Family Time
"Hi, baby. Hi." AJ made a smiley face, sitting in her and Punk's bed a week later with James lying out in front of her on the mattress, entertaining him with her funny faces, not that he was all that interested, "You miss daddy, huh?" AJ said in a funny voice, tickling under his little chin, "He's gone to take one of your sisters to school and the other to Aunt Coleen's." AJ spoke to him, "He has." She nodded, playing with his little hands.
She watched as the baby boy yawned, the sweetest little yawn with his tiny little mouth, his eyes closing as he done saw as AJ smiled, "Oh, is my baby tired? Huh? Did you have a rough night?" She asked him.
Handling a newborn again was a lot to get used to but it was just like riding a bike. She just adored his little fingers and toes, his tiny little onesies, his soft small hats and everything else that came with raising a baby.
For the first week they had spent on their own having their own time with the baby and the girls. AJ felt it was the healthiest thing for them and it definitely was. Her and Punk had worked through their problems, and were almost laughing about how ridiculous it was to entertain the idea of hurting one another. It just wasn't who they were. She did however know that Punk was itching to see Frankie, and she was worried that his anger would get the better of him.
AJ lifted James up into her arms and decided to feed him as she saw him getting a little restless just as she heard Punk come home, heading back upstairs.
"Hey, feeding time." Punk smiled, sitting his car keys over on the dresser as he collapsed down onto the bed beside his wife and son, lying on his stomach and hugging the pillow as AJ smiled, "How has he been doing with it?"
"Oh, him? He's fine." AJ said, "I'm the one pumping into all hours of the night." She sighed tiredly.
"You know if it's too much, formula is just as good." Punk nodded with assurance. He didn't want her to feel any sort of pressure.
"No, it's fine. It's better for him and he's no trouble with it." AJ nodded, looking down at James, "I love the way his little arm tucks under." She smiled as AJ nodded.
"It's sweet." Punk said, "Coleen and Patrick were taking Viv to the movies. Said they would drop her back off after." He nodded, "And Raims went off to school fine." He nodded.
"Good." AJ nodded, "It's hard work. All three of them." She chuckled a little as he smiled, "I got two hands and there's three of them now." She said. She was a little overwhelmed. They both were. Three children seemed like such a big difference compared to two. There were times the girls needed their attention. They needed baths, dinner, help with homework, help with other things, just some company, and combining that with caring for a newborn at the same time was extremely challenging.
"One is just gonna have to hang from your neck." Punk smiled as AJ laughed a little.
"He's such a good baby, though." AJ nodded, stroking James' little hair softly as she fed him, "He's a good sleeper, feeder, I mean he… he never cries. That's so strange." She shook her head.
"He's a happy guy. He's getting everything he needs." Punk smiled.
"Remember Viv? She used to cry just to make a noise." AJ shook her head as Punk smiled and nodded, "I'm just really tired, you know?" She nodded.
"Well here, let me take him and you get some sleep." Punk shook his head.
"Ok, let me just take my boobs off for you and then you can go." AJ smirked as Punk chuckled a little.
"Of course." He forgot, "Well once he's done there, I'll take him and you get some rest." He nodded.
"Are you sure? You're tired too." AJ frowned, brushing her hand through her husband's hair.
"I'll try and get him down and I'll come join you for a nap." Punk nodded.
"That sounds nice." AJ nodded, "Is this where it all goes downhill?" She questioned, "Are we gonna be in bed every night at 8. Taking naps any spare chance we got?" She smiled, "Is that the curse the third child brings?" She smiled.
"Hey, it's week one. Babies put the sleepy effect on everyone." He assured her as she nodded slowly, looking down at James.
"What if I told you I was… kinda depressed?" She turned to him as he looked at her.
"Are you?" Punk asked.
"Have you saw me leave this bed much all week?" She laughed a little as he suddenly realised that his wife hadn't really been out of the house in a week, "It's not him." AJ shook her head, looking down at James, "It's no one, I just… well you know I got ups and downs anyway but… I just feel tired all the time and I don't know… just kinda down." She shrugged as Punk nodded.
