Parallel Lives Chapter 35
Beth moaned as Daryl thrust into her, sliding her up and down the shower wall. Beth clutched at his hair and pulled his head back so she could kiss him. Daryl stilled his movements and gripped her thighs and lifted her up off of him to stop himself from coming inside of her. Beth whined as he placed her on the floor.
"You got to stop jumping me in shower." Daryl said turning off the water and pulling her out the door he lifted her and sat her on the counter and reached behind her into the medicine cabinet and pulled out a condom. He ripped it open and slid it on. Beth slid off the counter and turned around and leaned over the sink.
"Like this." She said lifting one knee to the counter and bracing her hands on the back of the counter. Daryl gripped her hips and moved back into her. Beth arched her back and moved one of her hands to hold onto Daryl wrist. "Don't stop, I'm so close." Beth whispered. Daryl leaned down and bit at her shoulders and the back of her neck. Beth reached behind her and looped her arms around neck and cried out as Daryl moved his hands up and gently squeezed her breasts. She clenched hard around him and dropped her head forward. Daryl slowed down and let Beth catch her breath. Beth pushed back against him and let him slip from her before turning them around so Daryl was leaning against the counter she turned in his arms and kissed him deeply before reaching down and pulling off the condom and dropping to her knees and taking him in her mouth. "I know you hate the condoms." She said looking back up at him as she worked her hand up and down.
"They're only till you've been on back on the pill for a bit." Daryl said smoothing her hair back from her face. Beth moved her mouth back to him and let him move her at the pace he needed. Daryl groaned as he came as Beth swallowed around him. He pulled Beth back up to her feet and ran his thumb over her lips. "I want to skip work and bury my face in you." Beth smiled and started to pull him towards the bedroom only to be greeted by cry from the basinet at the end of their bed. Davey quickly started to get louder as Beth pulled on her robe and walked over to him.
"I guess you'll just have to bury your face in me after work." Beth said smiling and picking the baby up. "Good morning Baby Boy." Beth said carrying him out their room and into his nursery. "Let's get you changed and dressed!" Beth said laying him down and quickly stripping his sleeper off and changing him. Davey continued to fuss and squirm. "I know you're hungry. We'll go rock on the swing as soon as I get you dressed." Beth said sliding on his socks and another little knit hat. She lifted him back to her shoulder and walked through her bedroom grabbing a blanket from the end of her bed and making her way to her swing. Daryl dressed for work before joining them on the swing.
"Not too sure how I feel about you swinging naked on the porch." He said watching as Davey pushed the other side of her robe open. Daryl reached over and pulled it over her chest.
"He doesn't mean to do it." Beth said smiling down at the baby. "We love the swing." She added reaching over with her free hand and placing it over Daryl's. "I couldn't make him wait while I got dressed. He was crying." Beth said.
"Won't hurt him to cry a bit." Daryl said. "You want to go to breakfast today?" Daryl asked as the baby kicked her robe open again. Beth switched sides and tucked her robe around the baby as he nursed so it would stay closed.
"Family breakfast? Does that sound good baby?" Beth asked. "You got a date." She told Daryl. "Are we going to make you late to work though?"
"I thought I was taking you to your appointment this morning? Aren't I taking the baby for an hour?"
"I forgot about that." Beth said looking down at the baby. "I don't want to leave him. Will you just come with me to the appointment? There's a waiting room." Beth asked hopefully.
"I was going to take the baby to the garage after I dropped you off." Daryl said taking the bay from Beth once Davey had popped her breast from his mouth so she could go get dressed. "Are you going to pump some milk just in case?"
"I did yesterday, can you add the bottles to the diaper bag while I dress?" Beth asked hanging her robe back up and pulling an outfit out of the closet.
"Bottles?" Daryl asked as he placed the baby in his car seat and made his way to the kitchen. "You think he's going to need four bottles? You said you'd be an hour and a half tops." Daryl said sliding the bottles into the ends of the diaper bag.
"What if he's hungry Daryl? I don't know how much he drinks when he nurses." Beth said from the bathroom as she took a quick rinse.
"I don't think he drinks 32 ounces." Daryl said making his way back to the bedroom to watch as Beth got ready. "I told Dale I'd be in after lunch. I'm going to work from 1:00pm to 9:00pm." Beth caught his eye in the mirror. "You going to be ok alone till then?"
"I won't be alone, I told you. Jax's wants me to watch his kids. He doesn't want to leave them with his mother anymore." Beth said as she put on her makeup. "You said it was ok for me to watch them here."
"I didn't know you were starting right away." Daryl said as she brushed out her hair. "So it's going to be you and three boys under the age of 4?"
"Yep. They're both potty trained though, and Davey still sleeps for 16 hours a day. I'll be ok. Rick said Lori wants to go back to work part time, I think I'll be watching Judy too. I was going to charge $175 per week a kid. Do you think that's too much?"
