Pretty Bird

After I had demanded both Tom and Oliver eat breakfast that morning, Oliver game Tom a ride while I took a shower, trying to thaw out my frozen bones. California girls do not do well in winters, especially snowy ones. I didn't tell Oliver that it was my first time seeing snow, simply because I knew he would insist we go outside and 'play' in it, which basically meant throwing snow on each other and freezing ourselves into human blocks of ice. The French toast I had eaten with Tom and Oliver for breakfast had started to warm me up, but the shower was necessary, 100%. While letting the water run through my hair and while letting the conditioner sit for the recommended 3 minutes, Oliver's idea wandered into my mind. Would it really be a good idea to take care of Tom's kid, Oliver's niece? All I could imagine was Caroline's eyes turning completely pitch black and attacking me as I'm trying to take her daughter out of her hands. Tom was right, that kid couldn't be raised by her. Just being a decent person, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that kid would be that corrupted from the start. I flashed back to Tom retelling the story of his fight, how Caroline claimed that their daughter would be 'at a complete disadvantage' for having parents that are split up. I wondered if she realized how much she would be fucking her child up just being around her.

I stepped out of the shower, ringing my hair out over the drain as I wrapped a fluffy blue bath towel around my body. I heard the front door open, and the lock click seconds later.

"Oliver?" I called, wrapping a towel around my damp hair.

"It's me." He called back, his wet shoes squeaking against the floor. "I have an idea."

"And what's that?" I called back, stepping into the bedroom, picking out clothes from my dresser drawers.

"Let's go to Lee's today." The squeaking came closer and closer, until he opened the bedroom door and walked inside. We exchanged smiles as I ran my hands over my jeans, trying to find a comfortable pair.

"Call him up." I responded, finally deciding on black denim. "Aubrey is getting big now, I'm sure. How old is she? 7 months?"

"She was almost 4 months at that party...so you're right, she should be almost 7 now."

"She's adorable." I beamed, remembering her smiling face and how she liked to drool all over her tiny pink hands.

"Aye, she is." Oliver agreed as he put his iphone up to his ear, signaling for me to be quiet. I went into the bathroom again and changed quickly, letting my hair out of the towel and combing out some of the bigger tangles with my fingers. Oliver's fast Yorkshire accent was laced between his words as he spoke to Lee over the phone.

"He's expecting us soon!" Oliver called through the shut bathroom door, my hair finally beginning to not look like a tangled, ratty mess. I finally decided my appearance was decent, Oliver's hair still looking better than mine though, as always. I was just more or less excited to see the baby.

_________________________________________

"Do you ever notice that we can't go anywhere in the car without you holding my hand?" My question made Oliver smile slightly as he turned the wheel right with one hand, the snow squelching under the tires of the car.

"Yeah, I do." He said, squeezing my hand.

"I like it." I remarked finally, looking out of the window at the grey afternoon sky after taking a pause.

He didn't reply, just let my hand go for a second, in order to turn the car off. "We're here." He turned to look at me, my nose almost pressed against the window. "Christian, it's cold. What if you do that and your face won't come off the window?" He laughed, opening his car door, a chilly gust of wind filling the passenger and driver's compartment of the car.

"That only happens with metal." I rolled my eyes, finally taking my eyes off of the picturesque scene in front of me to open my car door and step out, my boots sinking slowly into the few inches of snow. "Like the kid who licks the pole and gets stuck in that movie."

"You never know," He smiled, waiting for me to shut the door and walk behind the car. I approached him, the snow crunching under me, and he took my hand in his again. "Just like how if you make a weird face, your face could freeze like that." Oliver smiled, and proceeded to make a completely ridiculous face.

I just giggled, and smiled up at him, my coat bundled close to my body, keeping the frigid air out. "I hope your face stays just like that, Sykes."

"I know, it turns you on." He smiled back, as our feet began climbing up the 3 concrete steps that led up to Lee's front door.

Finally we reached the front door, where Oliver knocked, leaving us standing under a covered archway, sheltering us from the cold wind. On the other side of the door, I heard strained, tense voices. First, there was Molly's, whose was rough and fast, her accent making it almost impossible for me to understand her. Next, was Lee's voice, which was quiet and smaller, but still just as strained. I turned up to look at Oliver, both of us exchanging glances, our eyebrows raised.

