Baby

| Affection | Pt. 1

Chapter Twenty-Six - Affection

Baby had learned a lot about her mother when she was very young. Her most recent lesson concerning her mother was that Jenna Martin's didn't want to be a mother. It hadn't been a sudden realization, in fact, it had been an idea in the back of Baby's mind all her life.

Tonight though, Baby saw and heard her mother clearly for the first time in a very long time. She was leaving her room to get dinner downstairs when Jenna came waltzing up the stairs.

“What have you been up to all day sweetie?” Jenna asked with a soft smile that Baby saw right through. She was tipsy.

Baby answered anyway, her voice small, “Assignments for school...”

Jenna took her high heels off at the end of the hallway and tiptoed to her daughter, “Good. You're a good child.” Her fingers pinched Baby's cheeks.

Baby nodded slowly, “Uhm, momma, where have you been?”

It wasn't a new occurrence for Jenna to go missing for a few hours, but a few days was a new experience for Baby.

A tired breath left her and she stared at Baby for a while, “Go to bed sweetie, we'll talk some more tomorrow.”

She walked off and left Baby standing alone in the hallway. Her bedroom door shut quietly behind her.

♥️

A small hiccup left Baby as she knocked on Percy's front door for the third time. The sound of fast footsteps came from the other side and then the door swung open.

She felt more tears fall when she saw Percy. Her chest felt tight and her lips quivered as she tried to keep quiet.

“Louise,” Percy pulled her into his arms and shut the front door, “What happened?”

Clutching onto Percy's shirt, she sobbed. All the pent up anger and frustration that she couldn't seem to scream out just showered out of her as she cried.

Percy didn't try to make her talk and she was thankful. She only snuggled closer into him and tried to stop crying.

♥️

Baby couldn't stop staring at James Oppenheimer and wondering if he wasn't just an older copy of Percy.

His blonde hair had the same tousled look and he had the same dimples when he smiled, everything besides the creases of wrinkles beside his eyes and the tattoo on his neck was every bit of Percy.

“Baby—”

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Percy shyly as he passed her a plate of chicken lasagna that James had cooked.

“Thank you.” She murmured as she picked up her fork. Her eyes were still puffy from crying and Percy rubbed circles into her back.

James and Percy exchanged a look of worry.

“How are you holding up Ms. Martin's?” James asked.

She panicked a little, correcting him, “Oh no, my name is Baby. Sir. I mean, you can call me by my name."

James nodded with a smile, “Alright Baby, are you doing fine?”

Her lips parted, “Fine? Yes. I am.” She didn't want to say otherwise.

“That's good, do you want to stay over tonight?”

She looked startled by the invitation and James continued.

“I know you and Percy are in a relationship, we have a guest room. You don't have to say yes if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Baby felt a real smile slip onto her face, “Thank you sir... That's very nice of you. Uhm, I'd like to stay.”

She caught Percy's happy smirk before she dug into her food.

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Not Edited.