***in' Perfect
Don't be like that, Al.
Lexi POV-
"Lexi...come on, we gotta go," Zack said, shaking me awake. "Fuck you," I grumbled, swatting at him. "Hey, if you wanna miss your flight and be stuck in Georgia again, then fine," he replied. "Fuck that shit," I said, sitting up. "Hey, language," he said, kissing my cheek. "No worse than what she heard you and Alli saying last night, is it?" I replied, smirking. Alli blushed and ducked out of the room to put a bag in the car. "You heard that?" he asked. I nodded, pulling my sleep shirt off and grabbed my bra from the floor. "How could I not?" I asked, laughing. "It didn't wake Belle up, did it?" he replied. I shook my head and pulled a t-shirt and jeans on. "Nope, she was out like a light."
We gathered the rest of our things and piled them into the trunk of Laura's dad's SUV, Dan and Laura up front, me, Zack, Alli, and Little Jimmy in the back seats. "Aunt Lessi, I don't want you to go back to California," Little Jimmy said. "I know, buddy, but I gotta go back to work. You're gonna come visit soon," I told him. "How soon?" he asked. "Thanksgiving time," I replied.
Little Jimmy sat back and went back to staring out the window. I pulled out my phone and texted Zack, who was in the seat in front of me with Alli and Belle. "Did you remind Alli you're leaving in three days? I don't think she's gonna be too happy about that," I said. A few seconds later my phone vibrated in my lap. "She also isn't gonna be happy that you're going with me, is she? I hate to leave her alone, but it's too early for Belle to travel that much. I feel like shit for this, Lexi," he replied. "Don't, Zack. She knows this is your job. It sucks, I know, but it's gonna be fine. She'll be fine, so will Belle. You'll see them when you get back...but for now, you need to worry about reminding her that we're leaving again," I said. "I know, I know. I'll tell her tonight, after we get home and get settled. You need to pack when we get home," he answered.
Alli POV-
I carried Belle in my arms through the security checkpoints as they inspected her diaper bag and carrier. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," Dan said, stepping out of line. "What?" Lexi and I both replied, turning around, puzzled. "He's staying to help me pack my things and get them on a moving truck...then we're flying out tomorrow," Laura replied, beaming. I smiled back at her, stunned. "You and Dan...oh my God. If I could I would hug you both right now," Lexi said. "But you can't. Tomorrow," he told her. We boarded the plane, Belle asleep in my arms, and found our seats. Zack strapped her into her carrier and buckled the carrier into one of the seats. "I'm so excited," Lexi said. "For Dan and Laura? Me too," I replied. "They're gonna be so good for each other...and Laura and Connor will be in Cali with us!" she said. I nodded and turned back to Belle, who was getting fussy. "She okay?" Zack asked. "She's fine," I replied, pulling a bottle out of her bag. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I looked up at him, my expression blank. "I just remembered this morning that you're leaving again soon," I answered.
"Oh...yeah, two days," he replied. I nodded and looked back down at Belle, tears burning my eyes. I didn't want him to leave. I'd just spent a month without him and now I was going to have to spend another near two month period of time without seeing him. "Uh...Al...I'm...I'm going too," Lexi said quietly. I looked over at my sister, feeling a little hurt, a little angry, and abandoned. "You're leaving with him?" I asked. "Don't be mad at me, Al. I'm going to promote VU and all while they're there. It'll be good for the company," she replied. "Yeah, and I'll be stuck running everything while you're gone by myself, with a newborn baby," I replied, tears falling from my lashes. I hated my emotions. Emotionalli, that's what everyone called me back home, and I'd earned that nickname. "Al, don't be that way," Lexi said. I shook my head and wiped my tears away. "I hope you have fun, Lex."
"Lexi...come on, we gotta go," Zack said, shaking me awake. "Fuck you," I grumbled, swatting at him. "Hey, if you wanna miss your flight and be stuck in Georgia again, then fine," he replied. "Fuck that shit," I said, sitting up. "Hey, language," he said, kissing my cheek. "No worse than what she heard you and Alli saying last night, is it?" I replied, smirking. Alli blushed and ducked out of the room to put a bag in the car. "You heard that?" he asked. I nodded, pulling my sleep shirt off and grabbed my bra from the floor. "How could I not?" I asked, laughing. "It didn't wake Belle up, did it?" he replied. I shook my head and pulled a t-shirt and jeans on. "Nope, she was out like a light."
We gathered the rest of our things and piled them into the trunk of Laura's dad's SUV, Dan and Laura up front, me, Zack, Alli, and Little Jimmy in the back seats. "Aunt Lessi, I don't want you to go back to California," Little Jimmy said. "I know, buddy, but I gotta go back to work. You're gonna come visit soon," I told him. "How soon?" he asked. "Thanksgiving time," I replied.
Little Jimmy sat back and went back to staring out the window. I pulled out my phone and texted Zack, who was in the seat in front of me with Alli and Belle. "Did you remind Alli you're leaving in three days? I don't think she's gonna be too happy about that," I said. A few seconds later my phone vibrated in my lap. "She also isn't gonna be happy that you're going with me, is she? I hate to leave her alone, but it's too early for Belle to travel that much. I feel like shit for this, Lexi," he replied. "Don't, Zack. She knows this is your job. It sucks, I know, but it's gonna be fine. She'll be fine, so will Belle. You'll see them when you get back...but for now, you need to worry about reminding her that we're leaving again," I said. "I know, I know. I'll tell her tonight, after we get home and get settled. You need to pack when we get home," he answered.
Alli POV-
I carried Belle in my arms through the security checkpoints as they inspected her diaper bag and carrier. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," Dan said, stepping out of line. "What?" Lexi and I both replied, turning around, puzzled. "He's staying to help me pack my things and get them on a moving truck...then we're flying out tomorrow," Laura replied, beaming. I smiled back at her, stunned. "You and Dan...oh my God. If I could I would hug you both right now," Lexi said. "But you can't. Tomorrow," he told her. We boarded the plane, Belle asleep in my arms, and found our seats. Zack strapped her into her carrier and buckled the carrier into one of the seats. "I'm so excited," Lexi said. "For Dan and Laura? Me too," I replied. "They're gonna be so good for each other...and Laura and Connor will be in Cali with us!" she said. I nodded and turned back to Belle, who was getting fussy. "She okay?" Zack asked. "She's fine," I replied, pulling a bottle out of her bag. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I looked up at him, my expression blank. "I just remembered this morning that you're leaving again soon," I answered.
"Oh...yeah, two days," he replied. I nodded and looked back down at Belle, tears burning my eyes. I didn't want him to leave. I'd just spent a month without him and now I was going to have to spend another near two month period of time without seeing him. "Uh...Al...I'm...I'm going too," Lexi said quietly. I looked over at my sister, feeling a little hurt, a little angry, and abandoned. "You're leaving with him?" I asked. "Don't be mad at me, Al. I'm going to promote VU and all while they're there. It'll be good for the company," she replied. "Yeah, and I'll be stuck running everything while you're gone by myself, with a newborn baby," I replied, tears falling from my lashes. I hated my emotions. Emotionalli, that's what everyone called me back home, and I'd earned that nickname. "Al, don't be that way," Lexi said. I shook my head and wiped my tears away. "I hope you have fun, Lex."