“C’mon, Jillian, you’re honestly killing me,” Howie sighed with defeat, continuing to bounce the small infant feverishly in attempts to calm her. It seemed like a hopeless cause as the child’s shrill cries clogged with a mix of heavy sobs. Her beautiful green eyes were flooded with large tears of anger as her cheeks flushed with a furious red. Her hands were curled into tiny fists, gripping at her father’s already soaked t-shirt. She screamed yet again, her voice becoming harsh with the rawness of her throat. Howie gulped down his own panic, feeling so guilty at the child’s shabby appearance. The questions that seized his heart at the hospital started to flood back. The most horrifying question - Maybe he wasn’t made to be a father?
The twinkling chime of his doorbell quickly silenced Howie’s fearful thoughts. He immediately rushed forward with Jillian bouncing against his shoulder, feeling just a short surge of hope. He hurriedly fumbled with the doorknob as Jillian peeled a cry of protest. He cringed at the sharp cry, finally freeing the lock to swing open the door. “Ms. Moore!” he breathed in relief.
“Hello, Mr. Dorough,” she greeted brightly, stepping into the home with Howie’s insistent gaze. Her eyes traveled to the situation at hand, keeping her eyes trained carefully upon the small infant. Instead of cringing at the infant’s terrifying screams, Keveney smiled softly and held her arms out. And Howie obliged to hand over the child, praying that silence would soon envelope them. With skilled practice, Keveney swaddled Jillian tightly with the soft chenille baby blanket, and then rocked her softly within the crook of her arm. Keveney cooed softly at the child with a series of soft tones to her velvety voice. Surprisingly, Jillian’s tense features relaxed as her eyes slowly drooped with exhaustion.
“How’d you…” Howie was at a loss for words as silence quickly followed the tiny yawn from Jillian’s puckered lips. It was amazing to see such a calm stillness in the child that had exploded like a violent hurricane. It had only taken a few minutes for Keveney to set things correctly, which offered Howie a new perspective to the mysterious woman.
“Usually, newborns liked to be rocked instead of bounced like a basketball. And, they like to be wrapped tightly to give the feeling of a mother’s womb. All tight and cozy,” Keveney explained as the child finally slept soundly with her cheek nestled against the swell of Keveney’s breast.
“Or a beautiful mother,” Howie murmured without a conscious thought, admiring Keveney as if he had seen her for the first time. He almost forgotten how truly gorgeous she was. He took an opportunity to mentally save that very image of her, so he could never forget again. Her straight blonde locks were tossed into a high ponytail with stray locks tucked neatly behind her pierced ears. Her exotic light violet eyes glittered with an endearing fondness for the small infant. Her beautifully curved figure stood erect with perfect posture, alerting Howie to possible dance training. Her beauty wasn’t even hindered by the baggy sweatpants and light yellow tank top.
Yet, no matter how physically striking she was, something within her heart burned Howie’s insides with an undying fire. Maybe it was her gentle nature or mischievous smile. Howie truly didn’t know at that point, but already realized he was completely infatuated.
“What was that?” Keveney laughed, turning to gaze at him with confusion.
“Nothing…just, it’s amazing how she went right to sleep in your arms.”
“Comes with the territory,” Keveney shrugged as if it were nothing, “Where’s her room?”
“Oh, it’s upstairs, but—”
“Please, let me,” Keveney interrupted with a nurturing smile. Howie nodded with acceptance, quickly following her upstairs. Keveney seemed perfectly enchanted as she held Jillian close. She turned where Howie instructed, stepping softly into the nursery. She flipped on the softest light so as not to disturb Jillian’s sleep and stepped over to the cherry wood crib. Easing Jillian onto the soft mattress, she brought a hand over the child’s soft golden curls before pulling up the small comforter to nestle the infant. Jillian sighed softly, but never stirred. That gave Keveney the opportunity to view the nursery.
“It’s beautiful,” Keveney announced quietly, aware that Howie was lingering in the doorway. Yet, Keveney was still captured by the lovely room. Howie had strayed from the traditional use of pink for his baby daughter. Instead, he used a crisp pale yellow as the base color, accenting with variety of soft blues. The theme was musical with various soft instruments, musical notes, and nursery song lyrics. It was something Keveney had never seen before.
