The Age Of Seventeen

Part 47

F A R K L E

"She won't stop crying!" I speak into the phone as I speak to Lucas. Topanga was at work so I had no one else to turn to besides Lucas. I picked Everly up but whenever I did she began to cry, but if I set her down she would cry even harder.

"Okay, did you feed her?" Lucas asks and we run down the BFCD checklist together but she cries harder and harder each time. She's constantly looking around too, so I'm guessing she wants Maya.

"Can you just come over? Please I can't screw this up, it's my first time with her. I want Maya to trust me.." I beg Lucas and he tells me he will be there in some twenty minutes. I wished Riley was around. It would be so much easier to take care of Everly if Riley was around. Plus Maya would had never had to leave with Josh to begin with...

I tried to put on TV for Everly and even prepared her some milk but she just kept crying. I was growing frantic because I expected things to go smoothly. It's like this baby turned a switch and won't stop! I jump to my feet when I hear the door and sprint to get it.

"That doesn't sound too good," Lucas yells over Everly's cries. I let him in and we go to the wailing little baby. I pick her up, but she sees Lucas and immediately reaches out for him. Oddly enough as soon as he holds her she quiets down. "It's okay, sweetie. You don't have to cry," he wipes her tears and it makes me jealous how easily he can calm her.

He rubs her back slowly and she leans her head against his chest. I sigh and pick up the toys that are sprawled all around as Lucas rocks her. How does he even do that? She's as quiet as a mouse!

"Here try holding her," Lucas proposes handing me my daughter but she reaches back out for him and it's not soon before she begins to cry again. It breaks my heart to see her cry only to calm down when she's in Lucas's arms. "I think she needs a nap."

"Yeah, it's probably just that and not that she hates me!" I say sarcastically.

"She doesn't hate you, she just doesn't really know you...you know?"

"Well she's fine when Maya's around." I retort.

"Because Maya is her mom and if her mom is around she feels safe." Lucas explains. "You're a stranger to her, it's only normal for her to feel confused and sad."

I don't say anything and just go to my room to get some time to myself.
Lucas doesn't stop me and I feel thankful for that because if I didn't have him here I would have gone crazy. Just as my eyes close and I'm pulled into a deep sleep Lucas knocks and hands me Everly, who's sleepy as well.

"Farkle, I'm sorry but I really have to go. Smackle needs me.." I don't ask what for, but I have to admit even that makes me a little jealous. I can't believe Smackle slept with Lucas, we never even went that far and we had been together for years.

"Alright, thanks." I watch Lucas retreat and sigh as I turn to Everly who's already got watery eyes.

Her screams fill up the quiet in our loft and I want to sink into a deep hole. It's only day one and things are going so bad already.

"Shh," I hush as I pick her up and try to hold her like Lucas had. I rub her back too, but she doesn't lay against my chest she just pulls back and cries harder. Minutes later I just set her down in her crib and plop some toys next to her. I was so close to going crazy from all the crying, and from not knowing what to do.

"Can you just stop crying!?" I plead, sitting in front of her crib, but facing the wall. "I'm sorry I'm a stranger to you, I can't help that I couldn't be here for you and your mom. I'm sorry you hate me and you'd rather be with Lucas. I'm sorry I kicked you guys out, I just ..I didn't know what do, okay? I'm failing terribly at the whole dad thing so can you just simmer down and cut me some slack? I'm trying I really am.." I didn't realize I had been crying until cold tears fell to my hands. I turned to Everly who had quieted down and was looking at me with her big blue eyes. "I'm really trying, I promise. Please don't hate me I just want to be a good dad."

She replied with a big, loud wail.

•

After some time I supposed Everly needed her diaper changed so I lifted her out of her crib and surprisingly she didn't cry. After changing her into a new diaper I put her back in her crib, and pushed her toys closer. Before I turned away she lifted her hands up so I could pick her up. I hesitated, but did so before I made her upset.

She didn't cry when I held her, which made me feel relieved. We watched some TV up until she fell asleep in my arms and I held her close because I didn't know if I'd get this lucky again.

•

M A Y A

"Riley!" I jumped up from the front steps and ran over to the car. Riley hopped out and ran to me. We hugged each other and when I heard her sob into my shoulder I began to cry as well.

"Maya, what a nice surprise to see you here!" Riley's grandma greeted me with a hug, and her grandpa followed after. "You look as good as last time I saw you!"

"Yeah, minus the baby symptoms." I joked, and even Riley laughed. I was glad to see my best friend again, and thankful that Josh had came all this way to bring me here. I followed Riley inside, and she immediately went up to her room and I followed her.

"There's a lot to talk about," she said as she sat by a window. I nodded and waited for her to start.

"I'm guessing you already know what happened, and I'm sorry I left without saying anything. I knew you'd try to stop me and I really needed to get away and recollect myself," Riley began to explain. "I missed you so much, and Im sorry for not picking up your calls, I just needed some time to myself. I hope you understand."

"I do." I say sincerely. "I just hoped you would have told me before I found out the real truth. Anyways, I'm here now, and I'm here to support you."

"Thank you," Riley breathed and pulled me into another hug. "Wait!"

"Is Lucas still alive?" Her eyes went wide as she asked me that and I chuckled.

"Unfortunately, yeah." I shrug. "I couldn't kill him, at least not right away. I needed to get to you first and he was the only one who would budge. Uncle boing over here was a tomb," I point to Josh who had peered in.

"I kinda forced him into it," Riley says.

"Yeah but I should be an exception," I say, but look at him. He looks at me with a small smile, and I figure I can't really be all too mad at him. Like I had said he's the reason I'm here right now.

"So are you guys a thing?" Riley asks curiously.

"We would be if Farkle wasn't in the way." Josh answers. "She kinda likes him."

"Yeah, you see I really have a thing for guys who don't pull the 'Im three years older' card, so it only makes sense that I like Farkle instead of Uncle Boing." I tell Riley and she laughs.

"Come on," Josh groans. "When will you stop bringing that up!?"

"You never did," I shrug. "So I guess you'll never hear the end of it."

"Fine," Josh sighs. "As long as you pull the 'im three years younger' act on me and no one else."

••

Hi guys!

Here's another update for you all, and I'm so happy for the support I've been getting with this book. I don't know if I'll keep it going for a lot more chapters, but i can't bring myself to see and end when things are getting so good!! :(

On that note, I have decided to maybe start on another Maya pregnancy book but with Lucas. But we'll see :)