My note...Yay, what a positive response, and very much appreciated considering the previous chap was a pain in the behind, to finish. This title is sort of a play on words(Breakfast at Tiffany's...Dinner at Ashley's...), not very creative, but I thought it was cute.
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
CHAPTER 4: DINNER AT ASHLEY'S
While Ryan's cat nap of about thirty minutes, was sufficient enough to re-energize him, Jimmy mused his could have been much longer.
"So, what does the schedule say to do now?", Ashley asked, just as she was finishing with Ryan's diaper change.
"Ash, we are so far off that schedule right now...", Jimmy chuckled through his yawn, as he quickly transferred. Once Jimmy was settled, Ashley stood and handed Ryan over to him...swapping the boy, for the binder. "...I really don't think it matters anymore".
Ashley noticed Jimmy curiously stretching his neck to get a glimpse at the schedule, so she began to read off of the page. "Says here, we were supposed to feed him wholesome lunch at 12pm, containing at least one serving from each of the four main food groups, followed immediately by his bottle of milk...", Ashley chewed on her lower lip, guiltily, as she drifted off and looked at Jimmy.
Jimmy grabbed the bottle that was sitting on the coffee table in front of him, "Better late then never, right?", he shrugged sheepishly and popped the cap off, before handing it to a very eager Ryan.
"I guess...", she sighed dramatically, watching the baby drink the milk down. "But what about lunch?".
"Well, he ate chicken, and that's in the meat group", Jimmy stated the obvious. "And for a vegetable he had...".
"Don't even try to argue that french fries count...", Ashley warned with a playful point of her finger. Jimmy smirked innocently. "...potatoes are a starch, not a vegetable".
"Okay, but he did eat a few of the tomato chunks that fell out of my wrap", Jimmy offered.
Ashley shook her head. "Tomatoes are actually a fruit, not a vegetable...", she trailed off, as another pang of guilt hit her.
"But he wouldn't take the carrot chunks, Ash", Jimmy reminded her. He shifted Ryan to the left, then tugged lightly on Ashley's hand in hopes that she would occupy his vacant right leg, but she took the arm of the couch, instead. "What were we supposed to do...force feed him?".
"He probably didn't take them because he was so over-tired", Ashley retorted snappishly. She looked back down at the schedule for reference and frowned. "After a half-hour relaxation period, between twelve-thirty and one o'clock, of dim lighting and classical music, he's promptly put down for at least a two hour nap!".
"God Jimmy, he didn't even fall asleep 'til after three", Ashley groaned miserably. "...and only slept like a half an hour".
Jimmy briefly considered the content little boy in his lap and shrugged, "Didn't seem to hurt him any".
"Of course it did", Ashley spat incredulously. "Jimmy, we totally screwed up the schedule Liberty has him on...", she paused to look at him critically. "...we didn't give him the proper lunch, screwed up his nap, totally missed the snack he was supposed to have after that nap...".
"But he did have snack, with me, before his nap", Jimmy cut in casually. "...and I'm pretty sure that those fishy crackers are a wholesome part of the grain family...".
Ashley's playfully swat of his shoulder, only succeeded in widening Jimmy's grin. "Dinner's not due for another hour or so and since now would normally be Ryan's play time, which we also did while you were gone...", Jimmy's words drifted off, as his lips drifted to Ashley's. "...I'd say that we are now, officially ahead of the game...", he added between kisses. "...and I seem to remember starting a discussion on the subject of having some quality adult time, just before you left. So, now might be the perfect time to squeeze in some of that...".
"Or, we could use this time to clean up the mess you two made while I was gone", Ashley suggested, teasingly. Jimmy took that moment to wrap a strong arm around her waist and pull her onto his waiting lap, the force almost tipping the three to the side. Ashley giggled as the jolt caused Ryan to momentarily cease his sucking and pull himself from his relaxed position on Jimmy's lap, to see what was happening. "Look what you did...", she scolded jokingly, motioning to Ryan and his questioning gaze.
"Well, far be it from me, to disrupt the schedule again", Jimmy jested. "Here ya go little Buddy", he stated, settling the baby back into the crook of his arm, with his bottle and a board book. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he turned again to Ashley, "Playtime, wasn't it?".
There was an audible moan from Ashley as the melody of her telephone's ring, began to play . "This better be important", she muttered, as she reluctantly slipped from Jimmy's lap, to retrieve it. The number on the screen, clearly recognizable and another moan, this one almost imperceptible, could be heard, "It's Liberty".
