#1 In the Company of a Stranger (A fanfic-complete)

A Messy Life

The next seven months were a trial of errors to say the very least. Adjusting to a new baby, a new city, a new job, plus Odell's return to the football field after another season out for injury created a fair amount of chaos in their large Cleveland home.

And then there was the endless sex drought which also contributed to the problems between husband and wife. Cassandra's raging hormones were still going haywire after giving birth and while breastfeeding. And despite the extended period away from football, Odell's body was looking even better than ever adding to her sexual frustrations. 

But Lo had both of his parents wrapped so tightly around his little finger that he had only spent a total of three entire nights since his birth in his own crib set up in the very beautiful and very expensive nursery with his entire name muraled on the wall, Odell Cornelious Beckham III with baby sized OB3 cleats. And he had basically taken over their bed, sleeping wildly with his little feet and hands smacking into his sleep deprived parent's faces.

At first, Odell and Cas had managed to get in a quickie in the bathroom at least once a week. But lately Lo woke up as soon as they moved from the bed and started yelling for "mama! and dada!"

By the time Cas got home exhausted from the hospital that night it was close to 10pm and she found Odell asleep on the couch in the den with the tv blaring ESPN sports center and Lo splayed across Odell's bare chest on his bare tummy like a chubby little starfish barely dressed in a halfway secured diaper.  Cas couldn't help but giggle. This reminded her of that night Odell passed out drunk on the couch in her old town house. Lo looked like a miniature version of his wasted father, down to the baby snoring and a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth.  Odell had literally fallen asleep underneath his son with Lo's pajamas still clutched in his right hand.  Both of them looked spent.  But Cas knew who had won that fight and the little monster slept victoriously on top of his victim. 

Cas's female dog, Geegee, was snoring loudly and laying halfway on Odell's head. While Chewy, her male dog, sat in a corner doing what he did best, chewing up another one of Odell's expensive Yeezy sneakers. Cassandra had to chase the dog around the den to get the shoe back before Odell saw it and lost his shit. Despite sending her dogs to the trainer like Odell's dogs, Cassandra had spoiled them silly and they both still had quirks that neither had been broken of. Geegee had a special relationship with Lo. She seemed to think she was the seven month old's mother and refused to be more than a few inches from him whenever the baby was around... even if it meant lying on top of Odell's head.

It appeared that Odell had boldly sent Lo's nanny home and the den were now a disaster despite the housekeeper cleaning earlier that day and Chef leaving meals and homemade baby food packed in the refrigerator. Cas tripped over a sea of toys getting into the kitchen. And of course she found the kitchen a mess.   Apparently Lo was not happy with the meal choice because there were strained peas all over the highchair, the floor, and the ceiling. One of Odell's t-shirts was soaked in green mush and haplessly tossed away on the kitchen countertop.

There was a time not long ago when this mess would have literally made her skin itch, until she stayed up all night and cleaned it up to perfection.  Now it no longer bothered Cas.  If Odell had Lo, mess was inevitable, and this actually was not that bad compared to some nights when she had to be at the hospital late. 

Sighing she just stood there and took in the chaos that the housekeeper would walk into in the morning. Now she was completely in love with coming home to this mess of a life.  Odell had literally bulldozed his way into her life through all of her uptightness and hang ups, and together they had not looked back since.  She rolled her eyes and thought this was clear evidence that she and Odell would definitely never be Steph and Aisha Curry.  Not even close.