Contagious Chemistry

Ally pushed the door to the studio with her shoulders because her arms were holding the little girl who was sleeping in it. Pat and Lance were sitting down on the couch, watching as Dana doing some guitar and backing vocals in the recording booth. Pat’s eyes went to his band mate and a smiled formed in his lips as he stood up and held his arms open.

“How’s the little one?”, he asked quietly after he noticed that she was sleeping. Ally handed him the sleeping toddler and crossed her arms before she sat next to Lance. Pat kept rocking Casey in his arms back and forth as he mumbled a lullaby to her.

The band had been extremely helpful since Casey arrived three years ago. Sure, Pat and Lance were shocked when I told them I was pregnant with Stephen’s child, but because they are my best friends, they accepted the fact and helped me get through those 9 months. Jack and the ATL boys were another story. Alex, Zack and Rian were the most understanding one and they helped a lot too, but Jack was devestated at first. He stopped talking to me for months until my pregnancy reached 6 month, he started talking to me again.

Lance was twirling his drumsticks between his fingers as Ally leaned back onto the couch. His eyes peeked to his band mate and pursed his lips. “Did something happen?”

“Kind of.”, I muttered. “I met Stephen—“

Before she could finish her words, Lance choked on nothing, probably his own saliva. Because of Lance’s loud choking, Casey’s head launched up and tears started brimming on her eyes. Before we knew it, she exploded into her cries.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”, Pat tried to calm the little girl down by patting her back and rocking her side to side. Ally motioned him to take her outside. he followed my order and I still could hear her crying.

“I’m sorry. I was surprised.”, Lance started. “I mean, how? And did he recognize Casey? What did he want to do with her?”

Ally nodded and played with her fingers. “Well, he recognized her, I mean, she is his daughter. He wants to be in her life.”

“Are you gonna let him?”

“Lance, don’t give me that tone.”, She narrowed her eyes at him. “He do have rights over her, and I think it wasn’t that fair to him that I kept her in secret. He wants to be a father, and well, I need to give him a chance.”

His eyes widened but he nodded after a few moments. “Well, I respect your decision. So, what are you gonna do with him?”

“He texted me. he wants to take Casey and I to dinner.”

“Where?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Probably, pizza will do. You know, Casey, she’s a picky eater.”

He nodded and wrapped his arm around Ally, pulling her and kissed her temple. “Best of luck to you then, sissy.”
************
Stephen looked from left then to the right in front of Dominos pizza not too far from the band’s apartment. He texted Ally and asked her and Casey to dinner tonight and since she was bringing their daughter, he thought a pizza parlor would do. He was glancing at his watch once more before he could hear high pitch laughter of a little girl. His eyes shot to where the direction where the laughter came from. The 3 year old girl skipped along the sidewalks while her mom was giggling at her daughter’s antic.

A smile formed in his lips when the toddler recognized him and ran up to him. “Uncle Stephen!”, she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his leg. Probably she only knew him for a day, but somehow, she grew attached to him.

“Casey, greet uncle Stephen properly.”, Ally laughed as she finally reached Stephen’s spot. She looked up to his eyes and smiled. “Hey Stephen.”

“Ally.”, Stephen choked out. He forgot how beautiful she was. Her hair was gleaming under the streetlights, her smile was blinding and her skin was luminous under the moonlight. This kind of situation reminded him of the night where they did it, but now, with the result tugging on his leg. “Should we get inside?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”, Casey chirped as she jumped and down and clapping her small hands. “I’m hungry.”

Stephen couldn’t help but smile. He swooped the little girl from her feet and took her into the restaurant. Ally was right behind them. Smile couldn’t get out from her lips because she was happy that her daughter now had a proper father figure.

Maybe Casey still didn’t know that Stephen is her father, but the good thing was now she was attached to him. it was amazing how she could grew attached to him so quickly. From what Ally saw, Casey was telling Stephen something and Stephen giggled after she told him.

They got a booth in the corner. There were some families on tables across them. We ordered a large pepperoni pizza and a medium cheese pizza. Casey was playing with the straws and Stephen joined with her, mimicking a scuba diver with the straw. Casey laughed when Stephen tickled her tummy and Ally couldn’t help but joined their laughter.

When their pizzas arrived, Casey pulled the biggest slice of the pepperoni pizza and dragged it onto her plate. She nibbled the melted cheese on her fingers and picked on the pepperoni before flopping it into her mouth. Ally rested my head on my hand as she watched her ate.

“She’s a lot like you.”, She muttered to Stephen, who was taking a sip from his soda. Her turquoise eyes turned into his brown eyes with a smile formed on their lips. “She’s the spitting image of you.”

Stephen turned her attention around to their daughter, who was still eating the slice of pizza with excitement. “She has your hair and your cheeks.”

“But see, she has your eyes and your lips.”, Ally added. “And she likes Mexican food.”

“Really?”, Stephen’s eyes lit up.

Ally nodded. “When the band got together for a movie night in my house, she dipped her finger into the salsa and she liked it. It was kind of weird for a three year old.”

He burst out into laughter and stopped when he realized Casey’s attention was on them. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing, sweetheart.”, Ally smiled to their daughter. “We were just talking about our old memory.”

Casey nodded and concentrated back to her pizza. Ally turned hers back to Stephen, who was now just staring at her. “What?”

“You got… something.”, Stephen’s thumb made its way to Ally’s lips and brushed a bit of her milkshake. Her cheeks burned and her eyes widened when he did it. she forgot how Stephen’s touch could give her the biggest butterfly in her stomach.

“Thanks.”, she muttered shyly after he was done. They turned into an awkward silent and decided just to give their attention to Casey for the night. When they were done with their dinner, Stephen insisted he’d pay the bill and Ally couldn’t say no.

He walked them out with Casey, already getting sleepy in his arms. Stephen waited for them to get a cab and when they already did, he handed Casey to Ally and gave her a kiss on the temple.

“Can I see her again?”, he asked, hoping that Ally would say yes.

Ally smiled and nodded. “Sure, just call me and we’ll arrange.”

Stephen’s smile couldn’t get any wider.