Childish

46

The man who helped us get the items throughout the store helped us load them up in the car. It was a big help since none of us could do it. I wasn't sure why we didn't bring Alex with us.

But the girl time was nice. I enjoyed the chance to get away from Alex even if it was only for a few hours.

I watched the young man load the items into the back of the car before he shut the hatch. He said something to Naomi before she walked to the driver's side and got in the front.

"Well, that worked out really well. So... where do we want to go for dinner?"

"We're eating without Alex?" I asked.

"Ty went over to hang out with him. I'm sure they ordered food." Naomi said.

"Ty?" I had no idea who this 'Ty' guy was. Alex never mentioned him and he never had people over at the house. I still hardly knew anyone in Alpine.

"He's my... boyfriend. He works at the hospital with me."

I swallowed down some of my fear. To me, anyone that worked at the hospital was bad. Anyone who wasn't Alex, Naomi, or Monica, that is. Yet I had to trust that Monica would only be with someone good and not someone with bad intentions.

"He's the doctor who did my ultrasound a few months ago." Naomi chimed in.

I nodded, knowing they couldn't see it since I was facing the back of the car. "Oh."

"We should all do dinner together sometime. You could come over and we could cook for you." Monica clearly missed being needed by someone else. She still wanted to be productive and accomplish things, even though she had new limitations that were holding her back and making daily tasks harder.

"I'd like that." Naomi put the car in park and pulled out of the parking lot. She headed down the road and past some of the restaurants and stores with neon lights along the street. "So... where to?"

"Pauly's is good. I think Lyla would like it."

"What's Pauly's?" I asked. Alex hardly took me anywhere. How was I supposed to get used to being in Alpine if I didn't know anything about it?

Monica laughed. "It's a family restaurant here in town."

"Do they have chicken nuggets?"

"Of course."

"Then let's go."

Pauly's wasn't far from Sammy's. I was starting to notice all the stores that were named after people and felt a little uncomfortable with how many there were. Clearly, the town had lots of mom-and-pop stores.

Naomi parked near the front and helped Monica out first. She then opened my door and unbuckled me. She helped me into Monica's lap before we headed inside.

The restaurant was big and had a variety of seating. In the middle was a bar with bar seating. I supposed it was used for drinking and adult behavior since kids were usually in bed early. Tables and booths filled the rest of the room.

An older woman led us to a table and pulled away one of the chairs for Monica. "Do you want me to get a high chair?"

My face heated up and I hid it in Monica's jacket.

Naomi smiled at her. "Yes, please."

She nodded and walked away.

Monica patted my back. "You still have eighteen more years of this, Lyla. Better get used to it now."

I groaned.

The woman set the high chair at the head of the table and waited for Monica to lift me into it before she pulled a tablet from her apron. "What can I get you ladies to drink?"

"I'll have a coke." Monica said, opening up her menu to look at the options.

Naomi pulled a coloring sheet out from under her menu and placed it on the table in front of me. Crayons were already on the opposite end of the table and she placed a few over the white paper. "I'll take a sweet tea and she'll have water."

I glared at her. When the waitress walked away, I spoke. "A water? Is that all I'm allowed to have?"

"I'm going to make you a bottle of formula."

"I can't even use the cup they bring for me?"

She gave me a pointed look. "You can't drink from the cups they use. What if you spill one or make a mess on the table?"

"So? It happens."

She shook her head. "Lyla, it's not that big a deal."

Maybe it wasn't a big deal to her but it was to me. Any chance of normalcy that I could find in my life, I took. I wanted to feel just an ounce of my old self so I didn't lose it completely.

I sat back in the high chair and glowered at the table. As the waitress came and brought our drinks, I continued to hold my stare.

I didn't want to start a fight with either of them. Not somewhere in public, anyway. If I decided I wanted to push the issue, I'd do it once we were home.

Naomi set a fresh bottle of formula on the table in front of me without saying anything. She looked down at her menu and pointed to something. "April makes the best fettuccine."

I kicked my legs under the high chair, watching the bubbles in my bottle pop and disappear.

The waitress came and took our order. Thankfully, Naomi got me chicken nuggets like I wanted. It almost surprised me that she didn't make me eat baby food or something.

It made me wonder just how bossy Naomi would be once the baby was born. Would it be amped up even more than it already was? I wasn't her child so maybe she wasn't being as strict with me as she could be.

I hated to think it could get worse.

It didn't occur to me how late it was once we left dinner. I was used to going to bed at 8 most nights unless Alex lost track of time. Then I usually went to bed whenever he did. I figured that was going to change once Naomi was officially moved in with us.

I fell asleep in the car as Naomi drove Monica back to her house. She helped her inside before we headed home.

Naomi shut the car off but didn't get out right away. She got her phone out of her purse and called Alex. "Hey, we're home. Can you help me carry Lyla in?"

Alex said something into the phone before they disconnected. He must have been in the living room as it didn't take him long to come outside. He walked around to my side of the car and opened the door. He started to say something before he stopped himself, presumably seeing me sleeping and not wanting to wake me.

He unbuckled me before lifting me out of my seat. He carefully laid me against his chest, my head resting on his shoulder.

A soft sigh left my lips as I settled against him. He lifted my pacifier from where it dangled against my stomach and pushed the silicone nipple into my mouth.

Naomi followed us inside as Alex carried me to my room. She went into his room while he took me into mine. He left the light off as he walked to my crib and gently pried me away from him. He laid me on my back and covered me with my blanket.

A cry escaped my lips as I eased into the mattress. I wasn't sure where I'd left my bear and I was too tired to look for it. But I wanted it.

Alex seemed to know that, surprisingly picking up on my needs faster than I expected. He put my bear in the space beside me, my arm wrapped around it. I rolled onto my side as I clutched the bear to my chest and fell deeper into sleep.