Promises

Shock, horror, I'm down,
Lost, you're not around
There's a lump in my chest
That sends cold through my head, and
My mind shuts sound out
I'm on auto-pilot,
And my tongue's gone silent
Just switch it off and lay it down,
Lay it down next to me—

"Where's Miss Addi?" Violet questioned.

I tossed a thumb over my shoulder. "In the office. She's sleeping." She nodded and wiped her hands on her apron.

Today was the day that Niall's love interest was coming in for an interview. He had successfully talked her into going through with it. She was nervous is what Niall and Louis had told me. She had no reason to be nervous though. I was going to give her the job no matter what. Niall wouldn't tell me why she was so nervous, but Louis did. She had seen the video of me going off on the paparazzi and supposedly thought I was some crazy woman. I got a good laugh out of it. But as long as the paparazzi thought that and it kept them from bothering me, I was okay being the crazy woman.

"What time is your interview?"

I glanced over at the clock. "Here in a few minutes. Could you work the register for me?"

"Yeah, just let me tell Millie and Laken," she replied. As soon as she turned to head for the kitchen, the door to the bakery opened. The bells dinged loudly, making me look over. In walked a girl with pastel pink hair and tan skin. I'm taking it this was the ever famous Monroe.

Smile, Scarlett. "Welcome to Sweet Dreams," I greeted. "What can I help you with, love?"

She gave me a timid smile. "I'm, uh, I'm here for an interview with, uh... with Scarlett."

I grinned. "I'm Scarlett, nice to meet you. Monroe right?" She nodded. "Well, come on back to the office with me and we can get this thing started."

We passed the kitchen and I banged on the door, then hollered, "I'm going in my office for the interview! Get out front, Vi!" I got a faint 'Coming!' as a response, so I motioned for Monroe to follow me. Once we got in the office I closed the door and checked on Addi. Her carseat was sitting behind the desk where no one could see her. She was sound asleep.

Monroe sat in the chair across from me with a nervous look on her face. She looked as if she might possibly faint or puke. Or both.

"So," I started. "Have you ever worked in a bakery before?"

She nodded. "Yes ma'am. Me Nan had a bakery back in Dublin. I grew up workin' there."

"Did you ever work in the back and help bake?"

"I helped me Nan and Mum all the time," she answered. "When I wasn't baking, I was working the register with me older brother."

Okay, so she had experience. That was a major plus. I was definitely hiring her now.

"What're your preferred hours?" I asked. She shrugged as she licked her lips. "Pretty much anytime you want or need me," she answered. "I don't go to uni, so I'm free whenever."

The corners of my mouth lifted up in a big grin. "Well Monroe, you got the job. You can start today or tomorrow. Whichever you like."

She visibly relaxed. Her body untensed. She let out a long breath. She quit ringing her hands. A smile appeared on her face. "Thank you so much, Scarlett. I can start today if you'd like."

"That would be—" Addi cut me off. She stirred in her sleep and let out a little whine. I quickly unbuckled her and cradled her against my chest. "That would be wonderful. Let me get Addi's nappy changed and then I'll be out there in a second to show you the ropes." She nodded and left the room, heading back up to the front. Addi was laid on my desk and her nappy was changed in record time. She was then put in the Moby and off we went.



Niall will want to throttle me when he gets that, but I don't care. It's all in good fun. He's like another brother to me so there's nothing else I'd rather do then tease him.







Mother Nature had taken it upon herself to make it snow. There was nothing I loved more then a little snow, but this amount of snow was ridiculous. A bloody foot of snow and only in an hour flat. Everyone at the bakery thought we were going to get snowed in, but I had a two month old baby and there was no way I was getting stuck in here. So we shut down early. Everyone had small cars that didn't handle well in the snow, so we all piled in my car and headed to my house. Even Monroe.

"Why of all days did it have to blizzard?"

Millie let out a snicker. Laken moved from the bay window in the living room, right off the kitchen, and gave her a swift kick in the bum. "Shut up, Millicent."

"That hurt!" She whined. "Scar, he kicked me in the bum!"

I sighed. "Laken, tell her you're sorry." He grumbled out an apology when I held out my wooden spoon at him. Millie smirked. "Now, let's talk about this date you're missing out on."

His dark brown eyes narrowed. "Fuck off, yeah?"

