Hide and Spy- Gallagher Girls FanFic

Holding the Baby- Part 2

Part 2

Zach left just after lunch, he had planned to meet Townsend at the airport with Kim. There wasn’t much other than pasta in our cupboards and a garlic bread in the fridge freezer, “I suppose I could make a bolognese,” I wondered to myself out loud as I shut the fridge door. Amy cooed to herself as she sat in her lounger with her favourite rabbit.

I lifted her in to my arms and kissed her cheek, “Fancy a trip out Kid?”

She looked to me as I spoke, though I knew she didn’t understand any of it. I smiled softly at her and moved her on to my hip, “Let’s go and get ready,”

Rachel had left very specific instructions — if I were to take Amy out anywhere she had to wear her blue and white winter coat. I knew which she meant, I’d seen Amy in it before. When it came to finding it though, I was clueless. I searched in all the obvious places first, the coat cupboard, Amy’s wardrobe or the chest of drawers in her room. It wasn’t anywhere there though.

I went in to our room and checked under my jacket that I had discarded after school on Friday, of course. Rachel had probably left it there, knowing I’d pick up my jacket and see Amy's coat beneath it. I smiled to Amy and shook my head, “Mommy thinks of everything, doesn’t she?”

*

At the store, I set Amy’s car seat in one of the carts and prayed she wouldn’t start crying in the middle of the store. I had changed her before we left, she had just eaten, and now she was drifting off, I couldn’t think of anything else she would want.

As I walked through the automatic doors, I caught the reflection of two women, one with an empty cart, stood talking and looking in my direction. I smirked and looked to Amy, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea without your Mom,”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the woman from outside following me, she couldn’t have been much more obvious about it if she tried. I decided to ignore her and carry on with what I was doing.

As I was picking out onions, Amy began to stir. I straightened up and stroked her cheek soothingly, hoping that it would be enough to keep her quiet and contented. She cried a little but soon settled when I gave her a pacifier. I smiled and leant forward to kiss her gently.

When I looked up again, the woman from outside was stood right next to us. We caught each others eye as we both reached for the same vegetable, “Sorry,” I stepped back, “Go on,”

She grinned too widely, “Oh, thank you,” She looked past me to Amy, “She’s adorable,”

I looked back to Amy too and couldn’t help but smile proudly, “Thank you,”

“How old is she?” She persisted, stepping slightly closer to the cart.

“Three months,” It was the truth, I wasn’t likely to ever see the woman again other than in passing, minor details wouldn’t be an issue. I sighed and took an onion and placed it in the cart, “Three months,” I repeated, softer. It had flown by so quickly, it only seemed like yesterday that she had been in the incubator with all those wires and tubes.

The woman looked to me and her face lit up a tiny bit. Internally, I winced and kicked myself, I’d given her completely the wrong message. I expected her next sentence before she even said it. Her voice was quiet and sympathetic as she spoke, “It can’t be easy on your own,”

I turned away from her sharply and pretended to find a sudden interest in the carrots, “I should be getting on,” I told her and began to walk away, I was finished on that aisle anyway.

The woman went to followed me on to the more crowded Frozen section. I couldn’t be more thankful for my training then, using a loop back to try and lose her. She carried straight on down the aisle and I sighed in relief, “Let’s get out of here Kid,” I whispered to Amy, the rest of the shopping could be done elsewhere.

One more part to go! What are you thinking of it?