"Lauren are you going to sit here moping all day, sits been two week and you aint been yourself babe, you and Joey had a row or something?"
Lauren didn't answer and just fiddled with her phone in her hands.
"You still? There trouble in paradise your normally with Joey by now"
Lauren sprung up from the sofa groaning "Can you all just leave me alone please, what's gone on between me and Joey is none of your business ok?"
"Oh so it is Joey issue then?" Tanya tilted her head giving a sympathetic look to Lauren. "Want to talk to me about it… without your dad?" Lauren nodded wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Max make yourself scarce"
"Oh Charming" He sighed shutting the door behind him.
"Right, now, what's going on?" Lauren looked at her mom her eyes staring deep into her mothers, the longing to tell her and have her opinion was overwhelming, yet at the same time she was scare her mom was going to tell her what she didn't want to hear.
"I need you to let me explain before you go off on one ok?" Tanya nodded her concern growing the longer Lauren remained silent. "Well, Joey has a baby… he didn't know about it. The mom left her on Joey's doorstep on Christmas night saying she didn't want her and she was Joeys mistake. She left a baby Mom, Joeys baby, in the freezing cold hoping she would have the right address. She's two weeks old mom, she's amazing and Joey doesn't really want her."
"Oh Lauren… what do you mean joey doesn't want her?"
"Well he hardly looks at her, he's not named her, but he is keeping her there, me and Al talked him round, we know he'd regret it later"
"And you, how you feeling about it all?"
"Honestly… I miss them" she sighed looking at her mom
"Them?" Lauren nodded, she hadn't put a name to the feelings before but it was defiantly beginning to feel like she loved this baby.
"yes, I miss Joey so much, He's hurting and I know he is, I know how much he wants us to be together and I do too, He's never at the house Alice is pretty much looking after her, I've been round a few times when Joeys not there but I don't know what's the right thing to do anymore, I'm getting attached to this baby that's not even mine"
Tanya rubbed her hand over Laurens head pushing her hair from her face, "I can't tell you what to do Lauren, it's something you're going to have to figure out darling, as for the baby, are you going to see her to help Joey or because you want to?"
"Because I want to… Joey doesn't even know I've been round there, I don't want to give him any hope yet when I'm not sure myself." Tanya stared for a second then took a large breath.
"Your Dad will kill me for saying this, Right I'm going to say this straight out… I think you need to round there and tell him you love him, tell him you want him and that baby, because it's as plain as day to see that you do. That baby means something to you, I'm not asking you what, but it does"
Lauren looked at her mother and bit her lip nervously "I know your right mom but, what if Joey really don't want her and me saying I'll stay with him is just going to make him keep her for my sake"
"He probably does want the baby Lauren, He's probably just scared- If you're sure you want to be with him and the baby, raise her as your own, because that's what you'd need to do , you need to tell him,"
"And if I do, will you and support us? Treat her as your grandchild?" Lauren was hesitant when she asked but she needed to know the answer.
"If it's what you really want then yes" Lauren burst into tears "Its ok darling, come on" Tanya wrapped her up in her arms supporting her, comforting her.
Finally, over the last two weeks Joey was starting to take more responsibility for the baby, it was only small steps but steps nonetheless. It was the first time he had been brave enough to stay on his own with her. Alice had gone to the shop to get more supplies and had made sure the baby was sleeping so Joey didn't have to do much.
The things off Lauren had come to good use, Joey had actually taken a liking to some of the things, he wouldn't give it away mind. Joey was disturbed from his gaze in the kitchen as the baby woke, she was In the living room in the Moses basket, If Alice was home she would have probably being playing with her or bathing her or something other than let her lie there.
Joey walked into the room, cautiously lifting the baby to him, it was true how the old saying went, that babies could sense fear. It wasn't that Joey didn't want her , over the course of the week's he'd accepted that she was his and she had a right to be with at least one of her parents, it was now the fear of messing up that restricted him.
After pacing the room for a good 15 minutes and feeding her, the baby had fallen to sleep. Joey sat holding her in his arms "you are hard work". The front door opened and he could here footsteps in the hall. He turned his face to see Lauren standing in the doorway.
"Hi" he whispered, to speak any louder would have ruined the moment. Lauren smiled to see he was actually holding the baby; she stepped closer and perched on the arm of the chair
"I used my Key, I didn't know if she would be sleeping" Lauren ran her fingers over the baby's head, Joey watched the interaction.
"I'm sorry Lauren" Joey reached his one arm out to Lauren settling his hand on her thigh. She took it and rubbed her thumb across the back of it.
"You don't need to be sorry Joey, you didn't know about her, I'm just glad you seem to be doing better with her."
Joey scoffed slightly "I didn't have much of a choice to be honest did I… anyway she aint that bad" he looked at Lauren who was smiling brightly at him. "I never really thanked you properly for all of the things you brought round the other day, we do really appreciate it"
"I know you do, she needed some other things" Lauren smiled again "Can I hold her?" Joey nodded and passed her over to Lauren. "Hello beautiful … I have missed you" Lauren held her at arm's length before kissing her forehead and bringing her close.
"Do you want a drink?" Lauren nodded, Joey vacating the room temporarily.
"Your Daddy's doing good ay? See, he was scared but me and your Auntie Al and my Mom knew he could do it, because you can melt hearts… you'll be a trouble maker when you're older… Just like your dad"
Joey came back in and put the cups down on the table "I wish she was yours…"
"I wish she was mine too" Lauren replied jostling the baby
"You do?" Lauren nodded and smiled to Joey
"I wanted to talk to you… I love you Joey, that feeling won't go away, You know that, I want to be with you Joey… there's things that need sorting first but, I want to make this work, I've know from the second I held her that I felt something for her, I don't care she's not biologically mine, she's yours and I'm yours and that's all that matters to me."
"I can't ask you to do that Lauren Your 19" before he could speak anymore, Lauren shook her head.
"You're not listening, you're not asking me to I'm saying I want to, for two weeks I've been sneaking in here whilst you've been out, How'd you think Al's been going to work?"
"So you've been coming in here and looking after her?" Lauren nodded
"She's a really happy baby Joe, she's no trouble" Joey sighed and stared at her as she shuffled the baby in her arms.
"It's you she cries after isn't it? In the middle of the night, when me or Alice can't settle her is you? Oh Lo babe, you really want to do this?"
An extra chapter for tonight :) what do you think happens next ?