Baby

Chapter 17

Dreams
Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken winged bird, that cannot fly, Hold fast to dreams, For when dreams go Life is barren field, Frozen with snow
- Langston Hughes

I look at Baby, surprised at what she said, as I try to keep my hands still on her thighs. Baby glances at me nervously, causing me to rub her thighs soothingly. "That's fine, honey. Do you want me to call her now?"

She thinks about it for a second before nodding. I nod, going to grab my phone from my pocket, but Baby stops me again, grabbing my hand, printing my pink nails to her lips, and lightly tapping them to her plump lips. I groan while watching as I try to control myself. She finally finishes after doing it to each and every nail.

She looks up, smiling her beautiful smile at me. "They're dry," she tells me before letting go of my hands. I nod, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone, pulling up Baby's mom's number. It rings as we wait in silence before a woman's voice comes through.

"Hello?" Baby's eyes widen as she glances up at me, looking unsure. I nod to her, reassuringly telling her it's okay. She hesitates a second more before answering.

"H-hello mama?" She stutters quietly into the phone, and her mom gasps instantly, realizing it's her daughter. "Nova," her mom whimpers into the phone, sniffling. Baby also has tears in her eyes. I pull her close to me, so she rests against me, trying to comfort her.

She sniffles as tears start to roll down her cheeks.

"I'm so glad you called," her mom says, sniffling into the phone. It's a very emotional moment for both of them, and I'm glad I'm here to witness it.

Baby and mom talk on the phone for about an hour, getting to know each other before they say their goodbyes. Baby hands my phone back to me. "Thank you," she says as she climbs back into my lap after having moved to the seat next to me for the past hour.

I wrap my arms around her waist, nuzzling my face into her neck, and kiss her there. I pull back so my chin rests on her shoulder. "Your welcome, Baby, you can call her whenever you want," I tell her.

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It's the next day, and I am sitting in the kitchen doing work on my laptop while Baby attempts to beg me into taking her into town again. "Please, Aries," she begs. I shake my head. "You know we are in lockdown," I remind her for the hundredth time.

She huffs before ducking under my arm and climbing into my lap. I wrap one arm around her while using my other to type as she lays on my chest. "What are you working on?" She asked while watching me type into the laptop. I finish typing, then close the laptop. "I was just finishing some work," I tell her, kissing the top of her head. I open my mouth to say something when my phone rings, interrupting our moment. I huff before grabbing it off the table and answering, "Pops." I glance at Baby as she watches me.

"Son, I need you to come fix my truck. Damn thing won't start." I immediately protest, "Why can't you fix it?" He curses under his breath as I hear him banging, "I can't get the thing to work, and you're a hell a lot better at fixing them than I am." Pops has never had the patience needed to fix cars. I huff before glancing down at Baby again, seeing her watching me with furrowed brows. "Alright, Pops, I'll be there in 20," I say before ending the call.

"Guess we're going out after all," I tell her, lifting her up off my lap. "Where are we going?" She asks excitedly. "Got to go help Pops fix his truck," I tell her, shooing her to go get her shoes on. She smiles before running off. I quickly get ready before we head out on my bike. I help Baby strap the helmet on before lifting her to straddle my bike and then settling in front of her as we take off down the road.

We arrive at Pops, and I help Baby off by smoothing down her helmet hair before grabbing her hand and leading her around the back to the garage. "Pops!" I shout toward the garage as we head toward it. He pulls his head out of the truck's hood and wipes his hands on a rag before meeting us at the entrance, nodding to me. "Thanks for coming." I nod back at him as Baby stands by my side, hiding. "You remember, Baby?" he nods again, confirming.

"She yours?" He asks me, still staring at her. I give him a nod, confirming that I have claimed her. He nods again. "Come sit with me, girl," he says. Baby glances at me, then back to him hesitantly before following him to the lawn chairs sitting next to my pops. I walk into the garage and get to work on the truck, knowing she is safe with him. He might seem rough, but he would never hurt a woman.

I spent an hour getting his truck to work before I headed over to them. I'm shocked to hear my pop chuckling at something Baby said, as he is usually pretty serious. "Your truck is good now," I say, taking a seat beside Baby. She turns her head to me, giving me her beautiful, innocent smile. I smile back at her before turning back to my pop, seeing him looking at us with a dazed look on his face.

"What's the matter?" I ask him, confused, causing him to snap out of it. He shakes his head before standing up from his seat. I follow, also standing up, causing Baby to follow. "Look, Aries," Baby says, excitedly tugging on my hand and pointing to a big orange butterfly. She lets go of my hand, quickly running to catch it.

Pop clears his throat as we watch Baby giggle as she tries to catch the butterfly. "She reminds me of your mother, so innocent," he says, causing me to stiffen. My mother and brother were killed in a club attack when I was thirteen; my brother was only eight at the time. I swallow, pushing the memory of that night into the back of my head, not wanting to think about it.

Baby comes back smiling, not noticing the mood change as she holds her hands closed together, stopping in front of us. "Look," she says before slowly opening her hands and showing us the butterfly resting on her palm. She smiles as the butterfly flies off her hand and away from us again.

We both give her a smile as Pop walks us to my bike. "Thanks again, son," he says to me as I help Baby get situated before doing the same myself. "It's no problem, Pop, call if you need anything," I say to him. He nods, stepping back as I start my bike. Baby wraps her arms around my waist as we head home.

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