Just Live Your Life

Matt's Pov

Sleeping on the couch is not fun, but I refuse to give Layla her way. Every child need their parents and with Layla and I both working Syke won't have either of us. All Layla has to do is stay home and not work. Corra, Lucas and Val can take care of the pubs like they've been doing and Layla will still earn money. If I could just up and quit my job I would do it in a heartbeat, but I can't. I make good money and I'm able to financially support not only myself and my daughter, but Layla as well. She needs to swallow her Irish pride and just stay at home with Skye. I know people that have been raised by a nanny and they are horrible people. They are either spoiled or weird. I don't want my little girl to be anything like them. Skye needs her mother, Layla is the only one I want raising my daughter, not so fucking stranger off the street.

Shaking my head I kick my sneakers off and lay down on the couch, “What the hell am I doing?” I mutter to myself and rub my hands over my face. Layla doesn't listen to a damn thing I say, I need help and I know just who to go to. With a sigh I close my eyes and force myself to go to sleep. Hours later I wake up having to use the bathroom. I jog up the steps and use the bathroom in the hallway so that I don't bother Layla while she's sleeping. When I'm done I wash my hands and head into Skye's room, just in time too. I glance over at the clock and it's five o'clock, time for a diaper change and a bottle. “Hey baby doll,” I coo down at my little girl as she slowly starts to wake up more and more. Bending over I scoop Skye out of her crib and walk over to the changing table. With expert hands and speed I change her dirty diaper and carry her out the nursery.

“Daddy loves you so much Skye, so so much. You're my number one girl,” I whisper as I walk down the steps and head into the kitchen. While holding Skye in one arm I make a bottle and heat it up on the stove, I did it once in the microwave and Layla nearly killed me. Bouncing Skye up and down lightly I time the boiling pot of water on the stove as it heats up the baby bottle. Skye starts to fuss and I rub her back, “Don't worry baby doll it's almost done.” Turning off the stove I grab the bottle, shake it and test it on the inside of my right wrist, “Alright here you go sweets,” I say and hold the bottle up to Skye's little mouth. She sucks away on the bottle and I smile, “I'm going to make sure you have the best life this world can offer. I'll always be here for you and so will your momma,” I find myself assuring her, like she understands.

Leaving the kitchen I head back up the steps and into the nursery. I sit down in the rocker and sing softly to my little baby doll as she eats. I always thought I would make a good father, but I never imagined myself to be how I am now. Everything thought I have now somehow finds a way to link onto Skye, I worry more about her well being then my own and I'm come to notice that besides Layla, Skye is the only thing that really matters to me. I love my band and the fans, but they no longer come in first place in my heart. Skye soon stops eating and I sit her up so her little head in resting on my shoulder as I burp her. She wines and kicks her legs not liking the position, but it has to be done. Instead of a burp, I get a fart which makes me scrunch my nose up in disgust, she farted on my hand....oh the joys of fatherhood.

By nine o'clock Layla is up and making breakfast while I sit in the living room and watch Skye crawl around on the floor. She started crawling about a week ago and now that she's mobile, she's everywhere. Skye crawls over to me and tugs on my pant leg, leaning over slightly I pick her up and she smiles pressing her wet lips to my chin. “I love you too baby doll,” I coo and kiss the top of her head.

“Food's done,” Layla tells me as she comes into the living room and I say quite as I hand Skye over to her. I walk into the kitchen and sigh, there is no plate made up for me so I know Layla is still pissed at me from last night. No longer in the mood to eat I leave the kitchen and head up to the bedroom. I quickly get a shower, get dressed and grab my keys off the dresser. Walking down the steps I walk into the living room and smile down at Skye who is playing with one of her stuffed doll. Crouching down on my knees I ruffle Skye's hair and kiss her forehead. She blows a spit bubble and giggles making me smile.

