Seasons of Change

1

****

"How is she already two weeks old?" Atira asked, rubbing baby lotion onto Audrey's chubby arms.

Audrey Belinda Samson had been born July 1st at three A.M. The labor itself had been easy, the little girl making her appearance in just two pushes. She'd been a bigger baby, weighing nine pounds, three ounces, and measuring twenty-two and a half inches long.

Atira had suffered a hemorrhage after the birth that resulted in her needing a small transfusion that she was able to bounce right back from.

"I feel like it's flying by, Gabe is already almost a year," Krist remarked, watching Gabriel cruise along the furniture in an attempt to steal the TV remote.

"Bruh..." Krist began, watching Gabriel reach a chubby arm up for the remote.

Gabriel looked over his shoulder, his round brown eyes twinkling, his smile showing his four teeth, he knew what he was doing.

"Gabe, you can't have that," Rocco snatched the remote from his brother's slobbery grasp, placing it on the back of the couch, "Dad said no."

Gabriel furrowed his blond eyebrows, gurgling back at Rocco as if talking back. Rocco did a handstand off the sofa, making Gabriel cackle.

"When's Uncle Brad and what's her name coming over?" Rocco wanted to know, his feet swinging in the air.

"They should be here anytime," Krist told him, "Watch your feet, you're gonna hurt your brother."

"My feet aren't even near him," Rocco argued.

Krist groaned, "Bruh, I really don't even care, just watch out for Gabe."

Rocco somersaulted forward, landing in a frog position, "You need to simmer down," he told his father.

"You know..." Krist began, staring at his son wondering how he ended up with a child who had his mouth that somehow bullied him and only him.

"Grandpa is coming with Marky, too?"

Groaning again, Krist nodded, "Yup both of em and Marky's mom."

It had been Atira's idea to host a family get-together of sorts with Brad out of prison, it wasn't something Krist would have wanted to do. With Rocco and his child-uncle Marky friends, she felt the only proper thing to do was invite trashy Marcus and the Mrs over.

She'd never met the senior Samson and really had no idea as to what she was getting herself into.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Atira assured her husband multiple times.

Krist winced, "Bro, imagine Beetlejuice if he was a drunk that worked at the chicken factory...that's my dad."

She cocked her head, "Krist..."

"Bet."

****

Brad and his little family were the first to arrive, a relief to Krist, not that he was eager to hang out with Madison. It was good to see his brother though. He'd seen him twice since his release already but it wasn't bad being around Brad, he liked him.

Brad was carrying Gwendolyn on his hip, she was already four months old with Madison's square face (or what Krist called a Lego Head) and Brad's pale blue eyes.

Krist held Gabriel up, "Aye, bruh, that's your cousin," he told the squirming baby.

Gabriel crinkled up his face, howling as he tried to get down. He was an independent little boy, the same way Rocco had been. As soon as he could figure out how to get around, he wasn't trying to be held or kept captive in his playpen.