"That's ok." Punk assured her, rubbing her leg softly, "That's normal for mom's, I'm pretty sure. And you're right, three kids is a lot. The girls need our attention and so does James, and it's exhausting." He agreed with her, so she didn't feel like the only one, "But you know the episode will get better and we'll get out. We'll set the stroller up and go on a walk, we'll get out the house more." He nodded as she nodded along with hope, "It's ok to feel a little defeated." He said as she smiled and nodded.
"I just hate how it sounds." AJ rolled her eyes, "Like it's him." She looked down at James, "Like he's the cause of it when he… God, of course he's not." She sighed.
"Hey, I know what you mean. Have you been taking your meds?" He asked her.
"Of course I have." AJ nodded, "I'm on a smaller dosage because I'm breastfeeding so… maybe that's why I feel like this." She said, "But it's worth it." She nodded, "But you're right, we need to get out more." She agreed.
"Why don't…" Punk hummed, "I'll set up the stroller and tonight we can take him out, we can take the girls for some ice-cream." He said as she smiled. He had the simplest solutions for everything,
"Am I allowed some ice-cream?" AJ smiled.
"If you're a good girl." Punk nodded.
"I'm always good." She scolded as he smiled.
"You are." Punk smiled.
"Girls not too far ahead." AJ called, pushing the stroller as she walked down the street with Punk, keeping their eyes on the girls who were running slightly ahead, "And stay on the inside." She said as Punk smiled to her.
"You know what, I always thought I was the protective one but you… you give me a run for my money sometimes." Punk smiled.
"No, I care about the important things. Safety. Health. You'll have a heart attack over boyfriends and make-up." She corrected.
"Boyfriends? There will be no boyfriends." Punk chuckled to himself.
"I wish I got to have a… a first boyfriend, a first kiss." AJ smiled to herself, "Don't take any of that away from them." She shook her head as Punk looked at her.
"They're my babies, though." Punk frowned.
"They won't be in years to come." AJ said.
"Are you trying to hurt me?" Punk laughed.
"No." AJ smiled, "I just want you to be prepared to be the shoulder to cry on-"
"Why will they be crying?" Punk asked.
"Because men are assholes. And it's your job to make sure my baby boy doesn't turn into one of those jerks who hurts girls feelings." She nodded.
"So I wear a lot of hats in the future?" Punk asked, "Suddenly diapers, homework and Disney movies are sounding great right now."
"Right?" AJ smiled, peeping into the stroller where James was fast asleep, "It's good to get out." AJ nodded, "I needed this fresh air" She said as he smiled, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her head.
"I thought it would be good for all of us." Punk nodded.
"So smart." AJ smiled, "I'm gonna take a seat at this bench, you can go help the girls get their ice-cream." She nodded.
"Ok, you want one?" Punk asked her.
"I'll just have a lick of yours." AJ smiled.
"April." Punk tutted, "Not in public." He teased as AJ just rolled her eyes and shook her head, watching as he headed off across the road to the ice-cream shop, taking the girls hands in each of his, smiling to herself as she watched them wait in the line.
It was therapeutic to get outside and feel the cold but needed air around her face. And she knew it would be good for James to get outside for some fresh air too. Being cooped up in the house wasn't good for anyone.
She was brought out of her trance when she heard James begin to stir in his stroller, making soft whimpering noises as AJ suspected he was hungry. She reached over and brought his tiny little self out, cradling her in his arms as she put a towel over her shoulder to feed him, however, she refused to cover his head as she felt it was unnecessary.
He latched on right away whilst AJ sat back, watching her daughter's order their ice-cream, particularly Viv who looked like she was changing her mind. Her view was suddenly blocked however as an older man walked in front of her and got rather close.
"Don't you think you should be doing that in a toilet somewhere?" The man asked her, as though he had a real issue with her breastfeeding.
"Excuse me?" AJ tilted her head.
"This is a public area. There are children around here. Don't you think that's inappropriate? I'll answer that for you, it is inappropriate. You could at least cover yourself up." He spat.
"You think feeding my son is inappropriate?" AJ questioned, "How dare you." AJ spat.
"How dare I?" The man asked.
Hadn't it been for AJ feeding James, she really would have gotten up and clobbered the man, but she knew that would probably result in some sort of arrest which wouldn't have been great.