“Love you baby doll,” I mummer and stand up. I look over at Layla and shake my head, “I'll be home later tonight,” I tell her and leave the house without another word. Hopping inside my car I pull out of the drive way and head to Johnny's house, that little fuck has helped me out a lot and I'm sure he'll know what to do. It only takes me about an hour or so to get to Johnny's and I send a silent prayer up to whoever is in the sky that he is home since his car isn't out front. Getting out of my car I walk up to the front door and as I go to knock it flies open.

“Oh! Matt what are you doing here?” Corra asks with her hand on her chest looking just as startled as I feel.

“I...is Johnny home?”

“You just missed him. He left ten minutes ago to visit one of his family members, I wasn't really pay much attention to what he was telling me. What's wrong you look lost?”

I shake my head and sigh, “I shouldn't talk to you about i-”

“What are you and Layla fighting about now?”

“Now? You make it sound like we always fight,” I say and Corra shakes her head.

“That's not what I meant and you know. Look if you want to talk about it you'll have to get in the car. I'm already late as is,” Corra says.

“Late to where?”

“Zack's place.” With a nod of my head I follow Corra to her car and get in the passenger seat while she jumps in the drivers. Starting the car she pulls out of her drive way and heads to Zack's house. “So what's the issue with Layla and you?”

“Is it wrong for me to want her to raise our daughter?” I ask and Corra glances over at me.

“You have to give me more than that to work with Big Guy. Boss lady is a very independent women and she won't go down without a fight.”

“I want her to quite the pub and stay home with Skye. Layla on the other hand wants me to pretty much quite the band and just be home,” I say.

“Matt I can tell you now, as much as Layla loves Skye, she's not going to be a stay at home mom. That's not who she is and she'll never be. Layla likes to move around and handle problems that make most people scream. Raising a baby all day every day is not the kind of challenge she needs nor wants. I'm not saying that Layla isn't fit to be a mother 'cause trust me she is, but she's not a fucking trophy wife Matt. You should know that by now and I'm kind of on her side. You're asking Layla to give up everything she's ever known, yet you're not willing to do the same.”

“She wants to hire a nanny to raise our daughter!” I growl not liking anything that is coming out of Corra's mouth. I knew it was a bad idea to say anything to her.

“What? A nanny....okay I'm on your side with that one.”

“Did you have one growing up?” I ask and Corra nods her head with a frown on her face. “Then you see why I want Layla to stay home.”

“That's not a good enough reason Matt and you know that.”

“I don't want a fucking stranger raising my child. I don't need some other women telling me what is going on in Skye's life. Layla should be the one doing that not-”

“What if your parents watched her?” Corra asks cutting me off.

“They work.”

“What about a daycare center?”

“Isn't that what school is for?” I question and Corra sighs.

“Okay just forget I said anything, jeez you're just as bad as Layla,” Corra grumbles and the rest of the ride to Zack is silent. We finally get to Zack's house and when I walk in I'm greeted by Icky and Majesty, Zack's dogs. “Zack? I'm here and Matt's with me!” Corra shouts as she shuts the door. The dogs try to lick at her, but she shoos them away. “Zack?” The sound of the door in the kitchen opening hit my ears and I head in to see who is there. Stepping into the kitchen I laugh seeing Zack soaking wet from head to toe.

“What the hell happened to you?” I ask and Zack shakes his head glaring at the door way. I glance over his shoulder and sure enough outside Jimmy is dancing around the yard with the house. “Oh,” is all I say and Zack stomps off farther into his house. I walk outside and Jimmy waves at me almost getting me wet with the hose. “Jimmy why do you have the hose?”

“I'm filling the pool up!” Jimmy giggles and that's when I take notice of the small baby pool sitting in the grass.

“Who is the cutest little guy in the whole wide world?” I hear Corra cooing from inside the kitchen. Turning around I smile seeing her walk out with a baby in her arms, “Look who just woke up,” Corra says with a smile on her face as she walks over to me. I look down into her arms at the caramel colored baby and his brown eyes blink at me.

