Part 2

One Month Later

“Liam!...Liam!”. He could hear a faint voice in his sleep. “You need to wake up!”. Slowly Liam surfaced back to reality from his drunken coma. Opening his eyes he looked around him until eyes rested on a pair of high heels.

“Look at you….you’re a mess.” Then Liam realized it was his sister. “Lori? What are you doing here?” he asked sitting up from the floor. “I should be asking you the same thing. How much did you have to drink last night?” “I don’t know. Where is Bailey?” “With mom, but she’s coming home today.” Liam shot to his feet. “I’m not ready for her to come home yet.” “She needs to be here Liam. I mean for goodness sake you’re here drinking yourself to point that you black out in a pile of liquor bottles on the floor. Her mom is gone….but she shouldn’t have to lose her father because of it. We love you, but it’s time to start taking responsibility of the beautiful gift you were given...even if she came from a messy situation.” “I just need some more time to get myself together. It’s hard trying to get over someone you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with.” “You said that last week . Me and mom love Bailey to death but we have lives we have to get back to, so get it together by late this evening…..and clean up.” He hated how Lori acted as if she was his mom but he knew she was just looking out for him. Running his hands through his hair he looked around at the mess he made and sighed. For a month he sulked and nothing about the situation changed so his family was right. It was time for him to get back to being himself and take care of his daughter.

Later that evening

Liam looked around at his living room to make sure everything was in place. Satisfied with his work he heard a car door outside and rushed to meet them  at the door. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched his mother walk up with Bailey in the stroller. “I take it Lori has been over here earlier. You clean up well for a drunk.” It wasn’t his mom unless she was brutally honest at times. “I needed time mom.” He helped her get the stroller inside. “I know you did….which is why I had no problem looking after Bailey. I just wish you wouldn’t grieve at the bottom of a bottle.” “How did everything go?” he asked ignoring her jab. “It went fine. She is a good baby Liam.” He smiled while removing the straps from her car seat to let her out. “I think I’m ready this time. I just don’t want to let her down.” “No one is ever ready to take care of a baby Liam. I don’t care how many classes, books read, or other kids they might have taken care of it’s a learning process and the only way to be sure is to just do it. Granted I had your father around but I was the main one taking care of three babies, so If I can take care of THREE at one time then I’m sure you can take of one.” His mother was right. “And you know if you need help you can always call me or your sisters.” “Thanks mom.” Bailey gave him the biggest smile as he gently rocked her back and forth.

“I changed her and gave her a bottle before we hit the road so you might want to feed her in another hour or so.” She got up and began to head for the door. “Wait, you’re leaving already? I thought you were going to stay for a bit.” “I can’t, your father and I have plans to go out this evening.” He made a face. “When you find the right girl then you will know that dating your partner no matter what stage of life you’re in is key to a successful relationship.” She gave him a hug before planting a kiss on his cheek and then Bailey’s. “I raised you right so I know you will make a great dad and Emery is a fool to leave the both of you behind. I guarantee she will come crawling back. Remember to call me if you have any questions. Love you.”  And just like that his mother was gone leaving them alone....

Single & Parenting: Part 1

When things just go right in your life it’s intoxicating like a high from a drug you never want to come down from. After so long of searching, crying, the feeling of loneliness, sleepless nights….and then boom! There she is standing before you at the altar saying I do making you forget how life was before you met. And now, here she was packing her things to leave for good. Time slowed down as Liam watched the woman that he would move mountains for rip clothes from the closet to take with her. “What happened Emery? Tell me how I can fix this...please.” She stopped in her tracks out of breath. “There is no fixing this or us Liam. I thought I was happy but I’m not and I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

“What did I do to make you feel this way?” “Like I told you the first million times you asked. I want out.” “You can’t just walk away from us! Not now.” “I’m not ready to be a mom or be married….I feel like I’m going to suffocate within these walls... so I’m leaving. You can handle things I’m sure.” He was confused as to how she could be saying these things right now. They had a great relationship so far and he thought marriage but he was so wrong.

She zipped up her last bag and headed for the door. He ran ahead of her and blocked her path. “So you are just going to leave us behind like we never happened?” “Do you think me leaving right now is easy? This has been a long time coming but I feel like this is best for me.” “What about your daughter who is going to grow up without a mother….she needs you!” “I grew up without my mother and I turned out just fine. Now if you’ll excuse me and get out of my way.” She brushed passed him opening the front door. “James I thought I told you to wait in the car.” If his heart couldn’t break anymore it was shattered into a thousand pieces. “I heard yelling and thought I should come and make sure everything is ok” he said stepping inside. “Not only are you leaving me but you are leaving me for my best friend?!” Liam yelled walking for the front door to confront James. Emery stepped between them.

“I know this all seems bad but trust me that I did not plan for any of this to happen. We just fell in love.” “How long has this been going on?!” Liam started to tear up. Emery and James fell silent. “Tell me you two were not a thing before we got married.” Silence. “Tell me!!” “I was going to wait to tell you but since everything is out in the open….we started fooling around after you took me to his party. It was a mistake at first, then we kept doing it, feelings started to get involved….and here we are.” “But that was only a few months after I met you and we been together for four years!” “You were my best man….I thought we were friends?” Some of times the three of them spent together hit him like a freight train.

“I love her more” “But we’ve been friends since we were kids!” “I’m sorry Liam” This was a nightmare. Before he could speak another word Bailey started to cry. Liam wanted to finish things he couldn’t bear to hear her cries so he left them to check on her. Walking into her room he tried to fight back tears that seemed like they could go on forever but he had to be strong. He gently picked her up and rocked her slowly. In the background he could hear them getting into James car and leave. Looking down at her innocent face her eyes looked into his before closing to sleep. He was now all she had and he didn’t know if he was going to be enough. How was he going to pick the pieces up that Emery destroyed within a matter of minutes? Placing Bailey back in the crib he dropped to the floor crying on the inside. His happiness, wife, and best friend were gone. What was he going to do now?