Born Blue

Trouble

This is a continuation of the last chapter.

Jamie left feeling good about getting all of that off his chest to Erin. The fact that it was Eddie put in danger because of Erins decision amplified it.

He got home to find Alaina coloring at the table while Eddie sat beside her nursing Ryan.

"Daddy!" Alaina showed excitement and started to get down off the kitchen chair. Eddie smiled at her showing so much love toward him.

"Hi honey!" He said with a smile on his face giving her a hug. Eddie was trying to read through him, curious about the conversation he had with his sister.

"Daddy here." She handed him a crayon and then wanted him to follow her to the table.

"Okay, hold on, I gotta take my shoes off and eat." He said.

"There's Mac and cheese with chicken cutlets and peas." Eddie told him.

"Awesome." He said and headed to the kitchen. He still hadn't said anything, Eddie was just waiting.

"Mommy I getting bath?" Alaina asked.

"Yeah later tonight." Eddie told her.

"Eye-an?" She said pointing to her brother in Eddies arms.

"No honey Ryan is too little to get a bath with you." Eddie told her. She made a sad face and got down from the table. Eddie brought Ryan up to burp and Jamie sat down across from her with a plate of food. Eddie just stared at him waiting. He just kept stuffing his face.

"Jamie." Eddie said finally. He looked up at her chewing.

"What?" He asked innocently. Eddie bugged her eyes out at him.

"How'd it go!?" She asked.

"Great." He said and took another bite, Eddie narrowed her eyes.

"Great?" She questioned. He finished chewing and looked up at her.

"Yeah...I gave my two cents, she gave hers and I left." He said and took another bite.

"That's it?" She wondered surprised and not believing it. Jamie froze.

"What's that?" He asked and listened.

"What?" Eddie asked and then listened. There was a sound of water running from the bathroom. They both got up quickly and went to see.

"Alaina!?" Jamie called out panicked. They got to the bathroom to find her naked standing in the tub, with the water running, and filling.

"Ow!" She yelled and started jumping in the water.

"Huh! Turn it off!" Eddie couldn't do much beings she was still still holding Ryan. Jamie pulled her out of the hot water and turned off the faucet.

"What hurts!?" Jamie asked still in a panic even though he knew it was just her feet standing in the hot water.

"Feet!" She said. Jamie sat her on the counter to see them and Eddie had went and laid Ryan down on the floor in the living room with a toy.

"Eddie...?...!" Jamie was trying to stay calm, he's usually good at it, but when it's his own it's different.

"I'm coming!" She said and hurried back into the bathroom, Alaina started crying. Both of them looked at her little feet, red from getting burnt.

"It's okay Lainey. You're okay." Eddie told her. Jamie turned on the hot and cold water to the sink faucet and felt it.

"It's just 1st degree..." Eddie said as she observed by picking up her feet and looking, the skin turned white when she touched it and then back to red.

"Here it's lukewarm." Jamie said and spun her around to put them in the water. She freaked out and pulled her feet closer to her body.

"No Lain it's gonna make it better okay?" Jamie told her with confidence.

"It's not hot baby look..." Eddie showed her by putting her hands in it. Alaina watched and then released her grip from Jamie's shirt.

"It's gonna feel better." Jamie said and helped her lower her feet in. Surprisingly she was fine with it.

"See?" He told her. They held them in the water a couple moments.

"Hey look at mommy..." Eddie told her. She turned and listened.

"Are you supposed to give yourself a bath?" Eddie asked with raised eyebrows. Alaina shook her head no and hung her head down in disappointment.

"No...that is something you need to do with mommy or daddy." Eddie told her. Lainey started to cry. Jamie half frowned at her getting upset with herself and rubbed her back.

"You just can't do that sweetie, you could've gotten more boo boos okay?" Eddie said trying to be firm yet gentle. She was very upset with herself.

"Shhh..." Jamie told her and gave her a hug. Ryan started crying in the living room so Eddie went to tend to him.

A couple minutes later Jamie came out of the bathroom to talk to Eddie.

"What should we do about bath time?" He wondered.

"The warm water isn't going to feel good. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll give her one instead." Eddie said.

"Okay, should I put something on it?" He asked.

"Like aloe? I think there's a bottle in the medicine basket." Eddie informed. Jamie went back to the bathroom to find it and rubbed it on Alaina's feet.

"Here put these over it then." Eddie handed him a pair of her socks.

"Bath?" Alaina asked when Jamie started putting her socks on.

"Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow okay?" Jamie told her.

"Ya." She said. He let her down off the vanity and they went out to the living room.

—

A little while later they got both kids to bed and then headed to their room. They were both wiped after today.

"Now can you tell me what was said with Erin?" Eddie asked.

"Eddie I'm so tired can we talk about it tomorrow?" He asked laying down.

"Oh okay when? Like during church or during family dinner?" Eddie asked. Jamie couldn't help but laugh a little at the fact she was right.

"Look. All I stated were the facts. She stated her facts and I left." Jamie explained.

"Okay so who had the last word and what was it?" Eddie asked crossing her arms. Jamie sat up ready to talk.

"Me. I told her she was losing herself with her big wig job and she should invest on getting her Reagan heart back." Jamie told her and then turned off his bedside lamp to go to bed.

"Jamie!" Eddie was appalled and turned on her lamp to continue talking.

"I'm going to sleep." Jamie said. Eddie bit her tongue instead of yelling at him more.

"Can't wait for dinner." Eddie said sarcastically and laid down facing the other way. Her thoughts racing, she was nervous for the confrontation. She's been at the table for years and sat through some awkwardness but this is different. This somewhat involves her but not as much as Jamie and she's going to have to be the one to pick up the pieces.