And Then there were Three

4.

"Okay. So you take the tape off, then place the flap here...hmmm. What the fu - Tristan!"

I glower at the baby as he smiles at me, the pool of pee spreading under him. "I have homework due in four hours, boy, and you do this to me? Who's going to clean this up?"

It is definitely coincidence, but he points his finger straight at me.

"Of course." I sigh heavily. "When you grow up, you know we're splitting chores, right?" I blink. "Why am I talking about you growing up? I've had you for two days."

I adopted him. I was given the privilege of naming him, and I chose Tristan. He is my son - Tristan Blake Stanton. I have no idea what I have signed up for, but I promise myself that I'll do my best. What possessed me to agree to adopt him I don't know - but the agreement spilled out of my lips without my knowledge.

I know that my life is going to change dramatically now that I was a father. It's already started. The old lady next door, for one, is in a permanent bad mood and keeps thumping her walking stick against my wall, because Tristan makes a terrible racket when he feels like it. My fridge is stacked up with bottles of milk and baby formula alongside the beer and food. Toys are tastefully scattered across the floor. A little baby bath sits on my bedroom floor, having the same color as the baby blankets that are all over my bed.

I finally manage to change his diaper, get rid of the dirty one and then clean up Tristan's mess. I was smart enough to lay him on a mat, so the pee doesn't stain the carpet. Once I am done, I place him on my bed, surround him with pillows and then start on my homework. He busies himself playing with his toes while I work, and soon enough, falls asleep.

The next day, I am faced with a problem. I have to go to class, but I cannot leave Tristan at home alone. I know nobody to call, and there is no chance that I can find a babysitter in two hours. I rack my brain as I dress Tristan and review my notes at the same time, and come up blank. I accidentally prod the baby with a pin, and he starts crying at the top of his lungs, grating my already sore nerves.

An irritated thump sounds from next door - and an idea shoots into my head.

**********************

"Excuse me, pardon me...oh! Sorry. Coming through..."

A familiar voice drills into my concentration. In spite of myself, I look up, and very nearly groan out loud. It's the girl from the bus, worming her way into the seat next to mine. It takes me all my self-control not to snap at her or crumple up my scantron into a ball and chuck it at her.

To my intense surprise, though, she doesn't say a word. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her look sideways and recognize me, but when she notices how studiously I am ignoring her, she promptly follows suit. She doesn't even look at me as she passes me a test paper. The rest of the hour is spent trying to recollect the little I had managed to memorize, and the fact that the girl with glistening bronze hair is right next to me doesn't help. I trip over her hair as I make my way to the desk, causing both her and me to cuss out loud, and I have the satisfaction of seeing the professor choke on his own spit before I leave.

As I stand in line at the nearest Walmart to buy a few supplies for Tristan, I eavesdrop on the conversation of the two women in front of me.

"Did you hear?" Lady One says. "There's a new girl in town."

"Oh, yes, I did," Lady Two replies. "Tracy saw her moving her stuff into the big house on Main Street the other day."

"Just her?"

"Just her. All alone. Meghan lives just across from her, you know. She went over with some pie to welcome her, but the girl seemed very uncomfortable."