Baby Fever

Epilogue Pt. 1

Two years. 

It's been two years since I last saw Jeremiah. 

Well, I'm the mother of his child so technically I've seen him. He's been very committed to visiting Cross at least twice a month.  But I never really saw him. Whenever he came, he usually stayed with his parents. 

Turning around, I inspected myself in the mirror. It hadn't taken long for me to lose all the baby weight. Though now I feared, maybe I was a little too skinny? No, I don't think so. 

I still kept my hair shoulder-length, but I dyed it brown a few months ago and had honey-blonde highlights put in. Alanna said it looked sexy, and seeing as she's the queen of sexy, I felt very pleased. 

I adjusted my jeans a little and smiled. 

We haven't texted or called about anything other than Cross. Even when we do text about Cross, it's always short and cordial. 

Exhibit A: 

Victoria (two months ago): Your mom has Cross for the weekend.

Jeremiah (two months ago): Okay, thanks.

I don't know how he's been. How is it possible that after all this time, he still makes my heart flutter?

"Gah. Gah."

I turned around and smiled at Cross, who was playing with his blocks on the rug. 

"You ready to see dada, baby?"

I picked him up and looked up at his hazel eyes. He gave me a toothy smile. I rubbed my nose against his until he giggled. 

After giving him a kiss, I put him back down on the rug. "Mama's going to get your milk."

I quickly ran down the stairs and to the kitchen. 

There was a package waiting for me on the countertop. My mom must've left it here. Picking it up, I read the name on the stamp. 

To: Cross.

 From: Aunty Layla.

I jumped up and down excitedly. Layla and I haven't gotten the chance to really talk as much as we used to, we're just so busy. Of course, we catch up when she comes home for the holidays, but that's only a few times a year. So I love the care packages that she sends whenever she can. 

"Cross!" I ran back up the stairs. "Guess who got you a gift?"

I crossed my legs and sat beside him, then grabbed some scissors from my bed to open the package. Cross climbed onto my lap. 

"You want to see what it is too, huh?"

I pulled an adorable light-blue, three-piece set. It was a fuzzy jacket that had little bear ears on the hood, and matching pants, with matching underclothing.

 "Oh, I so have to put you in this for the airport," I gushed. "Then we need to take a picture for aunty Lay Lay!"

I had already given him a bath earlier this morning, so I put him on his changing table to get him dressed. He started fussing along the way. 

"Awe, don't do that." I kissed his nose. "Here," I gave him the teddy bear Jeremiah had gifted him a few months ago. He really loved that thing. He really loved his dad. Hell, I think I still love his dad. 

I combed his black curls. They were always so messy in the morning, like his dad's. If I didn't know any better, I would've even gotten him a headband. And those eyes...they were Jer's all the way. Every time I looked in them I saw his dad.