Brooke came over the next morning early with Katherine. The amount of stuff
she was carrying looked like she was getting ready to go into hiding for a
year. I couldn't' believe it. She must've had three bags full of things
that she threw down on the living room floor. "What's all that for?" I
asked.
"That's just about everything you'll need." She said and looked at her watch. "Well, I gotta run. I'm late." She gave Katherine a big hug. "Bye bye, be a good girl." She handed her to me and smiled.
"When are you coming back to pick her up?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll call you. She might cry a little but she usually doesn't. Bye!" She was out of there and swerving down the road in her car in a second.
I just stared down the street for a moment and then looked over at my daughter who pointed down the road and said sadly, "Mama go bye."
"What's all the commotion?" Soda asked, walking out of his and Pony's room and rubbing his eyes. I hoped he was done being mad at me. He hardly talked to me at all the night before. I knew Pony was upset too but he was trying hard to be nice about the whole situation.
"The baby's here." I said. Soda had already figured that out and was coming over to see her.
"That's your kid huh?" He asked. I nodded. "How do you know for sure?"
"We got blood tests done yesterday." I said. "Didn't I already tell you that?"
"No, you skipped that part." He said. Katherine looked over at Soda with her big green eyes and smiled. He grinned back at her. "I guess she does smile kinda like me."
"She sure does." I nodded. "Hey Pon. C'mon out here." I called.
"I'm sleeping." He yelled back, drowsily. "Why do I gotta get up? I don't got work like you two. I think I'll just stay in bed till one p.m." He rubbed it in.
"C'mon kiddo. C'mere for a second and then you can go back to bed if you havta."
"I don't wanna get outa bed." He grumbled. We could barely hear him from the living room.
"Get up and come here." I said more firmly. He came loping in a minute or two later.
"Is that her?" He asked. "Golly, she's cute." She really was cute. I knew Soda thought so too but he wouldn't say it because he was still to hacked off at me.
"Glad you like her. You can hold her while I take a shower." I said and handed her to Pony before he got a chance to protest. When I was done I came out and found the other three boys huddled over Sodapop and looking down at her as she sat in his lap and looked at all the strangers surrounding her. I smiled.
"Where'd the kid come from?" Two-Bit asked. "Soda and Pony won't tell us. They say we gotta ask you."
"She's my daughter." I said. "Go ahead, you can tell um what happened. I don't wanna explain it again." Both of my brothers went on to tell a very shocked Steve and Two-Bit the story. Steve didn't have much to say at that moment. I figured he and Soda would talk more about it when they left. Two- Bit however always has something to say.
"No way." Two-Bit said when they had finished. "You're a daddy? I'm sorry but I just can't picture you as a father." I glared at him.
"What's she doing here?" Steve asked. "Where's her mom?"
I shrugged. "Said she had some stuff to do and asked me to watch her."
"How olds the little tyke?" Two-Bit asked.
"One and a half. Right Darry?" Pony asked.
I nodded. "That's right."
"So what the heck you gonna do about this?" Steve spoke everybody's thoughts.
"I dunno, I really don't know." I said, softly. Truth is I really didn't know. I had loved Brooke before. I'd loved everything about her. Now she was different though. She wasn't the same Brooke I'd dated since sophomore year and I didn't love the different Brooke. I loved the old one. So when Pony asked me the night before if I'd Marry her the truthful thing to say would've been no. I knew it was the right thing and best for Katherine. I new that it'd be best to raise her with two parents, but how can you marry somebody that tore up your heart?
"Hey! She's eating my switchblade!" Two-Bit exclaimed. She had apparently managed to get it out of his pocket and was now chewing on it. Boy was I glad you had to push hard on that thing to open it.
"Get that away from her!" I said. Soda quickly pried it out of her fingers before she accidentally flicked it open. She started to cry right away and we all looked at each other hopelessly. What were we gonna do now?
"Umm." I grabbed one of the bags that Brooke had dropped off and searched through it for something that might comfort her but I really had no idea what I was looking for. I found some sort of stuffed toy and threw it to Soda. He took it and all the sudden it became animated as he made it dance around and say stuff in a strange voice I'd never heard Soda talk in before. She converted from crying to laughing. I sighed, relieved.
"Pony, you wanna stick around today and help me out?" I asked.
He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. "What's in it for me?"
I sighed. "C'mon." I said. "Please?"
Soda laughed. "Darry has no idea what he's doing."
"What, these things don't come with instructions or anything?" Two-Bit asked.
Steve ripped a piece of paper off one of the bags. "Take a look at this you boneheads." He said.
I snatched the sheet of paper away from him and scanned through the neat handwriting. It was a list of what to do. "Oh, well this helps." I said. She also told me what bags had what in them. Like diapers and bottles and stuff. I was relieved.
"Well, have fun Darry." Soda said, grinning widely as he walked out with Steve.
"Very funny." I said but they were already out the door.
"What's for breakfast, Dar?" Pony asked.