"Oli, Christian." Lee's soft voice greeted as he opened the door for us, motioning to come in. Inside the house, the lights were off, making the entire foyer and hallway dark and shadowy. Oliver and I stepped inside, and quickly removed our winter clothes, pushing our boots to the wall. Lee waited patiently before leading us down the hall and into the living room, where Molly was nowhere to be found. Lee turned back and brought his hand to the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry about the mess." He said, smiling sheepishly at us.

"It's alright," Oliver said, maneuvering between some brightly colored baby toys strewn on the floor in between the two couches. "I'm sure having kids is messy." I nodded in agreement, noticing Molly's entire white board had been cleaned off, entirely blank.

"Yeah, tell that to Molly..." Lee said under his breath. "Aubrey is in the bath, but she'll be out soon. She's eating baby food now, and is making a complete mess of herself. It's cute. She hates peas though, she spits them up all over herself."

I laughed nervously, trying to kill the tension in the room. Lee was just staring awkwardly at us, while Oliver was looking around the room, noticing all the small differences. In the kitchen, he could see the sink piled high with dishes, and a plastic bowl slumped against the opposite wall, as if it had been thrown. The white board was also wiped clean, and the baby toys were everywhere in the living room. When Molly lived by herself, I remembered visiting her flat and being absolutely astounded by how clean it was; not even dust on the flat surfaces. Lee was always more laid back, adopting the 'I'll clean it later' attitude. Something told me this was exactly what their fight was probably about.

"Is everything alright, Lee?" Oliver finally asked, bringing his attention back to Lee and me.

"Yeah..." Lee mumbled, looking down at the ground. "We should sit."

Oliver and I followed him further into the living room, avoiding all the baby toys to sit down on the couch. Lee sat opposite of us, while Oliver and I sat in the same place we were in when we met Aubrey for the first time.

"Are you excited?" I asked, Oliver pulling me close to him on the couch. "For Japan, and all?"

Lee shrugged. "Well, it is Japan. But I mean..." He trailed off, before shrugging again. "I like being home."

"Me too." Oliver added, even though he was studying the baby toys even more, looking at the mirrors and the bright colors and all of the interesting designs.

All of a sudden, I heard a door further down the hall open, and the indistinct babbling of a baby. I turned, and saw Oliver's face instantly perk up, his eyes fixed on the hallway. Molly appeared moments after, holding a giggling, joyful Aubrey against her waist.

"Here, you can have her." Molly spat, handing her daughter to Oliver, not even acknowledging our presence. Oliver just stayed silent, setting Aubrey on his lap. Aubrey looked up at her mom for a while, before turning her attention to Oliver. She shrieked with excitement, clearly remembering him. Her eyes were bright and blue, just like Lee's, but her hair was soft and curly, just a bit darker than her mom's light blonde hair.

Oliver turned to her, and smiled big, pressing his nose against hers as both of their eyes shined bright. "Aubrey!" He cooed, wiggling his nose against hers. She just shrieked and giggled again, bouncing up and down in his lap.

Molly just rolled her eyes, focusing on Lee. "See, why can't you be like Oli?"

"What?!" Lee and Oliver both exclaimed at the same time.

"Look at him, Lee!" She narrowed her eyes at Lee, pointing to Oliver, who had Aubrey in his lap. Her demeanor had changed almost instantly from incredibly excited about Oliver's presence, to a blank, confused stare on her face, directed up at her mother. "He actually plays with her! What do you do?! Just play guitar all day!"

"It's my job, Molly." Lee replied, rolling his eyes. "We're going on tour soon, I have to start practicing again."

"But even when she was younger you didn't play with her! You went out all night with Curtis, even getting high at Blake's! And now look, Blake is in fucking rehab and now you can't be bothered to be around your own kid!"

"I'm right here!" Lee exclaimed, standing up from off the couch. "Maybe if you would set her down for a second I could hold her too!"

Molly just stared, her eyes still menacing and cold.

"Seriously, Molly. This baby has gotten you so fucking OCD I can't even begin to understand it!" Lee screamed now, his cheeks turning red. He reached down and grabbed the TV remote, and hurled it at the blank white board against the wall. "Who the hell cares if Aubrey took a shit at 8?!"

