"Sophie," Jade cooed, greeting the baby on the blanket next to her. The two had been in the backyard, enjoying the spring weather as Jade worked feverishly on yet another term paper. Sophie had thankfully been in a fairly good mood that morning, making it easy for Jade to focus on finishing the last few pages of the assignment while attempting to keep the baby girl entertained. Most days, Jade realized how difficult it was to raise a baby while finishing school and she was thankful that this hadn't proved to be one of those days.
"Hi, baby girl," Jade continued, smiling when Sophie finally looked over. She looked up at the woman with her big brown eyes and smiled back, revealing her two front teeth.
"You hanging in there?" she asked and laughed as Sophie squealed with delight, excited by the familiar voice. "I'll take that as a yes."
Sophie babbled on and watched as Jade continued typing away. She found it amusing for whatever reason, probably due to the light of the screen, and sat, mesmerized. It wasn't long before Jade turned her attention back to Sophie, worried by the sudden silence, when she noticed the baby girl staring intently at Jade's phone lying beside her. She glanced over at it too, noticing the now-lit screen and smiled as she answered the call.
"Hey, babe," she greeted, sitting up from her spot on the blanket.
"How are my two favorite girls?"
"Hold on a sec," Jade answered, putting the call on speaker before pulling Sophie into her lap. The baby girl giggled when Jade began to scratch her stomach and Beck let out a laugh.
"She sounds pretty energetic. Are you having a hard time finishing your paper?"
"She's fine," she assured him, causing Beck to sigh with relief. "And I'm almost finished, actually."
"Well that makes me feel better," he admitted and Jade smiled when Sophie reached for the phone.
"Someone wants to say hi to you."
"Hi, princess," Beck greeted. She smiled at his voice and tried to answer, babbling something in response.
"She misses you," Jade told him and she heard Beck sigh on the other end.
"I'll be off soon," he promised, and Jade didn't know which one of them he was talking to. "I'm going to run by the store before I come home, but it shouldn't take long.
"We just went to the store," Jade reminded him, and she grew suspicious at the silence on the other end. "What're you up to, Oliver?"
"I'm just picking something up for Sophie-a surprise."
"O-okay?" she answered, seeming skeptical.
"Trust me, babe. She'll like it."
Jade just sighed, knowing that he was probably up to no good. "Just…don't take too long."
"I won't," he assured her, "I promise. But I have to go. I love you."
"I know," she answered and looked down at Sophie after ending the call. "He's definitely up to something."
"You think so too, huh?" she asked when Sophie looked up at her with a smile. The little girl just giggled as she kept looking into Jade's eyes, but her giggles came to a halt when the brim of her hat fell over her eyes; she could no longer see Jade, and she let out a cry of frustration. The woman picked up on this and quickly but gently flipped back the brim, only to expose a very surprised-looking Sophie. The facial expression was priceless, and Jade couldn't help but laugh. Sophie eventually joined in on the laughter, although seeming a bit scared at first, and let out a squeal as Jade showered her with kisses.
"I love you, Sophie Boo," she told her and she smiled as she watched Sophie slyly cover her face with her hat.
"Sophie," Jade cooed before tipping back her hat, causing Sophie to squeal. It was hard to tell who was entertaining who, and they continued to play for another half hour or so until Jade noticed a tiny yawn escape Sophie's mouth.
"Are you tired, baby girl?"
Sophie yawned again before laying her head against Jade's chest, prompting her to remove the little girl's sun hat. She sighed as she rubbed up and down Sophie's back and caught a glimpse of her watch, noticing that it was already four o'clock. Even though it was a bit late for Sophie's nap, and Jade knew that Sophie would most likely be up late, she didn't want to deal with a tired, upset baby- Sophie was still a bit fussy due to her teething.
"Come on, Soph. Let's get you inside," she whispered, kissing the top of Sophie's head before making her way into the house. After setting her in the playpen and cleaning up their mess from outside, Jade smiled at the sight of an already fast-asleep Sophie before sitting at the table to finish her paper and before long, start on dinner. Sophie seemed to sleep well enough for a couple of hours, but she began to fuss as Jade finished cooking. Jade held her breath, hoping that it was only the noise that had startled her and that she would fall back asleep. It wasn't long though until she could hear Sophie crying from the other room and she quickly dumped a pile of diced vegetables into the pan before running into the living room to get to Sophie. She noticed her struggling to sit up which only fueled her frustration, causing her to cry even more.