I rolled my eyes. "Ponyboy, do I look like I'm in any kind of position to be making you breakfast?" I asked, as I held Katherine, who was trying to tell me something but I wasn't sure what she met.
"Yum num." She said.
"What?" I asked.
"Yum num yum num yum!" She yelled.
I looked at Pony. "What's she want?"
Pony shrugged. "Yum num? Umm. maybe that means. food!"
"Is that what you want?" I asked her. "You hungry? You want some food?" She nodded.
Ponyboy was beaming. "I was right." He gloated.
"Yeah, yeah." I murmured, looking at the list to see if it mentioned what she ate. "She really likes scrambled eggs and for lunch you might try peanut butter and honey." She had written this across the bottom of the page. I was relieved. I had all those things and I went to the kitchen to make eggs after giving her to Ponyboy.
"Yeah he'll make you breakfast but he won't make none for me." I heard him mumbled to Katherine. I felt lousy. Pony had a point.
"Pon I'll make you something. What you want?" I asked.
"Never mind. I don't want nothing anymore." He said.
"You sure?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'll make something for myself later."
I mentally slapped myself and went on to make her eggs. It was a tough job feeding her. She could eat it herself without help but I didn't have a highchair for her so we kind of just put her on the living room floor in front of Mickey Mouse with Two-Bit. She didn't seem to mind and I had laundry to do. I figured she'd be ok for a few minutes with him. Right? WRONG!
I came back twenty minutes later and Two-Bit announced that he had taught her a few new words. I think you already have the idea so I don't need to repeat what they were. I smacked Two-Bit upside the head and Katherine erupted with giggles. "Boo boo." She said. Pony and I laughed but Two-Bit didn't.
"Pony, remember that whenever she cries all we gotta do is smack Two-Bit, ok?" Pony nodded, still laughing. Two-Bit just glared at both of us and turned back to the television.
"Well, at least she ate." I murmured, noting the empty plate that sat beside her. However half of the food was on the floor.
"Darry?" Pony asked.
"Huh?" I answered.
"Something smells really bad and I mean really bad."
I scrunched my nose up noticing it to. "Two-Bit did you do that?" I asked.
Two-Bit nodded towards Katherine and said, "Ten bucks says it was her."
"Oh no." I groaned. "Ponyboy, I'll pay you to change her."
He shook his head. "Not in a million years. You're her daddy. That's your job. I'm just here to see how horrible you do today."
I sighed and picked her up, holding her away from me since she smelled horrible. "Thanks so much for the support Pon." I never knew something so small could produce such a horrible smell. Of course right after I had finished that unpleasant task she did it again! It was going to be a very long day.
"That's just about everything you'll need." She said and looked at her watch. "Well, I gotta run. I'm late." She gave Katherine a big hug. "Bye bye, be a good girl." She handed her to me and smiled.
"When are you coming back to pick her up?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll call you. She might cry a little but she usually doesn't. Bye!" She was out of there and swerving down the road in her car in a second.
I just stared down the street for a moment and then looked over at my daughter who pointed down the road and said sadly, "Mama go bye."
"What's all the commotion?" Soda asked, walking out of his and Pony's room and rubbing his eyes. I hoped he was done being mad at me. He hardly talked to me at all the night before. I knew Pony was upset too but he was trying hard to be nice about the whole situation.
"The baby's here." I said. Soda had already figured that out and was coming over to see her.
"That's your kid huh?" He asked. I nodded. "How do you know for sure?"
"We got blood tests done yesterday." I said. "Didn't I already tell you that?"
"No, you skipped that part." He said. Katherine looked over at Soda with her big green eyes and smiled. He grinned back at her. "I guess she does smile kinda like me."
"She sure does." I nodded. "Hey Pon. C'mon out here." I called.
"I'm sleeping." He yelled back, drowsily. "Why do I gotta get up? I don't got work like you two. I think I'll just stay in bed till one p.m." He rubbed it in.
"C'mon kiddo. C'mere for a second and then you can go back to bed if you havta."
"I don't wanna get outa bed." He grumbled. We could barely hear him from the living room.
"Get up and come here." I said more firmly. He came loping in a minute or two later.
"Is that her?" He asked. "Golly, she's cute." She really was cute. I knew Soda thought so too but he wouldn't say it because he was still to hacked off at me.
"Glad you like her. You can hold her while I take a shower." I said and handed her to Pony before he got a chance to protest. When I was done I came out and found the other three boys huddled over Sodapop and looking down at her as she sat in his lap and looked at all the strangers surrounding her. I smiled.
"Where'd the kid come from?" Two-Bit asked. "Soda and Pony won't tell us. They say we gotta ask you."
"She's my daughter." I said. "Go ahead, you can tell um what happened. I don't wanna explain it again." Both of my brothers went on to tell a very shocked Steve and Two-Bit the story. Steve didn't have much to say at that moment. I figured he and Soda would talk more about it when they left. Two- Bit however always has something to say.
