Three Men and a Sweet Caroline
Title: Three Men and a Sweet Caroline
Author: rachel_wilder and shelbecat
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Summary: 1407graymalkin wanted ‘Three Men and a Baby’. We just had to comply.
Three Men and a Sweet Caroline
Jason pulled up in the driveway and slid the truck into park. He turned and looked into the back seat where he could see the baby seat carefully strapped in its place.
"Sorry baby girl," he said. "Believe me, if I had any other options, I would have taken them."
He turned back and laid his head down on the steering wheel for a moment. He’d had dumb ideas before, but this one just about took the cake. The rear door of the car opened suddenly and the alarm began to signal that the keys were in the ignition. The baby began to cry.
"Oh, come now, Baby Caroline. Let Uncle Tim get you out of there," Tim said as he cooed at the baby and carefully pulled her from the baby seat. He paused by the door. "Don't worry about a thing, Six. Uncle Timmy has got it under control."
And with that Tim Riggins tucked Jason's daughter in his arms and disappeared into the house.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Jason asked again as he wheeled his chair through the entry way toward the kitchen.
"Did you make a stinky Baby Caroline?" Tim asked as he held the baby's butt up to his nose.
"I just changed her," Jason replied. "Did you tell your brother about this?"
Tim slid the baby into the crook of his arm and smoothly tilted a bottle into her mouth. "Billy loves babies. He's going to get a kick out of this."
Somehow, Jason wasn’t so confident. But then, any port in a storm, right? It was either be all alone with Caroline, and hardly be able to change her or feed her, or stay here with Tim and Billy. And Tim seemed to really take to playing babysitter. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
"So, can one crip actually kick another one out?” Billy asked. “I mean, how did he do it? Did he, like, wheel you out the door?"
Jason shot a look at Tim. Yeah, Billy was getting a real kick out of this.
"No seriously, seriously, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this...I've got Tim here who's getting pussy pretty much every single night, and he somehow, through some miracle, manages to keep from making a nonrefundable deposit, but you-with the broken ding-a-ling-does a girl once and gets a BINGO?"
"It's Baby Caroline," Tim replied as he set the baby's bottle down and reached for his own beer.
"And she's not a BINGO," Jason responded.
"Doesn't matter," Billy answered. "’Cause I am not operating a home for wayward girls...I mean gays...I mean gimps...I mean guys..."
"It's just for a couple of days," Jason explained. "Herc has the chicken pox, my parents are in Oklahoma City and Erin…well, Erin isn't around."
"We can't let Baby Caroline get the chicken pox," Tim cooed in a baby voice as stroked his finger across the baby's soft skin.
"My god, Tim-grow a set," Billy suggested.
Jason shook his head at Tim’s apparent calling to be a father, but secretly he was overjoyed. He’d missed spending time with Tim since Caroline had been born. Suddenly just hanging out with old high school friends didn’t seem as important as playing with Caroline…or catching up on sleep.
“That’s a good baby, a good baby,” Tim said as he dangled his keys in front of Caroline face.
“Might want to watch the bottle opener, there Timmy,” Billy drawled. “And how did we get stuck on diaper duty anyway? What about Lyla? I thought she’d lap this shit up."
“Silly Billy,” Tim said in his cutsie baby voice. “Auntie Lyla doesn’t want to take care of her ex-boyfriend’s baby that he had with another girl. No she doesn’t.”
"Religious retreat," Jason replied. "When Herc got sick, I didn’t know where to go. I was about to head over to the Taylor’s and throw myself at their mercy when I ran into Tim at the grocery store."
"And I said we'd wub to have a little baby come here," Tim responded, his face still buried in the baby's.
"Did you just say 'wub'?" Billy asked.
Tim shrugged.
Billy looked around the room. "Well, I'd give you love birds your space, but I'm flat out of cash and was counting on a weekend with my remote control." He crossed the room and flopped into his LazYBoy. "Just make sure you keep that thing quiet."
