Smoke and Mirrors (DE)

67. Responsibility

Joseph walked around the lower level of the massive mansion aimlessly with Cataleya craddled in his toned, tattooed arms just staring at one another. As many mood swings as Grace had during her pregnancy, Joseph was certain his daughter would come out with some type of attitude problem but the new parents had lucked up— Cataleya was a very peaceful, calm baby. She didn't cry much and slept a good majority of the night. Probably because she already knew she had the world at her fingertips and there was nothing to cry about.

In fact, there would be times where Joseph would look at the digital baby monitor to check on her and she'd be in her crib wide awake just laying there— like this morning, so he stole her from her crib to have some alone time with her before Grace woke up. One thing Joseph wasn't prepared for was how fast time flies by. It felt as though just yesterday she was born— tiny enough to basically fit in the palm of his large hand, today she was going in for her one month appointment.

Grace and Joseph worked great together as a parenting team. A lot of that stemmed from Joseph's enthusiasm to be a father. He loved every bit of it and was very hands on. Cataleya had definitely turned her fathers cold heart to mush. Joseph paused, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked at her big brown doe like eyes staring back up at him.

"What you starin at?" Joseph asked, taking the pacifier out of her mouth. She furrowed her little brows before smiling a gummy wide smile at him. He craned his head down and began peppering her tiny face with kisses. "Let's make your mommy some breakfast before she wake up hangry," He said, mocking the way Grace would say the word hangry and making his way to the large chefs kitchen.

Joseph placed Cataleya in her car seat and put it in the counter so she could watch him. Besides the slams he used to make in prison out of commissary food, the only other thing he knew how to make was avocado toast because it was one of Graces pregnancy cravings. Thankfully enough, all he had to do was toast some bread cause they already had mashed avocados in the fridge.

Joseph took Cataleya out of the car seat and carried her on his shoulder in one hand with the plate of avocado toast in the other, going back upstairs. The sun was finally beginning to rise, lighting up the lower level of the home as sunlight poured in the many floor to ceiling windows. Grace was still sound asleep as he pushed the door open, setting the plate down on the night stand.

Knowing how much Grace hates to be woken up, he used Cataleya, lowering the baby into Graces face until her eyes slowly started to flutter open.

"It was her idea," He said quickly as Grace playfully rolled her eyes, sitting up slowly and wiping her face tiredly. "We made you breakfast," Joseph informed, grabbing the plate off the nightstand as he sat on the edge of the bed with Cataleya in his arms. He was the reason she hated being put down already and she was only a month old.

"Thank you," Grace said sweetly as her and Joseph shared a sweet kiss. "Did you feed her— I pumped last night,"

"I tried but she ain't want it— she want it straight for the tittie and I don't blame her," Joseph snickered, mumbling the last part making Grace look at him with a stale expression.

"Give me my baby," Grace mumbled as Joseph passed the infant to Grace. She lifted her shirt so she could breast feed Cataleya.

"Open," Joseph said, holding a piece of toast to Graces mouth so she could take a bite.

There was still an awkward tension between the two after Grace had that outburst the day they came home from the hospital. After the small argument in the bathroom, they never revisited the topic again and Joseph felt like hed been walking on eggshells since. But as much as Grace didn't understand how underground politics work, he didn't understand the fevering fear she had of losing Joseph again— for good this time.