Free (Sequel to Trapped)

Ch. 72

Ariana

Wednesday, 3:33 pm

"I just started on dinner. Do you want a snack?" Justin's aunt, Ellie, who was staying with them for a few weeks, says.

She was the one who made Bella's blanket.

"Sure." Aviella sits at the island and I leave her with Justin because I hear Bella crying.

I walk into the living room where Pattue and Jazmyn are sitting on the couch. Bella is in Pattie's arms, crying. Probably because she's tired.

I take her from Pattie and grab her blanket from her diaper bag. When I walk back into the kitchen, Ellie smiles.

"That looks familiar." She says, gesturing to the blanket.

"It does, doesn't it?" I smile, sitting next to Aviella at the island.

"Does she like it?"

"I'm pretty sure. It kept her warm when we left the hospital."

"That's good. You probably weren't expecting it to be that cold."

"Not at all." She gives Aviella cheezits, goldfish and apple juice to snack on before dinner and I rock Bella to sleep.

4:46 pm

"Is everything okay?" Justin asks Jazmyn.

"Yep." She smiles, taking some of Aviella's goldfish.

"Hey!"

"You'll be alright." Jazmyn smiles.

"We're home!" Jeremy says.

"Dad, sleeping baby." Justin tells him.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"It's fine. She wouldn't wake up if North Korea dropped a bomb on us."

"Ariana, that is so many levels of wrong." Pattie says.

"It's true."

"It is." Justin agrees.

"How was baseball, Jax?" Jazmyn asks.

"The same as always." He shrugs.

"Oh."

"Dinner is ready, for everyone." Ellie says.

"Yay! Food!" Aviella says.

"You literally just ate." I say.

"That was a snack." She's the first one to get a plate full of spaghetti, like she's a grown adult.

Justin brings me a plate too, then sits next to me to eat.

"I'm already fat enough. I don't need to eat."

"You didn't say that when we were eating Chipotle."

"Ariana, the baby fat will be gone in three weeks. Maybe even less if your child keeps eating so much." Pattie says. (I'm aware that this is not true, don't correct me)

"That sounds... manageable." I start eating my food, and luckily, Bella stays asleep the whole time.

But when I get done, it's time to feed her again.

5:03 pm

"Does orange juice come out of there, too?" Aviella asks.

"Oh my God, you did not just say that." I laugh.

"Aviella, come sit in daddy's lap. Please." Justin says, a smirk on his lips.

"I just asked a question. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, princess." Justin pulls Aviella into his lap, stroking her hair.

"Only milk comes out there, Avi. And unfortunately, you can't have any."

"Oh. It's for Bella only?"

"Yeah. It keeps her healthy."

"Why can't she eat regular food?"

"She doesn't have any teeth, baby."

"Oh! Silly me. Bye, daddy." Aviella jumps off of Justin's lap and runs upstairs where Jazmyn and Jaxon erre doing homework.

"Your daughter is too much." Jeremy says.

"I agree." I finish feeding Bella and give her to Justin so he can be the good father he is and burp her.

She doesn't fall asleep when she's done, probably because she's slept for about ten years in one day.

"You two are the best couple, besides me and my adoring husband." Pattie says.

"Yeah. What she said." Jeremy agrees.

I laugh, watching Justin play with Bella. They are adorable.