Chapter Twenty Eight
The week following Olivia’s birth, Alana and JC had the luxury of four eager grandparents, a doting aunt, and two adoring uncles to help with the everyday chores associated with having a baby. The only task the new parents had to oversee was caring for Olivia while their families bustled around them, cooking and cleaning, doing whatever they could to make life easier for the two.
Though Alana and JC knew that their parents could not stay forever, the end of the week came much sooner than they were ready for! “You’ll be fine,” Karen assured her son, patting his smooth cheek gently.
“If you need anything, you shouldn’t hesitate to call,” Roy added, clapping his son on the shoulder.
“You’ll probably hear from us at least four times a day,” Alana said, shifting Olivia in her arms. Her own parents and brother had left the day before. Their goodbyes had been similar with assurances that all would be well in the coming weeks.
“I doubt that,” Roy said. “This one here will keep you on your toes, I’ll bet,” he said, smiling down at his granddaughter, who laid wide-eyed in her mother’s arms, just taking in the scene around her. Though she looked innocent enough, Olivia had indeed inherited her mother’s temper. She was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry!
Ignoring her husband, Karen turned her attention to Alana. “Don’t be shy to ask for help, dear. If you have any questions, you feel free to call. I’m sure your mother has told you the same.”
“She has,” Alana assured her. “And if we need anything, we’ll be sure to call.”
“Good,” Karen said with a slight nod, before turning her attention to her youngest son. “Have you loaded the car, Tyler?”
“Everything’s in there.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to the airport?” JC offered one last time.
“Positive. You need to be home with your wife and that baby,” Karen chided lightly as she wrapped her son in a hug. “You take good care of those girls.”
“Yes ma’am,” JC assured her, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.
After releasing her son, Karen offered an awkward hug to her daughter-in-law before kissing her granddaughter lightly. “Your nanny loves you, sweetheart. You just remember that,” she said before turning away, rather tearfully.
“Alright loser,” Heather said, offering her brother a grin. “You’re on your own now. You think you can handle it?”
“Absolutely. I’ll just sit her down, and have a little talk with her about how things are going to go, and we’ll be good to go.”
“I’m sure. I’d like to be here to see that.”
“Well sorry about your luck, baby, but you’ve got a plane to catch.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said with a nod. “I’m going to miss this girl though,” she said rather fondly, patting her niece’s arm gently. “But, I’ll see her again at Thanksgiving, right?”
“Absolutely,” he said.
“Good. You know, being around her really makes me want one of my own,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at JC. “Know any good candidates?”
“No. And I’ll have to give Danny a call and warn him to keep his hands to himself.”
“Oh dear brother,” Heather said with a shake of her head. “It’s not his hands you need to worry about! It’s his—“
“Heather!”
~*~
Stepping into her daughter’s room quietly, Alana caught sight of her husband’s figure hunched over the crib in the darkness. The soft light of the hallway filtered into the room, shining against his back. A gentle humming reached her ears, and she couldn’t stop the smile on her face.
Creeping up behind him quietly, she slipped an arm around his waist as she peered into the crib. “I knew I would find you in here.”
He wasn’t ashamed. Straightening up, he dropped an arm around his wife’s shoulders, drawing her closer. “She’s beautiful, Al.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Alana took a moment to just stand there, checking over Olivia quietly before turning to her husband. “C’mon,” she coaxed gently. “We’ll wake her up.”
Though he was reluctant to leave, he did allow himself to be pulled from the room and into the hallway. With one final glance at his daughter, he turned his attention to his wife, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “I suck,” he declared.
“No you don’t. Why would you say that?”
“Well,” he said, frowning slightly. “I think I’ve been neglecting my girl.”
“That’s ridiculous, Josh. You spend every waking moment with her.”
“I mean my other girl.”
A delicate blush crept onto her cheeks as the two made their way to their bedroom. “No, you haven’t been. I understand how it is.”
“I have been. And I’m sorry for that.”
“You don’t have to apologize. We’re still adjusting.”
“Right,” he said with a nod. “And I’m not apologizing for spending so much time with Olivia. I’m apologizing for not spending enough time with you.”
Pausing, Alana turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing up at him. “I forgive you,” she said. “Even though it really wasn’t necessary.”
Dropping his hands to her waist, JC lowered his head and pecked her lips. “How are you feeling today?”
It was a question that was asked every day. She had been sore after the birth of Olivia, as was to be expected. She tore pretty badly during the delivery, but seemed to be well on her way to recovery. “I’m doing okay,” she assured him. “Better than yesterday and the day before that.”
“Good,” he said. “You want to come lay with me for awhile?”
“I have some laundry I still need to do.”
“Leave it. You’ve been scurrying around here all day today. Let’s just relax.”
The offer was simply too tempting to pass up. Heading towards the bed, Alana shooed Zeus from the foot and climbed in, snuggling under the covers as she waited for her husband to change into his pajamas and join her. Once he was situation, he crawled into the king-sized bed and dropped an arm around Alana’s waist, pulling her against his chest. “Mmm,” he sighed, breathing in her sweet scent. “I’ve missed this the last couple of nights.”
