AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you Kit Kat for the idea, I will definitely fit that in when I write the story.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 6 – Brax and Ricky to the rescue.
Baby Pamela was just under two months when Denny decided to move into the flat across from the Braxton house. Before that time Hannah helped Denny out with the baby and Evie fussed over her too, but it was time to settle into the new home and Denny had everything going smoothly and was learning to deal well with her daughter.
Brax helped Zac move Denny's belongings into the flat.
"She's gorgeous Denny. How are you coping?" Ricky said as she stood with Denny at the doorway to the Braxton house, as she kept in close distance to Arlo who was playing on his baby mat in the living room.
"It's all been okay so far, Hannah has been helping me a lot and showing me what to do. Pamela has been sleeping well and only wakes up for a feed and change usually. How is Arlo?"
Ricky smiled. "As best as can be. He's a wonderful boy."
"All done ladies." Brax stated, looking around the flat.
"Thanks again for this Brax and Zac for helping."
"Not a problem, you look after yourself." Zac replied.
"Can I get you both a drink?" Denny asked.
"Nah gotta get back to the little one before he causes too much mischief and decides to roll somewhere." Ricky said.
"Already?" Denny asked.
"Yep he's a fast mover like his Dad. I'll see you later though." Ricky replied with a smile.
"Yeah bye." Denny sat down on the couch and stared down at her baby, hers, and Casey's baby. Somewhere she hoped Casey was seeing all this, watching what he had helped create.
A few more weeks passed and Denny settled in well in the flat and was managing to care for baby Pamela on her own, until Pamela had reached 3 months old and one night, she would just not stop crying.
Denny was up at four-thirty in the morning trying to settle her daughter but nothing was working. Denny changed her and tried to feed her but Pamela just wouldn't take. Denny didn't know what to do and started feeling overwhelmed.
Brax and Ricky woke to Arlo's cries and heard screaming from across the hall. Ricky and Brax exchanged a glance.
"I'll get Arlo if you want to see what's going on next door." Brax said tiredly.
Ricky nodded and grabbing her dressing gown walked across the hall and knocked on Denny's door. Denny opened the door with Pamela in her arms screaming. Ricky could tell Denny was upset.
"What's going on?" Ricky asked trying to wake herself up.
"Ricky she won't stop crying! I've done everything!" Denny said in a panic.
"Denny calm down, your stress is only going to upset the baby." Ricky spoke calmly.
"Give her to me while you sit down and take a break." Ricky ordered.
"Ricky I can't let you do that."
"Denny I'm not taking no, you need to take care of yourself too."
Denny handed Pamela over to Ricky and Ricky immediately noticed the baby was quite warm.
"I'm going to get her into a bath, she's quite warm." Ricky said.
"What?" Denny looked in shock, she hadn't even noticed the difference in her baby's temperature because she was too busy worrying over what was making her distressed.
Denny watched Ricky take care of her baby and noticed that Pamela's cries had settled after Ricky had cooled her down. Brax appeared in the doorway trying to get Arlo back to sleep. Denny glanced up at him feeling shame that she had disturbed them when they had their own baby to take care of.
"What's going on?" Brax asked.
Ricky came out of the bathroom with Pamela wrapped in a towel.
"Brax, could you go over to our place and grab the baby pain relief liquid?"
Brax left and came back holding a small bottle and dropper and handed it to Ricky.
"What's wrong with her?" Denny asked.
"At first I thought she might have had a fever being so hot but after I loosened her clothes and cooled her down she seems okay. I'll just give her some pain relief to help her settle and sleep."
Denny just continued to watch, feeling helpless. Ricky placed Pamela back down in her bassinet and sat down next to Denny.
"She should be fine now, but she was just over-heated from too many clothes."
Denny felt awful, how could she not have noticed this and known she had over-wrapped her baby?
Denny started to cry. "I can't do this! I just can't! This never should have happened. If I'd never gotten with Casey then I wouldn't be in this mess!" Denny snapped.
Ricky and Brax exchanged a glance, both knowing that Denny hadn't meant what she said.
"Why don't we go for a walk and Brax will watch Pamela for awhile." Ricky suggested and encouraged Denny to stand.
"You'll be alright won't you?" Ricky asked Brax.