'What do they charge at daycare? We don't need the money. It's going to fuck up our taxes. You're still getting paid for your maternity leave."
"I'm getting paid in cash under the table. I told them I couldn't provide receipts until I was off my maternity leave and on an unpaid leave." Beth said. "Jax was fine with it and so was Rick." Beth said walking back into the bedroom and pulling on a clean pair of panties and struggling into her bra.
"Why aren't you buying new bras?"" Daryl asked as she sat on the bed to pull on her jeans.
"Waste of money. I only wear bras when we go out and my boobs will shrink down once I stop nursing." Beth said pulling on one of Daryl's t-shirts.
"Whatever you say." Daryl said picking up the car seat and following Beth through the house to the garage. "Why are you wearing my clothes to go out?"
"They're looser around my stomach." Beth said grabbing her sweater, the diaper bag and an extra baby blanket. "You'll keep his head covered and make sure the guys don't let him suck on their dirty fingers right?" Beth asked as Daryl loaded the car seat in the back of the car. "And don't let then use the blow torch or any really loud tools near him." Beth said. "Maybe Dale and Tyreese should just be the ones to meet him, and they could come out to the truck." Beth said turning over and reaching over the front seat to run her hand over the baby's head.
"I'll make sure he's alright." Daryl said. "Look I even brought the clip incase he spits his soother out. He'll probably sleep the whole time you're gone." Daryl said climbing in the truck and pushing Beth gently into the passenger seat so she'd buckle up and turn around. "I got my phone, you yours. You can call to check on him and I can call you."
"I know, but I haven't ever not been in the same place as him since he's been born." Beth said. "What if he thinks I'm abandoning him?"
"I don't think he has the brain capacity to remember that." Daryl said. "Like you said he sleeps 16 hours a day, and he's going to be in the truck he loves to take naps in the car." Beth nodded and looked over her shoulder. "He'll be fine. You deserve a spa day."
"You could come too. Get a massage. Baby could sleep in his seat while we relax." Beth said.
"I only like massages from you." Daryl said as he pulled into the diner parking lot. "Come on, let's let Jacqui and Carol get their hands on him." Beth hopped out through the driver's door and let Daryl hand her the baby from the car seat while he carried the diaper bag and got the stroller out from the back of the truck and folded it open. Daryl laid the extra blanket down before Beth settled the baby into the stroller and pushed him into the diner.
"Look at those cheeks." Jacqui said holding the door open so Beth could push the stroller though the doors. "You look great Beth. I can't believe you had a baby in February."
"I still got a little weight to lose but I'm starting to feel like myself." Beth said pushing her hair over her shoulder. "Getting out more. He's such a good baby."
"He letting you guys get some sleep?" Jacqui asked leading them to a table and pulling another one out of the way so Beth could pull the stroller close to her.
"He'll sleep for 5-6 hours straight, then he and I nap after his morning feeding till around 10am." Beth said. "We tried to get him to take a bottle a few times so Daryl could feed him before he goes to work but he's not really interested in bottles."
"And?" Daryl said sitting down.
"And I have no interest in letting him fuss more than 5 seconds." Beth admitted.
"Make sure he's against your chest Daryl. Try feeding him before you put your shirt on. He's used to skin to skin contact with Beth." Carol said as she brought over coffee and tea.
"I'll give it a try again." Daryl said. "Beth's going to the spa, but they baby will probably sleep through it. I'm taking him to see Dale and Tyreese."
"You should just stay here and hang out with us." Carol said. "It's nice and quiet today. Call Dale and Ty, they can come over. We'll watch the baby while you drop Beth off."
"Absolutely not. I'm not leaving him unless Daryl is here." Beth said. "I'm barely ready to leave him with Daryl. Maggie offered to come watch him next month for our anniversary but I'm not even sure I'll allow that. He and Maggie can come with us to and sit a few tales away."
"Sugar he'll be fine without you for a bit. You need some you time." Jacqui said. "And more than just a shower or a trip to the bathroom." Beth blushed.
"She takes him to the bathroom with her. He sits in his little bouncy chair while she pees or showers or he gets in the tub with her. " Daryl said. "She'll let him sleep in his basinet sometimes, but usually only if I'm in bed sleeping close by. Baby is still sleeping in our room."
"I told you I'd try once he's 3 months old." Beth said. "He's only 2 months and 27 days. I get 4 more days." Beth said ordering a fruit plate and bacon. "You don't understand, when he cries too hard I lactate." She explained.
"All first time mothers are reluctant to leave their babies, you'll get there." Jacqui said patting Beth on the shoulder before leaving to go start their order. Carol smiled and moved on to greet a few more customers that had arrived.