Having a new baby in the house had really put a damper on their time together. While they didn’t mind one bit, they enjoyed their closeness for the time being. It wasn’t long after she got situated in her husband’s arms, that Alana’s eyelids started to droop. Turning so that she could rest her head against his chest, she allowed her eyes to close. “I love you Josh.”
“And I love you too, baby.”
~*~
Though the news of Olivia’s birth had been shared with JC’s (now former) band mates, they had given the couple plenty of time to adjust before they barged in. Two weeks was plenty enough time, as far as they were concerned.
Pulling into the driveway of his friend’s home, Chris stepped out of his vehicle and closed the door behind him. He’d talked to JC just an hour prior to ensure that he would, in fact, be home and that he was up for company. Package in hand, he made his way casually to the front door, before raising his hand and knocking lightly.
He was kept waiting for several moments before the sound of footsteps could be heard from within. It wasn’t long before the door opened, bringing him face to face with Alana. “Hey sweetie,” he greeted, opening his arms for a hug. “How’s the new mommy doing?”
“I’m tired,” she said with a laugh as she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. “We’re managing though.”
“Where is the little squirt?”
“She’s in the living room with her daddy. Go on in and make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Well, aren’t you just the little hostess?”
Ignoring his sarcastic question, she led him into the living room where JC sat, their infant daughter cradled in his arms. Alana’s smile was automatic as she caught sight of her daughter, and she certainly didn’t miss the quiet gasp from her friend.
“She’s so little!” He commented, moving closer to get a better look at the newest NSYNC baby. “Much smaller than Bri was,” he said with a bob of his head.
“Hey man,” JC greeted, a grin on his face. “Didn’t think you were ever going to stop by.”
“Nah,” he said with a shake of his head. “We just wanted to give you guys some time to settle in before we came around. Joey’s actually planning on stopping by later this afternoon.”
“Cool.”
“Can I hold her?”
“Sure,” he said with a nod. Waiting until his friend had situated himself on the couch, he passed Olivia off, careful not to jostle her unnecessarily.
Another gasp escaped from Chris as he took a moment to get used to the tiny, squirming bundle in his arms. As far as he could tell, she was a perfect combination of his two friends. She was absolutely beautiful. “Hey gorgeous,” he greeted with a smile. “I bet your mommy and daddy told you allll about me, huh?”
“Yeah. We told her how crazy you were and if you ever mentioned shaving cream or hot wax to run faaar, faaar away from you.”
“Hey, I still maintain that Joey totally had that coming!”
“Chris! Joey still doesn’t have any hair on the back of his legs!”
“Well, that’s his fault now isn’t it?” He asked with a smirk as he turned his attention back to the little girl in his arms. “Don’t listen to your daddy honey,” he said. “Uncle Joey completely deserved what he got,” he assured her. “You’ll see that when you meet him.”
~*~
Throughout the day, various NSYNC members filtered through the house, each of them meeting the newest addition. Just as Chris had been, Justin, Lance, and Joey were all taken with the little girl. They’d come bearing gifts, from teddy bears to an assortment of outfits.
One thing was certain: Though Olivia was so young, she definitely had an assortment of admirers! Once their guests had gone for the day, and the baby was fast asleep in her crib, Alana and JC sat together on the couch, his arms around her shoulders as her head rested against his shoulder.
“I’m pooped,” she pouted. “I didn’t think we’d ever get her to sleep.”
“Well she is now,” he said. “I think my other girl needs to get some sleep too.”
“I am pretty tired,” she conceded with a nod. “But I really feel like we haven’t had much time to enjoy one another’s company the last couple of weeks.”
“Agreed,” he said. While the new addition to the family was definitely a welcomed one, their time together had grown quite scarce. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “I love you baby,” he told her.
“I love you too,” she responded, sighing softly.
“Y’all right?”
“I’m okay.”
“Why do you sound so down?”
“I dunno,” she said with a shrug.
“Hey,” he said, pulling away to get a better look at her. “Talk to me here, Al,” he said. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. C’mon,” she said. “I want to cuddle a little bit.”
“Al,” he cooed. “What’s the matter baby?”
“I don’t know. Nothing’s wrong. Can we drop it now?”
“No,” he replied stubbornly.
“Josh!” Out of nowhere, tears filled her blue eyes. “I’m already feeling overwhelmed enough!” She cried. “I don’t need you adding to it! Just leave me alone!”
Slightly taken aback by her outburst, he removed his arm from her shoulder, eyes wide. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d done wrong, though as he watched her stalk off, he knew he messed up somewhere.
