RAISING SUMMER

NO WAY!

I walked through the door with the baby, Summer. I rushed to the bouncer to lay her down as I went to get the groceries out of the back of my car. It felt as though the bags got heavier every time I added one onto my small arms. I was curious as to why my hand hadn't already snapped off due to the enormous pounds of weight I dragged through the door. Summer sat in the bouncer. Contentedly watching me struggle each time I came through the front door. Luke was in and out of the house getting everything settled with the hotel and the band. So he could stay. So Summer was all mine today.

After the very last bag of groceries I went to go feed her after our long day out about the town. She ate the first ounce of her bottle while closing her sleepy eyes. Before I could even let out a sigh of relief she began to cry. I tried to burp her, assuming she had bad gas. As I burped her her crying began to cease. I lifted her up in front of my face.

"There we go all better." I smiled and assured her calmly. Before I could ease her down from my hands and into my arms. She gave me a glowering stare and burped a little bit and then came the sourly milk upchuck. I stood in utter silence, it took me a minute to process what had happened. I wiped my forehead and face off and stared down at the throw-up, that I could not only feel on my face but on my chest and abdomen as well. I sobbed and whinnied softly to myself and started to gag as I tried to put her back in the bouncer.

I wobbled slowly to my bedroom where I grabbed a towel to wash my face and a clean set of clothes. I carried them away from my repulsive body and began to cringe while still sobbing. I took my shirt off and jeans that were soaked in the baby's breakfast and lunch. I forgot to grab a body towel so I quickly walked back to grab one. I opened the door and closed it behind me.

I turned around and screamed in humiliating terror. Luke stood across the room in a towel and I attempted to cover my almost naked body.

"What in the world are you doing?" Luke yelled at me.

"What are you talking about, this is my room?" I covered myself while looking at the floor.

"Not...."

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I.." His eyes wandered to my lips.

"Stop looking at me for God's sake." I wrapped my arms tightly around myself.

"I'm not trying to!" He yelled at me.

"Give me a towel!" I yelled as he scrambled to throw me one, forcing himself to look at the ground.

"Sorry." He apologized snickering like a teenage highschool boy who just stole a bra from the neighbor's daughter.

"What are you doing here?" I asked furiously.

"You asked me to move in." Luke replied.

"Not in here, this is my room!" I complained.

"You think I'm going to stay in my little sister's room?" He questioned. "No, no way!" He demanded.

"That's not fair to me." I whimpered.

"Fine, we will rock paper scissors for the room! Deal?" He compromised.

"Uhhg deal." I sighed in desperation. He walked up to me challengingly. Looking down at my chest with a sly grin.

"Okay, best out of three?" He said.

"Yes and by the way my eyes are up here buddy." Holding my towel up uncomfortably, he looked up sheepishly. As we battled it out kindergarten style.

"Rock, paper, scissors." I cut his imaginary paper with my imaginary scissors .
"Rock, paper, scissors." He smothered my imaginary rock with imaginary paper.
"Rock, paper, scissors." We repeated one more time as I looked down at my fate."

His rock beat my scissors.

"I won! You are now trespassing. I glanced at his chest momentarily as he towered over me so it was difficult. Oh and by the way my eyes are up here!" He mocked me apparently flattered by his assumption.

"In your dreams I wouldn't be staring if you were the last man on Earth." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Go ahead, look again." He inflated his ego.

"I wasn't looking, go get your eyes checked." I defended myself.

"You dropped something." He stated.

"No I didn't." I rolled my eyes again.

"Yes you did see, it's right there." He pointed as my eyes followed.

"There, you did it again!" I declared.

"No I didn't!" I confessed.

"You like me." Luke teased me.

"There is no way! ever! LIKE NEVER EVER!" I shook my head.

"Yes you do!" He stated.

"I'm leaving!" I yelled and turned around.

"I knew it, I totally knew it!" He assured himself.

"NEVER IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS! I yelled and slammed the door behind me.