Childish

6

Robert came home just as I was waking up from my nap. Raindrops covered his jacket and hair and brought in a gust of cold air when he stepped through the door.

I pulled the throw blanket around me tighter, looking through the netting on the side of my playpen at him.

Kelsey walked out of the kitchen and kissed him. She said something to him that I didn't hear and he smiled.

He pulled his coat off and hung it on the back of the door. "Is she awake?"

"She's still taking a nap. I need to wake her up for dinner soon."

"I'll go do it. "

"She probably needs her diaper changed."

Robert walked over to my playpen and leaned over the side. "Hi, baby. Were you good for mommy today?"

I rolled onto my back and looked up at him. My reflection looked back at me through his glasses. My brown hair was splayed on the blanket under my head and my eyes were wide and sad. I didn't like what I saw but I didn't have the energy to cheer up. I couldn't feel better when I knew that this wasn't what I wanted for myself. But I couldn't change it.

He lifted me off the thin mattress and held me in his arms. "Are you feeling better today?"

I laid my head on his shoulder and nodded. As he carried me to the steps, I noticed his phone was on the inside pocket of his jacket.

He carried me to my room and laid me on the changing table.

I played with my hair as he changed me, feeling extremely uncomfortable. I didn't like him changing my diapers when I knew nothing about him. He was a stranger to me.

He walked over to the dresser. "I'm going to have to go Christmas shopping soon. Our little girl can't have Christmas without presents."

I looked over at him, watching him sift through the folded pants. "Christmas?"

He smiled as he carried over a pair of pink sweatpants to match my top. "We still have time but it's coming up soon. If I don't go soon, there won't be much to choose from."

I sat up and picked at the bright pink drawstrings that dangled from my waistband. I wasn't eager for Christmas this year. I was almost dreading it ever since we moved into town. But being with Alex, I figured it wouldn't be so bad.

I didn't feel the same since moving in with Kelsey and Robert.

Robert picked me up and carried me out of the room. "Let me take you downstairs with mommy."

He started to go toward the steps but I whined and shook my head.

He looked down at me, a bit surprised. "You don't want to go downstairs?"

I shook my head. "I want to stay with you." It was a lie but it was all I could come up with.

Thankfully, he bought it and said nothing more as he walked me into his bedroom. He set me down on the bed then sat down beside me to untie his shoes.

I crawled to the head of the bed where the light purple pillows were and pushed them back against the headboard. I sat up against them and put my pacifier in my mouth.

Robert smiled at me as he shed his coat and laid it on the bed where he'd been sitting. "I'll be right back, Lyla."

I watched him walk into the bathroom and waited for the door to close before I scrambled over to his coat. I pulled his phone from the inside pocket and tapped the screen. A picture of him and Kelsey was used as the wallpaper. 

A knot formed in my stomach.

I opened the phone and went to the call log. I didn't remember the number for the lab and it wasn't listed in the contacts.

I frowned and put the phone back, feeling hopeless. I'd already called once and gotten through to Monica. I was just worried it wasn't enough to help me or Alex. I just really needed to know that he was okay.

Robert walked back out of the bathroom with his hair more ruffled than it had been. I could smell the soap he used to wash his hands. He was in a change of clothes that were more relaxed than his work clothes.

He picked up his jacket and his phone fell to the floor. I panicked and opened my mouth to make up some excuse for why his phone was out.

But I didn't need to.

"My phone is always falling out of this pocket. I don't know why I use it." He mumbled as he set the phone on the bed. He walked over to the door and hung his jacket on one of the hooks attached to the back.

I exhaled a deep breath and tried to relax. I was too nervous and it was going to give me away. I didn't want to get caught anytime soon.

I pulled the pacifier from my mouth and pointed to the screen of his phone. "Mommy."

He walked back over and glanced at the screen before looking at me. "That's mommy and daddy."

I pretended to look at it as if I hadn't seen it before.

He picked it up and put it into his back pocket. Then he lifted me off the bed and put me on his hip. "Let's go help mommy with dinner."

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Technically, we're not supposed to like Robert but I actually kind of like him. What do you guys think of Robert and Kelsey so far?