Free (Sequel to Trapped)

Ch. 47

Ariana

Thursday, 7:21 am

"Aviella, wake up." I watch Justin try to wake up Aviella and giggle.

"I told you it's not easy." I shrug.

"You hush." He lifts Aviella up and she groans.

"Stop!" She whines.

"Aviella, you have school today." I say.

"I don't wanna go!"

"Aviella, we're not doing this. Wake up. You have five minutes before I drag you to school in your pajamas." Justin lays her back down and she turns over in bed.

He looks at me and I smile. Aviella rolls over, falling off of her bed. She sits up, her hair falling down over her face.

"I'm up." She says.

I laugh, shaking my head.

"Little girl, you really are too much." Justin says.

"Daddy, can you brush my teeth? I'm tired."

"Anything for my princess." He takes her into her bathroom and I walk further into her messy room.

We should really clean this room. Maybe this weekend.

I go to Aviella's closet since we failed to pick her out an outfit the night before.

I settle for a black shirt with a peapod covered in sugar. Under the picture, it says Sweet Pea. I pick some jeans Timberlands to go with it.

"Aww, my wife is gonna have my daughter looking adorable." Justin says, walking out of the bathroom with Aviella on his hip, her head resting on his shoulder.

"My job here is done."

Justin places Aviella on her bed, kissing both of us on the cheek before going downstairs.

"Okay, Aviella. Time to get dressed. And you're not gonna be difficult, okay?"

She nods and takes off her pajamas. It doesn't take long for me to get her dressed, mainly because she cooperates tiredly.

I brush her hair and put it in two French braids. Her hair is down to the middle of her back when it's curly, and almost to the middle when it's braided.

"Okay. Go downstairs and eat." She stands up, rubbing her eyes before walking out of her room.

I put her hair stuff up before following Aviella downstairs.

"Princess, why are you so tired?" Justin asks.

"I don't know. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Why didn't you come sleep with us? You always do."

"I was too scared. I didn't want anybody to get me."

"Baby girl, no ones going to do anything to you. The only person who would was caught and can't do anything else."

"Are you sure, daddy?"

"Yes. I'm positive."

"Okay. Then I'll come sleep with you tonight." She smiles.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Only if you can't sleep." I say.

Aviella giggles, eating her oatmeal.

Justin

8:19 am

I unbuckle Aviella's car seat and pick her up. She fell asleep as soon as we got in the car, and stayed asleep until about two seconds ago.

I walk inside her school and to her classroom, placing her on the floor outside the door.

"Have a good day, and ask your teacher to call me or mommy if you get too tired." She nods, yawning.

I wasn't sure it was a good idea to send her to school this tired, but Ariana said she would be okay, so of course I had to listen.

Aviella walks in her classroom and I walk back down the hallway and outside to my car.

I drive to my job, my boss, Oscar, meeting me at the door.

"Hello, hello. Let's go take some pictures." He says.

I nod, following him to the elevator.

My assistant, Alana, brings me the coffee I drink every morning and we go up to the seventh floor. I walk to my dressing room and sit in my chair, letting my stylists work on my face and hair.

This was obviously nothing new. I did it almost every day. All I did was stand in front of a camera in nothing but my underwear. That's the only part Ariana didn't approve of. But everything else was okay. While I was sitting in my dressing room, waiting for my photoshoot, Ariana facetimed me.

"Hey." She says, a huge smile on her face.

"Hi. You look too happy. What did you do?"

"Nothing. I'm not allowed to be happy?"

"No. You're never this happy. Except for when we got married, when I proposed, when we found out you were pregnant... moments like those you get 100% happy Ariana. Any other time, you get 50% happy and 50% sarcastic/disrespectful Ariana. Sometimes it's 100% sarcastic/disrespectful Ariana."

"See? This is why I don't call you." She says.

"I'm sorry. What did you want?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy to be by myself. It just feels great to be me right now."

"Something is definitely wrong. Should I call a doctor?"

"No, I'm fine. I think it just has something to do with me being pregnant."

"You should be pregnant more often."

"I have been. For 5 months."

"Justin, we're ready for you." Alana peeks her head in.

"Okay. Thanks." I nod.

She leaves and I look down at Ariana.

"I gotta go. I love you, baby."

"Love you too." She blows me a kiss before hanging up.