My note…Well, it's good to know that we haven't lost ALL of the JimAsh fans out there(thank you, my loyal bunch)...even after the way the writers massacred their relationship(bitter, you ask?...naaah).
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
CHAPTER 2: PICNIC IN THE PARK
Ashley looked over at Jimmy for about the tenth time in just as many minutes. He was still sitting hunched forward, elbows on knees, reading from the manual that Liberty had left them. "I'm really sorry that I changed our plans without asking you first Jimmy", she began to apologize, when the silence in the room became almost unbearable.
Jimmy glanced up from the binder. "No big deal", he replied indifferently, flashing Ashley a soft smile, before turning his attention to the diaper bag that sat next to the opened manual, on the coffee table.
Convinced that is was a bigger deal than Jimmy was letting on, Ashley tried again. "But you really wanted to go to the art museum, and...".
"I told you Ash...it's fine", he assured her again, this time, reaching out for her hand. Jimmy really wanted to emphasize his point with a kiss, but the distance between them was too far and the angle too awkward, from where they sat.
Jimmy released Ashley's hand, only long enough to wedge himself next to the chair she was sitting. "Ash, that art show is on through the weekend...we could always go tomorrow", he offered, and gently caressed her hand.
"You sure?", she asked skeptically.
"Positive", he replied, lifting the delicate hand up to his lips. "Doing this favor for Liberty and Toby is way more important", Jimmy added sincerely. "And besides...how could I resist that sweet face?".
Ashley blushed at Jimmy's implied compliment. "Well I am surely flattered, Mr. Brooks", she drawled.
"Actually Ash...", Jimmy paused to chuckle, as he motioned to the baby with a flick of his chin. "...I was talking about him".
As he watched Ashley raise her fist, Jimmy almost began to regret his decision to move so close to her...until the playful punch was executed and laughing ensued. Ashley glanced thoughtfully at the large brown eyes looking up at her, "Yeah, he sure is a cutie".
Jimmy was taken aback as he watched Ashley interact with the baby. Quickly, he drifted off into his own thoughts, so much so, that he was completely oblivious to Ashley's movements...until the little boy was dropped right into his lap.
"Ah, Ash...", Jimmy's nervous protest trailed off on deaf ears, as Ashley retrieved the book from the coffee table, and flopped back down into the arm chair that she'd just risen from.
Ashley took a second to admire the sight of Jimmy holding a baby, then opened the cover of the binder...holding it at eye level, to mask her staring. "Let's find out, all about Mr. Ryan James Yorke".
"Ash?", Jimmy called out uncomfortably. "I-I don't think he likes me", he assumed, from the way Ryan was whimpering and trying to wriggle from his grasp.
Ashley straightened so that she was sitting properly in the chair and rubbed her tired eyes. "He's probably just bored", she deduced...a mutual feeling, it seemed. "...we've been sitting here for almost an hour".
"Yes we have", Jimmy undeniably agreed.
Ashley immediately jumped up and scooped the baby from his lap. "Oh God Jimmy, I'm so sorry", she confessed guiltily.
"I'm okay", he assured her as he pushed himself up to relieve some of the pressure from sitting in the same position for so long, then shifted slightly, to get more comfortable. "Let's just get out of here...", he added, pausing to grab Ryan's diaper bag. Jimmy looked up at Ashley, flashing her that knee buckling grin. "...before this little guy is reduced to tears...and I start to grow roots". There was a loud snap of his brakes for emphasis.
Ashley smiled back at Jimmy's joke, but her expression remained puzzled. "Where to?", she asked questionably.
"Anywhere", Jimmy shrugged, as he pushed passed her.
"But I don't have a car seat", she called out, causing Jimmy to spin around quickly and face her.
"Then we walk somewhere", he replied simply.
"Okay, but it'll have to be somewhere close...", Ashley paused to shift the load from her right hip to her left. "...because we don't have a stroller either".
Jimmy nodded, as he was just coming to realize their predicament...he had his transportation, but Ryan didn't."What about the park?", he suggested, directing his question to the little boy.
At Jimmy's words, Ryan squealed and began kicking his legs vigorously. Ashley giggled agreeably, "The park it is".
Comfortable with leaving Ryan in Jimmy's capable hands, now that he was seemingly occupied...for the moment...in the sand box, Ashley walked across the street from the park, to the Dot, to get some lunch for their picnic.
"No Ryan...that's not yours", Jimmy leaned slightly to his left, his gentle hand deterring the little boy from the plastic shovel he was reaching for.
"Oh, it's fine", a woman called out from the bench on the other side of the box.
"Thanks", Jimmy waved over to her, in acknowledgment. She returned the wave and offered him a small smile.
