THE BABY
•••
Bethany sat in the middle of her sofa, leaning her tired head on her husband's shoulder while she watched Jackie coo at the baby in the lounge chair. It had been over a month since they returned home from the hospital with Scarlett and the blonde was thankful that the fussing hadn't begun.
"She is so sweet," Donna whispered over Jackie's shoulder as she looked down at the sleeping infant.
"Yeah, she's sweet now until she starts screaming her head off in the middle of the night." Hyde said lifting up his glasses to rub the sleep from his eyes.
Beth lifted her chin up from his shoulder and furrowed her brows, "It's not like you're the one checking on her."
"It still wakes me up." He said making her eyes roll.
"Still getting used to the new schedule?" Donna chuckled.
"Mhm," Bethany hummed closing her eyes and leaning her head on Fez's shoulder next to her.
Jackie studied the sleeping babe and brushed her finger over her tiny ears, "When are you thinking about piercing her ears?"
"Uh, it's not really a top priority at the moment." Hyde answered with disproving face.
"I don't know, Jackie, I might wait until her skull fuses together then I'll consider it." Beth's eyes remained shut as she spoke.
"Alright, I'm putting her back to bed." Hyde got up from his spot and carefully took the baby from Jackie,
"Hey," Eric complained, "I wanted to hold her."
"You'll get your turn again, don't worry." Beth promised while she blinked her eyes open.
"I better. I'm not leaving until I do." Eric spoke seriously.
"Guys, yesterday at the salon I gave a shampoo to Tina Simpson and you know what? She has a lumpy head." Fez told the group. Ever since he started at the salon he kept the group up to date on all the town gossip. He and Baby had a standing date night every Thursday after he was done work so she could stay in the loop.
"Ah gross," Kelso scrunched his nose, sitting backwards on one of the dining table chairs, "If I had known that I would've felt around a little more up there."
They turned their heads to Kelso and he proceeded to give his reasoning, "I mean it's gross but you've got to feel it, right?"
Steven rejoined them on the sofa, putting his arm over Baby's shoulder.
"Totally..." Baby made a face while leaning into Steven's side, "Okay, guys maybe you can settle an argument for us."
"Here we go," Hyde sighed.
"So Hyde starts work at his dad's company tomorrow and he is just gonna wear jeans and an old Zeppelin shirt, but I keep telling him to dress up."
"Baby, he owns a chain of record stores. A band shirt and jeans is the official uniform of rock n' roll, I'll be dressed to jam."
"I agree with Baby," Fez chose a side first; "You clean up so nice. Let the world see what I see."
Steven scrunched up his face,
"Look, Steven I really think that..."
"Lay off, okay? I'll dress how I want."
"Fine," Baby put her hands up in defeat.
"Well what's the job? Are they looking for an entry-level hobo?" Donna teased.
Ignoring her joke, Steven became eager to talk about the position, "Actually, I'm hoping to get to listen to the records and pick which ones the stores carry. In which case, bye-bye, Andy Gibb."
"What do you have against good-looking guys?" Kelso became offended on behalf of all the attractive men, "We're just like you except for but much better looking."
Fez gasped a little and become hopeful, "You know what you should do? Bring back swing music." He held his arms out to the group but was met with distaste,
"Hey, sue me. I like a song I can throw a lady around to." He began miming a dance.
✽ ✾ ✽
Beth and Donna stood in the Pinciotti's backyard receiving a tai chi lesson from Midge. Scarlett slept in her carriage next to Fez and Kelso who had set up for the show with lawn chairs and fudgesicles.
"What exactly are they doing?" Fez asked Kelso in between licks of his frozen treat.
"I'm not sure." Kelso kept his eyes fixed on the women, "I think it's like a karate that kills you with jiggle."
The girls watched Midge closely, hovering their right arms over their left and bringing them towards their chests,
"And that's how you do tai chi." She smiled politely at the two blondes and turned to the peanut gallery, "Are you boys ready to try?"
