A Collection of Odds & Ends

Sleepless in Sydney (Jai Courtney)

this goes with "Parental Guidance", I felt compelled to continue it on a bit.

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"Honey, can you come in here and help me?" Jai called loudly from the living room.

They had been in Sydney for almost a week, a trip she would have taken absolute delight in, had it been on better terms. Four days ago, she had accompanied Jai to the adoption agency to get his son. Four days ago, was the last time either of them had slept, sat down, or had taken two seconds to breathe without a toddler screaming at the top of his lungs.

For the first two days, Jai's parents had helped as much as they could. Eventually, a wailing child – even if he was now their grandchild, had taken the toll on the couple. With their own babies long grown and on their own, they had almost forgotten what it was like to endure sleepless nights with a screaming little one. Not wanting to put his parents out, Jai had offered to get a hotel and go there. Insisting that it would be easier to settle in a child without an angry mob of strangers leaving complaints, his parents had happily cashed in on their son and took the hotel route.

"It would be a nice mini-vacation." Karen had said, patting her son on the cheek and grinning at him, before she left the house.

Jai had tried to talk her into going as well, offering to pay for her to stay in a hotel, away from the circus that was unfolding in the Courtney family home. Stubborn as she was, there was no way she would leave him at the end of his rope, so to speak. He was her best friend, they were some how in this together. Jai made sure of that, when he claimed she was going to be Denzi's god-mother. These days he didn't ask, he just told and for whatever fucked up reasons, she agreed to his demands.

When they had picked up little Denzi, the social worker had informed Jai that they would prefer he go through a routine week. One week, with his new son, in Sydney before leaving the country. The kind lady had explained that it was sort of a trial period, to see how things would work out between the father and son. Wanting to take Denzi home, Jai happily agreed to any terms he needed to. The theory was that after a week, most people knew whether or not the arrangement would work.

At first Jai had been ready for a fit or two, he had prepared himself for a sleepless night, but nothing like this.

"Babe!" he shouted over the wailing child. "Please, I need you to bring me some clean pjs for him."

Collecting a clean tshirt and a small pair of animal printed pj pants, she hurried into the room where Jai was waiting.

"Sorry, I couldn't find the pants." she apologized handing them over to the new father.

"Thanks." Jai grumbled, snatching them out of her hands. Turning to the little boy sitting on the sofa, clad in only his night time nappy, Jai smiled and softened his voice. "Okay, little man, what do you say we get you changed and in bed?"

Wide eyed, the little boy stared at the man before him. His chubby little cheeks were tear stained, once again, and his bottom lip trembled. It appeared as though this child wanted to do nothing but throw fits and cry, disrupting everything in his presence. Nobody could blame him, he was going through a lot in his two short years. The day before they picked him up, Jai had finally explained little Denzi's story to her. His mother had only been a teenager when he was born, unable to care for him, which lead to putting Denzi up for adoption. For whatever reasons, Denzi had remained in the care of the same few nannies since birth.

This was his first time with strangers, his first time away from the only care and home he had ever known. Who wouldn't throw fits in protest to that?

Cautiously crouched behind Jai, she offered a kind smile, cooing happily to the small child. His blue eyes watched them curiously, Denzi's gaze never broke from the adults. Sniffling a bit, he wiped his hand across the back of his nose.