Growing with J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 22

"Hey, Dad, can you pass me the burp cloth?" I called out, my eyes on Eliza as I pointed at the recently washed cloth hanging off a chair at the breakfast bar.

"Of course," he responded, halting the meal he was making in the kitchen, and bringing it over to me, "You're getting quite the hang of this."

"Trying my best," I chuckled as Jack, who was sitting next to me, took the burp cloth, and I readjusted Eliza's position. "I have to say helping out with Ben prepared me quite well."

"I'm still as clueless as I was a week ago," Jack breathed out as he placed the cloth over his shoulder and very carefully took Eliza from me. As he gently positioned her against his chest, he softly whispered, "come here, little Meerkat."

A few days after taking Eliza home, we were already making our own little routines. Every time I fed her, Jack would take on the job of burping her. That way we both got to have a bonding moment with her. I only took over if Jack was busy, or if she needed to be burped during feeding.

"I'd beg to differ," my dad pointed out as he went back to making the three of us dinner. "You seem to be doing just fine."

Jack sat up straight, starting to rub and softly pat Eliza's back. I leaned back into the couch and watched them with a small smile on my face. I'd seen Jack interact with kids before. But he'd always been the fun uncle or family friend. Now, he was actually taking care of a newborn. It was uncharted territory for him. He was learning as he went and I'd never get over the way they looked together.

Eventually, we could hear Eliza burp. Unfortunately, some spit up came along with it, dribbling out of her mouth. Jack squinted his eyes with uncertainty as he leaned forward.

"Did any get on me?" he asked me, still holding Eliza tightly.

I leaned over to check out his back and sucked in a breath. "Yeah."

"Nice," he sighed and slowly stood up. He continued rubbing Eliza's back and disappeared into our bedroom.

Our lives were literally full of diapers and countless laundry cycles. The walls, once echoing with the sound of music coming through speakers, now reverberated the cries of a newborn. All the baby stuff was scattered around the living room and bedroom. It was near impossible to keep things organised.

With Jack in the bedroom, presumably changing his shirt, I stared ahead of myself and yawned. I knew having a baby would leave me exhausted, but being up every two hours to feed her took even more of a toll than I expected. And I had already expected a pretty bad scenario.

"Are you sure you don't want any coffee?" my dad offered as he stirred something in a pot.

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. "No, I've avoided caffeine for over two years, I'm not going to break now."

"You're already a healthier parent than I was."

I looked at him and smiled. "But you did pretty okay yourself."

Jack returned from the bedroom, sporting a fresh shirt and cradling Eliza in his arms. He yawned as he went to sit down beside me again, "I don't know why I took her with me."

As he settled back beside me, I leaned my head against his shoulder. The exhaustion was etched on his face, but there was a new layer of tenderness that had settled in his eyes since Eliza entered our lives. Fatherhood had somehow unlocked a new side of him, one that made me fall in love with him all over again.

It didn't take much longer for my dad to announce that dinner was ready. Eliza had fallen asleep in Jack's arms, but we carefully moved her to the bassinet we had in the living room. We ate in relative silence, taking the moment of peace to recover. My dad had made a large meal, enough to feed us for two more days.

After dinner, my dad took the initiative to clear the dishes, giving me and Jack some more time to rest. The two of us slouched into the couch again, sharing a tired yet content glance. The sun had already set and the lamps in the room cast a warm ambience. It made it hard to stay awake.

"So, what's the plan for the rest of the night?" My dad rejoined us, taking the armchair. "An early night?"

I shook my head, even though getting some sleep sounded great. "Let's watch a movie."

Jack nodded in agreement, adjusting some of the pillows behind him for extra comfort. My dad accepted our request and we searched for a movie to stream on the TV. Eventually, we settled on a simple comedy – something easy to watch and we didn't have to think much about. Eliza continued to snooze peacefully in her bassinet, blissfully unaware of our evening plans.

It was to be expected, but I barely caught anything of the movie. I woke up when the end credits were rolling, leaning against Jack. But I wasn't the only one who had fallen asleep. Jack had too. His own head was resting on top of mine.

I carefully sat back up, causing him to stir. Once he also realised he had fallen asleep, he stretched out and looked around with a dazed expression.

"I thought I'd just let you guys sleep," my dad told us, reaching out for the remote to turn the TV off.

I nodded and attempted to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Eliza decided that her nap had also been enough and started to whimper in the bassinet. I decided to take another second to wake up, but her tiny cries gradually escalated, signalling that she was waking up hungry. It had been two and a half hours, so it made more than sense.

I got up and made my way over to her, carefully lifting her up. I cradled her close and sat back on the couch. Although it still required patience, Eliza and I had our routine by now. I pulled up my shirt and brought her closer, helping her latch on. As Eliza suckled contentedly, I glanced over at Jack, who was now fully awake and watching us with a tender smile.

"She's a hungry little one," Jack remarked, watching Eliza with admiration.

He leaned in and kissed the top of her little head. We spent the next twenty minutes waiting for her to finish her meal, the soft sound of her feeding filling the room. Once she showed she was finished, I passed her over to Jack to take over the next step in the ritual. This time, he gently placed her over his lap.

"Alright, I'm determined to get a non-spit-up burp this time," he declared, putting the cloth down on his leg. He started to delicately pat her back again, creating a rhythmic pattern.

"I believe in you," I teased.

He shot me a playful look, "pressure's on."

His focus returned entirely on Eliza again, continuing his tender patting. I watched to see what the outcome would be, waiting for the telltale burp. Eventually, a tiny hiccup escaped Eliza's lips, followed by an intense moment of waiting and success.

Jack grinned triumphantly. "Nailed it."

"You're a natural!" I laughed and clapped my hands in applause.

He took a mock bow, making sure not to accidentally hurt Eliza. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night."