Lily: a Jolivia story

Four: shopping buddies

One week later

Matt immediately took Lily out of her stroller I brought along for shopping when we arrived at the mall.

He held her in his arms and bounced her up and down... not aware I had just fed her.

"Oh, no! Uh-oh! Lily made a mess on Uncle Mama!" Sofia laughed.

Matt glared at her and then stared Josh down.

"Got any wipes, Bassett?" He demanded.

I was laughing along with Sofia while Josh tried his hardest to keep a straight face.

Matt held Lily an arms distance away from him and tapped his converse on the floor of the food court.

"Here," Josh said after he tore into the diaper bag.

Matt got out a wipe with one hand and wiped his shirt.

"It's smearing!" He whined.

"Josh, grab Lily so I can clean her," I said.

People were beginning to stare. A group of teenage girls videoed with their mouths dragging on the floor. Seeing a group of famous people tends to shock people a lot of time.

Josh grabbed Lily and I took off her spit-up stained shirt before throwing it in the trash.

Sofia stood in the way to guard anyone from seeing a naked baby in public.

I quickly changed her into a new onesie and white shorts before Josh quickly buckled her in her stroller.

"There, she's good as new!" I cooed at her. She laughed.

"But I'm not! I have baby spit up all down my shirt!" Matt whined again.

Sofia tugged on his hands. "Come on, you big baby. Let's go find you a new shirt! Hey, you guys coming?" She asked us.

Josh shook his head.

"We're going shopping. We'll meet up in a few."

Sofia nodded and dragged Matt along to American Eagle.

I smiled and shook my head, trying not to laugh.

"Gosh, those two are a mess. A mess, I say!" Josh was talking in a Donald Duck voice and it was aimed at Lily.

All she did was cry.

I then laughed so hard I was on the floor, struggling to breathe as I kept laughing.

Josh just stared at me while trying to soothe Lily. "You're crazy, Liv. Isn't Mommy crazy?" He babbled to Lily and she laughed that time.

I smiled at the interaction. I guess we could get used to him being around.

Josh and I literally danced, skipped, sung, and ran all throughout the mall, having fun like we used too. And Lily was loving it.

"Anytime Lily can't sleep, we seriously need to bring her here! And this cookie... oh my gosh!" Josh pretended to faint dramatically.

I laughed as I threw my empty lemonade cup away and took a bite of his cookie, which he glared at me for.

Lily was asleep in the stroller holding a bear we made her at Build-A-Bear. She looked so cute.

"Have you heard from Sabrina?" I asked.

Josh cleared his throat before throwing his wrapper away and sitting back down at the food court table we were occupying.

"She's in Alaska, with her friends from Girl Meets World. Her and Uriah were posted all on her Insta yesterday and apparently they're dating. Do you remember when you had the biggest crush on him?" He laughed.

I swatted his arm. "I was fourteen! Plus, he made a beanie look really good!" I laughed.

"Is that why you and I worked out well?" He asked.

"No, I fell in love with you," I said.

The words flew out before I could rethink what to say, but they were the truth.

"I just wish... I'd known. I missed so many of her firsts. She hasn't walked yet but we're getting there everyday. But when I had pictured myself a dad, I always wanted to be there for every little first. Maybe one day I'll have the chance to witness another kid's firsts." He shrugged.

I felt guilty then. I was so caught up in saving my reputation that I didn't tell friends or family, besides my parents, about my pregnancy. I didn't even include her father.

"Well, let's go find our friends," he said. He pushed the stroller and I walked beside him to American Eagle.

They weren't there.

Aeropostale. No.

Literally any other store. Nowhere.

"Where....?" I began.

Just then the photo booth lit up.

We raced over there and flew open the curtain.

There, in front of us, were our friends, in a full-blown make out session.

"Oh my gosh!" I screamed

To be continued.....