After The End: Book 2

16. Take it Back

Louis POV

I woke throughout the night several times with Oliver. He was generally easy to put back to sleep but in Naomis absence he was just unhappy. He could tell things weren't right. I had been thankful for Harry's help the previous night. I almost felt guilty for telling all of his business to my mum although I hadn't really had much control over what I said to her. It was all a blur. Harry had dodged her by calling Lux and she had come in and kicked out my sisters before demanding answers for my impromptu crash landing at her house.

I had expected that I'd need to explain myself. I hadn't expected the gush of emotion that came with my explanations. Naomi leaving had surprised her, despite what little tension we'd brought with us to Christmas. I assured her it had surprised me too. I gave her the details of what Naomi had suggested, like living separately and how I'd refused. Then I told her how Naomi was ghosting me and Oliver both and how I didn't even have a plan on how to feed him the next day. I'd gotten to Harry and I'd given her everything I knew. It was all such a blur of crying and reassurances. My mum had come through as expected. She always did.

When I woke for the final time the next morning, Oliver was still snoozing soundly in the bed next to me. I'd always been nervous about the idea of sleeping with the baby in the bed. Naomi lost her mind if I fell asleep near the baby ever although according to Harry she did this all the time behind my back. I would just add that to the long list of things she was hypocritical about. I tried to push that thought away. I didn't want to become resentful before I even knew what was actually going to happen next.

Things had been okay getting through the night. Better than I had expected anyways. Waking up in my childhood room had at least brought me a sense of comfort.

I checked my phone. As expected there was nothing from Naomi. Still, I dialed her number and sat through the several rings before reaching her voicemail. I paused for the beep and then said, "Hey, it's still me, you fucking monster. Your baby, that is only six months old, still needs you. I'd love to hear your thoughts about that."

I waited for the next beep that prompted me to either delete or send the voicemail and then deleted it without second thought. Instead, I took a picture of Oliver's sleeping form on the bed and texted it her way. I took a second to think of what to say and then added "He misses you. I don't care how you feel about me but I have to make decisions for him with or without you. I'd rather do it with you." That seemed as non confrontational as I could be. Maybe she'd see the picture of him on the bed and be so angry at me that she called anyways. It felt unlikely.

Oliver seemed to be waking up slowly so I pulled myself out of bed and began digging for clean clothes in my bag. I was still wearing the clothes I'd worn to work the previous day having gone to bed shell shocked and desperate. I had just pulled clean sweats over my legs when the sounds of Oliver's cooing alerted me that he was truly rousing.

He looked around again, presumably for his mother before settling his eyes on me. He didn't look distressed, but I could tell there was a certain nervousness about him. It was not the happy baby I was used to seeing in the morning. I didn't even know babies could look nervous like this. He kept his eyes on me and my familiarity like a life line.

I changed his diaper and put him in a clean onesie. I wanted to just stare at him as if his little baby face would have the answers for why things had suddenly gotten so messy.

"It's you and me against the world little man," I muttered.

Satisfied that he wasn't about to answer, I picked him up and headed for the fridge where I'd placed what was left of the meager milk supply. I'd need to get formula now, as long as Naomi was a ghost. The house was empty and quiet. It was only about 8 am. If Harry had gotten to sleep, and that was a big if, he wasn't likely to rouse any time soon. My mum was likely just waking up and my siblings all lived by their own schedules. I was the sole early riser of this family.