"No way." Two-Bit said when they had finished. "You're a daddy? I'm sorry but I just can't picture you as a father." I glared at him.
"What's she doing here?" Steve asked. "Where's her mom?"
I shrugged. "Said she had some stuff to do and asked me to watch her."
"How olds the little tyke?" Two-Bit asked.
"One and a half. Right Darry?" Pony asked.
I nodded. "That's right."
"So what the heck you gonna do about this?" Steve spoke everybody's thoughts.
"I dunno, I really don't know." I said, softly. Truth is I really didn't know. I had loved Brooke before. I'd loved everything about her. Now she was different though. She wasn't the same Brooke I'd dated since sophomore year and I didn't love the different Brooke. I loved the old one. So when Pony asked me the night before if I'd Marry her the truthful thing to say would've been no. I knew it was the right thing and best for Katherine. I new that it'd be best to raise her with two parents, but how can you marry somebody that tore up your heart?
"Hey! She's eating my switchblade!" Two-Bit exclaimed. She had apparently managed to get it out of his pocket and was now chewing on it. Boy was I glad you had to push hard on that thing to open it.
"Get that away from her!" I said. Soda quickly pried it out of her fingers before she accidentally flicked it open. She started to cry right away and we all looked at each other hopelessly. What were we gonna do now?
"Umm." I grabbed one of the bags that Brooke had dropped off and searched through it for something that might comfort her but I really had no idea what I was looking for. I found some sort of stuffed toy and threw it to Soda. He took it and all the sudden it became animated as he made it dance around and say stuff in a strange voice I'd never heard Soda talk in before. She converted from crying to laughing. I sighed, relieved.
"Pony, you wanna stick around today and help me out?" I asked.
He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. "What's in it for me?"
I sighed. "C'mon." I said. "Please?"
Soda laughed. "Darry has no idea what he's doing."
"What, these things don't come with instructions or anything?" Two-Bit asked.
Steve ripped a piece of paper off one of the bags. "Take a look at this you boneheads." He said.
I snatched the sheet of paper away from him and scanned through the neat handwriting. It was a list of what to do. "Oh, well this helps." I said. She also told me what bags had what in them. Like diapers and bottles and stuff. I was relieved.
"Well, have fun Darry." Soda said, grinning widely as he walked out with Steve.
"Very funny." I said but they were already out the door.
"What's for breakfast, Dar?" Pony asked.
I rolled my eyes. "Ponyboy, do I look like I'm in any kind of position to be making you breakfast?" I asked, as I held Katherine, who was trying to tell me something but I wasn't sure what she met.
"Yum num." She said.
"What?" I asked.
"Yum num yum num yum!" She yelled.
I looked at Pony. "What's she want?"
Pony shrugged. "Yum num? Umm. maybe that means. food!"
"Is that what you want?" I asked her. "You hungry? You want some food?" She nodded.
Ponyboy was beaming. "I was right." He gloated.
"Yeah, yeah." I murmured, looking at the list to see if it mentioned what she ate. "She really likes scrambled eggs and for lunch you might try peanut butter and honey." She had written this across the bottom of the page. I was relieved. I had all those things and I went to the kitchen to make eggs after giving her to Ponyboy.
"Yeah he'll make you breakfast but he won't make none for me." I heard him mumbled to Katherine. I felt lousy. Pony had a point.
"Pon I'll make you something. What you want?" I asked.
"Never mind. I don't want nothing anymore." He said.
"You sure?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'll make something for myself later."
I mentally slapped myself and went on to make her eggs. It was a tough job feeding her. She could eat it herself without help but I didn't have a highchair for her so we kind of just put her on the living room floor in front of Mickey Mouse with Two-Bit. She didn't seem to mind and I had laundry to do. I figured she'd be ok for a few minutes with him. Right? WRONG!
I came back twenty minutes later and Two-Bit announced that he had taught her a few new words. I think you already have the idea so I don't need to repeat what they were. I smacked Two-Bit upside the head and Katherine erupted with giggles. "Boo boo." She said. Pony and I laughed but Two-Bit didn't.
"Pony, remember that whenever she cries all we gotta do is smack Two-Bit, ok?" Pony nodded, still laughing. Two-Bit just glared at both of us and turned back to the television.
"Well, at least she ate." I murmured, noting the empty plate that sat beside her. However half of the food was on the floor.
"Darry?" Pony asked.
"Huh?" I answered.
"Something smells really bad and I mean really bad."
I scrunched my nose up noticing it to. "Two-Bit did you do that?" I asked.
Two-Bit nodded towards Katherine and said, "Ten bucks says it was her."
"Oh no." I groaned. "Ponyboy, I'll pay you to change her."
He shook his head. "Not in a million years. You're her daddy. That's your job. I'm just here to see how horrible you do today."
I sighed and picked her up, holding her away from me since she smelled horrible. "Thanks so much for the support Pon." I never knew something so small could produce such a horrible smell. Of course right after I had finished that unpleasant task she did it again! It was going to be a very long day.