"No violence," Tim instructed his brother as Billy turned on the TV.
"Bring me another cold one, Street-you are a guest here, after all," was Billy's only response.
“Doesn’t it have an off button?” Billy yelled out from his bedroom.
It was sometime after three in the morning and Caroline had been awake for almost an hour. Jason had tried soothing her back to sleep by rocking her and humming a little lullaby, like he’d watched his mom do, but apparently Caroline preferred Joanne’s singing over his. He was running out of options.
The door to Tim’s bedroom opened and he walked out into the living room, his hair disheveled and his eyes sleepy.
“Com’ere, give her to me.” Tim yawned as he held his arms out for Caroline, scooping her safely into the crook of his elbow. “There, there,” he cooed.
Jason rubbed his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to do. I think maybe she has a fever.”
“That’s because you’re sweatin’ all over her cute little jammies. Damn Streeter, you’ve got to calm down. She’s only a baby. Aren’t you, Caroline? Aren’t you, sweet little girl?”
Caroline’s cries had already decreased in volume, although she was still whimpering softly.
“Did you feed her?” Tim asked.
“No, it’s not time. She gets a bottle every four hours.”
“So you fed her at 11:30, and now it’s 4:00. I didn’t think you could catch baby brain, Street.”
Jason looked at the clock over the Riggins’ stove. 3:58 AM. Caroline had woken up at 2:30! How had it gotten so late? Tim was juggling Caroline in one arm and reaching into the fridge for a bottle.
“I got it,” Jason said, wheeling over to the kitchen. “It’s easier to make one with room temperature water and powder. Takes too long to warm the ones in the fridge.” Jason picked up the container containing pre-measured scoops of baby formula and dumped the powder into a clean bottle. Then he grabbed a bottle of water from the counter, and twisted the cover off with his teeth.
“See man, you totally got this.” Tim yawned. “You want me to feed her?”
“Nah, go back to sleep.” Jason smiled and looked over at his friend. Tim had his pinkie finger in Caroline’s mouth and the little girl was suckling happily on it. “You helped a lot.”
“Any time, Street,” Tim replied, leaning down to place the baby back in Jason’s arms.
Jason tipped the bottle to Caroline’s lips, grinning when her two little hands came up to bang against the side of the bottle. “Guess she was hungry,” he said.
“And guess you need some sleep,” Tim replied.
Staring down at his daughter, Jason knew Tim was right. But he was all Caroline had in the world. Sure he had his parents, and even Herc would do a load of laundry if Jason promised him rights to the remote control for a night, but basically he was on his own with the baby. Sometimes it was tough.
Tim crouched down to rub his fingers along Caroline’s cheek. “You know, you don’t have to do it alone,” Tim said, reading his mind.
“Oh yeah, I’m sure Billy wants us to move right in,” Jason replied.
“Ah, don’t mind Billy, I saw him shaking her little rattle for her earlier. He just won’t show it,” Tim said. “But I could take her sometimes, give you a break. I won’t drop her or anything.”
Jason laughed. “I know, it’s just…”
“Take the offer, Street.”
Jason looked at Tim. Then he nodded. “Thanks, Timmy.”
“Any time.” Tim stood up and scratched his chest absently. “You think she’d like the park?”
“She’s three months old. She pretty much eats, sleeps and poops. Doesn’t matter where she is.”
“Then it’s settled. You get her back to sleep, and then I’ll take the morning shift. Get some sleep, okay?”
“You sure?”
“Like I said, I'm not going to drop her.”
Jason smiled and stared down at Caroline.
Jason woke up the next morning to the sound of the lawn mower outside the house. He reflexively rolled on his side so he could see if the noise had woken Caroline up in her portable crib next to his bed, but the crib was gone.
He pulled on a pair of pants as quickly as he was able and transferred into his chair.
The mower stopped as he made his way into the living room. The crib was there, but there was no baby in it. Jason felt the breath suck from his body and a cold wave of dread washed over him.
What had he been thinking bringing Caroline to this house?
