Being Grassi-Hoying

Chapter 27

**Scott's POV**

"Karlie...baby." I lightly shake Karlie as she grumbles. I look up at the alarm clock, 4:35. Mitch and I have been up since 3:15, spending some time together I guess, Mitch couldn't sleep from seeing his parents, and I woke up on my own. I get Karlie up and think back to yesterday's events. 

"Wanna go play, Karlie??" Ady whispers, trying not to scare Karlie, who had just finished eating. She shakes her head no, running behind Mitch. "Karlie..." Mitch whispers, "No, it's okay. I understand." Ady smiles. "Well," Nel puts her fork down, "that was rude of her." "She's just scared mom." Mitch glares. "She's not used to a bunch of people." The rest of Mitch's family, who had showed up about thirty minutes ago, stopped talking and looked at them, "Was that Mitch that said that??" I hear a cousin whisper. Under the table, I put a hand on his leg in attempt to comfort him. "Maybe that's because you two haven't socialized her enough." She snaps back. "Then what's your excuse??" Mitch rolls his eyes, turning to Karlie, who was now behind me. "Come here, love." I pick her up from the floor, setting her in my lap. "And that's not helping her either." Mike looks up at me. "What??" I answer back, "Comforting my daughter?? Well excuse me." I continue to look at my daughter. She hides herself in my jacket, I smooth some of her hair, calming her a bit. "She's never going to learn how to stand on her own two feet if you baby her like that!!" Mitch's Aunt, I've forgotten her name, snatches her from my lap. "Excuse you!?" Mitch's words come out seeping venom. "Who gave you the damn right to treat my daughter like that?!" He stands up, I watch Ady grab Karlie's hand, gently but quickly pull her to the hallway. "Well maybe if you knew how to raise a child I wouldn't have to step in." She acts all high and mighty. "Pardon me, but my husband is an excellent father." I stand up, walking over to Mitch, "And no one asked for your useless opinion." Mitch snapped. "Babe." I warn him, not wanting it to escalate too high. "Just like no one asked you to marry a man??" Someone says, I think Nel, but I was too busy staring at my terrified child. 'I knew we shouldn't have come.' My mind growls. I look at Mitch, who is looking like a pot with water about to boil over in it. "And no one asked you to adopt a troubled, anti-social, worthless child!!" Mike snaps. "Excuse me??" I say calmly, silencing everyone. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't say things like that about my beautiful, sweet Karlie without looking at yourself in the mirror." I may as well have been the cottonmouth that bit him. "Leave." He growls. "With pleasure!!" Mitch flips him off, me walking over and picking up Karlie, "Thanks, Ad." I whisper quickly to Ady, then walking out of the hell hole that Mitch had to call home at one time. "Don't listen to them baby, we love you." Mitch kisses Karlie's cheek. "Yeah they're jerks." I kiss her forehead, looking at my crying daughter. Fucking assholes.

Mitch couldn't sleep last night, and he made me hide the razors from him, which I did in my parent's room. I woke up on my own at 3 a.m. and couldn't sleep anymore. So I held Mitch as he had another anxiety attack, the third one that night he later informed me. I pick Karlie up out of bed, walking her to the bathroom. "No!!" Karlie yells, "Karlie, shh." I put her down. "No..." She whispers, rubbing an eye. "Me do it." "Karlie..." "No!!" "Okay, Daddy's in the bathroom waiting on you." Karlie walks to the bathroom. What was that about?? I think to myself as I get some clothes out for her. "She's never going to learn to stand on her own two feet if you baby her like that!!" I remember from yesterday, could that possibly be her problem?? No, she's three, it's not like she has photographic memory or anything. I get the rest of our stuff together, putting it in the car. I walk into the kitchen to see my mom, holding Landon. "Hey." She says, smiling. "Hey." I say back tiredly. "Why are you two up??" She hands me a cup of coffee. "Landon woke me up and I heard you and Mitch shuffling around. So, I decided we'd go make you guys some coffee. Huh bud??" She looks at Landon, who smiles and makes baby noises. "Cute." I poke his nose as Mitch comes in. "Oh, good morning Momma Hoying." He smiles as she hands him a cup of coffee. "Thank you so much." He smiles, and you can see more bags under his eyes than normal. "Did you sleep at all Mitch??" She asks and sighs when he shakes his head. Handing me Landon, she gives him a nice, tight hug, "Poor Mitchie. I'm so sorry baby." She sighs. Karlie comes running in, holding up a hairbrush and a hair-tie for Mitch. "Thank you, baby doll." He kisses her forehead before picking her up and setting her on a bar stool. "Good morning." She smiles at my momma. "Good morning Landon." She smiles at him, which he adorably returns. Mitch puts her damp hair up in a bun, "Why sweeter??" I try not to laugh, but let out a little giggle again. "It's cold in New York Karlie." Momma explains. "Mew Mork??" Karlie asks, "Dat far away." "Uh huh." I nod, "That's why we're gonna fly there." "In the plane thingy!?" Karlie looks at me, "Yeah." Mitch answers. "Ooo!!" Mitch smiles at me. "At least she likes it." Momma says as we nod.