“Thanks, I had a lot of help,” Howie approved, concentrating on Keveney more than the room. He was still mesmerized by the passion stirring for the unknown woman. Never had he been so instantly drawn to a woman before, not even with Roxie. But, his haze seemed to clear when Keveney pushed passed him, obviously set upon another topic.
“She’ll probably wake up in two hours to be fed. But, you have to already know that. Newborns are the most demanding creatures on this planet. Just make sure to keep her bundled tightly; they like the closeness. You shouldn’t have another screaming fit if you just remember to do that and rock her gently. Other than that… you should—”
“You’re leaving?” Howie blurted, stumbling down the stairs to catch Keveney before she could open the front door. His heart thumped wildly against the length of his ribcage, offering a sharp pain. He started to imagine loosing her forever, which was odd, because he didn’t even have her.
“Um…yeah, crisis was averted, right?”
“Yes… but… Stay!”
“What?”
“For coffee! Yes! Stay for coffee! That’s the least I can do!”
“I don’t like coffee—”
“Cocoa?”
“Little too hot for–”
“Tea?”
“Again, too—”
“Soda?” Howie offered meekly.
“Pepsi?” Keveney finally requested, realizing the grand effort he was making.
“Of course, that’s the only soda actually allowed to take space in my fridge!”
“Ice or no ice?” Howie questioned, reaching up into the kitchen cabinets to withdraw two glasses. He tried to conceal his trembling hands, but he was far too excited that Keveney agreed to stay for a drink. He didn’t know why she affected him so, but he knew he didn’t want the feeling to dissipate. Trying to remain subdued, he moved to the fridge, waiting for an answer.
“Ice, please. I love to chew on it… One of my co-workers told me it’s because I’m trying to relieve my oh-so-obvious sexual frustrations. So, that’s why I’m always chewing on ice. But… I have no sex life…” Keveney allowed her voice to drown into the whirling of the ice dispenser when she noticed Howie blush. She smiled sheepishly. “I think that might have been too much rambling. Sex isn’t a topic to start with when you’ve just met someone… So…um… How about you tell me about yourself!”
Howie immediately pushed the last glass to the ice dispenser before grabbing two cans of Pepsi from the fridge. The small mention of sex amongst the electrified tension in Howie’s heart caused a flood of thoughts. He tried to push his mind away from the idea of Keveney’s beautiful body beneath his in a lustful passion, knowing it would keep him up that night. He did his best to muster a feeble smile, feeling his cheeks continue to burn. “What do you want to know?”
“Anything at all, like why you wanted me to stay?” Keveney started, popping her soda can open. She didn’t even seem to notice Howie’s nervousness as she watched the fizz pop amongst the bubbles that drove Howie into a deeper fascination.
“Because my daughter is really taken with you. I know some would argue that since she’s only a few weeks old that she doesn’t know who’s holding her… But I saw it the second you picked her up at the store. You’ve just got this special way with her. It’s amazing to say the least, so I had to keep you around for a little longer,” Howie spoke freely.
“She has the sweetest temperament, when she’s not screaming fitfully. She’ll be one of those most amazing children; you can see it within the depths of her watchful eyes. And those big green eyes, oh, she’ll make any person weak in the knees in a very instant! You’ll win lots of girls with her at the crook of your arm…well…if her mother doesn’t… Sorry,” Keveney instantly apologized, taking a long sip of soda. It burned down her throat as she coughed softly, feeling embarrassed for her bluntness. “I think I have this open-minded, aggressive, head-strong personality. Still trying to get it diagnosed by a leading Psychiatrist, found his name on the back of a Lucky Charm’s box.”
“It’s cute,” Howie chuckled, watching her violet eyes twinkle with relief. “But, I don’t have to worry about her mother—”
“We don’t have to talk about this—”
“No, I’d like to tell you,” Howie interrupted yet again, holding his hand up to halt her beautiful lips. He felt like she could be trusted with the depths of the secret. And he yearned to confide in her. To tell her that she already mattered in his life, even if she had just entered.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Howie chuckled with a handsome smile. “In all honesty, my steady girlfriend did leave me many months ago. She didn’t want the same things I wanted out of life.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Was she Jillian’s mother?” Keveney prompted softly.