The door opened and Tim walked in, his chest bare save for the baby carrier strapped on the front of his body. The sweat dripped down the sides of his face as he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of water. He drank a long swig directly from the pitcher and set it down on the counter. He turned around and looked at Jason sitting there.
"Are you insane?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged and reached for a towel to dry away the sweat on his face.
Jason pushed his chair a couple of feet closer. "No, sorry, that's not fair. I'm the one who has a baby now, the one who should be responsible and know better-I guess the real answer is that I'm the one who’s insane."
Tim looked down at the baby sleeping soundly on his chest. "Oh, you mean because of the noise from the lawn mower?"
"You think?" Jason replied.
Tim laughed and shook his head. He released the strap on the right side of the front carrier and carefully lifted Caroline out. As he did, Jason could see the commercial grade ear protection that Tim had put on the baby.
Tim laid Caroline down in her crib and carefully slid the ear muffs off the baby without waking her. He turned back to face Jason. "Honestly, I think she might have a thing for me-she just melted right into my pecs, not unlike how Tyra used to…"
Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Gross."
He wheeled over to look down at Caroline sleeping peacefully in her crib. She was fine. Nothing would happen to her here. Would it?
Shaking his head, he picked up his backpack from the floor and reached behind his chair to hang the bag on the handles. "I have to run an errand-it won't take me very long…"
"Not to worry, Streeter. I'm just gonna make little Caroline a bottle and a couple of pieces of toast for me. We'll hold the fort down."
Jason watched for a moment as Tim went over and began to measure the formula into the bottle. He knew that he should just trust Tim and it would take a lot less time if he didn't have to get Caroline in and out of the truck…"
"Go, Street," Tim instructed. "Go and hurry back. I want to take Caroline in the pool this afternoon."
Jason pushed his chair past the edge of the kitchen and toward the door. Why did he feel this sense of dread?
Jason pulled his truck up in front of the Riggins' house and put it in park. He could hear something-something unmistakable. It was the sound of a baby screaming.
Jason pulled his chair from the passenger seat and transferred into it as quickly as he was able. He pushed the truck door closed and headed toward the door to the house.
"Tim?" he called out as he opened the door and eased his chair up over the door jam. "Tim!"
Tim came down the hallway from the bedrooms with Caroline in his arms. Her face was beat red as she yelled.
"Sorry, Six-she won't stop," Tim said. "And she's rubbing her ear. You think she's sick?"
Jason held his arms out for the baby and Tim slid her into them. Caroline paused for a moment, and then began screaming again.
"I gave her a bottle, put her in the baby carrier, walked with her-nothing is working," Tim explained, his voice filled with panic.
Jason made shushing noises and tried to examine Caroline’s ear, was she really sick?
Billy walked into the house from the backyard. “I still say they should come with off buttons,” he muttered.
“She’s sick, Billy. Lay off,” Tim snapped.
Jason tried to ignore both Riggins brothers. “Come on now, baby girl. Stop crying for Daddy. Please?”
"Oh for Christ’s sake. Give her to me," Billy said as he came around the corner. "I'll get her to sleep."
Jason pulled Caroline closer to his chest. “You hate babies,” he said. “And watch your language.”
Billy reached down for Caroline. “If she remembers this day, you can bill me for the therapy.”
Reluctantly, Jason released his hold on his daughter, watching as Billy expertly cradled the little girl’s head. Caroline wasn’t giving in easily; she bucked her back and waved her little fists in the air.
Ignoring her protests, Billy held her up so her face was in front of his.
"Where it began, I can't begin to know when," Billy began to sing.
“Oh no,” Jason said, shaking his head.
"But then I know it's growing strong," Billy continued.
Jason looked over at Tim for support, but Tim was rocking back and forth, clearly enjoying this.
"Oh, wasn't the spring," Tim chimed in.
Jason gave up. "Whooo," he added.
"And spring became the summer. Who'd believe you'd come along," Billy continued as the baby grew silent, staring up at Billy with her big eyes.
