Bitter Love

Chapter 14

Luke's POV
Lauren and I sat cross legged on the floor in the living room with a 6 month old Juniper who was just learning how to support her weight and sit up on her own. "So I was thinking that it is time for us to start considering a family vacation."

I thought about it for a second before scooping up the squirmy baby,"Maybe wait just a little while longer? I just don't want her to get sick or anything to happen to her while we are away from home."

"It would be nice to do something when I'm done work for a couple more months." She sighed and stood walking into the kitchen. 

I looked down at Juniper who was slobbering all over my sweater,"Let's go see Mama."

I put her on my hip and walked into the kitchen seeing Lauren standing by the window with a bottle of water I'm hand. I set Juniper into her highchair and gave her some fake keys that she chews on. "What's the matter?"

She still stood facing the window,"Needed some water."

I sighed and pulled a chair out beside the highchair,"Lauren come and sit down please? Let's just talk about it and decide-"

She now turned around and snapped,"I told you that I wanted to take her and you never listen to me."

"Lauren I'm making a compromise. You have to remember that she's my daughter to." I really tried to reason with her for the sake of our little girl sitting right there.

Juniper stopped playing with her keys and looked at Lauren and started crying. Lauren picked her up,"Come here baby girl."

I shook my head and sat at the table for a while in silence listening to Juniper fuss. I finally pushed myself off the table and tucked the chair in and walked to her room. I walked over to the crib to see that my baby girl had tears coming from her eyes,"Awe come here."

I walked into our room with Juniper still crying and walked in to see that Lauren had her headphones in and was folding laundry,"Lauren!"

She spun around and looked surprised when she took the ear buds out. Her hands flew to her mouth when she saw how much Juniper had been crying,"Oh my God. I'm so sorry baby girl."

I kept her in my arms and had moved her little body so that I could rock her to sleep,"You're kidding me right?"

She gave me a look before asking,"Excuse me?"

I scoffed,"Just because we have an argument doesn't give you the right to take it out on our girl."

She shook her head,"You really think that I would do that to her? I'm her mother."

I raised my voice,"And I'm her father."

I needed to get away from her before I explode so I walked off with Juniper into the kitchen to make a bottle. I could tell that she was hungry by the way she kept grabbing at my shirt and crying. I bounced her on my hip trying to entertain her until the 30 seconds were up,"I know, I know Juniper."

I was so relived when the timer went off and grabbed the bottle and walked straight to her room.

I sat down on the soft rocking chair and tucked her close to my body and gently rocked as she gulped down the warm milk. I gently swiped her soft hair out of her face and felt how warm her face was,"Oh my poor baby girl. Your Daddy and Mommy are here for you."

I leaned down and gave her warm forehead a quick kiss and heald on to her tighter. I just looked down at this most perfect little creation and I just realised how big she had gotten in the last three months. She was starting to get the smallest bit of freckles across the top of her cheeks and nose. Huh, I don't know where she gets those from.