Fire And Ice

14

Layla and Logan had been in California for five days. Despite what she thought would happen, Layla was having a good time with her family and friends. And of course everyone adored little Logan with his dark curls and big brown eyes.

They were staying with Layla's parents, and Lizzie had also been staying there since Layla had gotten back. Layla loved getting her mind off what all had happened, Lizzie loved having her best friend back, and Layla's parents loved being with their only grandson. Everyone seemed to be so happy. Layla and Lizzie would stay up till late in the night talking and laughing so much that even when she laid down, Layla only had a few minutes to miss Parker before she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Parker was back in Haines, focusing on doing things for work starting in April. He couldn't focus that much, but he enjoyed being in his own house again without his parents feeling sorry for him all the time. Today, however, he was packing up his things to go to California also for work related business.

Layla had gotten a text from him that morning saying that he was going to be in California for a few days before traveling to Vegas, followed by a couple more locations. He had asked if he could stop by and see Logan when he got in, and Layla agreed despite the objections from Lizzie and her parents.

That day went by just as the days there before did, but around 5 in the afternoon, Parker knocked on the front door, much like he had done years before. The difference was that this time he was greeted in a much less enthusiastic manner by Layla. The enthusiasm instead came from Logan, who grinned happily as his dad took him from Layla's arms.

"So what's up?" Layla asked as Parker walked in, shutting the door behind him.

"Ah, just some work stuff I gotta get done before Christmas." Parker said.

"Logan missed you." Layla said as she observed her little boy laying on his daddy's shoulder.

"I missed him too." Parker said as he kissed Logan's head. "And you, Lays."

"Of course you did, you dick!" Lizzie yelled from where she had been eavesdropping in the kitchen.

"Liz, language!" Layla yelled. "Little ears, remember?"

"Well he is one." Lizzie stated as she walked through the living room. "Anyway, I'm going out while he's here."

"Thank goodness for that." Parker stated.

Lizzie whipped her head around and glared at Parker sitting in the chair with Logan. She smiled slyly as she turned and walked to the sofa and sat beside Layla. "I changed my mind. I'm staying."

Parker shrugged, and Layla leaned back in the sofa and covered her face with her hands, sighing.

The comments between Lizzie and Parker got worse by the minute, until finally Layla told Lizzie to come on upstairs with her so that Parker could spend time with Logan in peace. She was tired of hearing their pettiness. Lizzie scoffed, but ultimately went upstairs with Layla to sit in her room, talking and watching shows.

"I don't know why you even have anything to do with him anymore." Lizzie commented.

Layla sighed. "He's the father of my kid who took care of him for almost a year."

"Yeah but I mean think about what all else he was doing." Lizzie said as she ate Chinese noodles off her fork.

Layla leaned her head to the side and squinted her eyes at Lizzie. "You know, he told me about what all you and my parents did and said while everything was going on. You guys didn't even want anything to do with Logan, and you acted like I was dead, and you and them didn't even come see me when I woke up, and it's like nobody even cared except for him!" Layla started tearing up as she frowned. Her voice cracked as she said, "and now I don't even have him because of you!"

Lizzie was speechless as she saw her best friend break down into tears. She whispered an apology before setting the Chinese food down and walking out of the room. When she walked past Parker in the living room watching television as he rocked Logan to sleep, she too cried. Layla was right; she had ruined Layla's chance to have the family she had always wanted. Maybe it was because Lizzie had never had the opportunity to get married and have a good married life with a good man, but she just wanted her best friend back the way it was before. But she saw that even when she wasn't with Parker, she had changed from when they were younger, especially now that she was a mother.

Parker was silent as he watched Lizzie walk out the front door, and then he and Logan got up and walked upstairs.

"Let's go see what your Mama's doin, huh?" Parker said to Logan as he walked towards her old bedroom.

He opened the door, and Logan smiled and held his arms out to Layla as Parker carried him in the room with him. Layla sniffled as she smiled and accepted the baby in her arms.

"What's wrong, Lays?" Parker asked as he sat on the end of the bed.

"I'm tired of being here with fake people. Fake friends, my parents don't even care, I thought I was having a good time but it's like when I left they made Lizzie their daughter instead of me and I just–" she couldn't say anymore without crying.

Parker whispered shushing noises to her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. That was the actual first time that he had touched her since they separated without her pushing him away. Instead, she buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed. Parker then wrapped both his arms around Layla along with Logan, who was busy being mesmerized by the movie on the television. Even though Layla was crying, Parker couldn't help but smile a little as he realized that he was holding her again. He felt a little bit of hope then.

"You know, Layla, maybe you need some time to yourself. You know, just you so you can focus on taking care of yourself. You can't take care of anything else if you don't take care of yourself first." Parker said.

"Oh I don't know what I'd do without Logan." Layla sniffed as she moved out of Parker's arms. "I've been away from him too much as it is."

"I really don't want to start away from either of you until Christmas." Parker replied. "But it might be good for you to be able to relax and everything."

"What are you saying?"

"Well I was saying that maybe Logan could go around with me on my work trips and you could go back to Haines and you could have time for yourself. You know you haven't been taking care of yourself like you should, Lays."

"Well..." Layla sighed, realizing that maybe he was right. She had been neglecting herself. She was normally someone who always dressed nice, put on makeup and did her hair. Now she wasn't showering often, she didn't care about hair or makeup or what clothes she wore. She had been eating more sweets and junk food for comfort. She chuckled slightly as she looked down at her dirty pajamas and knew her hair was in a mess. She shook her head as she wondered how Parker could possibly still be trying to get back with her while she looked like that.

"I'll take Logan with me and you can go back home, see your real friends and just have some Layla time." Parker smirked as he put his hand on his shoulder.

Layla nodded, but then glanced down at the little boy sucking on a pacifier in her lap, eyes glued on the television. "I don't want to be away from him just like you don't."

"It'll only be for three weeks. I promise we'll be home on Christmas Eve. You know you still have to buy the rest of his presents. And buy yourself some stuff while you're at it, alright?"

Layla sighed as she hugged Logan and kissed him on his forehead. "I guess it'll be alright for a few weeks."

"I bet you'll feel better by the end of it." Parker said before kissing her on her forehead.