Everything in Transit

"Kennedy Brock put that baby down at once!"

John sprinted into the room and glared at Kennedy who held baby Corrine in his arms.

"But she's so cute!" Kennedy retorted, as if that made everything ok, holding Corrine even closer to his scrawny chest.

"Kennedy, we can't even trust you to clean up after yourself so how on god's earth are we meant to trust you with a baby?" Garrett said jokingly and took baby Corrine from out of Kennedy's arms, causing Kennedy to pout as Garrett safely tucked her back into the crib where she lay and gurgled happily.

All five of the boys from The Maine stood around the crib, looking at the tiny girl that was smiling up at them with big blue eyes and waving her tiny starfish hands at them, demanding their attention.

The six-month-old baby was the perfect mix between John and Elaine. Corrine already had John's fluffly brown hair and her tiny little face already held signs of the incredulous expressions that John always wore when he watched Pat and Jared battle over yet another insignificance. But at the same time Corrine had her mother's nose and mouth, a potent sign of what a beautiful girl Corrine would grow up to be.

"Where's Kay?" Pat asked, suddenly breaking the thoughtful and slightly awe filled silence that seemed to fall every time the boys focused their attention on Corrine.

"She's at the spa," John said absent-mindedly and caught a hold of Corrine's tiny hand as she reached out for her father, whom she already recognised.

"How on earth did you manage to bring her there?" Kennedy asked in awe.

It had been a battle and a half persuading Kay to have a day off from baby-sitting Corrine and to do something for her self. When John has said that he had booked her a day at the spa in Tempe, Kay just laughed as she carried on spooning baby food for Corrine.

Yet when John showed her the appointment slip Kay went very quite and looked a little ashen.

"You're expecting me to leave Corrine in the care of five still practically adolescent men?" She asked indignantly, and laughed loudly when John replied in the affirmative. "You've got to be kidding me."

Kay then went on to show exactly what being dragged 'kicking and screaming' involved. John used up all of his energy attempting to transfer a shrieking Kay into the car, and then slamming the door on her as her protests even managed to be heard through the window.

The boys laughed when John retold the memorable tale, but there was a serious note to their laughter, as they all full well knew that Kay deserved a rest. She had been a substitute mother since the day that Corrine came into the world all red and screaming. Kay had slept little and had eaten even less. A day of relaxation was just what she needed.

However Kay didn't quite see it that way.

"Miss, your back is so tense!" The little Philippine masseuse said in wonder as she attempted to ease the knots out of Kay's back.

Kay, who was lying face down on a towel cover wooden massage bed, only grunted in reply, unable to relax as the thought of five highly immature men looking after a six month old baby caused far more vexation in her mind than was good for her.

The day at the spa was anything but relaxing for her, she couldn't shake Corrine from her mind and this unsettled her. Corrine wasn't even her own daughter and yet the tiny baby girl never left Kay's thoughts for even just one second.

She felt far more relaxed when she re entered her sisters apartment and saw only John sitting on the sofa with tiny Corrine in his arms, looking rather helpless as Corrine wouldn't stop crying.

With unashamed relief John stood up and held baby Corrine towards Kay rather hopelessly.

"I'm terrible," he said with a light laugh that at the same time seemed rather forced. "I can't make her stop crying."

With a soft smile Kay set her bag down on the wooden floor and slipped out of her TopShop heels that she had purchased in London when she had joined John and the boys on their UK tour in the fall.

With gentle movements she took Corrine from John and almost immediately the crying stopped, much to the relief of both John and Kay.

"You've obviously got the magic touch," John said with a laugh as he gratefully collapsed on the sofa, glad for the silence that followed on from the screaming.

After no less than ten minutes Corrine was fast asleep. Careful not to wake her, Kay placed her into the cot by the window and arranged the cuddly toys around the baby with attentive care, like that of a true mother.

She then proceeded to flop down on the sofa next to John who shot her a weary smile before enquiring as to how her spa visit was.

Kay said all the niceties that she was meant to and even joked about how worried she was entrusting Corrine to the boys, but once the laughter died down a sombre note fell upon Kay and John.

A few minutes silence followed, with John staring holes into the air and Kay anxiously fiddling with the hem of her vintage skirt.

"I didn't mean for anything to turn out this way," John finally said breaking the spell of silence that had washed over them. He genuinely sounded apologetic, yet Kay had always found apologies hard to accept and his was no exception.

"I know John and I'm sorry for that," Kay said and gently placed a hand on John's arm. "But it wasn't your fault," she said softly and gripped hold tightly of his arm, need his reassurance.

But John vehemently shook his head over and over again, biting on his lip almost drawing blood.

"It was Kay, it was," John repeated adamantly, his hands shaking slightly. "I should never have said those things to her, I knew she wasn't well…"

Kay held up a hand to stop John from carrying on with what he was about to say.

"John just don't, please don't say anything like that," she said softly. "You need to think about Corrine now, you need to be a father John that's your first priority." Kay said with a sad smile drawn across her face as she stood up and walked into the kitchen on the pretence to make some tea.

But in reality Kay had to get out of the room that had suddenly become so claustrophobic and trapping. It hurt her more than anything to be with the boy whom she loved more than she ever thought was possible, knowing that he had to be the father to a beautiful little girl, who was the legacy of a sister whom Kay had always had to compete against. Even in death Elaine got the best of Kay. Even in death she won every battle.

In the kitchen Kay stood as the silent tears streamed down her face whilst John walked towards to cot in the living room to look at his own flesh and blood.

Kay knew that she had lost the war with Elaine.