Kelso's eyes trailed up the older woman's body, "Ah, I think we need to watch you three do it a little bit more,"
Donna shook her head disapprovingly at them, "They aren't trying to learn, Mom. Otherwise they wouldn't have brought lawn chairs and fudgecicles."
Baby put her hands on her hips, "Kelso, I thought you were going to start respecting women now that you have a daughter."
"I am but you three are grandfathered in." Kelso answered as the girls went back to their movements with Kitty and Bob walking into the backyard.
"I really don't see what the big deal is, Bob." Kitty rolled her eyes at the neighbour.
Holding a large plate, Bob explained, "We brought this tray over full of cookies. You should have brought it back full of cookies. That's all I'm saying."
Finished with the tiresome argument Kitty took interest in the girls, "What are you guys doing?"
"It's tai chi. It's an ancient form of exercise and meditation." Baby explained to her mother.
"It originated in the Far East in a place called Los Angeles." Midge continued.
Kitty half smiled, "Seems really interesting. Can I try?"
"Sure," Midge agreed eagerly.
"I'd stay out here and try with you, but I'd rather go inside and eat." Bob nodded before disappearing inside allowing Midge to start over her lesson.
"So the key is to relax and find your inner peace," Donna told Mrs.Forman who giggled in response,
"Seems a little exotic," she said, "But if this tai chi is half as good as a mai tai, I'm sure I'm gonna love it."
Following Midge's tai chi class, Bethany thought she'd treat her mother by taking her to a meditation shop where she'd also occasionally buy weed in the parking lot of back in high school. Beth pushed the baby carriage into the backyard and Kitty set down her Budai statue on the top railing of the stairs leading to the basement,
Her mother smiled widely up at her, "Thanks for taking me to get my tai chi supplies."
"No problem, Ma. I needed banana chips and stuff to cleanse the apartment anyway." The blonde grinned while peaking into the carriage to check on the baby.
"What was that wonderful place called again?" Her mother peaked into steal a glance at her granddaughter.
"Point Place Meditation Supply and Dried Fruit Depot," Baby placed the soother back in Scarlett's mouth.
Her mother lightly hit her arm, "Well that is so clever."
The mother and daughter stood back and looked the white Budai statue that was smiling back at them,
"I just love my new buddy." Kitty giggled.
"He's called Buddha," Baby corrected,
"No, that is not even a word." Her mother shook her head, "Next you'll tell me butter is called booder."
Beth rolled her eyes and shrugged down at Scarlett as if she was going to give a cognitive response back.
"What's going on back here?" Red asked walking into the backyard with Bob.
"Hey, look. You got a little thing of me." Bob posed beside the statue and smiled.
Kitty touched Red's arm to gain his attention as she told him happily, "I am making this space my tai chi area."
Red thought briefly, "So you're going to be out here, and I'm going to be in there alone?" Red pointed back at the house and continued when Kitty nodded, "I love tai chi."
Mr. Forman's smile grew wider when he saw his squawking granddaughter in her stroller, "Hey there, little Red."
"Why don't you take her inside to sit and watch day time television and be grumpy together?" Baby suggested lifting the small infant up making sure to cradle her head.
Red's lips stretched out towards his ears as he took the one month old from Bethany's hold, "I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon."
✽ ✾ ✽
Bethany hummed along to her Sgt. Pepper's album as she finished smudging the apartment. She sighed happily at the stillness of her house having just put the baby down for the night. She forgot to thank the universe for Scarlett's love for sleeping, praying that she'd always be this calm.
Without warning, Hyde swung the door open, his tie and the top buttons of his dress shirt were undone – Bethany ended up convincing him to look professional.
"Hey, Steven, how was work?" she asked cheerily.
"Damn, Baby. Can't I sit down and have a beer before you start in on me?" he asked exasperatedly.
Her eyebrow raised and her smile faltered, "Steven, I just smudged and now you're bringing in negative energy."
"Sorry," he told her sincerely, "It's the store in Skokie, and the numbers just don't add up."
Baby set down her smudging items on the coffee table and patted a spot on the sofa, "Have a seat, I'll get you a beer."