"You'd better answer it...", Jimmy urged. "...before it gets kicked to voice mail ".
"Hey Lib", Ashley greeted, overly cheerful, the slight waiver in her voice, only detectable to Jimmy.
"Hi Ashley", was the breathless reply. The loud chattering in the background, combined with the bad reception, was almost overwhelming and forced Ashley to press the phone tighter against her ear, to hear what was being said on the other end. "Sorry I haven't called to check in until now", Liberty did nothing to mask the guilt she was feeling. "But as soon as we got here, I was rushed off to get my hair and makeup done, then we took a bunch of family pictures before the ceremony...now, we've just finished with the ceremony and are headed over for some pictures at this one park, then on to the reception...", there was a slight pause and Ashley could sense how new, and emotionally awkward, this was for her friend. "So um...how's Ryan?".
"He's fine", she answered simply, but immediately realized that Liberty would want details. "He's sitting on Jimmy's lap right now, drinking his...um, having something to drink. Jimmy's reading him a book". Ashley took a moment to admire the sight before her. Jimmy raised his eyes from the book and smiled back.
"Okay good", Liberty let out a relieved sigh, which was followed by a long pause. "So then, no crying, or whining, or anything?", she asked next, wondering to herself, if Ryan missed her as much as she missed him. 'Pull it together Van Zandt', she chided mentally.
"No, not really", Ashley answered vaguely. "He got a little cranky before his nap, but...".
"Oh, so he went down for you?", it sounded more like a question than a statement. "That's great".
"Woke up happy as a clam, a little while ago", Ashley answered, cringing slightly at the sound of hearing the dated expression Jeff was so fond of using, come out of her own mouth. Jimmy snickered to himself when he heard it, causing Ashley to playfully stick the tip of her tongue out at him.
"Did he eat alright for you?", was Liberty's next question.
"Ah...yeah", the slight hesitation on Ashley's end, was quickly replaced with a loving glance, over her shoulder. "He's got quite a hearty appetite...he even gave Jimmy a run for his money", she quipped, exchanging a shared smile with her boyfriend.
"Really? Wow.", a shocked Liberty gasped. "He hardly ever eats the food I offer him".
Ashley felt a heavy weight of guilt, in the pit of her stomach. She was just about to come clean and tell Liberty that they didn't actually feed Ryan the healthy baby food, she'd left them, but a good portion of Jimmy's moderately nutritious lunch...
"Then, I assume he didn't want his snack?".
The question snapped Ashley back to the present. "No, he ate that too" she answered lightly. "And now we just need to clean up the crumbs, he and Jimmy made", she added, shooting Jimmy a pointed smirk, in the process. A small, innocent shrug was his only response.
Another skeptical "Really", was Liberty's reply.
Ashley wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was going, so she tried changing the subject. "He probably burned off so much energy at the park this morning, that by the time we sat down for the picnic...".
"The park...and a picnic?...", Liberty's interruption was so sudden, Ashley immediately thought she had done something wrong.
"I hope that's okay...".
"Yeah...sure...it's um, fine", Liberty faltered slightly, when a noise filtered through the earpiece. "What's going on?", she asked curiously, as the noise became louder and more intense.
"Jimmy's playing with him", Ashley chuckled in reply at the scene in front of her. Ryan lounging leisurely across Jimmy's thighs, and giggling uncontrollably, at the wrinkled face of mock disgust Jimmy was making every time he'd lift his pudgy toes, up to Jimmy's nose.
"Sounds like he's having fun".
Ashley wasn't sure if it was a comment or a question by the tone of Liberty's voice, but either way, it sounded heavy-hearted. "I hope so", she offered gently.
"Well, he must be...", there was a slight pause on Liberty's end. "...because I've never made him laugh like that".
The pause was longer this time, as it was now Ashley, who was at a momentary loss for words. "Oh you know Jimmy...", she tried to downplay it, but trailed off, miserably. Jimmy glanced up from the horseplay at the mention of his name, but the grin on his lips fell as soon as he saw the puzzled expression on Ashley's face.
"Well at least I know he's happy", Liberty quipped, a little wistfully.
"Jimmy and I are okay substitutes, I guess...but I'm sure he misses his mommy", Ashley blurted, but immediately regretted phrasing it that way. If Liberty was feeling guilty about leaving her son and missing him..."I mean, earlier in the sandbox, he was babbling something that sounded like 'mama'...".