Ryan just sat there, studying the strange, new object. He looked up at Jimmy, then cautiously moved the handle up to his mouth."Not like that", Jimmy chuckled through his grimace. "Here", he encouraged, showing the precocious toddler how to scoop and pour the sand with the small implement.
Within seconds, it seemed, Ryan was tossing sand into the air and laughing uncontrollably.
Engrossed in the shared amusement, Jimmy hadn't noticed the figure standing next to him, until she clapped her hands and announced to her children, that it was time to go. "Here's your shovel back", Jimmy stated, after finally prying it from Ryan's strong grasp.
"Keep it...we have plenty", the mom chuckled in reply, motioning over to the wagon parked next to the bench she had just vacated, filled not with children, but overflowing sand toys. "Your little boy is beautiful".
The woman's statement startled Jimmy. "Um, thanks...but he's not mine", he replied resolutely, but the slightest undertone of disappointment could be heard in his voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry...I just saw you and your wife come up here with him...", she nodded in the direction of the Dot, where Ashley was still inside.
Jimmy smiled bashfully. "Actually, she's my girlfriend", he went on to explain. "We're just babysitting for some friends".
"Wow. Striking resemblance, though", she muttered, clearly surprised. Jimmy looked down at the baby in question and felt his cheeks flush.
When he looked up again, the woman had wrangled her kids in and they were all headed for the bench."Thanks again, for the shovel", Jimmy called out to her, his appreciation causing her to turn and wave a friendly goodbye.
That goofy grin was still plastered across Jimmy's face, when Ashley finally arrived with their food. "What's so funny?", she queried, his good mood, naturally rubbing off on to her.
"Nothing", Jimmy replied, trying to shrug it off. He reached down one-handed, while with the other hand, maintaining his balance, and scooped Ryan up...more confidently than Ashley had seen him do all day...then waited while she placed the take-out bag on his lap, trading it for the baby.
The three then headed over to the other side of the park, where the picnic tables were located. Nearly all of the tables were either occupied, or set on the steep sloped hill, so Ashley suggested they make it a true picnic experience and find a nice, flat piece of ground.
Ashley set Ryan down on the the blanket she's laid out over the grass and took the bag from Jimmy's lap, before sitting down herself. She paused hopefully for a moment, before patting the space between them and offering, "There's plenty of room down here".
Jimmy scanned over the bustling park and frowned. "I'm fine", he insisted, a tad self-consciously.
Ashley didn't take offense, she understood Jimmy's reluctance at times, when it came to transferring in public...and let the subject go. "Grilled chicken wrap for you...", she announced, handing the Styrofoam container to Jimmy. "...and a shrimp Cesar salad for me".
Jimmy glanced up from his lunch and looked questioningly at Ashley. "What about him?", he asked, motioning to the little boy sitting there, contently playing with the now, unfastened straps of his sandals.
"Right", Ashley paused for a second. "I think there's some food in the diaper bag".
Jimmy nodded and set the container holding his lunch, onto the ground, before twisting to his left, and lifting the sack from where it hung, over the back of his chair. He rifled through the contents before pulling out an array of different sized jars. "Stage three...beef stew", Jimmy read skeptically from the label.
"Ash, we can't give him this", Ashley's soft blue eyes, met Jimmy's wide ones.
"Why? It's baby food...and he is a baby", Ashley countered.
"But it looks so gross", Jimmy replied disgustedly, lifting the open jar to his face. "Ugh", he nearly gagged. "...and smells even worse".
"So what do you suggest?", she quipped sarcastically, and moved to look at the other jars. "There isn't anything else for him, but carrot chunks and applesauce...".
"I'll share mine", Jimmy cut in quickly, offering Ashley an innocent smirk.
"Jimmy, I'm not sure he's old enough to eat table food yet", Ashley replied questionably.
"C'mon Ash...he's got a mouth full of teeth", Jimmy defended, motioning to the pearly buds Ryan's crooked smile was now displaying as he picked up his container and tempted the baby with a french fry.
"Okay", she conceded, unable to resist either of the two sweet faces, looking pleadingly at her. "...but first we have to wash him up, he's filthy". Jimmy agreed and leaned forward, reaching back into the diaper bag that was now sitting on the ground in front of him.
"It's gonna take a lot more than that to clean him up", Ashley quipped playfully as she took the proffered baby wipe case, Jimmy was holding out to her. "There's sand everywhere", she groaned, tousling the tiny grains from Ryan's tight brown curls, his clothes, and the blanket they were sitting on.
"We could always rinse him off in there, after we're done eating", Jimmy suggested playfully, pointing straight ahead.
Ashley twisted around, looking over her shoulder, to see the large water play area, near the edge of the park, that Jimmy was referring to. Their attention was only diverted for a second, when a heavy thud, snapped their focus back to the blanket...where they found a very proud Ryan, sitting with Jimmy's lunch, now on his lap.