"What's the matter?" Jade asked, scooping her up into her arms. Sophie just looked up at Jade with big, glistening eyes and held onto her cheeks; she knew what was wrong.
"I know, baby girl," she cooed, bouncing her as she made her way into the kitchen. She whipped open the freezer and after fumbling around, she handed a teething ring over to Sophie, much to her delight. The baby girl shoved the cool ring into her mouth and laid her little head on Jade's shoulder, causing her to sigh. She hoped that Beck would be home soon, as it was difficult to make dinner with Sophie in the mood that she was in.
"Okay, Soph. Mama has to finish up dinner," she whispered to her, walking back into the living room. She put Sophie back in her playpen, much to her dismay, and the little girl's eyes welled up with fresh tears as Jade turned back to the kitchen. It wasn't long until she began to cry, and Jade found herself trying to soothe her while she finished up in the kitchen. She knew that Sophie couldn't help it, but she was beginning to grow frustrated.
"I'm almost done," she reassured her, but Sophie was still upset. She turned off the stove with a sigh and walked back over to Sophie, picking her up and holding her tight. "Shhh, baby girl. It's alright."
Sophie buried her face into the crook of Jade's neck and snuggled into her embrace, but she was still upset. No amount kisses or reassuring words from Jade could appease the baby girl, and so when Beck finally walked through the front door, Jade let out a sigh of relief.
"Sophie," Beck sighed, making his way over to her. "What's the matter, princess?"
"Her teeth have been bothering her, and she hasn't really slept much today," Jade answered and she watched as Beck kissed Sophie's tear-stained cheek.
"Do you want me to take her?"
She nodded and handed the baby over to Beck, smiling softly when she clung to him. "I told you she missed you."
"Has she been like this all day?"
"Actually, no. She woke up about a half an hour ago, and has been upset ever since."
"And you were able to cook dinner?"
"And finish my paper," Jaded added, smirking when Beck looked at her, amazed.
"How the hell do you do it?"
Jade shrugged. "I'm just that good."
Beck just rolled his eyes before setting a now sleeping Sophie back in the playpen. He stood up and turned back to his wife, noticing the expectant look on her face. "Am I in trouble?"
"I don't know, you tell me," she answered, and Beck gave her a quizzical look.
"What did you get at the store?"
"You'll see," he smiled, causing Jade to eye him suspiciously.
"So help me God, Beck, if you got a dog-"
"I didn't," he interrupted.
"Then what-"
Jade was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell and Beck ran across the room to let in his guests. He knew that Jade wouldn't be too thrilled, especially with the mood that Sophie had left her in, but he figured that he could use the help.
"What the hell are they doing here?" she asked, watching as Robbie Shapiro and Andre Harris followed Beck into the living room.
"It's nice to see you too, Jade," Andre answered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Beck, I'm giving you one last chance to tell me what's going on," Jade threatened but he just wrapped his arms around her, kissing her sweetly.
"Nothing that you need to worry about," he assured her, "we have it completely under control. Just relax, have a glass of wine. You could use one after today."
Jade sighed, but eventually agreed with her husband. She did feel a bit uptight after the day that she had, and she knew that a glass of wine would help her to unwind. If she was lucky enough, it might even help her fall asleep. For Beck's sake, it would hopefully take her edge off enough by the time his little project was finished- he didn't want her to be upset.
"I'll just be in here, I guess."
"Andre, take that side and slide it over here, would you?" Beck asked his friend. Andre simply nodded and did as he was told, handing the piece over. After securing the piece with his own, he sat down next to Robbie to help him sort through pieces, matching them to the pictures in the instructions.
"How's it coming, Rob?"
"This is a lot harder than you think," he sighed.
Beck ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how they would start putting it together. It didn't seem so bad at first thought- he figured that between the three of them, they could knock it out within an hour, two tops. He didn't realize how difficult it would actually be and he felt his masculinity being put to shame.
"You really think the three of us can pull this off?" Andre asked, almost as if reading Beck's mind. "You and I- we're not exactly the most handy. And then there's Robbie…"
"Hey!" Robbie interjected.
"No offense, Rob."
Robbie just sighed and shrugged, realizing that he was probably right. He did have a tendency to screw up a lot of projects.
