just_1_word | 20.6. Family
20.6. Family
[Follows THIS]
Riley had his godson at his home no more than an hour and the place already looked like Babies’R’Us had exploded in there. Actually, the diaper bag did sort of explode when he opened it. Tara had packed so much into the confined space that he wondered how she managed it. Then he realised it wasn’t as coordinated as it seemed when he found one of Lachlan’s shoes in there, a can of carrots and a roll of sticky tape. The poor girl had been in such a state by the time Riley arrived to collect the baby that anything and everything was going in the bag and then she moved on to load up the basket thing under the baby buggy.
Lachlan hadn’t been exaggerating. They both really were as sick as dogs and Riley didn’t blame them at all for calling in help to take care of the baby. When he arrived at the Campbell home, Lachlan was kneeling on the floor trying to change his son’s dirty diaper while he threw up into a bucket beside him. Riley had stepped in and taken over so Lachlan could hastily excuse himself to the bathroom to clean up. Tara looked like death warmed up as she tried to coordinate packing the baby’s bag for his trip to his godfather’s. The house looked like a bomb hit it… much akin to how any home of new parents would look, only worse with the added strain of His and Hers food poisoning.
Then there was the issue that Baby Riley Junior didn’t want to have a bar of anyone’s arms but his Mummy’s or Daddy’s. He was already picking up on that tearful whimpering when Riley took over with the diaper, but by the time he was finished and Riley scooped him up off the changing mat, it was on for young and old. It was a miracle Riley had ear drums left and it was even more of a miracle he managed to get the baby out of the house with Lachlan and Tara both immediately changing their minds as to the plans when their son started wailing.
But Riley was insistent and managed to leave with a smirk and the added disclaimer of reminding them to drink plenty of fluids. Eight week old Baby Campbell sobbed the whole walk home, which is what led to baby paraphernalia being spread from floor to ceiling all over Riley’s house while he tried to find some sort of babysitting groove. Which he now seemed to have. Somewhere along the way, Baby Campbell realised it was his godfather who had him and not some evil Mummy and Daddy kidnapper and he started to calm down. The desperate wailing dissolved into soft, wet whimpers against Riley’s shoulder as he persisted and kept a slow even pace of walking up and down the hall with him.
Now that the crying was easing, Riley veered left into the living room and carefully sat down in one of the recliners. He shifted the baby boy in his arms and found a pair of large blue, teary eyes looking up at him through the dying whimpers. Riley couldn’t deny he was smitten with his godson in every possible way. He adored spending time with him, even if caring for an upset newborn was never easy. The tiny baby was definitely his father’s son. The eyes, the same strawberry blond hair, and the curious nature. The little face was flushed from the exertion of crying and Riley took the small handtowel from his shoulder and gently wiped his cheeks. There were no further protests, only a tiny fist making a grab for the edge of the towel and Riley smiled. “This is more like it, matey…” he murmured. “Trust me, you really didn’t want to be hanging out with Mummy and Daddy today. It’s not pretty and Daddy gets shitty when he’s sick. It’s just you and me today, kiddo. Think we can handle it without making an impromptu call to someone else with boobs for assistance?”
The little boy continued to just watch him and Riley figured he would try his luck with the binkie. It was usually a wrestle, again the baby being very much a Campbell and not putting anything near his mouth unless he damn well wanted to. But it seemed the binkie gods were smiling down on Riley at that point when the little mouth opened and accepted it. It was usually no more than ten seconds before he realised it wasn’t dinner and spat it out again, but with a quick count to ten and the pacifier still in place, Riley felt like doing a victory dance in response.
He brushed his fingers across the baby’s cheek and watched him closely, enjoying how he felt in his arms. A sigh couldn’t be stifled as his gut clenched regretfully. “I would have really liked one just like you one day,” he told the baby. “Well, not quite like you. You’re one of a kind. You gave your Mummy and Daddy a miracle and I know every time they look at you they can’t believe you’re here. You won’t get better ones than them, matey. They love you more than life itself. You’re everything your Daddy always wanted and he’s the best there is. He helped your Uncle Riley through some really tough times and he saved your Mummy’s life. That’s a story no other kid will be able to tell on the playground…”
The little eyes were drooping sleepily at Riley’s soft, calm voice. Riley paused for just a moment to chew on the corner of his lip. “I would give anything to have one of you all of my own,” he finally whispered and then just shook his head, leaning over to press a small kiss to the baby’s forehead.
drcampbell & doctortara referenced with permission
Word Count | 977
[Follows THIS]
Riley had his godson at his home no more than an hour and the place already looked like Babies’R’Us had exploded in there. Actually, the diaper bag did sort of explode when he opened it. Tara had packed so much into the confined space that he wondered how she managed it. Then he realised it wasn’t as coordinated as it seemed when he found one of Lachlan’s shoes in there, a can of carrots and a roll of sticky tape. The poor girl had been in such a state by the time Riley arrived to collect the baby that anything and everything was going in the bag and then she moved on to load up the basket thing under the baby buggy.
