rent in Palms.
He sits down
in the recliner carefully. “I’m good. Getting better every
day.”
“Yeah?”
He nods just
as Kamryn comes in from the kitchen and says, “Hey, Heath,” giving
me a hug which I return.
“Hey, Kam,” I
answer looking down at her.
When she steps
back, she instantly cups her hands over mouth at seeing my face.
“I’m so sorry,” she chokes out.
“You’re fine.
I’m okay,” I offer. That’s all I can give her for now because I’m
still angry at the entire situation.
There’s an
uncomfortable silence in the room before her hands drop and she
declares, “I’m gonna make this right. I got a job at an accounting
firm in Glendale and they’re paying my tuition at Cal State to
finish my degree. I’m gonna pay you back.”
That’s a start
for her getting back into my good graces. Not because of the money,
because I won’t take it, but for the fact that she’s willing to fix
the mess she’s gotten everyone into.
I nod and
Aaron says, “Have a seat, Heath.” He looks at Kam. “Baby, could you
bring us a couple beers?”
“Of course,”
she states, hurrying back to the kitchen.
“She’s trying,
Heath,” Aaron states.
I shrug. “I
know. We’re good.”
He nods and
Kam brings our beers to us. “Thanks, babe,” he says and she bends
to kiss him before going back to the kitchen. Now he looks at me.
“So tell me about the fight.”
I explain all
the ins and outs of what went on and he’s loving it, his eyes
glittering with curiosity with each question he asks, picturing
everything I’m telling him.
I’ve just
started telling him about Matt when Isabelle starts fussing from
her room and Kam walks through to check on her. A few minutes
later, she comes back in holding my niece.
“There’s your
Uncle Heath. You wanna go see him?” she asks the three month old
then hands her to me.
I’ve not held
a lot of babies. Actually, Isabelle’s the only baby I’ve ever held
and every time I have, I’m scared to death I’ll break her. I cradle
my arms and Kam places her in them then I look down at her reaching
a finger out to touch her tiny nose. Before I can pull it back, she
reaches out and wraps her baby hand around it looking up at me as
we share a little niece-uncle moment.
“Hey,” I say
and then she yawns. Huh. Most women are a little less bored when I
talk to them. She next opens her eyes, looks at me and smiles.
“She’s smiling at me!” I share, looking up at Kam, amazed that this
little person has given me her approval.
Kam snorts.
“It’s probably just gas.”
I make a
scoffing noise and gaze back down at my niece who’s now frowning at
me which makes me frown right back. Suddenly, she’s all
concentration as her belly compresses and I feel a bunch of taps on
my hand through her diaper at her booty. Damn. But she’s not
finished as she suddenly releases the beast with a crescendo that’s
an explosion of gurgling from her bottom. Well. Okay. A smell like
nothing I’ve experienced before emanates from this tiny human being
and I look up at Kam, surprised.
“Jesus. She
takes after her father. And I think it’s more than gas.” I move my
arms to hold Isabelle out to her.
Biting her
lips to keep from laughing, Kam takes her from me and looks down at
her daughter as she walks back to the bedroom. “Did you poo poo on
your Uncle Heath? You’re breaking him in just right, baby girl,”
she says with a giggle.
I look at
Aaron who’s laughing. “She’s definitely yours,” I announce.
“She’s a Noble
all right,” he agrees.
“Aaron?” Kam
calls from Isabelle’s room. “I’m gonna nurse her. Can you check on
the noodles, please?”
“I got it,” I
say, getting up and going into the kitchen to see if the noodles
are ready.
“Kam says not
to be flinging them on the wall to check,” my brother yells and I
put the noodle I’ve scooped out back into the boiling pot. Damn.
“She says cut through one in the pot with the spoon
He sits down
in the recliner carefully. “I’m good. Getting better every
day.”
“Yeah?”
He nods just
as Kamryn comes in from the kitchen and says, “Hey, Heath,” giving
me a hug which I return.
“Hey, Kam,” I
answer looking down at her.
When she steps
back, she instantly cups her hands over mouth at seeing my face.
“I’m so sorry,” she chokes out.
“You’re fine.
I’m okay,” I offer. That’s all I can give her for now because I’m
still angry at the entire situation.
There’s an
uncomfortable silence in the room before her hands drop and she
declares, “I’m gonna make this right. I got a job at an accounting
firm in Glendale and they’re paying my tuition at Cal State to
finish my degree. I’m gonna pay you back.”
That’s a start
for her getting back into my good graces. Not because of the money,
because I won’t take it, but for the fact that she’s willing to fix
the mess she’s gotten everyone into.
I nod and
Aaron says, “Have a seat, Heath.” He looks at Kam. “Baby, could you
bring us a couple beers?”
“Of course,”
she states, hurrying back to the kitchen.
“She’s trying,
Heath,” Aaron states.
I shrug. “I
know. We’re good.”
He nods and
Kam brings our beers to us. “Thanks, babe,” he says and she bends
to kiss him before going back to the kitchen. Now he looks at me.
“So tell me about the fight.”
I explain all
the ins and outs of what went on and he’s loving it, his eyes
glittering with curiosity with each question he asks, picturing
everything I’m telling him.
I’ve just
started telling him about Matt when Isabelle starts fussing from
her room and Kam walks through to check on her. A few minutes
later, she comes back in holding my niece.
“There’s your
Uncle Heath. You wanna go see him?” she asks the three month old
then hands her to me.
I’ve not held
a lot of babies. Actually, Isabelle’s the only baby I’ve ever held
and every time I have, I’m scared to death I’ll break her. I cradle
my arms and Kam places her in them then I look down at her reaching
a finger out to touch her tiny nose. Before I can pull it back, she
reaches out and wraps her baby hand around it looking up at me as
we share a little niece-uncle moment.
“Hey,” I say
and then she yawns. Huh. Most women are a little less bored when I
talk to them. She next opens her eyes, looks at me and smiles.
“She’s smiling at me!” I share, looking up at Kam, amazed that this
little person has given me her approval.
Kam snorts.
“It’s probably just gas.”
I make a
scoffing noise and gaze back down at my niece who’s now frowning at
me which makes me frown right back. Suddenly, she’s all
concentration as her belly compresses and I feel a bunch of taps on
my hand through her diaper at her booty. Damn. But she’s not
finished as she suddenly releases the beast with a crescendo that’s
an explosion of gurgling from her bottom. Well. Okay. A smell like
nothing I’ve experienced before emanates from this tiny human being
and I look up at Kam, surprised.
“Jesus. She
takes after her father. And I think it’s more than gas.” I move my
arms to hold Isabelle out to her.
Biting her
lips to keep from laughing, Kam takes her from me and looks down at
her daughter as she walks back to the bedroom. “Did you poo poo on
your Uncle Heath? You’re breaking him in just right, baby girl,”
she says with a giggle.
I look at
Aaron who’s laughing. “She’s definitely yours,” I announce.
“She’s a Noble
all right,” he agrees.
“Aaron?” Kam
calls from Isabelle’s room. “I’m gonna nurse her. Can you check on
the noodles, please?”
“I got it,” I
say, getting up and going into the kitchen to see if the noodles
are ready.
“Kam says not
to be flinging them on the wall to check,” my brother yells and I
put the noodle I’ve scooped out back into the boiling pot. Damn.
“She says cut through one in the pot with the spoon
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