Happy Miserable Mess (FOB/Patrick Stump FanFic)

Chapter 22

I was sprawled out on the couch in the middle of the day, asleep after a long day and night. Parker, a month-old baby then, was lying on top of my chest, his lips slightly parted and a stream of drool trailing down his chubby cheek and onto my shirt.

I was awoken by a bright flash of light and the sound of a camera clicking.

My eyes popped open and I turned my head to the side, seeing her kneeling down across the room with an old fashioned camera in her hands. She had a mischievous grin on her face.

I brought my hands up and rubbed my face, causing Parker to stir a little but luckily not wake up, "What are you doing, hon?"

She picked the Polaroid out from the slot and set the camera down, "Just taking a picture." She stood up and walked over to the mantle, attaching the photograph to one of the many strings she had nailed to the two sides of the fireplace we didn't use except on Christmas. There were at least fifteen other pictures on the lines already.

"But when I'm sleeping?" I groaned.

"You guys looked cute," She simply justified herself, smiling back at me, "I had to take it. I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

I tried sitting up but realized that wasn't going to be an option, not without Parker bursting into tears. I rested my head back and heaved a sigh, "You know, you've been taking pictures a lot lately. Care to tell me why?"

She remained silent, admiring her pictures as a diversion to avoid answering my question.

"Hon?"

"I just want you to remember these days forever," She murmured, plucking one of the older pictures from one of the strings and examining it, looking down at it in her lap, "If something were to happen, I just want you to be able to look back at these pictures and remember how happy you were. How happy we were."

"What are you talking about?"

She glanced back at me, the smile she had on her face when she was taking the picture gone. "Pictures capture memories, memories you're going to forget a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now. And if something were to happen in - oh, I don't know - let's say the next five years, I want you to be able to look back at these. I want you to remember what made you happy."

I bit my quivering lip as I stared down at the album page, a tear rolling down the side of my nose and splashing down on one of the photographs.

"Your mom loved to take pictures...it was her favorite thing to do, especially after you were born," I muttered under my breath. My heart began to pound against my chest as I started to get worked up over the picture, the memory coming back to me. I quickly closed the photo album and set it aside, "You know, I think that's enough pictures for tonight."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up when Parker cried out, "Don't go!" I looked back and he pouted his bottom lip out, "I don't want to sleep alone, Daddy. Can you sleep with me? Please?" His bluish green eyes were glistening.

I sighed, unable to say no. Not that night.

I bent down and scooped him up in my arms. He nuzzled his head into my shoulder and hugged me tightly, his legs wrapping around my torso and his arms around my neck. I walked out of his room and down the hallway, turning around in front of my bedroom door and stepping back, pushing it in. I turned around and approached the king-sized bed, lying him down on her side and pushing his hair out of his face, "I'm just going to go make sure the doors are locked, okay? I'll be back."

He nodded his head in understanding and I left the room, going downstairs and checking the locks on the doors. Of course, they were all locked. I checked four times before going up.

Before keeping my promise to Park, I went into the kitchen and walked up to the refrigerator, looking at the card Parker had made for me that was attached to the door with a magnet. 2 outta 3 aynt bad. I heaved a sigh and snatched it off, staring down at it.

"Two of three ain't bad," I read, tears wavering in my eyes and blurring my vision, a lump forming in my throat before I croaked,  "But three is better."