Forced to Grow Up

Chapter 8- Back to Luke's

I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex where Luke lived and searched for somewhere to park. It took forever and by the time I was walking to I saw Luke trying to get Kelly out of his truck.

“Come on, babygirl. We need to get you inside,” Luke pleaded with her.

“No, Daddy! Want, Carewine!” Kelly shouted at her dad.

“Please, Kelly!” Luke begged as I started to walk up behind him letting Kelly see me, but not Luke.

“Carewine!” Kelly said as she started running across the seat of Luke’s truck towards me.

“She’ll be here soon,” Luke said as she tried to catch her, but she went right past him, “Kelly, no!”

“Hey baby!” I exclaimed as I caught her.

“Carewine!” Kelly yelled as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I thought surely she was going to fall,” Luke said as he closed the door to his truck, “I think my heart stopped.”

“It’ll be okay, Luke. She didn’t fall,” I smiled at him, “Let’s get her inside.”

Luke wrapped his arm lovingly around my waist and helped us into the building and up the stairs. Stepping into his apartment was like a blast from the past. It was like his bedroom in his dad’s house in Leesburg was moved to Nashville and expanded, but with baby toys added. There were posters all over the walls, there was a basket full of unfolded laundry in the living room floor, empty cans on the end tables, and there were what seemed like thousands of Duplo blocks scattered from the living room into the kitchen and down the hallway.

“Do you ever clean?” I asked Luke.

“All the time,” Luke said as I sat down at the kitchen table with Kelly still firmly attached to my neck.

“Luke, I don’t believe it. This place is a mess. I’m going to take Kelly and get her to bed and you are going to start cleaning,” I informed him.

“I’ll do it later,” Luke said to me.

“No, if you don’t do it now, you won’t. I know you better than that. You are the worst procrastinator I’ve ever met,” I told him.

“Fine,” Luke sighed as went towards his bedroom with Kelly.

“And fold that laundry if it’s clean!” I shouted as I went in his room.

“Yes, ma’am!” Luke shouted back to me in a smart ass tone.

I was surprised at how clean his room was compared with the rest of his apartment. The bed was made and all of Kelly’s clothes were neatly folded on top of his dresser. Her pack-n-play was set up just a few feet away from his bed and her blanket had been carefully hung over the side. I laid Kelly down on the bed and grabbed a sleeper, onesie, and pair of socks off Luke’s dresser. I started to change her and she was half asleep, but rambling about something. I had no clue what she was talking about, but it reminded me of Luke so much. He always was rambling when he was going to sleep and he most definitely talked in his sleep. Kelly was so much like him. Not only did she act like him, but she looked like him too.

“Carewine, wuv you,” Kelly said as I laid her down to go to sleep.

“Awww, love you too, sweetheart,” I told her, “Do you want a cup?”

“Cuppie! Cuppie!” Kelly shouted at me as she stared up at me.

“I’ll be right back. I’ll go get you a cuppie. You stay right there,” I told her as I headed towards the kitchen.