The Neighbor II

Phase 3

Ben had his eyes glued to the T.V.. The news of Tony's body being found has been everywhere. It's been on every radio station, every news station, even being brought up during a talk show. It's been three days since it's aired and it's still going. 

"Ben," Cassie called from the kitchen. He snapped out of his daze and quickly turned off the T.V.. He got up and went into the kitchen, where Cassie was holding Jess and Michael was begging her to pick him up, all while she was trying to cook dinner. 

She looked to Ben with pleading eyes and said, "A little help, please!" He made his way over and picked Michael up from where he was standing in front of her. "No!" He shouted. "Mama!" Cassie sighed and said, "Baby, mommy has to feed your sister." 

Michael crossed his arms and pouted. Ben looked at him curiously, then took his hand and gave it a little shake. "Hey, you," he said. "What's got you like this? Do you want to spend time with mummy, too?" Michael nodded. 

"Your sister just needs her dinner, then you can play with her and mummy while I make dinner. Okay?" Cassie looked to him and said, "Ben, I'll get dinner." He shook his head and told her, "No, I've got it. You need to relax, you've only given birth three days ago." 

She looked him over for a moment, then said, "It's all going to be okay, you know. They said his body was so decayed, they couldn't possibly find any other DNA evidence." Ben closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about that," he told her. "I just want a quiet night with my wife and kids." 

"Okay," she told him, immediately deciding to just let it go. "I'll go feed Jess in the living room." Ben nodded, then looked to Michael. "Want to go with or help me cook for mummy?" Michael smiled and looked back between his mother and father. 

"Coo fo mama," he answered. Ben kissed his cheek, then set him on the counter while Cassie went into the living room. "Alright, Mikey," Ben said, clapping his hands together, "let's make...chicken?" Michael shook his head. 

Ben hummed. "Fish?" Michael, again, shook his head. "Well, then, what do you want?" He threw his arms up in the air and excitedly shouted, "Paghetti!" Ben gave him a double take. "Spaghetti?" He asked in a playfully shocked tone. 

Michael furiously nodded with a giggle. "Well," Ben sighed, "you're the boss." He got out a pot and filled it with water, before putting it on the stove to boil. He then went to the fridge and pulled out vegetables. 

He started cutting them up on the counter near where Michael was sitting. He took a piece of carrot he had cut, then fed it to him. Michael munched happily on it. Carrots were his favorite. 

Ben put the spaghetti in the pot, then went back to cutting up veggies. When he felt he had enough, he gave the rest of the carrot stick to Michael. "What are you doing?" Cassie asked when she came into the kitchen with Jess. 

Ben looked to her, then to the pot of spaghetti. "Making dinner," he said. "Spaghetti." Cassie sighed and threw her head back. "Ben, you made that last night. There's still leftovers in the fridge." Last night seemed to be flooding back to him now and he let out a large sigh. 

Since they came home with Jess, sleep has not been a factor, so he completely forgot. 

"Daddy make oopsie," Michael said, causing both his parents to laugh. "Hey," Ben sadly said, "he called me daddy. What the hell, why is he calling me that?" Cassie went up to him and said, "Probably because he's almost two and that's what two year olds usually say." 

He hummed, then took Jess from her. Her newborn form was so tiny, he could hold her in the palm of his hand. "Don't you start that yet, Jessie," he quietly told her. "No growing up for you. I wish you could just stay like this forever."