Happily Ever After?? (Third in the Through The Dark And Free series)

Chapter 41

Julie walked out of the kitchen holding out the bottle. She gave Amanda a look like, see, play stupid games, win stupid prizes. "Ready for the quiet plug?"

"Can you take her while I wash my hands?" Amanda put Grace's pants back on and looked at Julie. "Oh, don't look so smug."

"Yeah. I got her." Julie walked over and picked Grace up. "Thank you, for showing your Devil side to someone else." She chuckled, and as soon as she picked her up, Grace settled some and looked at her expectantly. "You ready for this?" She laid Grace back on one arm and put the bottle into her mouth. "There you go, before you even starved."

Amanda watched from the sink as she washed her hands. How Julie couldn't see the connection she had with Grace, was unbelievable. As much as she'd grown since they'd started dealing with Johnny and the issues he'd caused, Julie still had so many lingering doubts regarding what he had done to her. But damn, if she didn't just automatically bond with Grace. Grace literally calmed down as soon as Julie was near her. She all but stopped crying as soon as Julie picked her up, and she relaxed fully as soon as that bottle was in her mouth. "JJ you're like magic with her. It's so amazing to see."

Julie plopped down on the couch with Grace. "I had what she wanted. If you brought her bottle, she'd have settled for you too. She's obsessed with eating."

"She was calming down before that bottle went to her mouth. She recognized you as soon as you were near her." Amanda insisted as she walked back to the couch.

"Cuz I'm the one that feeds her like most of the time." Julie shrugged.

"You're still impossible, JJ. And you wonder why Grace is my new favorite." Amanda took Grace as Julie shifted her into her arms.

"Yeah, just ask Harry." Julie sat back on the couch after she let Amanda finish feeding Grace. "But see, bottle in mouth, her in your arms, she's doing just fine."

"Yes, JJ, still not the point." Amanda watched Julie for a moment. "So, you want to talk to me? You've been trying to act like your normal annoying self, but there's something going on. And your little 'ask Harry' comment wasn't unnoticed. What's got you so bent?"

"Me and my issues. When isn't it about me and my issues?" Julie reached into the diaper bag when she heard her text alert. It was Harry asking where she was. She texted back that she was visiting with Amanda and, asked if he wanted to stop over. She waited for his response and when he said no, he'd see her later, she sighed and just put her phone back in the bag. He always came when it was Amanda and Niall's. Always.

"What? JJ? What is it?" Amanda asked as she checked how much Grace ate and then set her on her shoulder to burp her.

"Nothing. Harry just wanted to know where we were. I told him. Asked him if he was going to stop over, he said no." She shrugged. "No big deal."

It probably wasn't. He didn't need to come every time JJ came. But Amanda did sort of find it strange. He always seemed to come visit with Niall when JJ was here. "Probably not a big deal. But he usually does come. However, I'm more concerned about your issues, or what you think is the problem because of your issues."

Julie shrugged. "We'd be here all night again if we started in on my issues." She glanced over at Amanda. "Last night, everything sort of came to a head. Things have been tough since we brought Grace home. With all the house guests, my questioning my ability to be a mother on top of everything else, learning how to take care of a baby as well as be a married couple. And my never-ending insecurities."

Julie leaned forward and put her face in her hands and rubbed over it. "Last night things got, just, tense. And I know it's my fault. But it runs so deep. I just can't seem to help it."