Kurt lays down on his stomach on the bed as Frances holds my hands and I guide her to walk towards Kurt. She's been getting better at taking a few steps on her own, but she's still not quite there to be able to walk on her own, which for her age is perfectly acceptable.
Kurt begins to laugh as Frances jumps up and down, getting closer and closer to her father. He then grabs her from me and tickles her stomach, making her laugh even harder.
The past two days have been a lot better with Kurt compared to the last week. We've finally been able to find the perfect balance in our life and become positive with each other, no longer lashing out or leaving just because we have a disagreement.
"When are we going to start planning our wedding?" I ask Kurt. He lays down on his back now and has Frances sit down on his stomach.
He groans. "Ummm, I don't know. When do you want to start?"
"Soon," I run my fingers through his hair that's been growing. I love his long hair more compared to his short hair. "Really soon."
He tilts his head backwards to get a good look at me and smiles. "How soon?"
"If we could start tomorrow, that would be ideal," I grin at him and then rise to my nightstand, grabbing my ponytail and putting my hair up in a bun. "But if that's too soon for you, then we don't have to."
"We can do it whenever you'd like," He raises his voice and directs it at Frances. "Isn't that right, huh? Isn't that right?"
Despite his overdose, he's been doing everything in his power to be the greatest father that he can be and he's doing a really good job at it. He treats Frances better than any other father could. His love for her is more powerful than his love for anyone else, including me.
I understand that. Children are more important.
"We need to give you a bath," He rises up and looks at me. "I'm going to give her a bath, is that alright?"
"I'll start the water," I offer, then go into the bathroom, plug the drain, and start the water, making it lukewarm so it's not too hot or cold for her. I then go into our closet and pick out some clothes for her, along with a diaper.
Kurt comes into the bathroom with naked Frances resting on his hip. "Look at naked Bean. Are you naked, huh? Are you naked? K should be the one that's naked right now, huh?"
I scoff. "Shut up, Kurt."
He peers over into the bathtub. "Alright, we can shut it off now. It doesn't need to be that high."
I look over and it's higher than I thought it was going to be. I pull the lever all the way to the right, then look up at Kurt. "Is it alright?"
He makes a nervous face. "I'm worried that it'll be too high for her."
"Then get in with her," I suggest. I would offer to get in with her, but I'm not her mother. There has to be boundaries set.
"You have to hold her so I can take my clothes off then," He hands her to me and I smile at her, making noises to make her smile, but her eyes are just focused on the water.
She has a fascination with baths. She absolutely loves them more than anything. Whenever she sees a bath, she gets excited for it.
Just like now how she's kicking her feet back and forth and giggling, bouncing up and down on my hip.
Kurt plops down in the bathtub, water splashing everywhere. I give Frances over to him and then grab the bottle of bubbles and dump it in the water.
"Do you think she'll like the bubbles?" I ask him.
He nods, making one of his weird voices as he says, "She'll love the bubbles. Yes she will. Yes she will."
Seeing Kurt with Frances makes me the more excited to have kids of my own. I want to feel the joy that he has as he looks at his daughter and plays with her and tucks her in to go to sleep.
The bubbles soon form, blocking any part of Kurt's body below his chest. Frances giggles and begins splashing her hands in the water, getting it on Kurt. He laughs and closes his eyes, softly backing away from her so she doesn't slap him.
As Kurt looks at Frances, I can't help but notice his blue eyes shining through the reflecting of the lights we have above the bathtub to give it a vibe. His eyes are the prettiest eyes I've ever seen in my life. I've always been jealous of them.
If he and I ever have any kids--which I doubt we won't--I hope they get his eyes.
A knock on the door is heard, even though we're all the way back here.
Kurt shoots me a quizzical look. "Who the hell is that?"
Shrugging, I stand up. "I'll go answer it."
"If you need help, scream my name, alright?" He jokes.
I walk out of the bathroom and to the front door, opening it up and seeing Liza in the doorway, carrying a wine glass and a cigarette in her other hand. She's wearing pajama pants and a spaghetti strap with it.
She's in her pajamas on my doorstep carrying a wine glass and a cigarette at eight at night.
"Hi!" She beams with happiness. "Sorry to disturb you. I finally found a babysitter for my kids tonight and my date bailed on me, but I wasn't going to pass on the babysitter, so I remembered that I owed you a hangout and I thought I could come over...Is it a bad time?"
I think about Kurt in the bathtub with Frances right now, but Liza doesn't have to go back there. She can just stay in the front room with me.
"IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?!" Kurt screams from the bathroom. "ARE YOU GETTING KIDNAPPED?!"
"NO, IT'S JUST LIZA!" I scream back and step to the side, allowing her to come inside. She scans the apartment as I shut the door and lock it behind her.
"You know, we have the same exact floor plan," She explains to me. "I've never been inside other apartments before. All of the moms hate me...they think I'm some skank that smokes cigarettes all the time and drink." She looks down at the items in her hands. "I mean, they have a point, but that's not all who I am."
I'm excited that she remembered to stop by. She's one of the most entertaining people I've met in my life and she seems like she can keep a conversation.
"Sorry, I don't mean to seem so boring, I--"
She chortles and snorts after she laughs. "Girl, you are the least boring person I've ever met. You're engaged to Kurt fucking Cobain and you had an affair with him! Shut the fuck up. Do you mind if I take a seat?"
