Joes Child

Chapter 10 - Christmas

I pulled into a small Christmas tree farm and swung the car door open. I immediately stood in a big muddy puddle and water soaked my leg all the way up to my ankle. I opened the back door and unbuckled Layla as she kept kicking me in the stomach and giving me grief. I eventually got her out and the buckle got stuck and she bit her finger and started crying.

"Layla please calm down. It's happy Christmas times" she didn't understand and just clung to me crying.

"Do you want to walk?" I ask over the top of her screams. She shook her head in response so I stood her behind the car and retrieved her stroller before she sat down still sobbing lightly.

"Peter.." she mumbles while grabbing onto everything she could as I pushed her down the long dusty drive towards the fields and shop.

" Do you want peter?" I ask begging for a no because that would mean going all the way back to the car. She shook her head and contuined to get quiter as we got closer to the shop.

It was a small wooden shack pained a chrismassy red and was covered in lights, tinsel and wreaths. Inside was a plethora of smells ranging from gingerbread bath bombs to Christmas tree air freshener to clean sheets. Behind the shop was several fields of Christmas trees ready to be sold.

We immediately went round the back to find a tree and by this time Layla was sound asleep in the pushchair.
"So much for a family Christmas. Thanks Layla. " I muttered under my breath and I gazed around the pine field. I found the medium ones with purple labels and before long found a perfect one with big lower branches and the perfect height. It was no taller than me so we could easily decorate it. I played for it out the ever lessing bank account of mine and left again.

"So Layla we can go home and have a snack then put the tree up and decorate it then have dinner ad go to bed. How does that sound?" I said to her as I buckled her back into the car seat. Even though she was still fast asleep I though she might want to know what is going on.

I once again battled with the car seat to get Layla out while she was still asleep and took her inside. I took her upstairs and lay her in her crib and jogged down the stairs to get the tree out as I saw the street was empty.

Layla was still asleep and I had decorated the tree myself and I was making a curry while texting Oli. He had fallen out with Caspar and had asked if he could come over. I began typing a response when the doorbell rang causing Liz to go crazy and run up and down the stairs until she face planted the wall. I put my phone in my back pocket and answered the door. Outside was Oil with a big bag.

"Joe, mate, I'm sorry I've just turned up I just really needed to talk to you, well anyone really. And you spent 3 years living with him so I though you would be the best person. I don't even need to stay the night if you don't want me too. I can find a hotel ..." Oli started saying while fighting back tears.

"Nah mate its fine. You can stay as long as you need. It's almost Christmas. Giving back and all that. Right?" I say letting out a nervous laugh. Oli looks behind me and I step aside letting him in.

"No one else home? I though you would have a girl over Joe"

"Well I do if you class a 10 month old baby as a girl. I've got a curry on the go so you can help yourself. I just need to feed Liz and check on Layla. " I say backing into the kitchen and feeding Liz as she came tumbling (literally) and landing in the bowl of food. Oli laughs and starts sturing the curry.

Layla is crying upstairs and as I get closer her crys are getting quieter. She was falling back to sleep and she was fine. I checked anyway and she really was fine. She had food 3 hours ago and I changed her when we got in 1 hour ago. I heard my phone ring before Oli yells up
"Joe Niomi is calling!"

I stumble out Laylas room and clutch the stairs and the dizziness in my head gets worse. I pick up the phone with a shakey hand and speak into the reciver
"Hello?"
"Oh hi Joe. I was just calling to say I'm on my way with Jim and Louise. I really want Layla back and seeing as I birthed her she is legally mine to take back. I have all the paper work with me so you can't..."
I don't hear the end I fall to the fall and drop my phone next to me before sinking my head into my hands and letting the dizzyness and darkness take over me.

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Oli's POV
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Joe was on the phone and he was in the living room as I kept stirring the curry. The kitchen was pretty much spot less and smelt like disinfectant. I heard a cry and then a clump and a splash as Layla started crying, Liz landed in her water dish and something fell? I walked in the living room to see Joe in the corner shaking and his face was a pale as snow. Something was wrong....