Patience (4/?)
You can wake her up you know.” I was beginning to regret having carpeted floors, Stephanie moved so quietly that I never knew she was walking up on me.
“Nah, if I do that she wont want to go back to sleep when I leave.” It wasn’t that I didn’t want to wake her, but I also knew the fight when I left would only make things harder on her.
“Your mom called.” Stephanie turned heading off towards the kitchen causing me to follow after her to find out the rest of the story.
“And? How’s she doing?”
“She’s good, worried about you, mad we haven’t sent pictures lately.” Stephanie offered a shrug. “Wondering when we’re going to come and visit the usual.”
“Let me guess, she’s worried that I work too much and get too little sleep.” Slipping past her I pulled open the fridge. “And she would love to see pictures of Isabella now that she’s gotten so much bigger. As for when are we going to visit, I’ll figure it out.”
“And if it makes you feel any better she gave me the same lecture that she normally gives you about how you need to work less and sleep more.” She offered a smirk as she looked at me. “She’s a very sweet woman you know, just like her son.”
“Buttering me up will not get you the $300 shoes that you want.” Of course I was only teasing as the shoes were already on their way, but she didn’t know that yet. Of course, I still wasn’t sure why anyone would want to spend $300 for shoes but after all the work she’d put into keeping the house the way that it should be on top of working and taking care of Isabella, she deserved it.
“I already told you, I cant justify paying that much no matter how awesome they are, I’d much rather get something for Isabella.” She merely shrugged trying to make it seem like she didn’t really care.
“I know Steph, I’m just giving you a hard time.” Pulling left overs from the fridge I pulled a bowl outta the cupboard. “And have I mentioned that I love that you cook lately?”
“Still nursing that pot of soup huh? I told you I’d make you another pot if that’s what you wanted.” She crossed her arms across her chest as she looked at me.
“Nobody has ever managed to make a pot of soup quite like my mother’s and yours is awfully close.” It was true she reminded me a lot of my mother but I wasn’t about to tell her that. “You’re sure you’re going to be ok by yourself today? If not I’m sure Cath’d call Lindsey and ask her to come watch her for awhile.”
“I’m going to be fine Nicky.” Her voice was gentle as she pulled up a bar stool at the counter across from me. “Grab me a bowl would you please? I’m not sure I’ve eaten since lunch today.”
“So what’s this I hear about CPS being called by the way.” Taking a bowl from the cabinet I slid it across the table to her, since I’d heard I hadn’t gotten the chance to ask her about it.
Stephanie let out a deep sigh before she looked at me. “Friggin morons.” She muttered as she looked at me. “Isabella was playing in the back yard while I was cleaning up the kitchen after lunch, the windows were open because it was beautiful outside and she asked for a cookie. I told her now and you know how Isabella is, she threw a fit. The neighbors didn’t bother to call me before they reported it as an abuse case saying I’d left her outside.” Her voice grew more heated as she spoke which made me think she was telling the truth, not that I ever thought she could hurt that little girl.
“You should have called Stephanie, and if it’s the neighbor that I think it is, I’m really not surprised by that either. They’ve been a little on the nosey side ever since I moved in and they aren’t really the friendliest. Just don’t let it get to you because if you do, then they win.”
“I know, it’s just aggravating. I don’t get where they come off saying something like that without even knowing the situation.” I couldn’t blame her for being upset about in all honesty. She spoiled Isabella and here they were telling her that she didn’t care about her? “Anyways CPS was out to investigate it and they’re supposed to stop back next week.” She rolled her eyes as she looked at me.
“Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You cant make this go away.” She was going to be stubborn.
“Steph, I didn’t say I would, but I know you and I know how you feel about her and I’m sure that they will be able to see that just by watching you guys together.”
“I don’t know anymore.” Stephanie was upset and I honestly couldn’t blame her for that.
****
“Hey Greggo.” Warrick was trying his hardest not to seem upset. We’d both decided to stop by and see Greg on our way back to work. I’d finally convinced Stephanie to get some sleep before Isabella woke up and wanted to play again.
“Hey.” Greg’s voice was still shakey as he spoke. “Don’t you know better than to wake Stephanie up just because something happened to me.”
“She wasn’t asleep yet when I called, in fact she just went to bed a bit ago, she had a tough day.”
