Sweet Creature (jemily)

Chapter Twenty One

"JJ, get out of here. The paint fumes are bad for you," Emily said, taking her hand and dragging her out of the nursery.

"You're so dramatic." JJ rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch. They had picked a light pink paint color for the baby's room. Emily had been painting it herself because she didn't think JJ should be around the smell for too long.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe. Sue me," Emily laughed. She sat down next to JJ and pulled her close.

"Ha ha," JJ mocked. She rested her head on Emily's shoulder and noticed the raindrops on the window. "It's raining," she said, looking up.

"It is. It's almost spring," said Emily. "I love the rain. It should rain more often," JJ sighed.

"If I ever become a god and can control the weather, I'll make that happen for you." Emily pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You want to see what I got?" JJ asked, pulling out her laptop. Emily nodded and watched as JJ showed her the new furniture she had bought online for the nursery. "I measured everything so it would fit," she said. JJ had got a dresser and changing table. She also got a rocking chair and a wooden shelf for the baby's room.

"I want to put lots of books on the shelf. Reading to the baby is good for them. I like reading to her even though she doesn't understand it yet," JJ admitted. "She might not understand the words, but she knows your voice. I'm sure she loves it," Emily told her.

"I have something to show you," Emily remembered. She got up from the couch and walked into the bedroom. JJ stayed on the couch and could hear Emily looking through the closet.

She came out with a small cardboard box. She handed it to JJ, who opened it with curiosity. The brown box was full of colorful baby books. JJ recognized some of the titles, but some were unfamiliar.

JJ smiled when she picked up a specific one. "I loved this book. Guess How Much I Love You." She ran her finger over the rabbit on the cover. "My sister used to read it to me."

"These are all books I saved from when I was a kid. Some of them are in different languages, but they've got some cool pictures," Emily said, picking up a small book that appeared to be in French. There was a small yellow chicken on the front.

"Who saved them all?" JJ asked. "My dad. He used to love reading them to me," Emily told her. JJ noticed the slightly sad look on her face.

"How come you never talk about your family?" JJ asked, realizing she knew little to nothing about Emily's childhood beside the fact she moved around a lot.

"There's not much to talk about. My mom is the only family I have. She's the ambassador. Everyone knows that. We've never really gotten along, I guess. She's not involved with my life. I'm okay with that," Emily said.

"What about your dad?" JJ asked. Emily knew a lot about JJ's life. JJ wanted to know about Emily's too.

Emily pulled JJ into her lap and pressed a kiss to her head. "I loved my dad. He was one of the sweetest people you'd ever meet. But he had problems. He grew up in a bad environment. He was an alcoholic. My mother and he got divorced before I was born. He always tried to be in my life. My mother didn't make it easy for him."

Emily hated talking about her childhood. That's why she never brought it up. But she felt JJ deserved to know the truth after she'd trusted Emily with all her secrets.

"I know that my dad loved me," she sighed. "But he also loved to gamble. He was a risk-taker. When I was 7, his life took a turn for the worse. He had relapsed. My mother wouldn't let him near me. He had gambled away all of his money and was in severe debut. He just felt hopeless, I think. The day before I turned 8, he wanted to call me. My mom said no. He told her he felt like a terrible father. That night my mom told me he'd shot himself in the head."