Brax nodded and set down Arlo onto the baby mat.
"Ricky I wish Casey was here. It's so hard to do this without him." Denny said as her and Ricky walked along the beach.
"You have to be strong. Only time will heal everything. Sure sometimes it's going to be hard and you may not know what to do, but you have family and friends. You can do this Denny. Casey would have believed in you." Ricky said.
Denny turned to Ricky with a smile. "Thank you."
"Let's go back home and make sure Brax hasn't fallen asleep like the little ones." Ricky said with a smile.
Ricky and Denny walked back through the door of the flat and saw Brax sitting on the couch.
"Everything sorted?" Brax asked.
"Yeah." Ricky replied.
"Brax I didn't mean what I said about Casey..."
"I know. I know you loved him Denny and he felt the same about you."
Denny walked over to Pamela and gently picked her up. This was her baby and her responsibility to look after even if it meant facing a tough road.
Pamela stirred and looked up at Denny before giving a small smile. Denny turned to Ricky and Brax.
"She smiled. That was her first smile." Denny announced.
"We better go. Get a little bit more sleep before Arlo wakes up for his morning feeds." Ricky said.
Denny nodded, still staring down at Pamela. "Thank you for everything."
"Anytime." Brax replied.
After Ricky and Brax had left, Denny sat thinking. No matter what she felt, she would never change anything, because Casey had never given up on a fight and if Denny wanted to keep Casey's spirit alive she would have to do just that.
Pamela was now four months old. Denny was over at Brax and Ricky's house, when there was a knock at the door. Brax stood up to answer and saw his younger brother Heath.
Brax had told him about Casey and Denny's baby and he had promised to come down and visit as soon as he could. Heath was excited to see his nephew and new niece.
"Heath." Brax greeted.
"Hey big fella. How's it going?" Heath greeted and the two brothers shared a rough hug.
"Hi Heath." Ricky greeted.
"Hey Rick. How's me nephew?" Heath said.
"Arlo's asleep and fine." Ricky replied.
"Heath, this is Denny...Casey's girl." Brax introduced.
"Hi, I've heard a lot about you from Casey." Denny said.
"All good I hope?" Heath joked and turned to Brax. "Case was a sly dog, didn't know he had it in him." Heath said with a wink and elbowed his brother.
Brax shrugged. "So where's little mop junior? My niece?" Heath asked.
Denny stood up and picked Pamela up from her bassinet.
"This is Pamela." Denny said as she handed Pamela to Heath.
"He had a little girl huh?" Heath looked at Pamela as he held her in his arms.
"I remember feeling like this holding Harley and Rocco, but this seems different, it's like I'm holding Casey again, she feels like he did." Heath said.
"Brax nodded. "Yeah I thought the same."
Heath smiled at Denny and gave Pamela back to her.
"She's one lucky lady having Case as her father. I can't think of anyone more open-hearted than him to pass on his genes." Heath said, playfully punching Brax in the arm, in which Brax retaliated with a slap to Heath's back.
"Sit down Heath and have a drink." Ricky said.
"I was wondering when you'd ask." Heath replied with a smile and sat down at the table.
Heath talked with his family for awhile then had a play with Arlo once he had woken up.
"Hey he looks exactly like you big fella." Heath commented.
"What remarkable features?" Brax asked.
"No he got your ugly mug." Heath joked.
"Hey, you insulting my baby Heath Braxton?" Ricky questioned.
"Who invited you anyway?" Brax joked.
Denny smiled as she watched Casey's family and felt complete feeling part of that.
The following day Denny decided to visit the farmhouse.
"Hi Denny, how is everything going?" Hannah asked.
"Better now. I had a rough patch but I'm staying strong." Denny replied.
"That's wonderful." Zac replied.
"Is she doing anything yet?" Evie asked as she held Pamela.
"She's playing a lot with her toys and getting more active." Denny explained.
"Soon you won't be able to keep her down." Zac said.
"Here" Hannah said handing Denny a tea.
"Thanks. Casey's brother Heath came down for a visit yesterday, said she was lucky to have Casey as her Dad."
Hannah gave a nod.
"I can't wait to babysit." Evie exclaimed excited.
Denny turned to smile at Evie. "I'll keep you to that."