Born for This
six.
“Boxes labeled ‘bedroom’ go upstairs to the left. ‘Nursery’ is upstairs to the right. Just leave linens at the top of the stairs. The gym stuff goes straight to the basement and office stuff is just off the sunroom.” Emma stood at the threshold of her home, bodies running in and out with boxes scattered everywhere.
Brendan’s head popped out from around the corner of the kitchen, beads of sweat absorbing into his thin t-shirt, “Why don’t you take a break directing for minute and relax.”
Carefully navigating through the mess, Emma grabbed onto Brendan’s hand as she climbed over two stacked boxes. “There isn’t time to take a break. This child is coming next week whether we like it or not. I don’t know about you, but it isn’t exactly my ideal situation to bring a new born into a house that might as well be a warzone.”
Before Brendan had a chance to retort, Tommy’s sweaty body came plowing through the back door. His arms were fully extended, every muscle engaged, as he balanced three boxes labeled ‘Clothes’. Emma watched intently, a small smirk creeping onto her face as she watched the way her husband’s muscles rippled beneath his tank top. “Would you quit dicking around, Bren, and make yourself useful?” Tommy’s gaze quickly fell to his wife and gave her a stern look, “And don’t you go looking at me like that… that’s how we got ourselves in the predicament in the first place.”
Emma couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “I love you too, my dear.” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her brother-in-laws cheek, “I’ll go pick up TK. I’m sure he’s worn your father out by now.”
“Em, you know I don’t want you driving right now.” Tommy dropped the boxes on the counter and began rummaging his pockets for his car keys.
The brunette smiled and pulled the set of keys out of her purse, “Looking for something?” She snatched them away as her husband reached out for them and gave him a quick peck on the lips, “I’ll be back before you know it. If you really want to make yourself useful, put our bedframe together so we have something to sleep on tonight. An air mattress isn’t going to cut it anymore, can’t slum it like we used to.”
Brendan laughed and moved toward more boxes labeled ‘Nursery’. Tommy furrowed his brow and huffed, “What do you know about slumming it, girl?”
It was warm out for late October. The leaves had all fallen, leaving the trees to look barren and spooky, just in time for Halloween. Emma climbed into her husband’s shiny new suburban and pulled out of the driveway. The streets were lined with scarecrows, carved pumpkins, and cop cars. Around Halloween, the petty crime rate always seemed to jump up in the charts, so cops did what they could to try and patrol big residential areas as much as possible.
As she pulled up, Emma couldn’t help but notice how unkempt the house seemed. It had been a month since she had stopped by Paddy’s house, but surely Tommy would have mentioned if something wasn’t right over there, right? The brunette slid out of the car, locking it behind her, and cringed at the weeks of old, rotten newspapers littered across the grass, which seemed to be transitioning into bush.
The door was unlocked when she reached it and stepped inside. There was an odd warmth that filled her bones as she looked around Paddy’s living room; it was like stepping into a time capsule. The same photos sat above his retro television set, with the addition of his grandchildren. TK was napping in the seat Paddy’s favorite reclining chair.
Emma took a moment to admire just how cute her son was, snapping a photo to post online which would surely embarrass him in the years to come, before making her way into the kitchen. The old man stood by the stove, pouring himself a cup of tea. The brunette knocked twice on the doorframe and smiled as her father-in-law turned around. Each wrinkle on the man’s face had a story. However, when he turned to face the brunette, there was a distinct look of confusion for a few moments before recognition set in. Emma couldn’t help but notice behind Paddy, a stovetop full of dirty dishes.
“The boy’s asleep, but I’m sure he’ll wake up in the car.” Paddy abandoned his tea on the counter and ushered Emma back into the living room. He began to toss all his grandson’s belongings back into the diaper bag before handing it over quickly. “Off you go now, I’m sure there’s plenty to get done at the house.”
As soon as TK was safely buckled into his car seat, Emma pulled herself into the suburban and rummaged through her purse in the passenger seat for her cell phone.
