Complicated

Chapter Seventy: Won't Go Quietly

Shoulda known she was trouble from the start
I, knew she'd broken hearts I,
Thought I'd take that chance

Example – Won't Go Quietly

The baby was screaming. She had been crying steadily for over three hours now and Grace was at her wit's end. Grace had tried everything she could think of to relieve the colic. She had changed her diet, she had given Jenny the medicine that Sheldon had recommended, she had cuddled the hell out of that child rubbing her stomach and her back to help try to shift the painful stomach cramping in her little girl. Nothing worked, she didn't think that it even helped take the edge off.

Now she felt like she was going insane as the baby howled and wailed that horrendous shriek that tweaked every single one of Grace's nerves. God, how did anyone stand this? Jenny hadn't even taken a breath in the midst of all this screaming. She felt like she hadn't slept in days, it seemed like every time she tried to Jenny was waking up demanding something else. A nappy change, a feed, another feed, nappy change again.

Mothers weren't supposed to think abut giving their child away to the nearest thrift store but Grace was seriously debating it. Over the past few days this colic had been ruining her life. It was hour after hour of noise piercing through her brain like an ice pick.

"Please baby, please just be quiet." Grace begged with the child clasped against her chest.

Jenny was ruthless and unrelenting. Grace rubbed her hand up and down her baby's back lovingly trying to help.

The door to the apartment opened revealing Don clad in dark jeans and his chocolate brown leather jacket. His startling blue eyes fixed on her as he grimaced at the sound emitting from their daughter.

"She's driving me crazy." Grace complained as she stalked towards him. "I can't take it any more."

Grace shoved the baby into his arms, leaving Don stunned as he watched his wife yank her own charcoal grey, woollen coat from the back of the chair and force it on.

"Where are you going?" Don asked her.

"Anywhere away from that little demon." Grace snapped, snatching up her hand bag and escaping through the apartment door.

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It was early in the evening when someone rapped their knuckles upon Adam's door. He was playing Guitar Hero on Expert, his fingers moving over the frets like buttons with a speed he had long since mastered. He was awesome at Guitar Hero, whenever he had a bad day he flicked on the Xbox 360 and picked up the guitar and strummed the hell out of it. Adam tossed the guitar on the coffee table before striding towards the door.

Experience had taught Adam to check the peep hole. So when he saw his best friend standing on the opposite side looking worse for wear he tore the door open in seconds.

"Hey." Grace murmured, dropping her gaze as she fidgeted with both of the rings that adorned her fingers. "Can I come in?"

"Yea, yea sure." Adam said holding the door open for her as he studied her exhausted features.

She was wearing no make up, making her pallor more paler than usual. Her grey eyes were blood shot and rimmed with redness, her dark hair was scraped back into a short pony tail at the base of her neck, bangs falling over her face as she took a seat upon his couch.

"You ok?" Adam asked her quietly, watching as Grace rubbed both hands over her exhausted face.

"No." Grace said into her hands, peering at Adam through her fingers. "I think I hate my baby and she knows it."

Adam dropped down onto the couch beside Grace, pressing both of his hands together between his knees.

"You don't hate Jenny." Adam told her firmly.

"I called her a demon." Grace confessed, sagging into the couch. "Barely a month old and I already suspect she's a terrorist."

Adam let out a dry laugh as Grace rubbed her hand over her gritty eyes.

"She's the spawn of you and Flack what did you expect?" Adam questioned. "You knew this wasn't going to be easy."

"I didn't think it would be this hard." Grace protested, her head coming to rest on the back of the couch. "I'm just so exhausted. She screams all the way through the day because of this damn colic and then I'm up with her in the night because Don's on the late shift."

"Your tired, it's hard being a mom especially when your husband's on shifts." Adam said, looking at his friend over his shoulder.

Grace snuggling even further down in her coat burying her face in the collar.

"Let me get you a cup of tea. Tea makes everything that little bit better." Adam reminded her, patting Grace's knee lightly.

"Sure." Grace responded, nodding her head wearily.

Grace needed help, Adam thought as he flicked on the kettle. In fact he was sure the Flack family needed a little help. He could see Grace struggling and he knew that she was far too stubborn to ask for it. He wondered how much Don knew about what she was going through right now. He was sure the other man must be concerned about where his wife had disappeared to.

Grace was rash and impulsive when she was stressed, Adam doubted she mentioned where she was running off to. Adam sniffed the milk, checking it before he poured it into the Supergirl mug he always reserved for Grace. Adam picked up the mug and strolled towards the living room. He stopped dead in the doorway, his eyes lingering on the sleeping woman before him.

Grace was huddled in the deepest corner of his beaten up couch. Her head was tilted so it rested on the old cushions. Her chin was resting on her chest, her arms still wrapped around her waist the same way they had been when he'd stepped into the kitchen. She hadn't been lying when she said she was exhausted.

Adam set the mug down on the coffee table noiselessly before grasping the blanket he kept covering the back of the couch and gently laying it over his best friend. Grace didn't even stir as he tucked it around her body.

Maybe it was time for an intervention after all. Him and Danny were Jenny's godparents after all, maybe they should pitch in and help. He knew Grace and Flack's own folks would if she didn't think that they would view her as a failure.

Adam slipped his phone out of his back pocket, flipping it open with his thumb before selecting Flack's number from his phone book.

Don't worry, she's here asleep on the couch. I'll send her back when she wakes up. He texted the other man.

The reply was almost instantaneous.

Thanks man, she needs the break.

Adam didn't know why he had ever doubted Don Flack's ability to read his wife.