Hope Out the Window

Crying

"Alaïa, my love, my princess, please stop crying." I rocked her hopelessly in the living room. She woke up in the middle of the night, Jenna fed her just like usual but for some reason she would not  stop crying. Jenna and I were both up with her for nearly an hour before I practically forced Jenna to go to sleep. I brought her in here so she wouldn't keep anyone up.

"Need some help?" I heard a sleepy Debby from the hall.

"Do you know how to fix it?" I chuckled as Debby made her way further into the room, smiling.

"Not necessarily, but I can take a shift so you can get some sleep."

"You don't have to."

"Tyler, really, that's why I'm staying with you all for awhile. I really don't mind." She picked up Alaïa, turning her towards her chest. "Hey, pretty girl." Debby stood up with her and started bouncing her lightly. "It's all going to be just fine." Debby held the pacifier to her mouth. The crying stopped and post crying cooing began.

"How did you do that?" I whispered.

"I don't know. Just luck I guess." She shrugged smiling, "Seriously, go get some sleep."

"Eh, I'm wide awake now. Might as well keep you some company." I scooted over and Debby took a seat beside me.

"How's your hand?"

"It's fine. Just sore now." I shrugged.

"Good."

"How are you and Josh doing?"

"We are doing really good. He keeps bringing up getting engaged." She tried to hide her smile.

"And how do you feel about that? Being engaged, I mean."

She thought for a moment, "I think there is no one else I'd rather build a life with. I think that I would be ready for that commitment with him."

"How would that work with you both traveling so much? I'm questioning because I care, not because I don't think you all could do it." I clarified.

"Yeah no I get it. It would be difficult, I know. We would just have to figure it out when we got there. Who's going where when? When could we meet up? When could I be touring with him or when could he be on set with me? There would be quite a bit of separation, but we would have to work through it."

I smiled and nodded along, "Good answer. Don't let him make you give up your career and vise versa, don't make him give up his. Even if neither of you actually say "quit your job", don't feel pressure that you have to, and don't make pressure for him to feel like he has to. I don't think either of you would do that, but one of my biggest regrets is making Jenna feel like she couldn't pursue her dreams because of mine." 

"Yeah, we won't." She smiled at me a little, then Alaïa started to stir.

"She's probably getting hungry, I'll take her back to Jenna." Debby handed me the baby carefully, "Go get some sleep." She nodded her head and shuffled to the hallway, "And Debby?" I kept my voice quiet when she turned around, "Thank you."

"Thank you too." She grinned then went back to Josh's room.
_____December 24

"Oh my goodness," Josh spoke in a baby voice while he fed Alaïa from a small bottle, "Alaïabug, you are catching on so fast." He carefully dabbed her mouth.

"Why don't you guys go out tonight a little  Christmas Eve date?" Debby suggested, "You all have been so busy with Alaïa, let Josh and I watch her."

"Normally, I would turn down that offer because I would feel bad, but if you guys are really okay with it, then yes absolutely." Jenna finished putting her hair in a ponytail.