Spark in the Dark

Chapter 184

When Juice left the next morning, Shawn joined Ally on the floor for some tummy time. She folded her hands in front of her and rested her chin on top to get a low as possible. As Ally worked on keeping her head lifted to see her mother, Shawn smiled broadly at the baby. When she could tell she was struggling to stay up, she rolled onto her back and lifted Ally to rest on her chest on her back. She was playing with Ally's hands and feet while singing to her when her phone began to ring.

"Now who could that be, baby girl? Who's interrupting our playtime?" Shawn wondered out loud as she stood and carried her into the kitchen where her phone was. "Gemma. Hmm. Should we answer it? Maybe Abel and Thomas want to come play with you, again."

Shawn answered the phone and Gemma wasted no time getting to the point.

"Could you do me a favor?" Gemma asked.

"You want to drop the boys off here, again?"

"Actually, no. Tara set up this appointment to check outa preschool for Abel. I have to get to the garage, but Nero said he'd check it out for me. Would you mind going with? I think he'd feel more comfortable with someone going with him."

"I don't know, Gem. Ally spent almost the whole day with Neeta yesterday."

"So drop her off here first if you don't want to call Neeta."

"It's not that I don't want to call her, I'd just rather spend time with my daughter. Besides, I thought you said you're going to TM."

"It won't take long. Brooke is here watching the boys."

"Brooke? Putner? The girl who threw something through the window at the ice cream shop?" Shawn asked skeptically.

"Yeah, Jax and her dad have an arrangement for her to work off the damage."

"Huh. Isn't she kind of young to be watching three kids all on her own?"

"She's 18," Gemma said as if it were obvious. "She's very responsible."

"Yeah, the broken window made that very clear," Shawn replied sarcastically. "Look, if it means that much to you. I will call a couple people and see if someone can watch Ally."

"Fine," Gemma said, sounding annoyed. "Let me know."

Gemma hung up and Shawn shook her head as she scrolled through the contacts on her phone. She mocked Gemma to Ally as she tried to decided who to call first. "Thank you, Shawn. You're the best, Shawn. I don't know how I would go on with you, Shawn. Hmm, let's see what Aunt Fawn is doing today."

Shawn called her sister and explained the situation. She barely got her entire question out before Fawn agreed to watch her niece. She promised her sister to be there soon and Shawn hung up. After calling Gemma back to let her know she'd go with Nero, she went upstairs to get ready.

She carried Ally back down the stairs a little while later when someone knocked on the door. Shawn answered it to see Nero.

"Hey, I'm just waiting on my sister. Once she's here we can go. Want to come in?"

"Sure," he said and stepped inside. "Nice place."

"Thanks," she told him and offered him Ally. "Want to hold her for me? I just want to get a bottle ready in case she gets hungry while Fawn is here."

"Absolutely," Nero took her. Shawn smiled to herself when she walked away and heard Nero speaking Spanish to Ally.

"Don't be teaching my daughter any bad Spanish words!" Shawn called to him from the kitchen.

"Someone's got to," Nero called back. "Not like your husband will."

"Hey, it is not his fault he grew up in Queens. He probably speaks better Yiddish."