Further On (Zayn Malik)

Chapter 5

It's a quiet early morning, it's still dark outside but I can barely see the sun rising. Joel turns ten months today and every month he has to go for a check-up. Once he turns one in two months he only has to go every six months.

My hair is all tousled and I like the peace that I'm in right now. I tighten the string around my light blue satin robe. Noah is still asleep and so is Joel, but Joel casually wakes up when Zayn gets him dressed.

"Are you ready?" I croak, sipping on my tea.

Zayn comes into the kitchen and places Joel's carseat on the breakfast bar counter. I look at Joel and his hat is covering his closed eyes.

"It's cold out there right now," I tell Zayn as he slowly rubs his eyes.

"I know," he pulls his black beanie over his head.

The bags under his eyes are prominent from the 1) Lack of sleep from Joel's continuous crying and 2) having to wake up at five in the morning.

"I'll take him next time, but for now, Noah and I will be packing."

He yawns. "I haven't got a full night sleep for a week in two years."

"Me either," I frown.

"Yes you did, I'm the one who has to get them at night when they're crying because you're moody in your sleep." He laughs.

"But when they're first born, it's always me."

"Then I magically appear at your side." He grins.

I walk to him and caress his face. "Your beard grows quick." I run my hands up and down his scruffy jaw.

"Yeah, do you see any gray hairs growing in it yet?"

"You might have a little right here." I tug on the hair in the back of his neck.

He smiles. "Time to buy black dye."

"You have to be there at eight and it takes an hour and a half to get there." I start to shoo him off. "I put a bowl of oatmeal in the bag for his breakfast and he's starting to like jelly sandwiches."

"Okay," he opens the front door and the freezing cold air comes in. "I'll take this, go inside you'll be cold."

"I'm okay." I mutter following him out to the car.

I hand him the bag after Joel is secured and he throws it over his shoulder.

"When was the last time we all went out and did something?"

"I don't know, two or three days ago."

"Well, we need to do something again."

"Zayn," I chuckle. "We're going to Hawaii. Did you forget?"

"Oh yeah," He smiles, remembering. "Oh and I'm going to the grocery store again after Joel's finished being examined like a lab rat to get the things I didn't get right."

"Huggies, in a big red box. See, you would have gotten a full nights sleep if you got those, he wouldn't have had to wake up screaming and crying to get his diaper changed."

"Hmm, point made." His kisses me far too briefly for my liking. "I'll see you in ten hours or less."

I nod, still standing there. "Let me give Joel a kiss." I open the back door and lift his hat from his eyes and give his mushy chubby cheek a kiss.

I shut the door quickly.

"Later," I stop him from closing his door as he was putting the key in the ignition.