“Morning little man,” I greet and the baby gurgles at me.

“Wanna hold him?”

“If he just woke up no thank you,” I say and Corra giggles.

“Awe he's not going to be mean. Isn't that right Octavis?” Corra asks the baby and he rubs at his eyes with a yawn.

“Octavis!” Jimmy yells making the baby jump and start to wine.

“Jimmy!” Corra and I scold.

“Sorry!” he says and runs over taking the fussy baby out of Corra's arms. “Come on kid lets go play with the Stallion Ducks,” Jimmy mummers and walks off towards the baby pool.

Zack walks out and he watches Jimmy for a few moments before he calls outs, “Jimmy if you drop my son, I swear to God I'll make sure you never drum again!” Yeah you heard him right his son. Son as in Amirah's stupid ass wasn't lying about being pregnant. You can even imagine our shock when Zack opened his door to have a smoke and found Octavis on his door step with only his birth certificate attached to the blanket. For being pretty much thrown into the father roll without any warning Zack's doing okay for the most part, though he has Corra, Val and Layla to help him out along the way.

“Why is Jimmy here?” Corra asks.

“He wanted to show Octavis all the magical joy of the Stallion Ducks,” Zack says and I laugh. Only Jimmy..., “But I'm not complaining. Jim's been a big help since Gena is still at that hair show.”

“When will she be back?” I ask.

“In three days or something like that.”

“So you're on your own?”

“He has me and the other girls. I'm not going to let Zack kill my nephew,” Corra says.

“Um hello standing right here!” Zack says and Corra waves him off.

“Like I said, he has all of us to help him out. But you know what that conversation in the car has me thinking....Zack what are you going to do with Octavis when you go on tour?”

“I don't know. Gena's not much of the mothering type so I can't leave him with her and I don't really want to bother my parents. I may ask my sister-”

“Doesn't she already have two kids of her own to look after?” I ask and Zack bites his lip.

“Looks like you and Matt are kind of in the same boat right now,” Corra says and Zack looks at me.

“Layla doesn't want to stay home and watch over Skye while we tour,” I say and Corra punches my arm, “Ow! What? It's the truth,” I says and she shakes her head.

“What Matt meant to say is that Layla doesn't want to be a stay at home mom, so now they have to figure out who will watch the baby when they are both working,” Corra says and Zack frowns.

“What the fuck are we gonna do?” he asks.

“I do-”

“Ewwwww!” Jimmy screams and we all look over at him. I nearly choke on the air at the sight of Jimmy holding Octavis out at arms length without a diaper on and the front of Jimmy's shirt is wet.

“Oh dude...” I grimace and Zack starts laughing.

“Finally got someone other them me, score!” Zack cheers and I laugh.

“Someone take him! He pissed on me!” Jimmy shouts and Corra hurries over to help Jimmy out.

“Does he do that a lot?” I ask and Zack shakes his head still laughing.

“O-only if you keep his d-diaper off for t-too long,” he giggles and I laugh. Jimmy rips his shirt off and throws it to the ground before he start stripping as he runs into the house.

“Jimmy for Gods sake either strip then run or run first then strip when you get in the house!” Corra calls after him. Jimmy stops running and strips down right in the back yard. Corra covers Octavis' eyes and closes her own. “I meant for you to do the second option,” she wines and Zack laughs harder.

“But the wind feels so good between my-”

“Jimmy I swear if you even finish that I'll poison the next drink you have,” Corra warns and Jimmy grins over at us.

“Between my toes!” he sings and skips off into the house with his white ass bare for everyone to see.

“Is he gone yet?”

“It's over. The pale moon is gone,” I joke and Corra opens her eyes. She looks around the yard and uncovers Octavis eyes who just laughs. Guess he thought it was a game.

“I fucking love Jimmy,” Zack chuckles and I nod my head in agreement.

“He's a trip,” I laugh and looks over at Corra who is now putting Octavis in the little pool. She's really good with kids...