"It's important!" Molly defended, picking up a pillow off the couch, a pillow Oliver was leaning against. I just turned to Oliver, whose glances alternated between Aubrey, me, and the fight unfurling in front of us. "You wouldn't know that though, would you?! You never went to a doctor's visit!" She threw the pillow of Lee with all of her strength, but Lee still managed to dodge out of the way. I just stared with my mouth half open, in complete disbelief. It was like they had both forgotten Oliver, Aubrey and I were even in the room.

"I would go, but you told me not to!" Lee screamed again, stomping off into the kitchen. Molly followed right behind him, screaming some more.

I just looked at Oliver, who was slowly bouncing Aubrey on his lap, trying to keep her occupied. Still though, the look on her face was blank and confused, her big blue eyes beginning to water.

"Oh god...Please don't cry." I pleaded to her, trying my best to smile wide and make funny faces at her. She didn't listen though, and took in a deep breath, letting out an ear piercing wail. Oliver and I both cringed as her screams reaching insanely loud decibels, her hands pressed down onto Oliver's lap, her mouth wide and turned down into a frown.

"And now look, you even make Aubrey upset!" Molly screamed again moments later, as Aubrey was taking a breath, preparing for another scream. A crash was soon made against the wall, the sound of a metal pan hitting the wall and Lee screaming in pain.

"You fucking hit me, you fucking bitch!" He exclaimed, picking up the pan and hurling it back to wherever Molly was, the pan now clanging against the countertops. Aubrey then let out her second scream, hot tears now running down her fat pink cheeks.

"Aubrey," Oliver cooed nervously, holding her right against his chest and rocking her back and forth slowly. "It's alright, angel, it's alright..." He sang softly, giving me helpless looks. 'What the fuck?' he mouthed to me, making me nod in agreement. All of a sudden, the sounds of more kitchen objects hitting the walls came from the kitchen, along with more indecipherable angry screams.

"We need to get her away from it." I finally decided, getting up off the couch. Oliver followed, still holding Aubrey close as she sniffled and cried loudly into his shoulder. She was dressed in a light pink onesie with tiny bunnies and kittens printed all over it. I walked over into the foyer, Oliver following close behind with Aubrey in his arms. On the coat rack was a tiny hot pink parka, complete with fur around the hood of the coat. "This must be hers." I smiled, completely smitten with how adorable it was. Oliver nodded, and lifted Aubrey off of his chest, whose cries had stopped. Her face was still red though, and her eyes were puffy. I smiled sweetly at her, as Oliver cooed and made funny noises. I slipped the coat onto her with ease and zipped it up quickly. All of a sudden, I heard footsteps stomping out of the kitchen, the fight now moving again into the living room. I grabbed Oliver's coat, forgetting mine. We slipped out of the front door quietly.

Now outside, the snow was beginning to fall in fluffy clumps, adding to the 4 inches of snow already on the ground. We stood under the covered archway, Aubrey staring out into the sky with amazement.

"Sooooo!" She squealed, pointing up into the sky.

"Yes, snow!" Oliver beamed, reaching out into the air uncovered by the archway, catching snow in his hand. "It's cold, Aubrey." He said, holding it up for her to examine as well. She stared at it at first, but then curiosity got the best of her, her tiny hands reaching out and squashing the clump of snow flat against Oliver's outstretched palm. She lifted her hand up close to her face, examining her now wet hand. She smiled wide, and showed Oliver. Oliver just smiled, and kissed the palm of her hand quickly, making a loud 'mwah!' sound.

"Sooooo!" She squealed again, bring both of her hands to her mouth, her eyes again focused on the falling snow.

"Snow!" Oliver repeated, stepping out from under the archway and into Lee and Molly's front yard. He sat on the last of the 3 steps, setting Aubrey down on his lap. "It's cold, be careful!" He warned carefully, picking up a handful of snow off the ground and showing Aubrey again.

She smiled, and reached down into the snow as well, producing her own handful, which looked tiny and smooshed compared to Oliver's. I couldn't help but giggle and swoon at her adorable smile. She was loving life as if the falling snow was the most interesting thing she had ever seen, her fur lined hood framing her round face. Her nose and cheeks were tinged pink from the wind, but she didn't seem to mind.

I leaned against the archway, before I noticed Oliver's coat in my hands.

"Oliver?" I asked. Oliver turned around, a humongous smile plastered onto his face. "Your jacket." I said, holding it up in my arms. "I'll bring it to you."

"You wear it." Oliver smiled, noticing my slight shivers. "I'm fine."

I just shrugged, and put the coat on my own shoulders, the coat reaching down past my hips.