“No, not exactly… You see… This is going to seem quite odd… But I was really depressed when I broke up with my girlfriend. So, my friend took me out to a club to get me out of this rut… We were walking to the car and I heard this crying… It was almost like a howl… Jillian… My little Jillian had been dumped in the trash, still bloody from birth. I rushed her to the hospital, but I couldn’t stand the thought of abandoning her, so I said she was mine.”
Keveney fell extremely quiet for several moments. It was an amazing story to say the least. But, Howie wasn’t concerned about her speechless state. Her exotic eyes twinkled with a soft understanding and approval. It gave him a sense of pride and relief. Needing to close the bridge of silence, he fumbled, “I know it’s a little bizarre—”
“So, let’s just lay this straight. You’re single-handedly taking care of a child who’s not tied to you by any blood? Even when you’re a twenty-eight year old famous singer with millions of fans that could have anything within this entire world?” Keveney asked with interest.
“Not single-handedly! My four friends love Jillian with all their hearts. Then I have four sisters and an older brother. Plus my parents are just overjoyed with the new grandchild. Since I’m the baby of my family, they’re always willing to— Wait, did you just say—”
“Famous, talented singer?” Keveney asked with a bemused smirk. “Yes, I did.”
“How’d you find out?” he asked with a surprised smile. Usually, women fell to his feet with that announcement. Yet, Keveney sat perfectly composed, her fingers dancing lightly over the sweating glass. Not even Roxie had given him that peace of mind over that fact. Roxie wanted others to know their status in life. But, Keveney acted as if it were a simple job, giving Howie a chance to be himself.
“Honestly, my sisters have you plastered all over their room. It’s kind of hard not to make a connection with those huge posters. But I admire you for that. To live your dream and making others happy in the process. It’s absolutely remarkable.”
“Well, thank you,” Howie answered with a firm blush. “So, am I your sisters’ favorite?”
“Do you keep a log of who’s the favorite amongst which fans… Or do you need your ego stroked?”
“I’ve always needed an ego stroke… and the log actually turns into bets,” Howie laughed heartily.
“Well, in that case, yes, you’re the favorite of the middle two.”
“Middle two?”
“I have a big family…”
“How big?”
“Well, my older sister, Stevie, is twenty four and a journalist for a popular magazine. Then there’s the identical twin girls of the house, Lillian and Lindley. They’re twelve and happen to adore you in every way. Then we have Ryan; he just turned sixteen and is dying to get his permit. Mark is eighteen and graduates this year. And finally there’s the baby Jordan and she just turned a year old.”
“Wow! Six siblings?”
“Crazy, huh?”
“No! More like a lot of love.”
“I’ll agree. It’s great having so many kids in the family. Always have someone to turn to when things get a little rough.”
“But, I’m more interested as to where you fit into that mix.”
“Me? Hmm… I’m the second oldest at twenty-one. I managed to run my Master’s courses along my Bachelor’s courses, so I just graduated with tons of experience. I moved into an apartment with Stevie. And I also started a job in the Pediatric Unit of the Orlando Hospital…” Keveney trailed, not knowing exactly what he wanted to know.
“How’s living with your older sister?” Howie asked, extremely fascinated.
“Like living with my parents only a little more Hellish and reckless,” Keveney groaned as she was alerted to a text message on her phone. Stevie was demanding for her to return home immediately before stipulations would occur. Keveney sighed before rising; she was having too much fun with Howie. “I’m so sorry, but it is late. I shouldn’t have imposed—”
“No! I really enjoyed it,” Howie interrupted, watching her linger at the doorway. He needed an excuse for her to return. His mind scrambled for an opportunity. Then, it struck like God was blessing the union. “And, I know that Jillian would love it if we made a regular thing of you visiting. Like, tomorrow around dinner? Plus a chance of offering you a job?”
“I’d enjoy that, too,” she accepted, fingering the doorknob. She turned back to Howie on a whim, needing to confide her own secret. “Howie?”
“Yes?”
“I just wanted you to know that I support you fully with Jillian. It’s beautiful that a man would accept such a large responsibility with a truly selfless love. And, I would know, because I’m also adopted.”