Lachlan hadn’t been exaggerating. They both really were as sick as dogs and Riley didn’t blame them at all for calling in help to take care of the baby. When he arrived at the Campbell home, Lachlan was kneeling on the floor trying to change his son’s dirty diaper while he threw up into a bucket beside him. Riley had stepped in and taken over so Lachlan could hastily excuse himself to the bathroom to clean up. Tara looked like death warmed up as she tried to coordinate packing the baby’s bag for his trip to his godfather’s. The house looked like a bomb hit it… much akin to how any home of new parents would look, only worse with the added strain of His and Hers food poisoning.
Then there was the issue that Baby Riley Junior didn’t want to have a bar of anyone’s arms but his Mummy’s or Daddy’s. He was already picking up on that tearful whimpering when Riley took over with the diaper, but by the time he was finished and Riley scooped him up off the changing mat, it was on for young and old. It was a miracle Riley had ear drums left and it was even more of a miracle he managed to get the baby out of the house with Lachlan and Tara both immediately changing their minds as to the plans when their son started wailing.
But Riley was insistent and managed to leave with a smirk and the added disclaimer of reminding them to drink plenty of fluids. Eight week old Baby Campbell sobbed the whole walk home, which is what led to baby paraphernalia being spread from floor to ceiling all over Riley’s house while he tried to find some sort of babysitting groove. Which he now seemed to have. Somewhere along the way, Baby Campbell realised it was his godfather who had him and not some evil Mummy and Daddy kidnapper and he started to calm down. The desperate wailing dissolved into soft, wet whimpers against Riley’s shoulder as he persisted and kept a slow even pace of walking up and down the hall with him.
Now that the crying was easing, Riley veered left into the living room and carefully sat down in one of the recliners. He shifted the baby boy in his arms and found a pair of large blue, teary eyes looking up at him through the dying whimpers. Riley couldn’t deny he was smitten with his godson in every possible way. He adored spending time with him, even if caring for an upset newborn was never easy. The tiny baby was definitely his father’s son. The eyes, the same strawberry blond hair, and the curious nature. The little face was flushed from the exertion of crying and Riley took the small handtowel from his shoulder and gently wiped his cheeks. There were no further protests, only a tiny fist making a grab for the edge of the towel and Riley smiled. “This is more like it, matey…” he murmured. “Trust me, you really didn’t want to be hanging out with Mummy and Daddy today. It’s not pretty and Daddy gets shitty when he’s sick. It’s just you and me today, kiddo. Think we can handle it without making an impromptu call to someone else with boobs for assistance?”
The little boy continued to just watch him and Riley figured he would try his luck with the binkie. It was usually a wrestle, again the baby being very much a Campbell and not putting anything near his mouth unless he damn well wanted to. But it seemed the binkie gods were smiling down on Riley at that point when the little mouth opened and accepted it. It was usually no more than ten seconds before he realised it wasn’t dinner and spat it out again, but with a quick count to ten and the pacifier still in place, Riley felt like doing a victory dance in response.
He brushed his fingers across the baby’s cheek and watched him closely, enjoying how he felt in his arms. A sigh couldn’t be stifled as his gut clenched regretfully. “I would have really liked one just like you one day,” he told the baby. “Well, not quite like you. You’re one of a kind. You gave your Mummy and Daddy a miracle and I know every time they look at you they can’t believe you’re here. You won’t get better ones than them, matey. They love you more than life itself. You’re everything your Daddy always wanted and he’s the best there is. He helped your Uncle Riley through some really tough times and he saved your Mummy’s life. That’s a story no other kid will be able to tell on the playground…”
The little eyes were drooping sleepily at Riley’s soft, calm voice. Riley paused for just a moment to chew on the corner of his lip. “I would give anything to have one of you all of my own,” he finally whispered and then just shook his head, leaning over to press a small kiss to the baby’s forehead.
drcampbell & doctortara referenced with permission
Word Count | 977