The Past Of June Darby

Three

June was getting older now. She was now eight months old and Jayson wasn't getting any sleep. June was crying day and night. Eventually his mom got tired of it and took her from Jayson.

"Don't you know how to take care of a baby?", his mom asked.

"No. She's my first and my only kid, ma!", Jayson yelled over his daughter's crying.

His mom looked over the baby for a minute and pulled out a jelly toy. She handed it to June and the little girl put it in her mouth, the crying stopped. Jayson looked at his mother.

"She's teething. Usually kids start at six months, this little girl is a little late.", his mom explained.

"Thanks.", Jayson said.

His mom nodded and walked up to the room she was staying in. Since Jayson's wife died, his mom has decided that she would come live with them and help out with taking care of June since Jayson was still new at being a father.

He walked over to a radio and put on some music for June to listen to while he made lunch. He set June down on the floor and walked to the kitchen. The three puppies came into the living room and joined June.

They all laid down and fell asleep around the eight month trouble maker. June sat up and looked at them. She smiled and looked around for her father. When she couldn't find him, she crawled over the puppies and made her way into the next room.

She spotted her father moving around in the room with stuff in his hands. She looked next to her and grabbed ahold of the handle of the fridge door. She pulled herself up and let go.

June took a couple steps forward, mimicking her dad's movements. Within the next couple minutes, she was running around on her own two feet. She was so exited about it, she was all over the house.

"Mom, lunch is ready", she heard her dad yell, June giggled.

"I'll be down in a minute!", his mom responded.

"Mama!", she yelled and got no response, "Mama?"

When June didn't get a single word from her mother, tears started forming in her eyes. She realized that her mom was gone, she was dead. June softly cried by the stairs.

"Hey, ma! Have you talked to dad recently?", Jayson asked.

"No! That man has been working a lot lately!", his mom responded once again from upstairs.

June looked up at the kitchen. Her father was preparing two plates. Her mother long forgotten about at the moment, she ran into the kitchen giggling like a maniac.

"Dada!", June yelled.

Jayson's head shot up and he looked down at her. His eyes widened. She was walking on her own. But was that her talking?

"Was that you, June bug?", her father asked.

"Dada!", June exclaimed again.

Jayson's eyes widened even more. His mom came down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. She seen June standing on her own and her son staring at her with wide eyes.

"What'd I miss?", his mom asked.

"June started talking and she's walking!", Jayson exclaimed, his eyes still filled with shock, "June, say grandma."

"Gama.", June responded and pointed to the older woman.

Jayson's mom smiled and picked June up.

"Hi, June.", his mom smiled.

After they ate, the rest of the afternoon was filled with teaching June how to talk with full sentences (though she could only manage a few words) and how to do lots of things like blowing kisses.

June smiled as she played with the puppies that are now slightly bigger than she is.