The Tail of a Wolff (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

39. playing catch with Tallis jr

FOUR MONTHS LATER

I've been a fucking mess.

I stopped caring about everything: swearing, sleeping, eating, my looks, you name it. It's like a switch flipped from within me after he was born.

Having a baby is no joke, the sleepless nights are getting to me. Just when I start to get some shut-eye, Tallis  starts crying all over again. It goes on like this for a couple of hours until he finally goes to sleep on me, it seems as if he's going to be a Mama's boy because he prefers my chest over his cot. 

A week after he was born, I stopped being a stubborn ass and asked everyone for help. Apparently they'd all made a bet to when I'd cave. Josh, Stella and Mom lost at 2 weeks, but Charlie, Annie and Sam won at a few days.

Charlie and Sam couldn't do anything since they live in San Diego but they have made an effort to come visit every fortnight weekend. Annabelle and Josh try to avoid baby duty as much as possible because they have to give up a nights sleep for me. When they see that I'm not coping, they go the extra mile.

Stella stayed 2 weeks after the hospital in my new home, showing me the baby basics while we spoke of her past with racism. I decided to call a meeting with all the black people in my life for her to explain the reason of her hostility. They all forgave her, so did I.

My mom has been super amazing, she just left earlier today, after staying with me for an entire week. She let me have the days while she would take the nights, effectively letting me have a good nights rest. 

I walk the length of my living room as I pat Tallis' back "Come on baby" I get tired so I stop walking and sit down. As I crash down onto the couch, only then does he release a long burp. I lift him up, putting him onto his tiny legs as I glare at him. 

"You love to torture mommy, don't you?" he just giggles, so I poke my finger under his tiny foot and he laughs. 

A knock on the door interrupts our little moment. I put Tallis down onto his stomach on a makeshift playground on the floor. I put his favourite race car in front of him "Mommy will just be one second, okay?" he just puts the car into into his mouth. 

I scrunch up my nose at the amount of germs going into his mouth. The mouth is actually dirtiest body part so I guess it doesn't matter.

My heart hammers in my chest when I open the door, I gulp when I see detective Stone standing there with a smile on his face. I don't bother to conceal my shock.

"Detective S-Stone, what a surprise" 

"Evening Ms. Lance. Can I come in?"

"Y-Yes" I open the door and move to the side. 

I turn around once I've closed the door, only to see him kneeling in front of Tallis, waving at him. My motherly instincts fight me to go pick him up and shield him from this predator. I fight every single cell in my body that wants me to seem suspicious.

"Well, hello there cutie" he waves, his voice raising an octave to a falsetto as they usually do when speaking to babies.

"He's adorable, isn't he?" I say.

"Yeah" he clears his throat "I have some important matters to discuss with you, do you have a moment"

"Yes, yes of course. Have a seat, would you like some coffee" I think I'm coming on a little too hard because he stares at me.

"No. I'm alright, thank you" he sits down on my couch.

I move around Tallis' playground to sit opposite him "Where were you on September 13th, around 4:20am?"