"All together now!" Tim called.
"Hands, touching hands, reaching out. Touching me, touching you. Oh, sweet Caroline," they all sang together.
"Buh, buh, buuuuuh," Jason sang, slapping his hands on his chair in time with the music.
"Good times never seemed so good," Billy continued.
"So good, so good," Tim and Jason added.
Still humming, Billy carefully sat down in the easy chair, Caroline tucked in his arms, her eyes closed and her breathing even.
"Strong work," Jason said as he leaned forward to touch the baby's foot.
Billy shrugged. "Only thing you could sing to a sweet baby named Caroline."
"I didn’t know you had it in you, Billy," Jason replied. “But thanks.”
"Yeah," Billy replied as he kept watching the sleeping baby. "And Street?"
"Yeah?"
Billy looked up from the baby at Jason. "It's cool-I mean, if you guys need to stay here for a while. It's good to have a girl in the house."
"That's gross," Tim said as he reached down and took the baby from Billy. He lifted her against his chest, her head tucked into the hollow of his shoulder. "I'm going to put her in her crib."
Tim walked toward the bedroom where Jason and the baby were staying.
"You know, I didn't mean it like that," Billy explained.
"I know, Billy," Jason responded. Billy wasn’t exactly Jason’s first choice for a babysitter, but surprisingly he had a way with the baby.
"This child-rearing business wears a guy out,” Billy said as he put the footrest up on his chair. "Hey, make yourself useful and get us some beers."
Jason laughed. Five minutes of babysitting and Billy was done. Maybe Jason would stick with Tim in the future.
He headed toward the refrigerator. As he opened the door he paused and looked out into the living room. Billy was still humming, Tim was stretched out on the couch, and the sounds of Baby Mozart were coming quietly from Caroline's room. Tim reached for the remote control and Billy slapped his hand away, grabbing it for himself and turning on Ultimate Cage Wrestling. Jason smiled and carefully pulled three beers out, tucking them between his leg and the edge of his chair.
Home sweet home.
/fin/
Author: rachel_wilder and shelbecat
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Summary: 1407graymalkin wanted ‘Three Men and a Baby’. We just had to comply.
Three Men and a Sweet Caroline
Jason pulled up in the driveway and slid the truck into park. He turned and looked into the back seat where he could see the baby seat carefully strapped in its place.
"Sorry baby girl," he said. "Believe me, if I had any other options, I would have taken them."
He turned back and laid his head down on the steering wheel for a moment. He’d had dumb ideas before, but this one just about took the cake. The rear door of the car opened suddenly and the alarm began to signal that the keys were in the ignition. The baby began to cry.
"Oh, come now, Baby Caroline. Let Uncle Tim get you out of there," Tim said as he cooed at the baby and carefully pulled her from the baby seat. He paused by the door. "Don't worry about a thing, Six. Uncle Timmy has got it under control."
And with that Tim Riggins tucked Jason's daughter in his arms and disappeared into the house.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Jason asked again as he wheeled his chair through the entry way toward the kitchen.
"Did you make a stinky Baby Caroline?" Tim asked as he held the baby's butt up to his nose.
"I just changed her," Jason replied. "Did you tell your brother about this?"
Tim slid the baby into the crook of his arm and smoothly tilted a bottle into her mouth. "Billy loves babies. He's going to get a kick out of this."
Somehow, Jason wasn’t so confident. But then, any port in a storm, right? It was either be all alone with Caroline, and hardly be able to change her or feed her, or stay here with Tim and Billy. And Tim seemed to really take to playing babysitter. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
"So, can one crip actually kick another one out?” Billy asked. “I mean, how did he do it? Did he, like, wheel you out the door?"
Jason shot a look at Tim. Yeah, Billy was getting a real kick out of this.
"No seriously, seriously, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this...I've got Tim here who's getting pussy pretty much every single night, and he somehow, through some miracle, manages to keep from making a nonrefundable deposit, but you-with the broken ding-a-ling-does a girl once and gets a BINGO?"
