Family Ties

Oliver

It's been almost been a month since Honesty and I had our "disagreement". She hasn't come around Harmoni's because she's too busy. And if I don't see her I don't see Liam. I've been trying to text and call her but I think she blocked me.
I'm at my apartment thinking about how I should move forward. If I tell Harmoni I lose her, Honesty and Liam. If I don't I can't openly claim Liam as my son. I asked my mom what I should do and she agrees that Harmoni has the right to know.
My phone starts ringing and I go to pick it up off my nightstand by my bed to see Honesty's name pop up. "Hello?" I answered before the phone stopped ringing.
"I have to go to class and my mom has work, Harmoni is at work and I don't have time to drop Liam off at my dad's can you-" She goes to explain.
"Yeah, drop him off." I sit up in my bed and go rush to make sure my apartment isn't a mess. She hangs up and I run through making sure it's nice and clean.
After a while, there is a knock on my door and I go answer it. "Are you sure about this because I can't leave early today." She says walking in carrying Laim in his car seat. 
"Yeah, we'll be fine," I say closing the door behind her.
"He ate already and he might be a little fussy because he's tired." She puts the car seat on the floor and bends down to pick Liam up. He looks annoyed and starts whining.
"Your okay sweetie." She kisses him on the nose and lays his head on her shoulder patting his butt. "Be careful with him." She goes to hand him to me. "I packed a bottle already made just in case and some juice. Also, enough pampers and his blanket for stomach time. He needs to lay on his stomach to get used to it and learn how to crawl. Not to much tv and-" She goes on.
"Okay, like I haven't been around him since he was a newborn." I roll my eyes.
"You've never been alone with him." She hands him to me and he lays his head on the crook of my neck. He has to be sleep already his breath tickles.
"I've got him, go." I shoo her out after she grabs her phone and keys.
"I love you." She picks up Liam's hand balled up into a fist and kisses it before leaving. I go sit on the couch and slide his coat and shoes off before laying him on my chest and watching tv. After a while I doze off, eventually waking up to the sound of Liam babbling. When I open my eyes and look down he's looking up at me.
"Hey, you awake?" I sit up with him and he looks around. "Mommy should be back soon okay?" He looks at me disinterested but calm, I change his diaper and go into my room pulling out the baby jumper I bought last month and bring it into the living room.
As I'm putting it together he's sitting next to me watching Paw Patrol on the tv. As soon as I finish I pick him up and put him in the jumper. And he likes it, he starts playing with the toys on the front of it and jumping.
When he gets tired of it I give him his juice bottle as we sit on the floor watching Paw Patrol. This is the calmest and happiest Liam has ever been with me.
Eventually, I can hear my phone go off, it's Harmoni. "How's Liam?" She asks I can hear talking in the background.
"Good. Watching tv." I responded looking down at him sitting between my legs entranced by the tv screen.
"Honesty should be getting out of class soon. I'm coming over once I'm done with my last class okay? And not too much tv you know how Honesty is." She says.
"Yeah," I respond before hanging up. I pick Liam up and make him look at me he looks annoyed. "You having fun with me?" I ask him and he turns his head back to face the tv. I turn it off and he turns around pouting at me. "You know mommy doesn't let you watch too much tv." I can't help but see Honesty in him especially now.
I spend the rest of the time playing with him getting him to laugh. I never thought I could love a sound so bad as I do when he laughs. I throw him up and catch him when someone knocks on my door. I go to answer with him dying on my hip.
"My  last class ended early." Honesty says as soon as I open the door. "My baby." She goes to take him from me, both his arms open to her.
"Ma...ma." He says making both of us stop in our tracks.
"Did he just?" Honestys eyes widen and she claps. "Your first word!" She screamed taking him from me and throwing him up and catching him making him laugh.
"I'm so proud of you Liam!" She covers his face with kisses.
"Try to get him to say it again." I run to the living room and grab my phone to record. She manages to get him on camera saying it.
"Send it to me." She says putting Liam's coat on and now he won't stop saying it. The smile on her face never dying out and she puts him in his car seat.
"Yeah." I put my phone in my back pocket. "You have class tomorrow right?" I ask her, she nods her head. "You can drop him off here." I offer and she looks back up at me, in deep thought.
"I'll see tomorrow my mom might want to see him." She says picking the car seat up and goes to head out. "I'll call you tomorrow." She says walking out. After I close the door behind her I can't help but watch the video of Liam saying mama again. I'm happy he said his first word but I can't help but feel sad that I couldn't really be in the moment. I know I'm selfish but I want a family for my son.