"He's got a point," Beck chimed in. "Do you remember what happened in high school? When we tried to fix the window to Carl Gibbons- Mrs. Valentine's boss's house? We did more damage than repair. You did more damage than repair."
"We've got five more years of experience under our belts."
"Let's hope you're right," Beck chuckled before turning back to his work.
"So how long do you think this is going to take?" Andre asked, and Beck looked at him questioningly.
"You got a date tonight?"
"No," he sulked. "Tori has family in town, so I won't see her for a couple of days."
"Looks like we have all night," Robbie teased.
"For Beck's sake, and our own, this better not take all night."
"It won't," Beck assured them, connecting a few of the foreign pieces.
"I'd give it a solid two hours before Jade starts getting suspicious."
"Oh, I'd give it less than that," he sighed, knowing that she already was.
The three worked for the next hour, hammering and drilling pieces together while making conversation. The project was really beginning to come together and when it was starting to take shape, Beck finally set down his tools. He wiped his brow and looked over at his friends, watching as they set down the section that they were working on.
"I'll be right back," he announced before going inside to check on Sophie and Jade, who sat half-asleep on the couch. He smiled to himself, happy that she was relaxed and almost asleep- she needed the rest.
"I thought we could use a drink ourselves," he told his friends, rejoining them outside and handing out a few cold beers that he had snagged.
"Is this really practical?"
"I can drink yours if you don't feel up to it," Beck teased his curly-haired friend.
"No, not that," he responded, taking a swig from the bottle.
"He means this," Andre clarified, gesturing to the mess in the backyard. "Don't you think Sophie's a little too young? What is she, four months old?"
"Five next week. She can enjoy some of it now, and the rest when she's older and a bit more mobile."
"You mean you can enjoy it now?" Andre teased, causing Beck to laugh.
"Maybe."
"And Jade's not going to mind all of this, huh?"
"Three months ago she would have," Beck answered and Andre raised his eyebrow, confused.
"Cat told me that Jade's changed. A lot," Robbie piped in, leaning against the porch railing.
Beck smiled. "She has. She's a lot softer when she's with Sophie and she's so protective of her. I've never seen her so in love with something, especially a baby."
Andre was completely baffled- he couldn't believe it. "Jade West? As in 'Jade With Tots,' Jade West?"
Beck nodded proudly and Andre's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, I'll be damned."
After their drinks were finished, Beck offered to take the empty bottles inside. He noticed that dinner was still on the stove as he set the bottles in the sink and decided to put it in the fridge, feeling bad- after what Jade went through while trying to make it, he hoped that it hadn't spoiled. When he finished cleaning up the kitchen, he noticed Jade fast asleep on the couch and chuckled as he placed her Pearpad on the coffee table. He grabbed the throw blanket at the end of the couch and pulled it over her before kissing her forehead. As he whispered a "goodnight," he heard a small noise coming from the center of the room, and he looked over to see Sophie wide awake.
"Well hello, Sophie," he greeted and she smiled at him, seemingly in a better mood. "Come on, baby girl. Let's go outside."
Andre and Robbie both smiled at their friend when he made his way through the back door, and Andre decided to approach the two. "You must be Sophie," he greeted, smiling at her. Sophie looked over at Andre before giving him a small smile- she was shy.
"It's alright, Soph," Beck encouraged, not wanting her to be afraid.
"Hi, cutie," Robbie spoke up, making his way over. Despite being in Beck's arms, Sophie still seemed shy and he scratched her stomach, earning a wide smile. "There you go," he cooed, kissing her forehead. She snuggled into Beck's arms when he reclaimed his spot on the grass, and although he absolutely adored it, it made it difficult to continue working.
"Andre, will you take her for a second?" he asked. "I need to screw this in."
Andre nodded, prompting Beck to hand the baby over. When she was settled in Andre's arms, she curiously looked up at the unfamiliar face, a scared look on her face. "What's up, baby girl?" he greeted and Sophie smiled up at him, no longer seeming as nervous. She continued to sit, content, in his lap while she watched Robbie and Beck clean up the mess in the backyard; after a solid three- almost four- hours, they had finally finished.
"What do you think, Sophie?" Andre whispered, laughing at the somewhat confused look on her face.
"Alright, bring her over," Beck spoke up from across the yard and Andre made his way over, handing her to Beck. He carefully placed her in the baby swing that was situated in the middle of the structure and gave her a gentle push, smiling when her eyes went wide with surprise.