"It's Baby Caroline," Tim replied as he set the baby's bottle down and reached for his own beer.
"And she's not a BINGO," Jason responded.
"Doesn't matter," Billy answered. "’Cause I am not operating a home for wayward girls...I mean gays...I mean gimps...I mean guys..."
"It's just for a couple of days," Jason explained. "Herc has the chicken pox, my parents are in Oklahoma City and Erin…well, Erin isn't around."
"We can't let Baby Caroline get the chicken pox," Tim cooed in a baby voice as stroked his finger across the baby's soft skin.
"My god, Tim-grow a set," Billy suggested.
Jason shook his head at Tim’s apparent calling to be a father, but secretly he was overjoyed. He’d missed spending time with Tim since Caroline had been born. Suddenly just hanging out with old high school friends didn’t seem as important as playing with Caroline…or catching up on sleep.
“That’s a good baby, a good baby,” Tim said as he dangled his keys in front of Caroline face.
“Might want to watch the bottle opener, there Timmy,” Billy drawled. “And how did we get stuck on diaper duty anyway? What about Lyla? I thought she’d lap this shit up."
“Silly Billy,” Tim said in his cutsie baby voice. “Auntie Lyla doesn’t want to take care of her ex-boyfriend’s baby that he had with another girl. No she doesn’t.”
"Religious retreat," Jason replied. "When Herc got sick, I didn’t know where to go. I was about to head over to the Taylor’s and throw myself at their mercy when I ran into Tim at the grocery store."
"And I said we'd wub to have a little baby come here," Tim responded, his face still buried in the baby's.
"Did you just say 'wub'?" Billy asked.
Tim shrugged.
Billy looked around the room. "Well, I'd give you love birds your space, but I'm flat out of cash and was counting on a weekend with my remote control." He crossed the room and flopped into his LazYBoy. "Just make sure you keep that thing quiet."
"No violence," Tim instructed his brother as Billy turned on the TV.
"Bring me another cold one, Street-you are a guest here, after all," was Billy's only response.
“Doesn’t it have an off button?” Billy yelled out from his bedroom.
It was sometime after three in the morning and Caroline had been awake for almost an hour. Jason had tried soothing her back to sleep by rocking her and humming a little lullaby, like he’d watched his mom do, but apparently Caroline preferred Joanne’s singing over his. He was running out of options.
The door to Tim’s bedroom opened and he walked out into the living room, his hair disheveled and his eyes sleepy.
“Com’ere, give her to me.” Tim yawned as he held his arms out for Caroline, scooping her safely into the crook of his elbow. “There, there,” he cooed.
Jason rubbed his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to do. I think maybe she has a fever.”
“That’s because you’re sweatin’ all over her cute little jammies. Damn Streeter, you’ve got to calm down. She’s only a baby. Aren’t you, Caroline? Aren’t you, sweet little girl?”
Caroline’s cries had already decreased in volume, although she was still whimpering softly.
“Did you feed her?” Tim asked.
“No, it’s not time. She gets a bottle every four hours.”
“So you fed her at 11:30, and now it’s 4:00. I didn’t think you could catch baby brain, Street.”
Jason looked at the clock over the Riggins’ stove. 3:58 AM. Caroline had woken up at 2:30! How had it gotten so late? Tim was juggling Caroline in one arm and reaching into the fridge for a bottle.
“I got it,” Jason said, wheeling over to the kitchen. “It’s easier to make one with room temperature water and powder. Takes too long to warm the ones in the fridge.” Jason picked up the container containing pre-measured scoops of baby formula and dumped the powder into a clean bottle. Then he grabbed a bottle of water from the counter, and twisted the cover off with his teeth.
“See man, you totally got this.” Tim yawned. “You want me to feed her?”
“Nah, go back to sleep.” Jason smiled and looked over at his friend. Tim had his pinkie finger in Caroline’s mouth and the little girl was suckling happily on it. “You helped a lot.”
