•Blue Moon• /Joshua Bassett\

35

We jolted awake as soon as we heard Josie begin to cry. The two of us throw the blanket off of us before going to check on Josie. After making sure she didn't need a diaper change, I held her to my chest and gently swayed back and forth.

"Hey, Josh? Can you heat up a bottle please?" I asked as I supported her head with my hand. "Yeah, of course." Josh kisses my cheek, Josie's head, and then makes his way to the kitchen. It was my first time alone with Josie. Smiling, I sat down on the chair and held her close to me. Her big brown eyes that were full of tears stared into mine as she grips onto my finger.

"Daddy's getting you a bottle, baby girl." I cooed as stroked her cheek. She calms down a bit as I hear Josh's footsteps approaching. I kissed the top of her head as Josh holds out a bottle for me.

Gingerly taking it from his large hand, I lifted it to her perfect lips. She began to drank it as her cries died down. "I can't get over how pretty she is." Josh smiles. "Me either, she's so beautiful." I smiled as he kissed her cheek.

•••

"Can I hold her?" Mason asks as we relaxed in our childhood house. Josh was laying down next to me, passed out. We were surprising my mom and Jake, but they weren't home yet.

"Yeah, of course." I smiled as I slowly I got up and gently placed her in her uncles arms. "She looks exactly like Joshua." Mason chuckles as Josie's eyes began to flutter closed. Sighing, I sat down on the couch and watched whatever was happening on TV. In all honesty, I was kind of out of it. I was exhausted, Josie had kept Josh and I up at all hours of the night.

"You seem tired." Mason whispers. "I am. Taking care of a newborn is worth it, but I miss sleep." I groaned as Josh flips over onto his stomach in his sleep.

"Do you want to take a nap? I can take care of Josie?" Mason suggests. "I'm okay, don't worry. I'll get some sleep later." I replied as Joshua's muscles tensed in his sleep. I gently reached over and rubbed his back as he slept. His back muscles relaxed as I rubbed his back gently.

"Moms home." Mason points out. Nodding, I waited for them to enter the house.

The door opened abruptly and in ran in Jake and My mom. Josh springs up from his spot on the couch, the door hitting the wall jolting him awake. Josie's cries filled the room following Josh hitting the ground. He groans before standing up and gently taking Josie from Mason.

Josie's cries die down as he gently shushes her with a soft tone. His eyes were sleepy as he lovingly looked down at his daughter. Mom and Jake neared Josh as he quieted Josie down.

As soon as she was quiet, he handed Josie to my mom, returning to his spot on the couch where he was laying on his back. He places his arm over his eyes as he listens to everyone talk.

"You two look exhausted." Mom tries to joke. "She doesn't like sleeping." I groaned as I pulled a blanket over my body. "Why don't you two get some sleep, we can take care of Josie." My mom smiles down at Josie. "Sounds heavenly." Josh and I agreed at the same time. Smiling, I curled to his side on the couch and closed my eyes against his chest. He tightly wraps his arm around my body before nuzzling into my messy hair.

"I just-." Mason starts. "Mason, shush!" I heard before drifting into a deep and much needed nap.

•••

"Dad?" I whispered softly as I looked up into his identical blue eyes to mine. This has to be a dream, he passed a few years ago.

"Hey, sweetheart." His familiar voice rings in my ears. "I miss you." I cried out before running over and hugging him. It felt like he was with me again.

"I want to tell you how proud I am of you. You grew up to be an amazing young woman and an amazing mother." He tells me as we pulled away. "I learned from the best." I referenced to him. "I'm so proud of you." He smiles down at me.

"Thank you." I whispered into his jacket he wore the night he got in the car accident. "I love you." He smiles as I pulled away. "I love you, too." I smiled brightly. My vision of him began to drift off, but I was happy I got to see him again.

•••

I woke up again to Josh talking to Mason and cradling Josie to his chest. "Hey, sleepyhead." Josh greets as I began to sit up. "Did I miss anything?" I asked, gesturing to the small girl on his chest.

"Nope, but she did throw up on Mason." Josh laughs softly since she was sleeping. "So I did miss something." I laughed as I sat up completely, setting my small feet on the floor. "I'm going for a snack, you guys want anything?" I asked. "No thanks." They chorused. Nodding, I got up and made my way to the kitchen where I saw Jake and Mom sitting at the dining room table, talking fiercely about something.

Deciding I probably shouldn't be in their business, I grabbed some Oreos and made my way back to the living room to see Josh had adjusted Josie on his chest, and she didn't even wake up. If I did that, she'd be screaming right about now. Yup, definitely Daddy's girl.

•••
-J-

Josie's soft cries rang through the apartment. Flipping over to the clock, it read it was 4 am.

Angel went to get up, but I stopped her. "I got it, you were up last night taking care of her." I gently spoke before making my way to Josie's room.

"Hey, baby!" I smiled as I gently picked her up from her crib. She didn't have to be changed, she wasn't hungry, so maybe she's just not tired.

I gently sat down in the chair and cradled her to my chest. "Shh, you're okay. Daddy's here." I whispered down to her before pressing a soft kiss on her small head. Her cries died down as she stared back into my eyes. Josie's eye shape was Angel's, but it was my eye color.

"You just needed someone to hang out with, huh." I chuckled. In response, she raised her small fists above her head and stretched. "Awe, big stretches." I smiled as I gently stroked her cheek. She smiled before closing her eyes, but her nose crinkled.

A small sneeze erupted through the room. It had to be one of the cutest sounds I've ever heard. "Bless you." I smiled as she looked around the room absentmindedly.

As she began to fall asleep again, I wiped at my eyes to try and get rid of the sleep still in them. Once I was sure she was fast asleep, I gently ran my index finger over her cheeks.

I froze as she began to stir in her sleep, afraid I might have woken her up. Instead of her eyes opening, she raised her little fists above her head once again as she yawned. It was surely the cutest yawn I've ever seen.

When she finished her yawn, she placed her small hands on my chest. I knew if I put her back in her crib, she would cry again so I just decided to sit here and relax with her and hopefully keep her asleep.

"Hey, is she okay?" Angel's tired voice speaks out. I looked up to see her standing in the doorway, a blanket around her shoulders.

"She's fine, I think she was just lonely." I replied with a smile on my face.