Oliver gave me another big smile before turning his attention back to Aubrey, who was sitting on a pile of snow by the stairs, her wobbly legs moving her off of Oliver's lap. "Aubrey?" He asked, watching her build a mountain of snow using her tiny hands. "Wanna see a trick?" He smiled, making her beam and giggle. She nodded, slamming both of her hands down into her snow pile. Oliver laughed, and opened his mouth wide, looking up at the sky. He leaned back, catching a tiny cluster of fluffy snow in his mouth. He turned back to Aubrey, who had her full attention to him. He smiled, still holding his tongue out, the clump of snow slowly melting away.

Aubrey exploded in laughter, pointing to Oliver's tongue and making loud, excited screams. She then opened up her mouth, and stuck her tiny tongue out, hoping to imitate Oliver. When she didn't catch one, she began to get discouraged, slapping the snow around her and furrowing her eyebrows. Oliver furrowed his brow in thought too.

"Aubrey, it'll work better if your eyes are closed." He said, smiling reassuringly at her. She just stared blankly, her tongue still hanging out. She then turned her head back up, her eyes squeezed shut. Oliver then let a clump of snow fall into his hands, before he gently dropped it onto Aubrey's tongue.

"Mmmm!" She screamed again, closing her mouth the instant the snow touched her tongue.

"It's just cold water!" Oliver laughed, making another snowball. "It shouldn't taste that good!"

Aubrey just giggled, following Oliver and making a little snowball of her own.

"Do you like the taste of snow better or the taste of peas?" Oliver asked, smirking at her. Aubrey's face instantly wrinkled up, and her smile turned into a disgusted frown.

"Ugghhh!" She screamed, throwing her snowball into the ground below her, her arms flailing wildly.

"Ew peas!" Oliver laughed, dropping her snowball and pulling her into his lap again, tickling her wildly. Now her flailing arms were not a reaction to the mentioning of peas, but of Oliver's tickles.

All of a sudden, the front door slammed open and shut, Molly walking down the walkway. Lee soon followed, trying to grab her wrist.

"I can't handle it, Lee!" Molly was now crying, her makeup smeared and running down her face. "It was fun in secondary, and it used to be fun, but I grew up and you didn't!" She cried, stepping past Oliver and Aubrey on the steps. Oliver just held Aubrey close again, her head resting in the crook of his neck as Lee stomped after her.

"Molly, you need to get inside. You aren't thinking rationally right now at all!" He tried to explain as she fumbled with the lock on the front gate. "You can't just leave Aubrey here."

Aubrey finally stopped, and turned to look at Aubrey, whose arms were wrapped around Oliver's neck, her big eyes watching her parents with fear. "Aubrey..." She sighed, another tear adding to the smeared make up mess on her face. She then turned to Lee again, who had dropped her wrist, hopeful she would turn around and not go. "I just need space, okay? Just let me have a night. I'll go to my mother's. If something bad happens, call me." She looked down at her and Lee's shoes, before unlatching the gate lock and stepping out. "I love you Aubrey." She said, before turning around, and walking to her car parked on the street. Lee, Oliver, Aubrey and I just stared blankly as she got in the car, and proceeded to drive down the street.

A few long, heavy seconds passed as Lee just stared down the street, as if he was wishing her car would appear back in her parking spot, and Molly would return home. Finally, he turned back to us, giving Aubrey an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." He said, looking down at the ground.

Oliver and I just stayed quiet as Lee walked over to Oliver, and picked Aubrey up out of his arms. Aubrey began crying again, but this time silently, leaving a tiny wet spot on Lee's grey t-shirt. She wrapped her arms and legs around her father's side, holding onto him for dear life. "Promise me something, you two." Lee finally said, walking up the steps and turning to face me right before he opened the door.

"What?" I whispered, trying to avoid his eyes, my fingernails suddenly becoming incredibly interesting.

"Promise that if you ever have kids, make sure you're fucking the right person." Lee said, kissing Aubrey softly on the forehead. "Aubrey's my life, but fucking shit, her mother..."

Oliver stood up, and took my hand. "I think we're good." Oliver smiled weakly.

"And, make sure its what both of you want." Lee stared at me, as if he could read my mind. I just stared pitifully at the ground, not wanting to have to make a contribution. Finally, I felt Oliver's hand pull me down the steps, past the gate, and back to the car, away from Lee's all knowing eyes.