"There's no law or no rule to say I can't feed my own son here. No one else has batted an eyelid." She said.
"It's inappropriate." The man continued to repeat.
"There's nothing you can even see." AJ shook her head. She wasn't exposing any of herself. James' head was in the way and her t-shirt was bunched around her. There was absolutely no reason for anyone to be agitated, and that's what bothered AJ, "Just keep walking." AJ shook her head, watching as Punk began to cross the road again with the girls.
"What's going on?" Punk asked, having noticed the man angrily pointing and spitting at AJ from across the road, "Who the hell are you?" He questioned the man who turned to him.
"This man has a problem with me feeding here. He wants me to go into a toilet somewhere and do it." AJ said as Punk looked at the man.
"Take this." Punk told AJ, passing her the ice-cream as he looked at the man who was now regretting his decision. He'd saw a woman on her own and figured he could shout his opinions without anyone taking notice.
"I'm just saying it's inappropriate." The man put his hands up as Punk grabbed him by the scruff off his t-shirt.
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. How would you like to eat your food in a toilet or a towel over your head?" He spat whilst AJ looked on, watching as the girls were also looking on with confusion, "There's nothing wrong with what she's doing and don't you dare corner any woman like that with your disgusting opinions ever again." He spat, shoving him back a little as the man realised he wasn't winning his fight and quickly took off down the road.
Punk unclenched his angry fists, turning around to AJ who smiled at him, "That was hot." AJ nodded.
"Bastard." Punk muttered to himself.
"Daddy you were a meanie to that man." Vivian noticed as Punk sat down beside AJ, making sure James was ok. Anyone cornering his wife and son was going to get called out, no questions asked, "Why were you a meanie?" Vivian asked, eating her ice-cream cone, standing in front of Punk who looked across at her.
"I wasn't. He was being a meanie." Punk said childishly.
"Why?" Vivian asked curiously.
"Unfortunately not everyone is very nice." Punk said as Vivian frowned, "And he wasn't."
"Oh." Vivian frowned, "Well then you should have slapped him." Vivian told him as Punk turned to AJ.
"She was definitely cooked in your womb." Punk nodded as AJ smiled, "No, babe. You don't raise your hands to anyone. If you ever come across… meanies." He spoke in her language as she nodded, "You just walk away from them." He said.
"But you didn't walk away." Vivian pointed out.
"I-I know but… well I'm daddy so I can talk to the meanies." He said.
"Oh, that's true." Vivian nodded.
"Hey, why don't you two go eat your ice-cream on that bench." AJ pointed to the bench next to them, "Your switches are under the stroller." She said. It was too late and dark for them to go to a park, so they thought it'd be nice just to have some ice-cream and sit back.
"Ok, mommy." Vivian nodded, reaching for her switch under the stroller compartment, Raimy doing the same as they walked over to the other bench.
"Cheeky son of a bitch." Punk said, once the girls were out of sight, "I mean who the hell does he think he is? I should have punched him." He regretted.
"If I wasn't feeding James, I would have." AJ said honestly, "I'm sorry but I refuse to disappear into a toilet for half an hour to feed my own baby and I refuse to put a towel over him." She shook her head, "I mean it's not like I'm butt naked feeding him." AJ shook her head, "You can't see anything." She said. She felt like she had to defend herself.
"April, don't even defend yourself." Punk said, "All he had to do was keep walking like everyone else. He shouldn't be fed in a damn toilet and he shouldn't have some fabric over him either." He shook his head, "Is he ok?" He asked, looking over at James who was content and happy having his feed.
"He's fine." AJ smiled, "I wish I kicked him in the balls or something." AJ sighed.
"So does Vivian apparently." Punk chuckled, looking over to the girls who were sitting together and playing with one another, "I think I'm ok with that, though. The scum deserved it." He said, "Let my boy eat in peace, dammit." Punk scolded as AJ smiled, taking his hand and kissing it.
"He is, thanks to you." AJ laughed.
"Good." Punk nodded, kissing her head, eating some of his ice-cream, "Want a lick?" He asked her as she chuckled and nodded.