"I can't believe we actually pulled this off," Andre admitted.
"And without a single injury," Beck teased, gesturing to Robbie.
"Hey! Like I said, it was five years ago."
The other two friends just shook their heads and turned their attention back to Sophie, watching as a smile began to spread across her face. Within a few minutes, she began squealing with delight, causing all three men to smile.
"Sounds like someone likes it," Andre laughed as he listened to Sophie's giggles.
"I knew she would, and she can grow into the rest of it."
"This thing's huge for a little girl, I don't think she'll ever grow into it," Robbie spoke up, adding in his two cents.
"Well, hopefully in a few years she'll have some siblings to play around with."
Andre looked at him, noticing the smile present on his friend's face. "You serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Look at you, talking about having kids of your own. My boy's growing up."
"Jade's all for it?" Robbie asked, and Beck's smile fell.
"I'm not so sure. Whenever I've brought it up, especially when I would joke about it in high school, she seemed skeptical about it and was quick to shoot it down. But after the whole Sophie situation, she does seem a lot more…pro children, if you will."
"Damn, she really has changed," Andre marveled, causing Beck's smile to return.
"That she has."
"What the hell did you guys do?" Jade asked, stepping off of the back porch. With all three of them with their backs to the door, they didn't even realize Jade's appearance. They were all too enthralled with Sophie.
"I think it's pretty obvious what we-" Robbie tried to answer, but Jade tossed him a look, effectively cutting him off.
"Jokes aside," Beck spoke up, wrapping his arm around her waist, "we built Sophie a play structure.
"She's five months old, Beck."
"True, but look how much fun she's having."
Jade looked over at Sophie sitting happily in her little swing. Although she wished that he would've talked to her about it first, it did seem to make Sophie happy, so she couldn't be upset with that.
"I know it seems big for her now, but she can grow into it," Beck added.
"Yeah, and within a few years you might have a couple of more kids that could put this to use," Robbie said and Beck let out a sigh, waiting for Jade's reaction.
"Dude."
"What?" Robbie asked, turning to face his other friend. "Beck said it."
Jade frowned before looking up at Beck. "We've talked about this."
"I know, babe," he told her, and he kissed her sweetly, hoping to alleviate her discomfort.
"Keep that up and you'll have a brood of little Olivers running around," Robbie teased, earning an elbow to the ribs.
"What was that for?" he sulked, rubbing his side. He didn't understand what was so wrong.
"For putting your foot in your mouth," Andre answered. "Twice."
"I didn't mean anything by it."
Beck, noticing how uncomfortable Jade seemed, exchanged glances with Andre and he finally got the idea- get Robbie out of there.
"And on that note…"
"Thanks again, guys. Sophie really loves it."
Andre smiled. "Anything for the little miss."
After showing their friends out, Beck walked back out into the backyard, where he caught sight of Jade sitting on the swing next to Sophie. She looked up at him through a small scowl, and Beck thought that he had it coming.
"Thanks for telling me you had her. I nearly had a heart attack when I woke up and noticed she was gone."
"You were asleep," Beck defended. "I didn't mean to worry you, but she was awake and I didn't want to bother you."
Jade seemed satisfied enough by his reasoning, and stood up from her swing to join him. "So who'd you hire to help you guys?"
"No one," Beck answered honestly, "and I'm a bit hurt by your lack of faith; we knew what we were doing."
"So you put this together in a few hours, cleaned up the kitchen and took care of Sophie?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Wow," Jade praised him, but then let out a sigh, not being able to avoid the elephant in the room any longer. "Look, about what Robbie said-"
"Don't worry about it, babe. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable- I know how you feel about adding to the family."
Jade looked up at her husband, feeling guilty hearing the dejected tone in his voice. Even though he did feel guilty, seeing how seemingly uncomfortable Jade had grown due to Robbie's comments, she could see the hopeful gleam in his eye that one day she would finally be willing to have children. She had been meaning to talk to him about it- to let him know that she was ready- yet for some reason she felt extremely nervous about it. But seeing how he interacted with Sophie only made her want to tell him that much more- she wanted to watch him interact with children of their own someday. She wanted to tell him- she had to tell him- and to her, the sooner the better.
I feel like I always say the same thing, but thank you guys for reading and for your reviews; they mean a lot and are really motivating :) I hope you like what you've read so far and continue to enjoy chapters to come. :)