“Any time, Street,” Tim replied, leaning down to place the baby back in Jason’s arms.
Jason tipped the bottle to Caroline’s lips, grinning when her two little hands came up to bang against the side of the bottle. “Guess she was hungry,” he said.
“And guess you need some sleep,” Tim replied.
Staring down at his daughter, Jason knew Tim was right. But he was all Caroline had in the world. Sure he had his parents, and even Herc would do a load of laundry if Jason promised him rights to the remote control for a night, but basically he was on his own with the baby. Sometimes it was tough.
Tim crouched down to rub his fingers along Caroline’s cheek. “You know, you don’t have to do it alone,” Tim said, reading his mind.
“Oh yeah, I’m sure Billy wants us to move right in,” Jason replied.
“Ah, don’t mind Billy, I saw him shaking her little rattle for her earlier. He just won’t show it,” Tim said. “But I could take her sometimes, give you a break. I won’t drop her or anything.”
Jason laughed. “I know, it’s just…”
“Take the offer, Street.”
Jason looked at Tim. Then he nodded. “Thanks, Timmy.”
“Any time.” Tim stood up and scratched his chest absently. “You think she’d like the park?”
“She’s three months old. She pretty much eats, sleeps and poops. Doesn’t matter where she is.”
“Then it’s settled. You get her back to sleep, and then I’ll take the morning shift. Get some sleep, okay?”
“You sure?”
“Like I said, I'm not going to drop her.”
Jason smiled and stared down at Caroline.
Jason woke up the next morning to the sound of the lawn mower outside the house. He reflexively rolled on his side so he could see if the noise had woken Caroline up in her portable crib next to his bed, but the crib was gone.
He pulled on a pair of pants as quickly as he was able and transferred into his chair.
The mower stopped as he made his way into the living room. The crib was there, but there was no baby in it. Jason felt the breath suck from his body and a cold wave of dread washed over him.
What had he been thinking bringing Caroline to this house?
The door opened and Tim walked in, his chest bare save for the baby carrier strapped on the front of his body. The sweat dripped down the sides of his face as he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of water. He drank a long swig directly from the pitcher and set it down on the counter. He turned around and looked at Jason sitting there.
"Are you insane?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged and reached for a towel to dry away the sweat on his face.
Jason pushed his chair a couple of feet closer. "No, sorry, that's not fair. I'm the one who has a baby now, the one who should be responsible and know better-I guess the real answer is that I'm the one who’s insane."
Tim looked down at the baby sleeping soundly on his chest. "Oh, you mean because of the noise from the lawn mower?"
"You think?" Jason replied.
Tim laughed and shook his head. He released the strap on the right side of the front carrier and carefully lifted Caroline out. As he did, Jason could see the commercial grade ear protection that Tim had put on the baby.
Tim laid Caroline down in her crib and carefully slid the ear muffs off the baby without waking her. He turned back to face Jason. "Honestly, I think she might have a thing for me-she just melted right into my pecs, not unlike how Tyra used to…"
Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Gross."
He wheeled over to look down at Caroline sleeping peacefully in her crib. She was fine. Nothing would happen to her here. Would it?
Shaking his head, he picked up his backpack from the floor and reached behind his chair to hang the bag on the handles. "I have to run an errand-it won't take me very long…"
"Not to worry, Streeter. I'm just gonna make little Caroline a bottle and a couple of pieces of toast for me. We'll hold the fort down."
Jason watched for a moment as Tim went over and began to measure the formula into the bottle. He knew that he should just trust Tim and it would take a lot less time if he didn't have to get Caroline in and out of the truck…"
"Go, Street," Tim instructed. "Go and hurry back. I want to take Caroline in the pool this afternoon."
Jason pushed his chair past the edge of the kitchen and toward the door. Why did he feel this sense of dread?
Jason pulled his truck up in front of the Riggins' house and put it in park. He could hear something-something unmistakable. It was the sound of a baby screaming.