"We don't have to go out for our anniversary." Daryl said. "I just thought we had agreed to go back to where we ate in Atlanta when we got married.
"We did and we will. It's just going to be hard." Beth said sipping her tea. "I don't know how you go to work every day."
"Got to start saving. I got a feeling he's going to be a big eater." Daryl said with a laugh. Beth smacked him on the arm.
"You're going to give him a complex. I'll just plant a bigger garden this year and grow all his veggies. It can be a project I do with the kids I'm watching." Beth added. "I need to stop by the dollar store and buy come crayons and craft supplies. I don't really have toys for older kids, but Jax said he'd make sure Thomas and Abel brought a few things. Thank God for Netflix. If I get overwhelmed I'll just turn on some kids movies."
"He's not going to get a complex. The books all said that once he's mobile he'll lose some of his chub. He's already lifting his head and trying to push himself up when he's on his belly."
"He doesn't like being on his tummy." Beth said. "I have to turn the timer on to make sure that I leave him on it for 20 minutes a day." Daryl rolled his eyes.
"Here you guys go." Carol said dropping off their plates. "Let me know if you need anything else." Beth smiled and picked up a piece of bacon.
"It's so good." She moaned finishing off the slice and pulling her plate of sliced fruit in front of her. "I wish everything tasted like bacon." She offered some fruit to Daryl and he forked a few pieces of watermelon on his plate.
"You should make it more often at home if you like it that much." Daryl said as he cut up his steak. Beth shook her head and moved the stroller back and forth with her foot as she focused on finishing up her fruit.
"It wouldn't be a treat if I made it all the time. " Beth said with a smile offering him some of her bacon. 'I already make us BLTs and bacon mac and cheese, I don't want to be fat for ever." Daryl gave her a look and offered her some of his home fries. "Thanks." She said leaning forward and taking a bite off his fork.
"We better get you over to Amy." Daryl said as he started eating faster. Beth looked down at her phone and placed her hand over his.
"We got time, no need to rush." She said with a smile.
"I'm done. We can head out." Daryl said as he shoved the last of his food in his mouth and walked towards the cash register while he chewed. Beth smiled and pushed the stroller after him. "Thanks guys." Daryl said tossing 2 twenties on the counter and working his way to the door to hold it open while Beth pushed the stroller through. Davey started to stir. "Let's get him in the car." Daryl said leading her through the parking lot.
"Sweet boy what's wrong?" Beth asked as she picked him up from the stroller so Daryl could fold it and put it in the back of the truck. Davey settled against her shoulder and smiled into her neck. Daryl smirked at his son.
"Nothing's wrong. He knows if he complains you'll soothe him." Daryl said taking the baby from Beth and settling him into his car seat. Beth climbed into her seat and hummed while Daryl walked around to the driver's side. "He'll be asleep again before we even get to the beauty parlor." Daryl said as he backed out of his spot and pulled out of the parking lot.
"I think you'd let me baby him a lot more if he had been a girl." Beth teased.
"I probably would." Daryl admitted with a smile. "Specially if she looked like you."
"Well you know why I like to baby Davey so much right? He's your spitting image and you don't let me baby you at all." Beth said reaching over and pushing back his hair.
"Don't need to be babied." Daryl said trying to hide his smile. "You'll call when you're done?" He asked as he pulled up to the front of the spa. "I came by and paid Amy yesterday, you just need to take your phone and money if you tip. I wasn't sure if you tipped here." Beth smiled and pulled some cash from her wallet and stuffed it in her pocket. She leaned across the seat and kissed Daryl goodbye before leaning over the seat and hitting Daryl with her ass as she kissed the top of the baby's head repeatedly until Daryl pulled her out of the car and pushed her towards the entrance.
"Don't you let him cry." Beth said rushing back towards the truck. Daryl quickly hit the door lock button and climbed into the driver's seat. He rolled his window down and handed her phone. "Come on Daryl let me in! One more kiss."
"You can cuddle and kiss him in an hour or two." Daryl said as he pulled away. "See you later." Beth stomped her feet and walked towards the entrance.
"He left me and took my baby." She said as soon as she walked in the door. Tara came over and sat her down and handed her a glass of spa water.
"He warned us you might be like this." Amy said patting her on the shoulders. "Come on let's get started." Amy quickly led her to the back and started her waxing. "You decide on what you want for your nails?"
"French manicure on my nails for sure. I don't even know for my toes. Maybe baby blue." Amy smiled and pulled a bottle from her pocket.
"I knew you'd want blue toes." Amy said with a smile as she continued waxing. "You have a hickey on your bikini line." Amy said as she finished up and helped Beth over to the foot Jacuzzi to soak her feet while she worked on her nails. "I guess your back on the bike?"
