Open Your Arms

Chapter 74

May 10, 2006

"You punched her?!" Hailey exclaims after I finish explaining the story of Jonna and I to her. Russell stares at me in disbelief. I had no idea he was even listening.

"She deserved it," I defend myself, rocking Thomas back and forth. I probably look like a lunatic right now. I'm defending the fact that I punched a girl while holding a sweet, innocent baby. 

"What did Ville do?" Hailey seems interested in his reaction to everything. 

I shrug my shoulders. "He did what Ville would do and made sure that Jonna was okay."

She scoffs. "He didn't even ask you if you were okay?"

"Honey," Russell scrunches his face together, rubbing his forehead, then bringing his face back up to hers. "How would you like it if an ex-girlfriend of mine hit you and I went and comforted her?"

Hailey opens her mouth to speak, but shuts it, causing us to laugh. "Okay, well this is different!"

"Not really," Russell is on Ville's side. "Sorry Larissa, but I can see where he's coming from."

I chuckle, then coo at Thomas, his bright blue eyes shining up into mine. He's brought so much light to my life recently. After Jake and I broke up, I was able to visit Hailey and Russell more often. 

Thomas was the reason for my visits. Of course I love my sister and her husband, but her son is so adorable. Most babies are ugly at his age, but he's not. Somehow he's adorable. He takes after his mother. 

I've never seen a mother as caring as her. Of course Janette loves Vanessa, but she's never been super affectionate, or affectionate at all for that matter. 

Hailey, on the other hand, always kisses and hugs her son every chance she gets. Even as I hold him right now, she's walking up to him and nestling her face into his neck, tickling him and making him laugh. 

"Are you guys ready for baby number two yet?" I joke. 

Hailey sighs. "No. Not at all. I love Thomas, but holy hell is he a lot of work."

A foul smell creeps up my nose and I gag. "I think he shit his pants."

"Your turn!" Hailey calls to Russell and backs away from the baby. 

He groans and grabs his son from my hands, then walks away to the changing station. My phone rings, so I pull it out of my pocket and see that Axl is calling and answer it. 

"Hello?" I answer. 

"Larissa, where the hell are you?" He barks. "I just went to your apartment and you're not there!"

"I'm at Hailey's house," I cautiously say. "Axl, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Hailey whips her head in my direction after hearing me say his name. She shoots me a confused look that I don't know how to respond to. I don't know what's wrong with Axl. 

"I'll be there soon," He hangs up the phone.

It takes me a while to pull the phone away from my ear, but when I do, I shove it back into my pocket and take a seat on the couch, trying to recount what just happened. 

Hailey continues to pester and ask what happened, so I explain the call. 

She gasps. "Oh my God, we need to go to him right now."

"We don't even know where he is!" I remind her. "He's coming here; he'll be alright."

After ten minutes, the doorbell ring causes us three to spring to our feet.