Childish

36

I tried not to show how irritated I was as I reached out for the teddy bear I never played with. It sat in the corner near my toy chest where it collected dust. How she found it there confused me more than the fact that she didn't see my bunny in my crib.

She picked me up without warning and sat me on the floor. "I don't want you falling off the couch. You can play in here while I make dinner."

I watched her walk away before a sigh left my lips. I'd barely been with her ten minutes and I was already done.

I was ready for Alex to come home.

Dinner didn't take her long. She came to get me and made me leave my stuffed animals on the couch.

My high chair was positioned close to her seat and my stomach turned at what I assumed that meant. Which wasn't good.

She sat me down and strapped me in before she lifted the tray into place. "I made you some chicken noodle soup. It was a favorite of the kids growing up."

I reached out for the bowl with both of my hands.

"No, sweetie. It's hot. Let me feed it to you."

"I can feed myself."

"Lyla, you're just a baby."

I crossed my arms over my chest. It took all I had not to argue with her. I didn't want to hurt Alex by upsetting his mom but she was pushing every button I had. Every word out of her mouth was just another jab that pushed me closer and closer to the edge. I didn't want to explode but I felt it coming.

It was only a matter of time.

Begrudgingly, I opened my mouth for her as she pushed bite after bite into my mouth. The chicken noodle soup was just regular soup from a can. I wasn't sure why she crapped out on making dinner. I would've expected her to put some effort into making me something but soup was better than nothing.

When I was finished, she handed me a bottle before she collected the empty bowl. "Alex said you need a bath before you go to bed. You can play in your room while I get the water ready."

She lifted me out of my chair and carried me from the kitchen. She started for the stairs but stopped when I whined and leaned away from her.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"My bear."

"You can play with the toys in your room."

I whined again but she ignored my cries and continued up the steps. She set me down on the floor in my room, leaving me with all the toys I didn't want to play with.

I crawled to my crib and looked between the bars for my bunny. I remembered seeing it on my pillow but suddenly, it wasn't there. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so upset about her not finding it. But where did it go if it wasn't in my crib?

I went to my toy chest and peered inside. I started collecting the blocks that were scattered all throughout. I was just dumping them onto the floor when Alex's mom came into the room.

"Alright, sweetie. The bath is just about ready. Let's get you cleaned up so you can get to bed."

"Can I play a little before I go to bed?"

She walked over and knelt down in front of me. "I want you to get enough sleep tonight. There won't be any time after your bath."

I frowned. "But... A-daddy lets me play."

"He also puts you to bed too late. If you're going to get enough sleep at night, you need to start going to bed earlier."

I didn't see what was wrong with me going to bed a little later. I slept fine and I took a nap every afternoon. Either she was genuinely concerned about me or she was just being a bitch because she knew she'd get away with it.

I said nothing as she lifted me off the floor and walked into the bathroom. I had to fight the urge to cover myself up as she removed my clothes, leaving me cold and embarrassed.

My baby body was different than what I had been used to. All my appendages were short and stubby but at least I wasn't a fat baby. I just still wasn't comfortable being naked.

She didn't give me much time in the bath to play. I wasn't really the type to play in the bath nor was I in the mood to do so but it still would have been nice for her to offer it. It seemed like she wasn't in the mood to really deal with me which made me more sad than mad. Was I really that hard to deal with?

She got me dressed for bed and had me tucked in not long after I got into the bath. She tucked the blanket around me and under my body, trapping me in my spot. "That's a good girl. Your daddy will be home when you wake up in the morning. Sleep tight, baby."

I gripped the blanket in my hands, reminding myself what she had just told me. Alex will be home when I wake up. I wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. He could help me find my bunny and let me stay up and let me feed myself. I just had to fall asleep and things would all be better.

It was still dark when I woke up. The house was quiet which made me assume Alex's mom was still babysitting. The thought of Alex not being there made my chest tighten and tears fill up my eyes.

I rolled onto my side and clutched my blanket to my chest. My pillow moved as I moved and my bunny appeared from under it. I snatched it and hugged it against me, grateful to at least have one of my safety nets with me. It was better than nothing.

I rubbed my eyes and sniffed as an overwhelming urge to break down washed over me. I just wanted the night to be over so Alex would be back. Then everything would be right again.

I didn't realize I was full out crying until the side of my crib lowered, scaring the crap out of me. I jumped and my eyes opened to see Alex standing beside me. He was still wearing his clothes from when he left which made me think he'd just gotten home.

He didn't say anything as he lifted me out of my crib. I clung to him as he grabbed my bunny and walked me from my room. He went into his and laid me down in his bed, right beside my bear. He must have seen it still in the living room when he got home and brought it up for me.

Thank goodness.

He lifted the blankets over me and brushed my hair out of my face. "I'll be right back."

I curled in on myself as I waited for him to come back from the bathroom. The light peaked through the bottom of the door.

Alex only took a few seconds before he came back out, now wearing more comfortable clothing that was actually suitable for going to sleep. He turned the light off before he got under the covers beside me.

I situated my stuffed animals between us before I pushed my pacifier into my mouth. I wiggled closer to him before I let my eyes shut, finally feeling tired enough to sleep comfortably.

Alex slid his arm under me, his body heat relaxing me. He lifted the blanket so it was covering me and the stuffed animals. "Happy Valentine's Day, Lyla."

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Hey all! I don't usually write chapters this long, even though I should, but I wanted to keep this to one chapter for you all. Plus, I feel bad for writing short chapters then not updating for a while. That isn't fair to you all. But tell me... do you guys like long chapters or short chapters? I'm trying to write longer chapters that flow better but am still learning. I've been writing for years and am still honing my skills. Any advice or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! I hope you liked the chapter.

Thanks for reading!