Logan took Eva back inside and sat down on the couch. What do I do now?
"So, What are you going to do?" asked Bling coming in after him. Logan gave him a look of annoyance and then just sighed.
"I don't know. I have no clue how to take care of a baby,"
"Lucky for you, I do."
Logan looked at him curiously, "How?"
"I'm the second-oldest in a family of five kids. I've helped with babies since I was eight,"
Logan stood up.
"What needs to be done?"
"Well first of all you need to check to see if she needs anything,"
"Wouldn't she be crying if she did?"
"Good point. Second of all, you need to go shopping."
Logan's mouth dropped.
"Shopping?"
"Yeah. You need a crib, diapers, clothes… the list goes on and on,"
Logan slowly exhaled. This baby's going to cost
me a fortune.
"Where do I get this stuff?"
"I don't know. Can't you use the informant net or somethin'?"
"That's for looking for clues and criminals, not the nearest Babies'r'us,"
Bling shrugged. "Well most women I know have a baby catalog somewhere."
"I don't want to go shopping with some woman I don't even know."
"Okay. What about Original Cindy?"
"She's a lesbian."
" So? You never know. And she is Max's best friend."
Logan thought for a moment and then nodded. He walked over to the phone and dialed. He called Jam Pony and had to suffer through Normal's annoying voice before he gave the phone to Original Cindy.
"Aiight. What's the dealio?"
"Hey Original, listen, I need your help."
"Yeah. With what, Boo?"
"Umm… Uh" how am I supposed to say this?
"With a baby." Logan explained
"A baby? You knocked up some ho didn't you? I thought I…"
"It's Max's baby, Original. And I need your help to take care of it."
"What? Just because Original Cindy's a female you think she knows how to look out for a shorty?"
"No…Yes, well, do you?"
"Yeah. It's just not right to assume. So what's little Bo's name?"
"Eva." He replied knowing all the weight that name carried. Manticore, freedom and survival are what it meant to Max. Just before she left she started talking a little about the escape and what lead up to it.
"Eva, Huh? Pretty name."
"Can you come over now?"
"Boo, Original Cindy got work to do and I'm savin' up my personal days."
"Please. For the baby, For Max,"
" Hmmm. Ok," Original Cindy replied, "You know what? That's the first time I heard you say her name since she left. So… I'll do it for you." Original Cindy smiled and hung up the phone.
* * * * * *
By the end of the night, Logan had already set up a crib, diapers, bottles etc. in his room for Eva. Bling and Original Cindy had been helping him take care of her for the day, but eventually they had to go home. Now that they were gone Logan faced his most difficult task of the day… getting through the night. His first task was changing Eva's diaper. Logan laid her down on the changing cover on his bed. Once Logan started to take off her diaper, Eva lifted her butt up.
Logan laughed, "You know I don't know what I'm doing. Don't you?"
"She was right. You are smart," he continued as he
threw the dirty diaper in the trash. For a moment, he started reminiscing about
Max and the events of the day. So much had happened and changed in such little
time it was all a blur. The only thing that stood out in his head with the look
on Max's face when he saw her from across the roof. Her pain and sorrow was so
evident in her eyes it scared him. He saw how much her soul had changed. A dark
cloud of agony encompassed her whole body and replaced the radiance that used
to vibrate off her. And…
"Oh, that stinks." Logan's thoughts were interrupted when his caught the smell of his daughter's poop. He found it very hard to wipe her butt without smelling her… waste products. When he looked back at Eva, she was smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back and then he put a fresh diaper on her. So now he had to get her to bed. Logan picked her up and walked over to the crib. He was about to put her in it when he hesitated. He shifted her so that they were eye level.
"You do sleep? Right?"
She moved her head to the right, and then left and then just smiled
"I'll take that as a yes."
He laid her down and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. When he was half way into taking his shirt off, Eva started complaining. He rushed to her and picked her up.
"You okay?" he asked as he rubbed her back. She quieted and Logan sat down. He held her until she fell asleep. He placed her in the crib and left to take his shower. When he got out, he felt good enough to pull up some "Eyes Only" files from the informant net. He worked until 4 o'clock and then finally fell asleep.
* * * * * *
Logan woke up when something hit his face. He looked down and saw a diaper. He looked up and saw his child jumping up and down laughing.
"This isn't funny, Eva." He said trying to sound serious, but his tone was drowned out by her laughter. He unwillingly got up and put her diaper in the trash while wiping the sleep out his eyes. He looked at the clock. 7:00 a.m. What is she doing up this early?
He picked her up and gave her a bath in the sink. After she was dressed, he put her in a swinger and "surveyed the damage". Apparently, when she took off her diaper she wasn't done pooping. There were greenish-brown clumps cascaded around the crib. He looked back at Eva.
"How could all that come out of you?" he wondered and went to his bathroom for a pair of gloves. He walked back to the crib and looked inside in disgust. She's going to be the death of me, he thought and started cleaning.
* * * * * *
2 weeks
later
Pow.
Pa-Pow.
Pow, Pow, Pow
Logan was punching at the bags at 12 p.m. While working out he finally had time to contemplate his feelings about… about everything.
She left.
First she leaves me in a bed by myself.
He punched the bag with a left and then a right hook.
Then
almost a year later she leaves me with a baby. Then tells me one of my children
is dead before I ever get to see him. My son.
He did two uppercuts and a right backhand.
And I
saw her. I saw the woman who changed and ruined my life, for a short second.
She locked eyes with me and ran away. She ran away after losing our son and
seeing me holding our daughter.