“Yea, she was telling me about it. Some neighbors you’ve got.” Despite the calm tone that Greg managed to keep it was easy to tell that he was not any happier about the situation then we were.
“Believe me I’ve got it taken care of. We all know that no one loves Isabella more than Stephanie.”
“So how you feeling?” I couldn’t help but laugh at Warrick’s change of subject trying to keep the subject from getting too serious.
“I’m alive which is more than I can say for Demetrius.” Greg’s voice was quieter than I was used to it being. He was normally such a vibrant and goofy person that his broken nature worried me.
“Stop blaming yourself Greggo, I’d have done the same thing under the circumstances.” Warrick was right, I could easily admit under the circumstances I’d have done the same.
“We do what we have to in order to come home at the end of the day.” I couldn’t help thinking about how I would have reacted. I’d have done anything to go home to Stephanie and Isabella.
“Just shy of killing someone.” It was easy to see that Greg wasn’t going to back away from this.
***
The sunlight coming in through the window told me that the sun had risen and the day was about to begin. Sometime during the night I’d ended up curled up on Nick’s side of the bed where I seemed to end up often when he was gone.
“Easy beautiful.” Nick’s voice came as a surprise. It was very unusual for him to be up before me unless he was just getting home from work.
“What are you doing home?”
“Things went better then we figured. All of the shifts kick in to help out and we caught the morons responsible for doing this to Greg. So I figured I’d take Izzy to the park like I promised but the poor little thing came down with something.”
“Get some sleep Nicky, I’ll take care of her.
“Nah, it’s alright I took a couple days off. Figured you could use some help around the house, I know I haven’t been much help lately. Izzy’s in the living room curled up on the couch asleep with Dora for now but she was getting ready to come wake you up when I got home.”
“You’re fine the house isn’t falling apart without you around, don’t worry about it. Get some sleep, I’ll be fine.” That was the one thing about Nick that bothered me the most, he tried my patience almost daily.
“Nah, I was just headed for the shower you want to come?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “In more ways then one.”
***
“Come on Izzy, you’ve got to drink something.” I was trying my hardest not to lose my temper with her. I knew she didn’t feel good but dehydration wasn’t going to help her out either.
“No!” Instead of taking the cup from me, she cuddled closer to Nicky.
“Will you do it for daddy?” Nick was trying his hardest to help out despite how horribly exhausted he was. He wouldn’t admit to it but that was beginning to show and I wasn’t sure how he was going to fare the rest of the day.
“No.” The little girl’s whine wasn’t hard to understand even though she’d buried her face in Nicky’s shoulder.
“How about a popsicle?” Well I had to give ti to Nicky, he’d come up with something I hadn’t thought of.
“Popsicle?” For the first time since she’d woke up Izzy’s face lit up as she pulled away from him. She knew I kept some in the frezzer for special occasions and whenever it got incredibly warm out.
“Yea, a popsicle.” Nicky adjusted her in order to get up. Even for as big as she was getting he was beginning to get pretty good at cuddling her in to carry her. “Would you like that?”
Thought it was obvious she didn’t feel well her excitement was easy to see as she nodded. “Please daddy?”
“Come on, let’s go get you one then.” Her carefully boosted her up on his hip before heading for the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned still balancing her on his hip only this time she proudly held her popsicle as if showing she’d won some kind of war.
“Hmmm, seems grape must be her favorite. Personally the coconut are mine.”
Nick just shook his head as he looked at me. “The things I miss while I’m at work.”
“Soon you wont be missing out on anything since she’ll be in school.”
“It’s hard to believe. Seems like just yesterday she was toddling around trying to pull stuff down.”
“Now she just walks around and does it.”
“Daddy?” Izzy gave up her intrest in the popsicle for a minute.
“Yea baby girl?”
“Why don’t I have any brothers or sisters?”
I couldn’t help but laugh as Nicky’s complexion went pale. With Isabella you learned to expect the unexpected questions and Nick obviously hadn’t learned yet.
“W-Well.” He was trying his dambdest to come up with an answer.
“Because sweety then you’d have to share our attention.” I’d let him squirm long enough that it was time to bale him out.
“Oh” with that answer she was more than satisfied, after all she hated to share, as she returned to her popsicle.