I'm skipping
January
Amber: 31 weeks Lydia: 35 weeks
Luke's POV
"I am grateful." Amber said sitting cross legged on the bed. My mother was sitting at the end laying out the presents she got Sky from the after Christmas sales. I think my mother was secretly looking forward to helping me raise a daughter. It's just hard for her having to split her affections when she has so much already invested in Lydia.
"I gave your father the check for insurance. You and the baby." She barely looked up from the bodysuits and dresses being placed on the bed. Amber looked up at me with a tone of anger in her eyes.
"Could I talk to Luke?" Amber leaned back on her hands. My mom looked up at me waiting for my response. I just nodded.
"I'm going to help the boys unload." I completely forgot that they were outside. Unloading Skylars crib from the truck. My mom stood up walking out the door. I reached out making sure the door was closed.
"What are you mad about now?" It has been over a month of this. My parents give her money and she has some issue with it.
"Why does my father have the insurance money?" My jaw dropped. She's mad about her dad now.
"We're too young to deal with it ourselves."
"I can deal with it." Her voice shook a bit as she forced herself up from the bed. I flinched forward to help her but she held her hand up. "I need to be the one in charge of it."
"Why?" She hesitated.
"We can't trust my dad." I took a deep breath trying to stay calm. "He'll end up using for literally anything else."
"Youre telling me this now." There was a knock on her door.
"Amber. Why are there three guys and an old lady outside?" I know that voice.
"Why is he always here?" Amber crossed her arms over her chest straightening up to her full capacity.
"Jace is my friend Luke."
"I don't want him near Skylar."
"I don't want Lydia with Skylar." I rolled my eyes trying not to laugh. "Don't."
"It's different. Lydia and I are having her brother. She has to be around her."
"So I have to be around Kian."
"Eventually. Yes." There was another loud bang on the door.
"Amber." Jace yelled making me spring into action grabbing the doorknob and pulling the door open. Jace jumped back. Coincidentally going straight into Ashton's chest. "Woah." He said stepping back to the middle of us.
"Hey Jace." I put a fake smile on looking sideways to Amber. Somehow, hearing him raise his voice at her did something to me. Really pissed me off. I stepped closer grabbing onto his arm. "If you ever yell at Amber or show even the slightest amount of aggression towards her, me and my friends," I motioned towards Ashton and the others who were now following behind with boxes. "We can make life very hard for you. Starting with a chronic dislocation of your kneecap." Ashton pulled in a sharp breath clearly letting me get my point across but also because he had seen the injury before and although not completely disabling, it can cause a lot of discomfort.
"Since when did you give a fuck about Amber?" I backed away turning to Amber still holding on tight to Jaces arm
"See that?" I pointed at Ambers stomach. "In there is my daughter. My little girl." I raised my finger towards Amber herself. "This is her mother. Nothing and I do mean nothing, will ever cause either one of them harm as long as I live. Got that?" Jace nodded now completely intimidated by the three football players standing behind him. "Leave Jace. I don't want to see your face." I pushed him away forcing him to find his own way through my friends.
"That was a bit overboard." Amber said still slightly unsatisfied.
"It was just enough." I looked at Ashton who was just smiling. "The corner for the crib please." The guys all filed in bringing the boxes in one by one. It didn't take too long to build it. For the most part, we knew how to do it already after three other cribs between mine and Lydia's houses. When we were all done, they all left Amber and i there to sit in awkward silence.
"Is there something else you wanted to say?"
"You need better friends." Amber laughed sitting on her bed.
"You're friends are assholes."
"They aren't once you get to know them."
"I doubt that." I looked up at the ceiling laughing. "What?"
"This back and forth isn't good for her. We need to find a way to get along." I paused for a moment before talking again. "At least a little bit. Act like we tolerate each other for her."
"That's going to be hard with you all the way across the country for the first three years of her life."
"I've been looking at colleges near Duke." Amber groaned. "If you work hard the rest of the year and I help as much as possible with Sky when she comes then maybe you can apply to join us in the spring." Her head snapped back giving me her full attention.
"You want that?" I froze thinking about the question. Never did I think that I made it seem like I didn't want Skylar around me.
"Of course I do. She's my daughter." I can already tell what she was going to ask next so I answered before she could. "Lydia will understand. She's logical. At least enough to know that it's the best choice."
Lydia's POV
"Lyd." I looked up from the rack of clothing straight into Angela's face. She was confused but I can understand why. The rack was full of pink onesies and dresses. Something that I don't think my father or Luke would have even thought to put Kian in. At least, it wouldn't be their first choice for him. "I'm sorry but is it just me or are you having a boy?"
"I...uh.... I am." I had to come back to my reality. My mind had been wandering too far. "I just thought. Luke might need some girl clothes for Skylar. Half of his closet is filled with bags of clothes for Kian but I've never seen him with clothes for her."
"Is that her name?" I didn't even realize at first that she didn't know Skylars name. I guess it make sense though. "It's not your job Lyd."
"I know it's not. Just," I took a deep breath before continuing. "The closer I get to giving birth the more I feel bad for not welcoming Skylar with open arms as my sons sister. Does that make me a bad person?"Angela rolled her eyes turning to walk away. "What?" I asked following her down an aisle of strollers.
"You make me happy that children don't instantly become teenagers."
"And teenagers don't instantly become moms?" Angela turned her head back to me with wide eyes.
"Oh god. Don't make me think too much into it."
"Angie. Im serious here." Angela stopped. She turned sharply trying to hide a small smile.
"Don't use Angie against me to make me soft. You are not a bad person for not having feelings for a child who is not yours. You don't know her."
"Technically I don't know Kian either." She reached out brushing my hand.
"Yes you do. He's yours. There's a difference."
"That's true but if Luke and I get married then would she not be my step-daughter?"
"Love her then. You have no obligation to her now." I could tell that I was talking to the wrong person for sympathy but since my other option is Anna, I have to deal with who I have at the moment. "I could only imagine how it feels to be pregnant with one of your boyfriends babies and just knowing there's another." I rested my hand on my belly waddling behind Angela as she looked at all the information for each stroller.
"It's definitely an acquired feeling." I took a deep breath looking around. So many things a baby needs and so little time to get it. "Sometimes I just like to imagine I was late-twenties and we've been married for years. Just now starting our little life."
"Sounds like a dream." I didn't have to look at her. It was the tone of her voice that told me she was thinking about what she has lost throughout the years.
"I'm sorry Angela. I really am." She tilted her head to one side getting close to me.
"My sweet baby sister. My struggles should have never been put on you. So it's not our time yet. Being an aunt is going to be plenty fulfilling." She brought her hand to my cheek. "And I get to give him back." We both laughed holding onto each others hands. Being with my sister and not fighting for once felt great. Peaceful.