“What?” Tommy was never one to answer the phone politely.
Emma bit her lip, pausing for a moment before asking, “When was the last time you went inside your father’s house?”
Brendan’s head popped out from around the corner of the kitchen, beads of sweat absorbing into his thin t-shirt, “Why don’t you take a break directing for minute and relax.”
Carefully navigating through the mess, Emma grabbed onto Brendan’s hand as she climbed over two stacked boxes. “There isn’t time to take a break. This child is coming next week whether we like it or not. I don’t know about you, but it isn’t exactly my ideal situation to bring a new born into a house that might as well be a warzone.”
Before Brendan had a chance to retort, Tommy’s sweaty body came plowing through the back door. His arms were fully extended, every muscle engaged, as he balanced three boxes labeled ‘Clothes’. Emma watched intently, a small smirk creeping onto her face as she watched the way her husband’s muscles rippled beneath his tank top. “Would you quit dicking around, Bren, and make yourself useful?” Tommy’s gaze quickly fell to his wife and gave her a stern look, “And don’t you go looking at me like that… that’s how we got ourselves in the predicament in the first place.”
Emma couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “I love you too, my dear.” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her brother-in-laws cheek, “I’ll go pick up TK. I’m sure he’s worn your father out by now.”
“Em, you know I don’t want you driving right now.” Tommy dropped the boxes on the counter and began rummaging his pockets for his car keys.
The brunette smiled and pulled the set of keys out of her purse, “Looking for something?” She snatched them away as her husband reached out for them and gave him a quick peck on the lips, “I’ll be back before you know it. If you really want to make yourself useful, put our bedframe together so we have something to sleep on tonight. An air mattress isn’t going to cut it anymore, can’t slum it like we used to.”
Brendan laughed and moved toward more boxes labeled ‘Nursery’. Tommy furrowed his brow and huffed, “What do you know about slumming it, girl?”
It was warm out for late October. The leaves had all fallen, leaving the trees to look barren and spooky, just in time for Halloween. Emma climbed into her husband’s shiny new suburban and pulled out of the driveway. The streets were lined with scarecrows, carved pumpkins, and cop cars. Around Halloween, the petty crime rate always seemed to jump up in the charts, so cops did what they could to try and patrol big residential areas as much as possible.
As she pulled up, Emma couldn’t help but notice how unkempt the house seemed. It had been a month since she had stopped by Paddy’s house, but surely Tommy would have mentioned if something wasn’t right over there, right? The brunette slid out of the car, locking it behind her, and cringed at the weeks of old, rotten newspapers littered across the grass, which seemed to be transitioning into bush.
The door was unlocked when she reached it and stepped inside. There was an odd warmth that filled her bones as she looked around Paddy’s living room; it was like stepping into a time capsule. The same photos sat above his retro television set, with the addition of his grandchildren. TK was napping in the seat Paddy’s favorite reclining chair.
Emma took a moment to admire just how cute her son was, snapping a photo to post online which would surely embarrass him in the years to come, before making her way into the kitchen. The old man stood by the stove, pouring himself a cup of tea. The brunette knocked twice on the doorframe and smiled as her father-in-law turned around. Each wrinkle on the man’s face had a story. However, when he turned to face the brunette, there was a distinct look of confusion for a few moments before recognition set in. Emma couldn’t help but notice behind Paddy, a stovetop full of dirty dishes.
“The boy’s asleep, but I’m sure he’ll wake up in the car.” Paddy abandoned his tea on the counter and ushered Emma back into the living room. He began to toss all his grandson’s belongings back into the diaper bag before handing it over quickly. “Off you go now, I’m sure there’s plenty to get done at the house.”
As soon as TK was safely buckled into his car seat, Emma pulled herself into the suburban and rummaged through her purse in the passenger seat for her cell phone.
“What?” Tommy was never one to answer the phone politely.
Emma bit her lip, pausing for a moment before asking, “When was the last time you went inside your father’s house?”