My eyes rolled and my mum instincts kicked in. "Hey! We have tiny ears over here!" I exclaimed. "Timeout chair is in the laundry room if you'd like to park your bum there for bit."

Albeit, Addi was asleep, I still felt the need to be all motherly. Babies absorb a lot when they're in the womb and when they're asleep. So I was extra careful and made sure people around me were too. My Mum and Miss Jay warned me about this stuff. I would be massively anal about anything and everything that had to do with Addi. Germ-x went everywhere with us. Clorox wipes. Lysol disinfectant spray. They were in her diaper bag, my purse, the car, and all around the house.

"Someone check the garlic bread," I instructed. Monroe slid off the barstool and went to the oven behind me, pulling open the door. "It's done, Scarlett," she said. Like we had been cooking together for ages, we swiftly switched places. She took my spot stirring the sauce and I grabbed an oven mitt, taking the cookie sheet of garlic bread out.

"Soups on!" I hollered. Violet and Millie could be heard jumping up and all but sprinting in the kitchen. "I thought we were having spaghetti?"

Oh my god, Vi. Laken busted out laughing as did I, while Monroe let out a muffled laugh.

"It's a saying, Vi. Kind of like, 'Cat got your tongue?' Get it?"

She thought about it before slowly nodding her head. "Oh okay," she dragged out.

And I claim her.

Once everyone was sat down, I carried the pan of noodles, pan of sauce, and plate of garlic bread to the table. Next were the plates and forks. "Well, dig in," I said. "There's soda and juice and stuff in the refrigerator. Help yourselves."



"Mate," Millie giggled. "Suck in your gut."

Laken sat up straighter. His eyes were wide and he looked absolutely clueless. "What? What gut? I don't have a gut."

Violet snickered and nudged me. "I think she's calling him fat."

"Mills." I chuckled. "You're gonna give him a complex."

She shrugged. "That pouch." She poked his gut. "Where you keep all your extra cupcakes."

His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped. She did not just say that. Oh my god. I worked with an idiot. A literal idiot. Monroe looked on with curious eyes. Violet had her phone out, video taping the whole thing. "You bloody wanker!" He exclaimed. "'M not fat! If anyone's fat, it's you! Look at those chubby cheeks!" He pinched her cheeks between his fingers, making me bark out a laugh. While they continued on with their name calling, I went up to check on Addi.

She was wide awake and playing with the tag on her blanket. Her laying on her stomach to sleep left her with nowhere to look, so she always grabbed the tag on her blanket. It was quite adorable. "Addi bug," I cooed. At the sound of my voice she abandoned the tag and did something she'd never done before. She shakily lifted her head off the mattress of her crib and looked up. She only lasted a few seconds before she rested her head back on the mattress.

"Oh my god." I quickly got my phone out and went straight to FaceTime. "Come on, Lou. Pick up." It rang a handful of times before he finally picked up. I was greeted by his smiling face. "Hey love!"

My smile was starting to hurt me face, it was so big. "Hi Tommo. Okay, listen, I have to show you something so hold on." Not giving him a chance to reply, I turned the phone around to face Addi. "Can you see Addi?"

"Yeah. What are—"

"Say her name and see what she does." Without questions, he did as he was told. "Addi Bug, it's—" This time he cut himself off.

She lifted her head off the mattress and looked around. She let out a coo before laying her head back down. I turned the phone back to face me. Louis looked like he wanted to cry. He had a massive smile on his face that I'm sure matched the one on my face. "She lifted her head up," he spoke softly.

I nodded. "Next thing you know, she'll be rolling over." As soon as I said that I instantly regretted it. The look on his face made me want to cry. I knew what he was thinking. He was missing out on all these milestones. Her lifting her head up on her own. Her rolling over. Her sitting up. He was rethinking the whole tour. And I couldn't let him second guess himself.

Touring and singing was what he loved to do and I knew that when I got pregnant. I told myself I wouldn't let him give all that up. Sure it'd be hard for me and him, but his job came before his family. He wanted to be kept in the loop, which I knew would only end up hurting him in the end, but I didn't want him to miss out on watching her hit her milestones. It was a win-lose situation.

"I love you," I whispered. "Lots and lots."

He nodded, plastering a fake grin on his face. "I know you do." I wish I could hug him right now. "I love you too."

"Joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary." Brene Brown, Daring Greatly