"Finally." Beth said as Amy filed her nails. "Longest 3 months of my life." Amy laughed. "You don't understand. Daryl does all this stuff around the house and when he was putting baby stuff together his muscles would flex and bulge and I'd be stuck in a chair unable to get up and do anything."
"I'm sure you walking around with those hanging out weren't easy on him either." Amy said. "What's he doing today?"
"He's watching the baby till I'm done here, then taking me shopping then working from till 9pm. I hope Davey's not giving him a hard time."
"Dixon can't you get him to him to shut up?" Martinez asked leaving the lunchroom.
"I'm trying man. Beth would have come over and taken him by now, I've never got this far." Daryl said arranging the baby on his shoulder and patting his back. Tyreese rolled his eyes and took the bottle they were heating up and checked to make sure it was a good temperature before reaching over taking Davey from Daryl and swooping him in close to his chest and sliding the bottle into his mouth. Davey whimpered around the nipple for a few seconds before he started to nurse.
"You got to say calm. Baby's knows if you're nervous." Tyreese said easing the baby back into Daryl's arms. "Keep the blanket that smells like Beth around him. He'll be asleep in no time." Daryl sat back down next to Dale and tried not to breath too loudly in case he disturbed the baby.
"I suck at this." Daryl said. "I really thought I'd be able to handle him for an hour."
"Daryl you'll know what to do next time." Tyreese said. "You're the youngest kid, never been around babies. You're learning as you go. I got to practice on a younger sister."
"I don't really want to fuck up my kid learning." Daryl said. Davey grunted against him and Daryl lifted him to his shoulder. "Beth's already great at everything. The baby stops crying as soon as she picks him up."
"Of course he does. He's spent 8 months listening to her talk to him and 24/7 with her since he came into this world." Dale said. "You should be glad she's so great with him. My wife went through depression after giving birth. Couldn't stand being in the same room as our kids for their first few months."
"I just wish it came a little easier." Daryl said easing Davey back into his car seat. "I'm going to head out. Beth should be done soon." Daryl said moving towards the door. His phone started to play Songbird. "Yeah? I'm on the way. Of course he's fine. He even drank one of his bottles." Daryl said hanging up the phone. "Not one word to Beth." He said to Dale and Tyreese. Davey whimpered on their way down the stairs and out to the truck. "We're going to get your Momma, you don't make her feel guilty now." Daryl said loading him into the back seat. Davey's lip trembled as he looked around. "Here." Daryl said placing the soother in his mouth. Davey took the soother and stared at Daryl as he tightened the seatbelt. Daryl climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the radio. "I know it's not as good as you're used to but it's not too bad right?" He said talking to the baby as he drove the short distance to the spa. Davey continued to gurgle and shriek at him, but it didn't exactly sound like he was afraid or upset. Daryl pulled up and found Beth pacing around in front of door. She ran to the truck and pulled open the door as soon as he flicked the locks and climbed into the back with the baby.
"Oh my sweet boy! I missed you!" Beth cooed as she buckled up. "I'm so glad you were a good boy for Daddy!" Beth said leaning over and kissing his cheeks and forehead. She eased the soother back into his mouth and started humming him to sleep. "Thank you for convincing me to go." Beth said over the seat. "Thanks for adding a massage too."
"I figured you could use one." Daryl said eyeing her in the rearview mirror as he pulled up to a Target. "Too far to get to the dollar store. Figured we could stop here for the art stuff you wanted." He said getting out of the truck and unloading the stroller again. Davey slept on as Beth eased him from his car seat and into the stroller.
"I'll be quick." Beth promised letting Daryl push the baby towards the store. She quickly led him to the art supplies and grabbed a few pads of paper, coloring books and huge pack of 94 crayons. She lead Daryl through the baby section and picked out a few little outfits for Davey before finally making her way to the cash to pay.
"What time are you supposed to be babysitting at?" Daryl asked as he pushed the stroller with one hand and carried their bags with the other.
"From around 1:00pm to 7:00pm I think. Jax just has to go see a lawyer about Tara insurance and make a few funeral plans." Beth said. "He doesn't want to have to take the boys to all that and to the funeral too. It's more important that they get to say good-bye at the funeral." Beth said lifting the baby to the back and strapping him in. "When did he eat?"
"Right before we came to get you. He should be out for another 3 hours." Daryl said as he made his way around the truck and opened her door and helped her into the truck. Beth smiled as he made his way around and into the truck.
"And we have about an hour and a half before you have to leave for work?" Beth asked as he started for home.
"Yeah about that." Daryl said clicking the radio off.
"So maybe you do have time to bury your face in me before you go to work?" Beth asked hopefully.
"Can probably work that into my schedule." Daryl said with a smirk. "As long as the boss stays content." He said nodding towards the baby.