Stealing Beauty

Part 3- Trust Issues

After Karsyn's dr. appointment, Konnor's mom, Tamara, offered to babysit until this evening so I could get some sleep. As much as I didn't want to, I obliged. "Do you really want to disobey your future mother-in-law?" She asked me over the phone. I sighed and turned right on Brickley Avenue. There was no way I could win this argument.

When I arrived at the Adams' house, Tamara already had the door open with a smile on her face. "Hand over the baby and you won't pay any consequences," she joked. I gave away Karsyn in her carseat and set the diaper bag down on the couch.

"How are things?" She asked me. I just nodded and told her they were good, but I was exhausted. She agreed and gave me a hug, giving me reassurance that it would all be okay.

I asked how things were going with her, and she said they were good. Jack had been working a lot more than usual lately, and although it was hard on her, the money was worth it. She said she missed Konnor and I, and wished she could see us more often. I apologized.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Tamara. I'm going back to work soon and Konnor started that new job. Plus trying to parent a baby has taken a toll on us...well, me specifically."

"Oh honey," she walked up to me and gave me another solid hug. "Don't apologize. I'm sure it'll get better. Besides, summer is coming around soon. Are you and Konnor still planning on vacation with us?"

"Yes ma'am," I said, because a vacation sounded really nice right now. "I just have to get back to work first. Plus I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Karsyn. I'm not sure if she's old enough to take with us but my mom has been acting weird lately and I'm scared to ask if she'll take a week off to watch her."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," she touched my arm. "Have you asked your brother and his wife?"

"They've been busy raising Ryder, so I don't want to bother them. I understand how hard it could be. I mean, Karsyn and Ryder are only about a month apart."

"Yeah. Well, I'm sure taking Karsyn with us won't be so bad."

"Do you want to be woken up every four hours for a feeding with me?" I joked, but I was honestly half serious. We rented a house on the beach and if we took Karsyn, not only I and Konnor, but Tamara, Jack, and the rest of Konnor's family would be awake with us. It's bad enough that I'm sleep deprived.

Tamara laughed at my expression. "She'll be almost four months by then, so believe it or not, she'll sleep longer than 4 hours."

"I can't wait until she sleeps all night long."

"It'll come soon. Now, you need to get home and get some rest. I will not have my future daughter-in-law walking around like a zombie any longer."

"Yes ma'am," I smiled, even though I felt like I was walking around with only half my eyes open.

"Oh! Wait, before you leave, I have something to show you. Stay right there and shut your eyes."

"If I shut my eyes, I'll never wake up," I laugh, but covered my eyes with my hands anyway.

I hear her walk out of the room, and suddenly Karsyn starts to whine. I pick my daughter up out of her carseat and put her over my shoulder, humming and bouncing around the living room.

"Now you may look," she said, and I turned around to see her holder a hanger with a dress on it. The dress was silver, with one shoulder. It looked like it would hug any figure, except probably mine at the moment.

"That's pretty," I beamed while tapping Karsyn's back gently and constantly. "Fancy date with Mr. Jack coming up soon or something?"

"Nope. I bought this for you."