Jason pulled his chair from the passenger seat and transferred into it as quickly as he was able. He pushed the truck door closed and headed toward the door to the house.
"Tim?" he called out as he opened the door and eased his chair up over the door jam. "Tim!"
Tim came down the hallway from the bedrooms with Caroline in his arms. Her face was beat red as she yelled.
"Sorry, Six-she won't stop," Tim said. "And she's rubbing her ear. You think she's sick?"
Jason held his arms out for the baby and Tim slid her into them. Caroline paused for a moment, and then began screaming again.
"I gave her a bottle, put her in the baby carrier, walked with her-nothing is working," Tim explained, his voice filled with panic.
Jason made shushing noises and tried to examine Caroline’s ear, was she really sick?
Billy walked into the house from the backyard. “I still say they should come with off buttons,” he muttered.
“She’s sick, Billy. Lay off,” Tim snapped.
Jason tried to ignore both Riggins brothers. “Come on now, baby girl. Stop crying for Daddy. Please?”
"Oh for Christ’s sake. Give her to me," Billy said as he came around the corner. "I'll get her to sleep."
Jason pulled Caroline closer to his chest. “You hate babies,” he said. “And watch your language.”
Billy reached down for Caroline. “If she remembers this day, you can bill me for the therapy.”
Reluctantly, Jason released his hold on his daughter, watching as Billy expertly cradled the little girl’s head. Caroline wasn’t giving in easily; she bucked her back and waved her little fists in the air.
Ignoring her protests, Billy held her up so her face was in front of his.
"Where it began, I can't begin to know when," Billy began to sing.
“Oh no,” Jason said, shaking his head.
"But then I know it's growing strong," Billy continued.
Jason looked over at Tim for support, but Tim was rocking back and forth, clearly enjoying this.
"Oh, wasn't the spring," Tim chimed in.
Jason gave up. "Whooo," he added.
"And spring became the summer. Who'd believe you'd come along," Billy continued as the baby grew silent, staring up at Billy with her big eyes.
"All together now!" Tim called.
"Hands, touching hands, reaching out. Touching me, touching you. Oh, sweet Caroline," they all sang together.
"Buh, buh, buuuuuh," Jason sang, slapping his hands on his chair in time with the music.
"Good times never seemed so good," Billy continued.
"So good, so good," Tim and Jason added.
Still humming, Billy carefully sat down in the easy chair, Caroline tucked in his arms, her eyes closed and her breathing even.
"Strong work," Jason said as he leaned forward to touch the baby's foot.
Billy shrugged. "Only thing you could sing to a sweet baby named Caroline."
"I didn’t know you had it in you, Billy," Jason replied. “But thanks.”
"Yeah," Billy replied as he kept watching the sleeping baby. "And Street?"
"Yeah?"
Billy looked up from the baby at Jason. "It's cool-I mean, if you guys need to stay here for a while. It's good to have a girl in the house."
"That's gross," Tim said as he reached down and took the baby from Billy. He lifted her against his chest, her head tucked into the hollow of his shoulder. "I'm going to put her in her crib."
Tim walked toward the bedroom where Jason and the baby were staying.
"You know, I didn't mean it like that," Billy explained.
"I know, Billy," Jason responded. Billy wasn’t exactly Jason’s first choice for a babysitter, but surprisingly he had a way with the baby.
"This child-rearing business wears a guy out,” Billy said as he put the footrest up on his chair. "Hey, make yourself useful and get us some beers."
Jason laughed. Five minutes of babysitting and Billy was done. Maybe Jason would stick with Tim in the future.
He headed toward the refrigerator. As he opened the door he paused and looked out into the living room. Billy was still humming, Tim was stretched out on the couch, and the sounds of Baby Mozart were coming quietly from Caroline's room. Tim reached for the remote control and Billy slapped his hand away, grabbing it for himself and turning on Ultimate Cage Wrestling. Jason smiled and carefully pulled three beers out, tucking them between his leg and the edge of his chair.
Home sweet home.
/fin/