Front Porch Story
Front porch
One month later, I wake up to the sound of Joseph crying . . . . again. I rub my eyes and sit up.
"S'okay, I'll go," Billie says as he gets up. I rest my head back on my pillow. After a few minutes the crying stops.
I get up the next morning and head downstairs to find Billie Joe asleep on the sofa with Joseph asleep on his chest. Joseph starts to whine so I go over to him and pick him up.
"C'mon Joey, do you want some breakfast?" I ask as I rock him back and forth a bit. I go into the kitchen and take a baby bottle out of the fridge and pop in the microwave. With Joey in one arm I manage to put a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster for my own breakfast.
"You kept Daddy up all night, didn't you?" I say for the sole purpose of breaking the silence as I sit at the kitchen table. "You have to learn how to sleep or you'll turn him into an insomniac." The microwave dings and I go over to take out the baby bottle, I sit back at the table and test the temperature with my wrist. I put the bottle to his mouth as he starts to drink slowly.
"Good morning," Billie says yawning as he enters the kitchen.
"Morning," I say as I watch him as he turns on the coffee maker.
"I got scared when I didn't see Joey on my chest when I woke up."
"He was whining and I wanted to let you sleep," I say as the toaster pops. Billie takes them out of the toaster and spreads peanut butter on them. He cuts the toast in half and puts the plate in front of me taking a piece for himself.
"My parents are coming today," I mumble realizing today is Saturday.
"Oh yeah," Billie mumbles as he finishes off the piece toast whilst pouring two mugs of coffee. He places the coffees on the table and takes Joey from my arms.
"Today, you're going to meet your grandfather and your other grandmother, along with your crazy aunt."
"Hey."
"Sorry, love-crazy aunt." I shake my head laughing as I eat my half-eaten breakfast. As I get up, I feel Zero rub against my leg. I head over to the pantry and pull out the bag of cat food to fill up his bowl before heading upstairs to take my shower.
I get out of the shower and head to my closet to pick out something to wear. I choose my favorite jeans with my black sweater. It's so nice to be in my old clothes again. I look myself over in the mirror before heading back downstairs to find Joey in his chair, across from Billie who has his acoustic guitar on his lap. For the past while Billie has been on song-writing more like there's no tomorrow.
Billie looks up at me, he has a pen in his mouth.
"He likes this one," he says as he takes the pen out of his mouth to scribble something down.
"Which one?"
"It's called Stuart and the Avenue," he says as he plays a bit of it. "He smiled, look!" Billie is so entranced by Joey at times, even at like three AM when he's dead tired. I see the tiniest sign of a smile on my son's face.
It was only a couple of hours before Kathy, Tanya and my father arrived at our house.
"Oh he's adorable," Kathy exclaims as she picks Joey up. "Oh little Joseph." My father is a little apprehensive.
"How are you doing?" he asks me.
"I'm fine," I say honestly, "Billie's the one who usually ends up staying up."
"Ahh, I see then," my dad says laughing. "So, how's that working out?"
"Not bad, it's good for song writing," Billie says shrugging.
"Damn, you have a kid," Tanya says as she looks down at her nephew.
"Tanya," Kathy scolds.
"Well, it's like sort of like . . . ."
"Yeah, I get what you mean," I say as I decide to take Joey from Kathy's arms to his room for a nap.
As I go up the steps with Joey nodding off in my arms I over-hear the murmur of the voices downstairs. I place Joey carefully in his crib and put the blanket over him. I look over him for a couple of moments, not quite ready to go back downstairs. Someone comes up next to me and looks over the crib as well.
"Hey Dad," I say not shifting my glance from my son.
"Hey," he says as he strokes his finger across Joseph's cheek. "I can't believe I'm a grandpa, it seems like just yesterday. . . ."
"Dad, you're not going to get all sappy on me?"
"No okay," he says as he goes back to watching his grandson sleep.
