Childish

47

Apparently, Alex and Naomi had decided that Naomi was moving in before the baby came. It made sense but to me, it seemed rushed. I was still getting to know Naomi and, frankly, I was still getting used to her. She had different rules and ways of doing things than Alex and I wondered if he knew that.

I hadn't said anything to him about our argument at dinner the previous night and I wondered if she had. I was the one putting up a fight and having issues with things. I was complicating things. And it wouldn't have surprised me if she complained about it to Alex.

In a way, she was right. I'd have to get used to doing things differently. Maybe I should have done that sooner since it was nearly a year since I was forced to act like a baby and do baby things. That included drinking formula and sitting in high chairs wherever we ate. In my mind, I was a teenager who was too old for the baby stuff but in reality, I was a baby. To anyone not from Alpine, it was normal for me to do those things. And I needed to treat it as such.

I stared down at the blocks in front of me on the floor, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me. I was asked to stay in the living room and play which I knew really meant 'stay out of the way and be quiet'. It wasn't so much playing by myself that made me sad but more the thought of things being different. I was about to have a brother for the first time. That meant dealing with crying all the time and having to share my toys. At least I didn't have to share my bedroom but that wasn't much of a silver lining to me. Everything was about to change and it was overwhelming.

I tried to focus on what was happening in the moment and not think about the future. There was time for that later. Alex and Naomi were currently moving things into the house. They went from room to room as they set boxes and bags down. It was more Naomi directing Alex since she couldn't lift anything. They had Monica and Ty helping but Monica was at Naomi's since it was more wheelchair-friendly than Alex's house was. Though Ty was helping with the heavy lifting as well.

I still didn't know him at all. This was the second time I'd ever seen him so our conversations weren't more than a simple greeting. But he seemed nice and friendly. He knew Alex better than Naomi but joked with her as if they were old friends. In Alpine, it was possible that they knew each other even before working at the hospital. It wasn't that big of a town.

Naomi came down the steps and looked around the room for me. "Hey, Lyla. We're almost done for the day."

I nodded and focused my attention on separating two blocks that were being difficult.

She leaned against the arm of the couch, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get up if she sat on the floor like I was. "Are you okay, sweetie? You've been really quiet today."

I didn't want to tell her that it was her fault. I wasn't mad at her and it wasn't completely her fault but... her moving in was the main reason I hadn't said much.

"I'm fine."

She watched me as I continued to play. "Do you want me to make you a bottle?"

I set the blocks down and crawled over to her. I nodded and reached out to her. "Can I sit on the couch?"

She lifted me up and set me on the couch quickly, knowing she wasn't able to lift me for very long. "I'll be right back."

I watched her disappear into the kitchen before I curled up on the couch and turned the TV on. I flipped through the channels and found a random kid show to leave on.

When she came back in, she handed me the bottle of formula. "We'll be done soon."

I watched as she walked back up the steps before I focused my attention on the TV. 99% of kids' shows were stupid and it was hard to find one that I could tolerate. Most of the time, I left something on just for noise. Alex didn't mind me watching other things but he did put his foot down when it came to action, romance, or language.

Which basically ruled out everything good.

I put the nippled of the bottle in my mouth and sucked on the formula mindlessly as I stared at the TV. It wasn't long before my eyes drooped and closed and my lips relaxed around the nipple.

After thanking Ty for helping Naomi move in, Alex walked over to me and knelt down beside the couch. He sighed as he took in the sight in front of him.

He pulled the bottle from my mouth and set it on the coffee table. "Great, Lyla. Now the couch is going to smell like rotten formula."

When he pulled the bottle from my mouth, I whined. My whine shortly turned into cries at the lack of anything in my mouth.

He looked around for a pacifier before finding one on the end table. He stuck it between my mouth and held it in place until my lips wrapped around it. "Here. Go back to sleep, Ly."

Alex left my side and walked into the kitchen. He stopped at the fridge and pulled a bottle of water from the door. "I'm glad the hard part is over."

"Thank you, Alex."

"What are you thanking me for? You know I love having you here." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as her stomach would allow.

She smiled, her face flushing. "I know you do. But I know you and Lyla have a life. I'm thanking you for letting me... intrude."

"It's not intruding if I invited you."

"I don't think that's the way Lyla sees it."

"It's an adjustment for her but it'll pass the more she's around you."

Naomi looked past Alex and to the living room. "She's had such a hard life. I just want to make things easier for her."

Alex ran his hands up and down the backs of her arms. "She's tough. If anyone could go through that and still have the same attitude she does, it's her."

"She's just a baby."

He smiled. "Don't let her hear you say that."