I shake my head and we both sit down on my couch. "Do you struggle to find babysitters a lot?"
She takes a drag and blows away in the opposite direction of me. "Yes. No one wants to help me anymore. I don't even really have the money to pay babysitters."
"I'll watch them whenever you want," I quickly offer. "Your girls seem sweet and I would love to."
She eyes me up and down, glaring. "You do not want to watch kids. They're a nightmare. But, you already offered, so you can't go back on it. I'll make sure to hold you up to it."
I know she will.
"Sorry if this is rude," I begin, but my curiosity got the best of me and I need to know. "But, do the kids not have a father? You don't have to answer if you don't want."
"I don't mind," She honestly tells me, then takes a sip of wine. "The girls' father is the same man. We dated in high school and stayed together until last year--I'm 25, by the way."
My eyes widen. "You're only a year younger than Kurt."
"Ha! How funny. How old are you?"
"I'm 23."
She sighs. "I wish. Now I'm fucking old." She takes another sip of wine. "Anyway, last year one day he said he needed to go get something--I don't even remember from where--and he just never came back. Since then, it's just been the girls and I on our own."
My heart breaks for them. Although Liza seems like a lot, I'm sure she's a wonderful girlfriend and only wants the best for her family. She doesn't deserve to be left like that, even her girls.
What makes it worse is that the girls are at an age where they remember their father and know that he disappeared from their lives, so Liza had to explain to them what happened. Or she lied.
"I'm so sorry, Liza," I say."
"Eh," She brushes it off. "I'm not. Now I get to fuck whoever I want, but of course, my kids come first." She then begins to laugh. "Now that I'm saying it out loud, I think that the moms have a right to think I only drink and smoke and am a skank because by the way I talk, I am, but it's how I make my money. I'm a stripper."
My jaw drops even further than it was before. The more she speaks, the most shocked I become. "You're a stripper?!"
"Loud and proud," She smirks. "I don't look like it, huh? I'm too pretty for it, but I get paid good money. I'm lucky my mommy gave me these huge breasts and good ass otherwise I wouldn't be worth anything. No one cares what your face looks like, just your body. I get paid to feel good and that's all that matters...and keeping a roof over my daughters' head." She pauses, taking a drag. "I don't want you thinking I'm some terrible mom. Trust me, I know that a stripper is a terrible job, but it's the highest-paying one that I could find right now without any education and I'm just trying to do what's best for my kids."
"I'm not judging you," I assure her. "I've never been in your situation before; I don't know what it's like."
She gasps and gives me a hug. "I literally love you already. And I know my kids do, too. You're going to be their new favorite person."
Just then, Kurt enters the room with Frances resting on his hip. When he makes eye contact with Liza, he pauses, as he has no shirt on and only shorts.
"Sorry, I thought you were her brother," Kurt begins to walk away.
"You're fine," I chuckle.
"I'm just bringing Frances out for you to say goodnight."
I get up from the couch and walk over, giving her a hug and kiss. "Gooodnight, Frances." I then ruffle Kurt's wet hair and kiss him. I love when his hair is wet.
He walks away to put her down and I return back to Liza.
"God you are the luckiest woman ever," She takes another drag. "I mean, Kurt fucking Cobain. It doesn't get any better than that."
"It could if it wasn't for drugs," I admit, but I'm not afraid to. I don't even care if Kurt heard it; he knows that it's true.
"How did you two meet?"
"My brother's in Nirvana," I explain. "He's the bassist."
She gasps. "Get out!"
"I'm being serious," I chuckle.
She shakes her headd. "You're really living the life. I'm over here, single mother, trying to make ends meet, while your brother is in the biggest band in the fucking world. And you're fiancée. What are you doing in this apartment? Why aren't you in a mansion?"
"Kurt wants us to buy a house. I'm open to doing it, but I don't have a job right now and I don't want him to be the only one paying for it."
She scoffs. "Let him do it. After all, you gave birth to that baby."
"No, no, no," I quickly say. "That's his and Courtney's baby."
"Shit, sorry. I forgot."
"You're fine."
We talk for an hour longer about anything and everything. It's just nice and easy to talk to her. I feel like she's my therapist and I can tell her about anything, even though we only have a two-year difference. She's very smart and wise and knows her worth.
That makes her dangerous.
She yawns. "Well I have to be getting back now." She stands up, so I do too and she hugs me. "Thanks for letting me come over and talk to you. We should do this again."
I agree with her. "Yes."
I walk her out, shutting the door behind her, then lock it, and walk into my bedroom, finding Kurt playing the guitar.
I come up behind him and kiss his neck, then his lips.
"You're in a good mood," He observes, setting his guitar down and turning around to face me, gripping my face in his hands and kissing me harder. "You have a good time talking to her?"
I nod, smiling softly and pulling away from him. "Yeah. She's a good person." I take a seat on the bed and clear my throat. "Kurt, I'm ready to settle down. I'm ready to discuss our wedding details and buy a house and even have kids--"
"Whoa, whoa, where did kids come from?" He asks. "More kids?! I don't know if I can--"
"Calm down," I interrupt. "I'm not saying we have to have kids right now, but I'm open for it in the future."
"Ohh," He kisses me. "Okay. Me too."
"I'm willing to buy a house now, Kurt. We should look for some."
"Okay. Let's do it."