He took the seat and crossed his ankles on the coffee table. He let out a deep sigh and let his head rest on the pillows behind him. Baby grabbed a bottle from the fridge and cracked open the top with a magnet.
As she walked she began to feel more like herself again. The discomfort had become a distant memory, the swelling was down and she was able to fit back into her old clothes. She handed the beverage to her husband and sat down on his lap with her arms around his neck,
"Tell me all the best parts and then you can tell me what made your day crappy."
Steven took a sip of his beer and held onto the cool glass. His other hand rested between Bethany's shoulder blades and he looked up at her. Noticing her polite smile and the ease in her tone he suddenly forgot all about the bad parts of his day.
"Well, I got to come home to you." He admitted, "That's been the best part so far."
The blonde peppered kisses down his neck and mumbled against the collar of his shirt, "I bet I can make it better."
His lower lip became sandwiched between his top and bottom teeth, "You think so?"
Bethany took the beer from his hand and placed it on the end table then straddled his waist. Without answering his question verbally she answered him with a heated kiss. Steven grabbed her hips and pulled them into his as her tongue slid into his mouth. Before too long they switched positions so Bethany's back was against the sofa,
"I thought I was trying to make your day better?" she panted slightly,
"How 'bout I make yours first?" he grinned before disappearing under her skirt.
✽ ✾ ✽
Baby looked down at Scarlett and stuck out her tongue while pushing the stroller inside the salon. The small infant looked back at her with wide, bright eyes as she sucked on a pacifier. As the Hyde girls entered the store they were greeted with friendly hellos from the employees and awes from customers, though those were mainly directed towards Scarlett.
Noticing the commotion, Fez set down the broom he was using to sweep up hair clippings and directed his attention at the new mother,
"There's my two o'clock," he grinned as he walked over to her with open arms.
The blonde greeted him with a hug and a warm smile before walking over to his station. She stopped the carriage next to the seat so that she could get a view of her baby whom was more interested in the lights above.
As Fez carefully took Beth's long hair out of its messy bun and combed his fingers through it, he looked at her through the mirror and asked, "What are you wanting to do?"
"Hmm," she hummed as she examined herself in the mirror scrunching her nose in the process. She took her lower lip between her teeth and tilted her head slightly to the side, "Can you cut it like Stevie Nicks?"
"Anything for you, little mama," Fez grinned and began prepping his station.
After Fez completed cutting the bangs he took a step back to examine his fine work with a grin. Baby looked up at him with a nervous smile in return waiting rather impatiently to see her new do. Fez grabbed onto her chair and spun her around to face the mirror once again.
Beth's nervous smile turned into an excited one, "I love it!" her face brightened as she flicked her fingers through her bangs, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" She turned back to Fez and got out of the chair and hugged him, "Thank you."
Fez hugged her back tightly then pulled back to see her face, "I'm glad you like it."
The mother turned to her infant in the carriage, "What do you think, Scar? Do you like mommy's new hair?"
Seeing her mother's face appear made Scarlett throw her arms and legs and squeal with glee,
"Well, I'd say that's a yes." The mother chuckled, "Let's go home and see what daddy thinks." She spoke down to Scarlett who continued to kick. Before leaving Baby paid for her haircut and let the ladies in the salon ogle over the infant who adored the attention.
✽ ✾ ✽
When the Hyde girls got back to the apartment, they got back into their late-afternoon routine. The mother put George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album on low volume as she fed, burped and rocked her child to sleep. Afterwards, Baby got to work cleaning up the apartment, tying her hair back with a bandana and humming along to the soft sounds of the music. Once chores were finished, she crossed her ankles on the coffee table and sat back against the couch, flipping through a recipe book mulling over what to prepare for her husband.
Lists of ingredients and Harrison lulled her to sleep. She laid clutching the book to her chest and snoring softly. Hyde trudged down the hall to their appointment already having loosened his tie from a stressful, humdrum day of office work. He hated the job but voiced that only to himself as he cursed the eight hours on his forty-five minute commute back home.