"We should head back downstairs," I say as I become sure that Joey is sound asleep.
"S'okay, I'll go," Billie says as he gets up. I rest my head back on my pillow. After a few minutes the crying stops.
I get up the next morning and head downstairs to find Billie Joe asleep on the sofa with Joseph asleep on his chest. Joseph starts to whine so I go over to him and pick him up.
"C'mon Joey, do you want some breakfast?" I ask as I rock him back and forth a bit. I go into the kitchen and take a baby bottle out of the fridge and pop in the microwave. With Joey in one arm I manage to put a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster for my own breakfast.
"You kept Daddy up all night, didn't you?" I say for the sole purpose of breaking the silence as I sit at the kitchen table. "You have to learn how to sleep or you'll turn him into an insomniac." The microwave dings and I go over to take out the baby bottle, I sit back at the table and test the temperature with my wrist. I put the bottle to his mouth as he starts to drink slowly.
"Good morning," Billie says yawning as he enters the kitchen.
"Morning," I say as I watch him as he turns on the coffee maker.
"I got scared when I didn't see Joey on my chest when I woke up."
"He was whining and I wanted to let you sleep," I say as the toaster pops. Billie takes them out of the toaster and spreads peanut butter on them. He cuts the toast in half and puts the plate in front of me taking a piece for himself.
"My parents are coming today," I mumble realizing today is Saturday.
"Oh yeah," Billie mumbles as he finishes off the piece toast whilst pouring two mugs of coffee. He places the coffees on the table and takes Joey from my arms.
"Today, you're going to meet your grandfather and your other grandmother, along with your crazy aunt."
"Hey."
"Sorry, love-crazy aunt." I shake my head laughing as I eat my half-eaten breakfast. As I get up, I feel Zero rub against my leg. I head over to the pantry and pull out the bag of cat food to fill up his bowl before heading upstairs to take my shower.
I get out of the shower and head to my closet to pick out something to wear. I choose my favorite jeans with my black sweater. It's so nice to be in my old clothes again. I look myself over in the mirror before heading back downstairs to find Joey in his chair, across from Billie who has his acoustic guitar on his lap. For the past while Billie has been on song-writing more like there's no tomorrow.
Billie looks up at me, he has a pen in his mouth.
"He likes this one," he says as he takes the pen out of his mouth to scribble something down.
"Which one?"
"It's called Stuart and the Avenue," he says as he plays a bit of it. "He smiled, look!" Billie is so entranced by Joey at times, even at like three AM when he's dead tired. I see the tiniest sign of a smile on my son's face.
It was only a couple of hours before Kathy, Tanya and my father arrived at our house.
"Oh he's adorable," Kathy exclaims as she picks Joey up. "Oh little Joseph." My father is a little apprehensive.
"How are you doing?" he asks me.
"I'm fine," I say honestly, "Billie's the one who usually ends up staying up."
"Ahh, I see then," my dad says laughing. "So, how's that working out?"
"Not bad, it's good for song writing," Billie says shrugging.
"Damn, you have a kid," Tanya says as she looks down at her nephew.
"Tanya," Kathy scolds.
"Well, it's like sort of like . . . ."
"Yeah, I get what you mean," I say as I decide to take Joey from Kathy's arms to his room for a nap.
As I go up the steps with Joey nodding off in my arms I over-hear the murmur of the voices downstairs. I place Joey carefully in his crib and put the blanket over him. I look over him for a couple of moments, not quite ready to go back downstairs. Someone comes up next to me and looks over the crib as well.
"Hey Dad," I say not shifting my glance from my son.
"Hey," he says as he strokes his finger across Joseph's cheek. "I can't believe I'm a grandpa, it seems like just yesterday. . . ."
"Dad, you're not going to get all sappy on me?"
"No okay," he says as he goes back to watching his grandson sleep.
"We should head back downstairs," I say as I become sure that Joey is sound asleep.