Jimmy lowered his hand toward the container, but Ryan scooted just out of his reach. He tried again, but to no avail...the tot, was not about to give up this new found delicacy. At Ashley's soft giggle, Jimmy let out a defeated sigh and slumped back in his chair...
Cut down by a fifteen month-old.
Ashley flashed Jimmy a satisfied 'serves you right' look, as she stabbed the plastic fork into her salad.
After letting him stew for a few minutes, Ashley finally took pity on Jimmy, and returned his lunch to him, minus the few pieces of chicken she'd cut into bite-sized chunks for Ryan...and most of the fries, he'd already eaten.
They now found themselves enamored with the soaked, squealing, diaper-clad, little boy in front of them.
"So...", Jimmy playfully nudged Ashley with his elbow. "... how long before that diaper explodes?".
Ashley laughed and shrugged. "I thought it would've erupted long before now", she replied, eyeing the bulging covering that was hanging precariously from Ryan's chubby torso. "That thing is holding like ten times it's capacity".
Jimmy's smile widened, as he took to watching Ryan again. They seemed to be playing a game of testing limits, Ryan would toddle over to the sprinkler, making sure that the couple was watching, and step a little further each time, before excitedly running back to them. This time he brought Jimmy the yellow shovel from earlier, dripping with water, and ran off again.
Ashley caught the wistful gaze, as Jimmy rolled the small, plastic handle between his fingers. "You still never told me what happened over by the sandbox", she pressed lightly.
Jimmy shrugged, "Like I said, it was nothing".
"Well, it had to be something...", Ashley countered playfully, as she motioned to his hands, and the shovel he was still playing with.
"It's ridiculous really", another shrug and a slight coloring of his cheeks. Jimmy trying to play it down, only made Ashley more curious. He glanced over at her and grinned as he admitted shyly, "Lady over there, thought Ryan was ours".
Ashley couldn't help but smile. The implication actually made Jimmy happy, something that didn't happen when the touchy subject of children was brought up. "What's so ridiculous about that?", she asked rhetorically. "He could definitely pass for ours".
"Ya think?", Jimmy wondered out loud, again studying the little boy, who was now standing only a few feet away. "Maybe. But I've always pictured our kids with a little lighter skin, and...definitely with your blue eyes".
Ashley felt her throat constrict and her eyes well up. "You-you've pictured our kids?", she gasped, lovingly reaching out for his hands.
Embarrassment clutched Jimmy. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, focusing on their clasped hands, so he wouldn't have to meet Ashley's gaze. "I, um...sometimes. I mean...I...".
"I thought I was the only one", she whispered sincerely, before he had a chance to finish.
Jimmy wasn't sure if he had heard Ashley right, until he slowly lifted his eyes to find hers. She was serious...as if the prospect of the possible difficulties they may have to contend with, wasn't even an issue.
In this moment of pure, unconditional love, the two silently leaned into one another, meeting at the lips. The heated kiss only lasted a few seconds, before giggles and chuckles could be heard. Breaking apart in flushed awkwardness, they turned to see the crowd not laughing at them, but at the little boy in front of them, trying desperately to hold onto the diaper who's strained tabs had finally broken.
Ashley jumped off the bench she was sitting on and rescued the baby, just as the heavy diaper fell from his grasp. She quickly disposed of the water-logged receptacle, before handing the now naked baby to Jimmy.
Covering his lap from the exposed toddler with the picnic blanket, Jimmy waited as Ashley checked the wear-ability of Ryan's clothes. "They're still soaked", she groaned, then reached for the diaper bag. After a preliminary search, Ashley came up with a few items. "This is all he's got", she added, showing Jimmy the fresh diaper, onsie t-shirt, footie pajama set, and pair of heavy sweatpants.
Jimmy grabbed the first two, then carefully laid Ryan onto the blanket he'd set on the bench seat, in preparation to dress him, while Ashley repacked the bag she had just disassembled. A small bottle caught her attention, and she turned it to read the label, "Oh my God, Jimmy...", she gasped, then looked at the baby's flushed, cherubic cheeks. In her inclination to make sure Jimmy was out of the direct rays of the hot sun, Ashley overlooked a very important detail in the care of a baby's delicate skin. She looked guiltily from the pink hue that now covered Ryan's arms and upper chest, to Jimmy's waiting face, "...I forgot the sunscreen".
Yes, I'm bringing some 'real life' experiences to this story. I've made the mistake of underestimating the power of sunshine a few times when babysitting...with my own skin too! As far as the characters/story goes, I was torn between what to name Liberty's baby. I jumped back and forth from J.T. jr, to T.J., a little play on letters, but ultimately settling on Ryan(after Ryan Cooley, of course), because I'm pretty sure Liberty left the naming of the baby, to the adoptive family.
Thanks for reading!
Degrassi is not mine.
