"Mummy. Mummy, wakie, wakie." my four year old says in a sing song voice as she jumps up and down on my bed. I groan and roll over onto my front, not ready to get up for my job interview. I'm not clever enough for some flashy, big paying job where a degree is necessary, to be honest I never even went to college. It was always in the plan for me you know, graduate high school, get accepted into a good college, find the love of my life, live together in a nice house, nothing to big, just a place in which I could call home and then when I'm all settled down, financially stable I would of liked to finish off the plan, my dream with maybe a kid or two. I'll tell you something that plan went down the drain when I fell pregnant senior year with my beautiful daughter Lily Jane Smith. That turned my whole life upside down, for me it went graduation and then having a baby. The rest I'm just not in a place where I am able to even think about doing the rest of those things at the moment, at twenty-one years old with a four year old I do my best to get by. That's not true, it's not just me that brings up my angel, Bradley, Lily's dad, is amazing. Although that night was a huge mistake for both of us, I was confused over my sexuality and he was upset about being dumped, the two of us headed to a club and got completely wrecked. I had never drunk so much in my life and since that night I have never touched a bottle of alcohol, it's not that I don't trust myself around it. I just realised that it doesn't do much good, I don't need it to have a good time. I still go out a few nights a month with my friends and have an amazing time. Anyway Bradley has been amazing, I barley knew him when we slept together, he was just a normal guy from around school, but as soon as he heard a rumour around school I was pregnant, he came to me and asked me, straight up. When I confessed it was true, he promised that he'd be by my side through everything. We discussed our options and we were both sure we wanted to keep our baby and to raise it. After that we tried going on a few dates so when Lily was born we could be a loving, happy family, only to realise we don't need this. Here we are, four years later, living in a nice enough flat which we just brought here in L.A after growing up in OHIO, and we're a family. As soon as my mum found out about my pregnancy I had been kicked out and Bradley let me stay in his home, ever since then we've been living together, I've been doing small, odd jobs, here and there in shops and Brad got an apprenticeship with his dads firm, he's a plumber and his dad taught him everything without him going to college because he knew we couldn't afford it. Anyway Brad's job is what brought us to the city of lights, his dad put his name in and he got offered a job here in L.A, it's a bigger firm, so we'll be making a bit more money. I love Brad, in a big brother, best friend kind of way and he's the second most important thing to me, just like I am to him. Our first priority being our incredible daughter Lily.
"Mummy, listen to me, daddy says you gotta wake up, wise he throw you in the bath." Lily tells me, matter of factly, snapping me back into the present as I lift my head up off of my pillow and gaze up at my little girl.
"I love you, you know that right." I reply, randomly, as my brown haired girl just bounces over to me, landing right by me, before laying down to face me with a big smile on her face.
"I know that mummy. I love you muchly." she says, as I stroke my girls hair out of her face, and okay with her curly brown hair. Don't ask how mine and Brad's child ended up with brown hair, he has blonde curly hair and I have really dark brown straight hair. Lily had really lovely long brown curls, that go half way down her back. She obviously got her curls from her daddy, so I guess our two hair colours mixed together to make Lily's amazing hair colour. Apart from the curls, the rest of Lily is all me. She has the same features and my very same smile, although it looks cuter on her. Maybe it's 'cuz she's four.
"Muchly. What is muchly?" I tease, tiggeling her tummy a little, which in turn makes her screech loudly.
"Lily, please don't screech that loudly, your giving me a headache." Brad moans, walking in from the kitchen and I can tell immediately he isn't in the best of moods.
"Sorry daddy." Lily mumbles and just like that her good mood drops and she gets down off our bed and begins to walk out of our room.
"God, what pissed you off this morning or was it the fact that when you went out last night you didn't get any action?" I smirk and take the hot chocolate out of his hands, knowing he made it for me because he can't stand the stuff. I take a sip only to quickly but it down on the bedside table, the drink burning my tongue. Brad lays down on his side of the bed staring up at the ceiling. I know it's weird that we share a bed but we really don't have the money to get a three bedroom and plus things have never been awkward between the two of us. It's just like we forget the part where we slept with each other, all we can see is our best friend and the beautiful little girl that we somehow created.
"I love you Shane, don't get me wrong or nothing but I met this girl last night and she was really hot and I don't know how or nothing but I really like her and we spent forever talking, left the club and took a walk along the beach. Then I told her about you and Lily and she just got it, like there and then, no questions asked, she just said what a great guy I am that I stuck around and that I'm so involved in Lily's life even though we're not together." Brad stops and I just smile up at my friend.