~*~
The sound of Olivia’s crying brought Alana from her sleep. Bringing a hand up, she rubbed her tired eyes in an effort to fully wake up. Squinting in the darkness, she glanced at the clock. 2:30 a.m.. Glancing at her companion’s sleeping form, she couldn’t help the anger flaring up inside of her. How come he slept on while she got up to tend to the baby? It took every ounce of self control she had to keep from flicking his ear and rousing him from sleep as she passed.
Grabbing her robe, she pulled it around her shoulders as she made her way across the hallway to her daughter’s nursery. Lifting the child from the bed, she cradled her gently against her chest. “Shh,” she cooed softly. “Mommy’s here. It’s okay.” Checking for a wet or dirty diaper, she was relieved to find it clean. At least that was one less task to take on in the late hour.
Assuming that perhaps Olivia was hungry, she grabbed a clean cloth before making her way to the rocker, sinking down into its comfort. She set the chair in motion as she positioned herself to offer the child nourishment, though try as she might, Olivia was having none of it. She continued to cry, angry tears spilling down her face.
“What’s the matter?” Alana asked, as if the infant could answer. “Why are you crying? You’re clean, you’re obviously not hungry. What’s the matter?” She continued to rock, hoping that perhaps the motion would calm the crying baby, though it did nothing. Feeling as if all were lost, it took everything Alana had to keep from joining her daughter!
“What’s going on in here?”
The groggy voice of her husband startled Alana slightly as she glanced up, eyes filled with tears. “She just keeps crying! Her diaper is dry, she won’t eat, but she keeps crying! What’s the matter with her?”
Eyebrows furrowed in concern, JC stepped forward and removed the baby from his wife’s arms. “What’s the matter with daddy’s baby?” He cooed, as Alana sat, watching helplessly.
“Do you think she’s sick?” Alana asked tearfully.
“She doesn’t feel warm,” JC said with a shake of his head. “I think our girl is just showing off that old Berkeley temper!” Pacing back and forth with Olivia nestled safely in his arms, it wasn’t long before the cries diminished and eventually stopped. Completely exhausted from the exertion, her little eyelids closed as she heaved a sleepy sigh.
Tiptoeing quietly to her crib, he laid the little girl down before stepping back. Waiting until he was sure she was out, he turned, though frowned when he noticed his wife had left the room. He stepped out of his daughter’s nursery and headed back to his own room, though stopped at the sound of his wife’s cries.
Assuming the worst, he rushed forward, eyes scanning the room for any sign of movement. The light filtering in from under the bathroom door caught his attention, however, and he headed in that direction, his heart pounding. He reached for the knob and turned, his concern growing when he found it locked. “Alana?”
No response.
“Alana… baby, will you please unlock the door?”
Straining his ears, he heard her sniffle pitifully before the sound of the lock before removed caught his attention. Breathing a sigh of relief, he pushed the bathroom door open, immediately engulfing her in his arms. “Why are you crying?”
“S-She d-doesn’t love m-meeee!”
“Who?” He asked, rubbing her back gently in an effort to calm her. Her entire frame shook as she sobbed.
“O-Olivia!”
Taken aback by the response, he put space between them so he could see her face. “Why would you say that?”
“S-she wouldn’t stop crying and then you took her from me and she stopped right away!”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or scold her for her ridiculous comment. However, deciding that both options would undoubtedly just make things worse, he simply wrapped his arms around her, bringing her against his chest in a heartfelt hug. “Baby… that’s not true. Babies can totally sense your emotions. She knew you were wound tight, and she couldn’t relax because of it. That’s all.”
“You think so?” She asked pitifully as she glanced up at him, sniffling.
“Absolutely baby,” he assured her, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “She loves her mommy.”
Sniffling pitifully, she rubbed a hand under her nose before snuggling closer to his chest, desperate for the comfort he provided for her.
After giving her a moment to compose herself, he finally pulled away from her, cupping her tear-stained face gently within his hands. “You all right now?”
“I think so,” she said with a nod, her blue eyes searching his. She allowed her eyes to close as he moved forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before she forced a smile. “I’m sorry for flipping out on you like this.”
“You’re exhausted, and rightfully so. Livi’s been keeping you on your toes, but I don’t want you to feel like you’ve got to do this on your own,” he told her. “Sometimes when she cries at night, I don’t hear her. I don’t have that built in mommy alarm, but please, feel free to roll over and give me a good smack. I have no problem getting up to check on her and get her back to sleep.”
“You work during the day,” she reminded him tearfully. “It’s not fair to keep you up at night.”
“She’s my daughter too, Al. And you know I have no problem taking care of her.”
True, she had to agree. While her husband was home, he was amazing with their daughter. Anytime she cried, he’d retrieve her and fix whatever it was that was troubling her. At just a little under two weeks old, she had her daddy wrapped.
“Okay,” she said with a nod as she swiped at the last of her tears.
“Are we good now?”
“Yes,” she confirmed with another nod.
“Phew. You almost gave me a heart attack, baby. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared!”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, dropping her head back to his chest.
“Apology accepted,” he assured her with a kiss to the top of her head. “You ready for bed?”
“Absolutely.”
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