The Way of Fate (Book 1)

3. Back to Work

Chapter Three: Back to Work

Allen

After being a father for two days now, I think I was finally getting the hang of things. Sure, I was absolutely exhausted, and I don't remember the last time I shaved, but the baby was still alive. That's got to count for something, right?

I was just heating up his bottle when Mika knocked on the side door in the kitchen, which I told him to use in the morning. I also told him he didn't need to knock, because most times I'd probably wouldn't hear it, but he insisted.

"Come in," I called over my shoulder. The door opened and then shut as I grabbed the warm bottle. "Morning," I said, turning around with the bottle in my hand.

Mika nodded his head slowly, looking around. "Where is he?"

"What?" I questioned. "He's in his-shit." I left him in the nursery! How could I have left him there!

Dropping the bottle on the table, I ran out of the room and down the hall. Seconds later, I was picking up my son out of his crib, who probably didn't even realize anything was wrong, thank god.

Turning around, with my son tucked comfortably in my arms, I saw Mika leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. There's something about him that makes me trust him completely. I didn't even know him, and yet, it felt like I did. And that smirk seemed to fit perfectly on his face, like it belonged there. He just wouldn't be the same without it plastered there.

It was like no matter how bad of a life he's lived, at least, from what I've gathered, he's not letting that get to him. He just goes on with life. And that's something I really have to admire. I'm not even capable of doing that.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you going to hand me the baby so that you can go get dressed? You are going to work today, right?"

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts. If I thought I wasn't getting enough sleep before, I really wasn't now. I don't even know what I was thinking, thinking about him like that.

"Sorry," I sighed, handing the baby over. "Not enough sleep."

"Yeah. I can tell." Once he was holding the baby, Mika turned his face towards him, although kept talking to me. "I think you need coffee, man."

"No, definitely not. That'll put me right to sleep. And that's not what I want to do right now."

"Weird. But alright. Whatever works." Then he looked up at me suddenly. "Have you named him yet?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I think. I really like Sam. Samuel Jacob Carr." It was actually the first time I had said it allowed, and I loved the way it sounded. Those two names, in that order, were the only things I could think when I first woke up, and I think they fit perfectly.

"So glad you didn't keep Boris." Mika looked back down at the baby and smiled, heading out of the room and back towards the kitchen, but I still heard him talking. "Hey, Sam. Do you like Sam, huh? I think it suits you, little man. You'll be little Sammy Carr. Yeah. Yes you will be."

I had moved to take Mika's original place in the doorway of the nursery, just watching him and my son move down the hallway as he talked. One would think that I wouldn't want to have some stranger holding onto my son like that, but what can I say? This, for some strange reason, felt completely right.

A little while later, I was ready to head out to work. I made sure Mika knew where everything was that he would need, and that he had the spare key, in case he needed to go out or even if he wanted to take Sam on a walk or something. Then, with a kiss to my son's forehead and a promise to be home at six, I left.