"She's right Brad, you're the best guy I know and I'm not just saying that because I'm gay and obviously don't like guys. Most guys would of just took off if someone they barley knew told them they were pregnant after a one night stand. Or only be seeing their kid on the weekend. You're an amazing person B and I love you and I love that this girl can see that." I tell him and I honestly don't know how often I have to tell him what a great guy he is because he's scared he's going to screw up some time.
"Anyway I asked her if she wanted to go out with me sometime and she said she'd love to, so we're going on a date tonight. Wait is that okay with you because if you have plans or something then I can just cancel for another day." Bradley rambles on and I just laugh at how much he can really ramble for.
"B, just fuck off and go on a date with this girl, have a nice time and anyway, who the fuck would I go out with, we've been here a little over a week and I don't know anyone." I admit, embarrassed that I haven't made any friends yet. I've never really been a social person and Brad knows it.
"Okay, thank you and you really need to get out and meet someone if you want to survive in this town." he teases, shoving me playfully on the shoulder as I smirk and drink some of my drink.
"Yes, I will, I promise. Anyway tell me what happened after you asked her out." I see Brad's face drop a little and I realise this is what he's either pissed or upset over.
"Yer well, she's coming over to pick me up at six because obviously I don't have a car yet and afterwards we just talked more and hung out down the beech, getting ice creams and shit. But when I was coming home I thought about it for the first time. What happens when I fall in love or when you do. Obviously we can't still be sleeping in the same bed because I don't think our girls would like it, but then what happens when we want to move in with them and start another family, I don't want this one to be broken when all of that happens." Bras finishes quietly and I quickly wipe a stray tear off my cheek. He's right things will be different, but we will always be a family, no matter how dysfunctional it may be. I speak my thoughts.
"Bradley Dylan Smith, we are a family right now your right and when we find someone it will change things, but we will always be a family, just a slightly extended one. Anyone who wants to be with us has to be willing to be a part of that." I state firmly and Brad nods his head, pulling me into a side hug and placing a kiss on the side of my head. The two of us are like this, always hugging and kissing on the heads, things like that, but it's purely as friends. I mean after that night I realised I'm just not into boys!
"Your right, I'm sorry I even doubted that. Kit is fine with that and I think I don't think she'll have a problem with that at all." Brad smiles as Lily comes running back in, dressed ready for us to go out.
"Daddy sorry for telling you off this morning princess." he says, getting off our bed and picking Lily up, spinning her round. She laughs as Brad spins her and then he throws her onto the bed.
"It's okay daddy." Lily replies sweetly before beginning to jump up and down on the bed once more.
"Mummy, you gotta get up." she repeats from earlier as Brad chuckles when I frown.
"My interview isn't until one so I have plenty of time, why are you trying to kill me?" I ask jokingly as I finally sit up in my bed.
"Because we have to try and get Lily enrolled in a school for next year and we thought we'd go out for breakfast." Brad explains to me and picks up Lily so she stops bouncing on the bed. I look up at Bradley with a questioning look, can we really afford to eat out at the moment. He seems to read my mind when he adds,
"We will be fine on money because after this nice breakfast you will be ready for that interview and you'll nail it. So get up, you'll be able to meet Kit because she owns this little café called the planet so I thought we could go there and surprise her." he announces with a huge smile on his face and I'm really pleased for him. That doesn't mean I was going to take to this girl nicely though, first I have to see how she is with my baby girl and then make her promise that she would never hurt either of them. I am excited to meet Kit though because Brad has never been this happy before and I can tell he really likes this girl, so I'm up for being open minded and giving her a chance.
"Daddy, who's Kit?" Lily asks quietly from her dad's arms. Brad doesn't know what to say and how to explain going on a date to the four year old so I crawl to the end of the bed and get on my knees so my head is level with my daughters.
"Kit is a friend of daddy's and he likes her very much, so they will be going out tonight and a few more times to talk and see if they like each other and then maybe Kit will be your daddy's girlfriend." I explain gently, not sure how she would take to the news of Bradley with someone else. Brad smiles at me, silently thanking me for explaining it to Lily and I just nod and finally get out of bed.
"So I can have a new friend to play with as well as you and daddy." Lily says excitedly, clapping her hands. Bradley nods and puts Lily on the floor and gets to his knees.
"I think Kit would love to play with you sometime." he tells his princess as I get dressed for my first day in Los Angeles. Hope your ready for the ride.