"Amma?", Liberty queried. And only after Ashley confirmed with a soft "Mmmhmm", added, "He was actually calling for my mother". Liberty casually cleared her throat, "He's only been able to bond with certain people, in the few weeks he's been here...my mom, your mom, Danny...and of course you and Jimmy...".
Ashley bit back a sigh...how much farther could she stick her foot down her throat...and was on the verge of guilty tears, when Toby's voice rescued her, "Lib, we gotta go...limo is here".
A muffled "Okay", was whispered. "Ashley? We have to go now, but if you need to reach me...".
"Sure Lib...we've got all the numbers", Ashley struggled for cheerful confidence, but settled for heavy-hearted casualness, as the line clicked slient.
Ashley flopped onto the couch, alongside Jimmy and groaned, "She's never gonna let us babysit again...".
"Why?", he asked incredulously, as he ceased his game of 'this little piggy' and sat Ryan upright, on his lap. "Is it because we didn't follow the schedule, she left us?".
"No", she muttered heavily, locking eyes with Jimmy. "It's because she's now convinced that her son likes us, more than he likes her...".
It took Jimmy a good hour to convince Ashley that she didn't do anything wrong...which threw them completely off the time frame allotted, yet again.
"So, what do we have to eat that's kid friendly?", Jimmy thought out loud, as the trio entered the kitchen. The we he used in his question, and the way he used it, made Ashley smile. She waited for him to coast to a stop and haded the baby back over to him.
"Check the pantry...I don't see anything in the fridge", she called out from her place in front of the appliance.
With a practice ease and some quick hand moves, Jimmy was able to maneuver enough to open the door and peer inside of the closet. "Okay little buddy...pick out something to eat", he suggested, standing Ryan on his lap, so the little boy could reach the upper shelves, as well.
Ashley peered around the pantry door to ask, "So, what've we got?".
Jimmy looked at Ryan's choices and chuckled. "Spaghetti and...condensed milk".
Ashley frowned playfully as she pried the can from the baby's grasp. "The spaghetti sounds fine...", she trailed off and put the can back, and reached for a large jar to her right. "I know my great-gramma would be disappointed, but we're in a pinch, so this'll have to do".
Jimmy smiled up at Ashley when she referenced Kate's Italian grandmother, and her very blatiant disdain for any sauce that comes from a jar. They tag-teamed again, Ashley swapping Jimmy the jar for Ryan...who was still clutching the noisy box of pasta, tightly in his hand. Ashley nestled him securely on her hip, as she walked over to the stove to put on a pot of water, while Jimmy headed back over to the refrigerator.
"Garlic bread, mini meatballs...", Jimmy mumbled as he raided the freezer.
"Remember, we need a vegetable too", Ashley reminded him.
Jimmy looked over his shoulder, "But we've got he sauce...".
Ashley sighed exasperatedly. "We are not going through this again", she scolded playfully.
Jimmy flashed that devastatingly handsome grin and asked, "Green beans or broccoli?".
"Green beans", she answered sweetly, as she shifted Ryan higher, onto her hip.
Jimmy swallowed hard...there was just something about the way Ashley looked, holding a baby...He tossed the bag of veggies into his lap, with the other items and with one hard push, was instantly next to her.
Together, they mixed, sauteed, finally wrestled the box of spaghetti from Ryan's iron grasp, and within twenty minutes, the food was on the table.
Jimmy stopped pouring, to look up at his girlfriend with concern, "What's wrong Ash?".
"How are we gonna do this?", she asked motioning to the three place settings and only two and a half people.
Jimmy scratched the back of his head in thought. "We'll take turns holding him, I guess", he surmised, moving the third plate in between them and scooting closer to where Ashley sat, with Ryan on her lap.
The idea was logical...but not very practical.
There were two spilled drinks, an ever-growing mound of half chewed green beans, a few runaway meatballs...to go with the smashed up ones, of course, plenty of laughs...and three very giddy, sauce covered diners.
"He definitely needs a bath", Jimmy chuckled as he kissed a smudge of sauce off of Ashley's cheek.
Ashley brushed a crumb of dicarded garlic bread crust out of Jimmy's hair and giggled along, "We all need a bath, now".
I'm sorry for the delay in updates, but this chapter had too many rewrites and edits, to count. My life is far too busy right now to put this much time and effort in to one chapter, but I did...and I hope it shows. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.
Degrassi is not mine.