Living With Dee

Twenty-seven

Liz and I stayed in the room like we have since we had gotten here. We were fed daily, given new supplies when needed, and were allowed to talk to the girls now. Though, the damn basement was forbidden once again.

My body aches because of the blood flowing out of me, and I prayed that the aftermath of Diana's birth would go away. I hated the fact that you could go nine months without your period and once you get birth, you basically have it again.

Stupid Eve. Eating the fruit from the tree when you had everything else. Selfish.

Diana looked up at me like I was crazy, making adorable faces as she laid on the Veggie Tales rug. I was surprised someone who has a brother in a gang would buy me a bunch of Christian stuff, but Marissa claimed she didn't know thats what they were.

Veggie Tales was one of my favorite shows growing up, and we had originally gotten that theme for her, but that stuff was in my apartment. I don't know how Marissa knew, but she did and I didn't question.

"She just is staring," Liz remarks after a moment, she too looking down at my child in confusion. "Why won't she do anything."

"She's only..." I trailed off in horror. I didn't know what day it was, or what day she was born. "Shoot! I'm a horrible mother!"

"No you arent," Liz corrects as she points at Diana, who still is looking constipated. She probably was. "And why do you think that?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know her birthday!"

Liz shook her head. "Chill. It's July 14th. She's only a day old."

I scowled at her. "I know that, I just didn't know the date. So I found Raven in January, and we've been here since February?"

LizAnnie calculated it in her mind, than nodded. "And you've been pregnant since November."

I sucked in a sharp breath, than scrunched my nose when I breathed deeply as well. "I think I know why she's looking at us like that. Just don't breath through your nose," I laughed lightly.

LizAnnie chocked on her spit as she sniffed, making me roar in laughter, grabbing my baby and taking her to the changing table the boys also brought in. Liz kept making noises of disgust as I laughed and laughed, feeling genuinely happy. My baby looked at me funny as she started to cry.

"Aw, honey, don't cry," I cooed, giggling at the end. I rubbed her arm as I unclipped the bottom of her onesie and rolled it up. Her veins were still a little prominent on her small body, which made me frown. But I guess it was normal.

I put on a fresh diaper and rolled up the old one, ready to toss it in a trash when I froze. I put a hand on Diana's stomach and turned to LizAnnie. "We aren't keeping her dirty diapers in this room. It's bad enough the boys rarely come to take the trash when we have fish-smelling pads, I can't deal with this."

LizAnnie smirked. "What are we going to do? Yell for them? We can't leave the room."

Diana cried underneath my palm, making me sigh in frustration. "Go out the door and yell. Or else you'll scare Diana."

She nodded and went our the door, only for her to come back in with Cory. He glared at us before holding up a trashcan. "Here. Use this and put it outside the door."

I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering how in the world he had known. Diana caught my attention though, when she screamed a bit louder, and Cory left. I clipped the onesie in place before tossing the dirty diaper in the trashcan Liz held. Picking her up, I instantly began to rock her.

"Hush, Dee, no more crying," I whisper, bouncing in my sway. She rested her head in the croak of my neck, still crying. I rubbed her back and walked around to end those tears. It hurt my heart anytime a baby cried, even if they needed to stretch their lungs. Knowing this was my child screaming, it hurt worse.

"Can I try?" LizAnnie squeaked out. I smiled and nodded, handing over my daughter to my best friend. I felt a sense of pride knowing I was a mother and that beautiful creation was mine.

I held myself at the loss of my baby as Liz rocked her in place of me. I was attached already, so I had to turn my head from the amazing sight and not want my baby back. When it's your first child, you usually don't want to share, from what I was told.

Rubbing my arms, I looked around the room, before a sudden movement caught my eye. My eyes shot up to the corner of the room and glared harshly at the metal trinket. "Liz," I call.

"What?"

I point to the device that was now looking in our direction. Diana free quite after a moment as Liz walked over to me and also glared at it.

"A freaking camera," I whispered. "That's how they knew about the trash."

LizAnnie scowled at it, flipping her middle finger towards the camera before handing me Diana. "Dang it, Jason," she said harshly under her breath. Since Diana was once again asleep, I didn't mind she was cursing. I swayed on one foot to another as I watched Liz stand on her tippy toes to reach the camera.

"I wouldn't do that," a voice called. I whipped my head around to see a speaker in the corner across from the camera. Liz looked over her shoulder and I gave her a nod.

Setting Diana in her crib and wrapping the blanket around her, I walked over to the speaker. "Don't do it, girls. Boss isn't going to like it," Cory warned again.

"Kiss my butt, Cory," I respond, remembering the fight we had at the hotel. I reached up the same time LizAnnie did and ripped the speaker off the wall. Throwing it to the ground, I stomped on the device as Liz threw the camera at another wall.

It crashed and broke, but not much sound was made. I walked over to the bed and sat down, knowing I probably pissed off a bunch of gang members and they can't do squat. Plus, Raven wasn't even in the building,from what I've heard from his sister, so my punishment would me a scolding I could ignore.

"Go team," Liz and I cheered in unison, our voice dull and bored. We high fives before setting our eyes on the bedroom door and waiting.

"I have a question," I say after a few minutes.

LizAnnie chuckled. "What?"

I touched Diana's cheek from in her crib and smiled down at her. "What's my daughter's middle name?"