On Tour

Chapter 60

I wake up, rubbing my eyes. I moan and open my eyes, letting them adjust to the room. I feel a heaviness on my chest and I look down. Amara is sleeping on my body, curled up, and snoring like a little angel. I realize I'm sitting up, on the grey recliner in the nursery. She must've not been able to sleep last night and I stumbled my way upon in here. I lift Amara up, her face wet with drool, she groans a bit, and I grab a blanket, wiping her face off. I lift her into her crib and lay her down, she moves a little and gets herself comfortable again, then she falls back asleep. I scratch my head and walk out into the hallway. "Damn, did a tornado hit?" I mutter, looking down at all the ripped streamers. I walk into the living room, picking up a few solo cups as I walk. I walk through the dining room and into the kitchen, I throw away the few cups I gathered, and walk back into the dining room. I slouch myself down on the kitchen table chair, and touch the home button on my phone. I squint my eyes at the lit up phone screen, checking the time. "Seven, why must it be so early?" I groan and throw my head back, spinning in the chair as it creeks. I bring my chin back down and notice Tyler sleeping on a chair at the end of the table. I kick his leg, and stand up. Walking towards the streamers on the wall. I hear him groan, disoriented. "Help." I say, jumping up and grasping few streamers on the wall. I look towards him, with a fist full of streamers, "Catch." I say, throwing him a ball of crumbled up streamers. It bounces off his messed up hair and he flinches, "What time is it?" He says hoarse. "Seven, get up." I say, bending over to pick up some plates. He groans and I walk the plates over in to the kitchen and into the sink. He stumbles into the kitchen, rubbing his head, "You as out of the game as I am?" He says, his eyes grey and droopy. "I woke up with a baby drooling on me in one hand and a bottle of bud light in the other, I think that's as far as 'out of the game' it can get." He weakly laughs, walking to the fridge. "Josh and Jenna?" He asks, bending down to get waters. He tosses me one, closing the fridge, "One of them in the master bedroom, the other in the guest bedroom." I say cracking open the water with a pop. I take a drink, letting the soft, cold liquid, slide down my throat. "And by that you mean Jenna's in the guest and Josh's in the Master?" He says opening his water. "Theoretically, that's what you'd think but nope, somehow Jenna claimed the master bed first." He laughs, closing the cap on the water. "That's my wife." He says laughing. We walk into the living room, starting to grab trash and decoratives, throwing them in black trash bags I found under the sink. "When is the social worker coming over to baby check the house?" Tyler says, starting conversation. "Tuesday, so three days." "Nervous?" "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." "Oh you'll do fine, you guys always are. Plus you and Josh are fantastic parents so you have nothing to worry about. "Thanks for the positivity Tyler." "That'll be $79.99." He says smirking, I laugh and we continue cleaning. I start to hear Amara wail from the other room, "That's my cue." I say, "Good luck." Tyler says laughing. I walk over to the nursery and flick on her lamp. "What's wrong baby?" I baby voice, picking her up. I smell her butt and to my relief there's nothing. "Thank youuu," I mutter to the sky, tossing her onto my left arm. "You just want attention, huh?" I coo, I pat her back and bounce her around a bit. I figure putting her down will just make her frustrated. So I groggily walk her out into the living room, and into the kitchen. "Antsy here wants attention, so I figured I'd bring her out." I say, Tyler walks over to me, taking Amara from my arms. "Awh, anything to distract uncle Tyler from cleaning will work." He baby-voices, smiling at her. She babbles, trying to talk. "I'll get her some food and that'll keep her busy." I say, Tyler walking Amara into the dining room. I open the fridge, I first grab out the milk, then I look for something she can munch on. I grab the grapes and shut the fridge, eyeing up the package, "Eh, these should work." I say, walking them over to the counter. I grab a knife and slice the grapes in halve, and throw them into a plastic bowl. I then grab a sippy cup, pouring the creamy milk into it. I put the milk back into the fridge, and throw the knife into the sink. I grab the sippy cup and the bowl of grapes and walk into the dining room. Tyler has Amara all set up in her high chair and is playing peek a boo with her as she giggles on. "Here you go sport," I say, setting the grapes and milk in front of her. She immediately takes her focus off of Tyler and onto the fresh food. She grabs a grape, popping one in her mouth. "Thanks for setting this up Tyler," I say, I tuck some of Amara's wavy hair behind her insanely soft ear. "No problem, anything for my favorite niece," he says, smiling at her with glowing eyes. I smile and bend down, rubbing her small little arms with my delicate fingers. She continues eating without noticing my affection for her. I can't help but thinking what life would be without her, I'd be lost. The thought of losing her through court makes me damn near sick. I rub her soft cheekbone with the back of my index finger and she picks up the sippy cup,
drinking. "How is it?" Tyler says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "How is what?" "Having a child." He crosses his arms, laying his head on them. He stares at Amara as if she were the Mona Lisa, and not just the one in the painting, the one in real life. "It's a piece of work, but it's worth it. I couldn't imagine life without her." I say, I look at Amara the same way Tyler was, and out of my peripheral I see him take focus off of her for minute. "You won't loose her, Lily." He says, I look down doubtful, but then back up at Amara, her smile gives me life. "I hope not."