He did a series of punches to the stomach and left hook to the head.
Her
eyes. There was so much pain there. So much. And there was a twinkle of hope.
Why couldn't she hold on to that hope and let me ease her pain away? Why does
she need to keep me away?
He backed up and then punched again. This time he aimed higher and put more power in his punches.
It
should be the four of us. All together. But, No. Always independent. Doesn't
need anybody. And doesn't want help. Even from me. Her friend, her partner, her
lov… no. I loved her; she just had sex with me. One mistake the changed our
lives.
He punched harder.
The one perfect night leads to a lifetime of
wondering and pain. Max.
He punched straight into the bag.
Max!
He punched again
Why did you do this?
And he hit it again, harder.
Why?
"LOGAN!" Bling shouted.
The sound shook Logan from his thoughts and caused him to look to the other man. Suddenly Logan became aware of how hard he had worked and leaned on the bag for balance. Bling walked over to him.
"I've been calling you for the past five minutes. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was just," he took a needed breath, "focused"
Bling grabbed his wrist and looked at his sore, reddened and slightly bloody knuckles.
"Focused, huh?" Bling asked and let Logan's hand go, "Next time, use gloves."
He ignored the pain that Logan inflicted on himself. Bling was actually kind-of glad that Logan was finally letting his emotions out in some way, even though would be a lot better if he didn't hurt himself doing it. He went to a chair and sat down.
"So where's Eva?"
"With Original Cindy."
"Sure that's safe?"
"She wouldn't let anything happen her."
"I'm not talking about Eva. Is it safe for Original?"
Logan sat down and thought for a moment.
"She volunteered to take her for the day. She should know what she's getting into."
"Should being the important word."
* * * * * *
"Bip, bip, bip. Come on, you slackers, get moving," Normal ordered as Original Cindy walked in with a baby pack that carried Eva
"You see that man behind the desk?" Original Cindy asked Eva, "That's your average, money-grabbing, controlling, has no life businessman."
Original took off the baby pack and placed Eva on Normal's desk. Normal was taken back for a minute and then regained his composure.
"Get your offspring off my desk. This isn't a babysitting service." Normal stated. Original Cindy cocked her head to the side.
"Just because a child is in the area I'm gonna let that slide." She took Eva off the desk and put her in the baby pack on her back.
"Look, Normal…"
"And don't think you can slack off because of her."
"First, This ain't my baby, it's Max's. Now I'm still gonna work, but I'm not gonna go to some gangbangin' part of town wit' my Boo's shorty. Aiight."
Normal nodded.
"I understand. Here." Normal dumped a package in Original's arms, "Now bip, bip, bip."
"Arghh." Original Cindy complained as she went toward the lockers.
Sketchy was putting his things in his locker when he caught sight of Original Cindy.
"Hey Or…" He just realized she had a baby with her. He squinted his eyes in confusion and then laughed, "I thought you said you were a lesbian,"
Original rolled her eyes, "I am, idiot. This is Max's shorty."
"Max?" Herbal asked coming into view, "Where is dat girl? She disappeared."
"Yeah. Where is she?" Sketchy agreed.
Original Cindy let out a short sigh.
"I don't know. And she left the kid with the baby father. It's a long story." She concluded.
Sketchy went to Eva and let her take his finger.
"What's her… Ow!" Sketchy screamed.
"What is it, boo?"
"She bit me." he whined, shaking his hand. Original Cindy rolled her eyes.
"Herbal, take care of the baby."
"Don't run from responsibility, my sista," Herbal stated
"Not Eva, Sketchy. I've got a run to make. Peace." Original Cindy left Jam Pony.
* * * * * *
Knock, Knock
"Jam Pony messenger!" Original Cindy called. The door slowly opened to reveal an old woman.
"Hello. Is that my package?" she asked in a sweet voice.
Original Cindy smiled.
"Yes. Just signed here." Original gave her the clipboard, she signed it and gave it back.
"Here you go." Original Cindy gave her the package and turned to leave.
"Wait." The old woman called.
Original Cindy turned back around
"What's da problem?" she asked as the woman searched through her wallet. She handed Original Cindy two dollars.
"For the little one." The woman explained and then returned to her apartment.
This doesn't happen. No one gives up extra
cheddar.
Original Cindy turned around to face Eva.
"I should take you out more often, shorty,"
* * * * * *
"Don't you ever lock your door?" Original asked as she returned Eva to Logan's apartment. She found him in front of his computer. He swirled around in his seat to face her.
"Don't see the point," Logan reached out for Eva and Original gave her to him.
"Did you have a good day?" He asked Eva.
"Did she?" Original laughed, "She had ball. Met Normal, bit off Sketchy's finger and earned me some extra cheddar."
"How?" Logan questioned.
"I don't know. I ride around wit her and people given tips left and right. I guess it's part of being a double "S"," She stated.
"A what?"
"A double "S", a special shorty. Look I gotta go. My lickety-boo's at home." She started for the door.
"Who is she?" Logan asked. Original Cindy stopped and laughed.
"Her name is Sara." She said in a mock angry tone and left.
And people thought I was a player. Logan thought and started getting Eva ready for bed.
* * * * * *
Logan trying to wash Eva in the sink, but she keep on slashing the water, distracting him. Each time the washcloth got near her, she slashed so hard it blinded him.
"Eva, please, I begging you cooperate." He pleaded to his child. Suddenly he heard two knock. Standing just outside of the kitchen was a brown-haired figure in black.
"You know," Max said coming into view, "She behaves better if you sing to her."
* * * * * *