” He laughed as I started to kiss all over his face.

“Not until you say you forgive me.” I continued to kiss him.

“I will if you stop.” He said and I immediately stopped.

“So you forgive me!” I said hopefully.

“I guess.” He moped.

“That’s not a yes.”

“Yeeesss.”

Notes

Thank You for continuing to read this fic!!