Steven pushed open the door to find his sleeping partner on the couch. He quietly set down his briefcase and took of his shoes then turned to shut and lock the door behind him. Hearing movement, Bethany became alert and pushed herself up.
"Oh," she yawned, "Thank god it's you, I was not in the mood for a robbery." She rubbed her tired eyes.
Steven smiled at her never-failing wit and took a seat on the couch, moving her legs over his lap. He placed a kiss on her newly bang-covered forehead, "Did you do something different?"
A lazy smile etched across her face as she leaned against the armrest, "Mhm, d'ya like?"
"I do. It suits you."
"I'm sorry I didn't make dinner. I fell asleep, I've just been so tired with Scar and—"
He cut her off by shaking his head, "We'll just get takeout. I'm in the mood for something greasy anyway."
Beth stretched out her limbs and groaned slightly, "Can we just lay here until she wakes up? I don't feel like moving just yet."
"'Course," Steven shifted to lay behind her, wrapping an arm around her body and placing a kiss on the back of her head.
Beth sighed happily and closed her eyes, "What do you want to get?"
Steven thought for a moment, "Fatso Burger?"
"Oooh I could so go for one of their burgers." The blonde agreed.
He chuckled, "Alright that's where will go."
"Perfect." She turned her body so that her face was buried into his neck and breathed him in contently, "How was your day?"
His body tensed a little, "It was fine."
Steven kept his answer brief attempting to ignore the conversation, not wanting to admit that he hated his nine to five.
Baby leaned her head back and read his face "Was it bad? What happened?"
"Nothing, Baby it was fine. It's just boring."
"Hyde," she pressured,
"Alright, fine. I hate it. I run numbers all day for these stupid stores, it's so boring. Most of the stores aren't making sales like I know they should be." He went on, "I mean, they're all turning profit but I know they could be turning more. I'd be better off running one of those stores."
"Then why don't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you should be running a store. You already said it; you'd do it better than half of those schmucks. And you already have experience with the numbers so you know what is expected and what sales should look like, and where they're at. I think you should ask your father about it."
Hyde scrunched up his nose, "Man, I don't know, Baby. He's already done enough giving me that job."
The blonde rolled her eyes, "William's a nice guy, and I think he'd definitely give you a shot. You should pitch for a store here in Point Place. I think it'd do real well, plus there are tons of vacant store fronts that are just dying to be bought."
He thought for a moment and bit the inside of his lip, "You're right, I'll talk to him Monday."
Baby grinned and pecked him on the lips, "Good."
Echoing in the hallway, Scarlett's tiny screams could be heard from her nursery signalling she was awake. Baby sat up to tend to her child but Hyde placed a hand on her arm to stop her,
"I got it." He told her as he got up from the couch. He walked down the hallway and into the nursery where little Red continued to cry. He shushed her as he carefully cradled her in his arms. He rocked the small babe and smiled at her as she calmed down, "Hello Scarlett," he whispered, "Don't worry, daddy's got you now."
As he placed the pacifier back in her mouth Scarlett stared up at him with glossy eyes. Her tiny hand grabbed tightly onto his index finger while she stared. Hyde continued to rock and whisper to her as Baby stealthily watched from the doorway, keeping a tired smile stretched across her face.
As she watched on quietly she thought to herself, despite her life being anything like what she had hoped for, she couldn't be any happier.
She stepped forward until she was able to hug Steven from behind, pressing her cheek against his arm as she peered down at their daughter. As much as the Forman girl had dreamed of escaping the confinement of her home town to explore the ends of the earth, she was no longer in a rush to abandon Point Place. All the cities in the world would have to wait for her,
"Scarlett Leona Hyde," she whispered as she brushed the few hairs on her daughters head, "You're going to move mountains, my dear."
•••
A/N
i apologize profusely for the wait. i hope this short chapter was worth it. i have been really lacking the ability to write, so forgive me for that. i will do my best to finish this story, it has become a little more challenge as i can no longer follow along with the episodes. please keep safe and well.
happy new year.
tpwk.