Not a Chance(80)

So he'd taken her home, made out with her for a few minutes and then kissed her goodbye. Today he hoped to have better luck. He woke up at 5:30 in the bed Duane used to sleep in in the basement. Last night he'd done some cleaning and now he determined to make the room as presentable as possible. Maybe Arden would accept an invitation to his basement since it was somewhat separate from the rest of the house.

After he finished tidying up he hopped in the shower and got ready for church. He was halfway dressed when he heard the muffled sound of the baby's crying coming through the air vents. He paused to take a calming breath and then finished getting dressed. He went upstairs for coffee. The baby was still screaming. He figured Tonya must be having trouble getting it to shut up. He saw the formula on the counter and some empty bottles. He mixed a bottle up for when Tonya came out to feed the baby and left it sitting on the edge of the counter.

Dustin came down the hallway, hair mussed on one side, shirtless. He stumbled to the coffee pot, poured a cup, took a sip, and immediately woke up.

"Maybe you should check on Tonya," he said to Travis.

Travis dug in the cabinets for something to eat and found Pop-Tarts. There was only one left. "You want this?" he asked Dustin.

"Would it matter if I did?"

Travis chuckled and tore the package open. The baby was still screaming.

"Christ," Dustin said, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe I ought to call Emma. Listening to that is bound to make her back off all this marriage and baby talk."

"Or you could just marry her and get her pregnant."

Dustin glared at him in disgust.

The baby was still screaming. Travis finished off his breakfast and walked down the hall. He knocked on his bedroom door, but received no answer. He knocked once more and then opened the door.

His bed was made. In the middle, the baby lay screaming. She had kicked out of her pink blanket. Next to her was a piece of paper. Travis stood in the doorway staring, trying to fight the feeling of cold despair tugging at his insides. "Tonya!" he yelled. He turned and checked the bathroom. He checked Dustin's room and the spare bedroom. He even opened the closets.

Dustin stood next to Travis's bedroom door, leaning on the wall and sipping his coffee. "What's up?"

Travis went into the room and grabbed the piece of paper, leaving the screaming baby there for a moment.

"'Dear Travis,'" he read out loud to Dustin who just stood there looking as though he'd expected the whole thing. "'Thank you for all you've done for me. But I just can't stay here any longer. There are too many bad memories. Jerry Lee said he'd take me back but that he didn't want the baby. You'll take care of her, won't you? Sorry Travis. Hope you don't think less of me. Love, Tonya.'"

Dustin sat his coffee cup on the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed a diaper off the stack on the floor next to the bed and proceeded to change Emily.

"I can't believe this," Travis said.

"You can't?" Dustin replied.

"No. I can't. How could she just leave her baby like this?"

Dustin swaddled Emily like a burrito, the way Emma had shown him at least a dozen times in the hospital. He picked her up and stood, bouncing her gently on his shoulder. "Are you really this stupid, Travis?"

Travis looked up at him, his feelings slightly hurt.

"She came here for the express purpose of dumping this baby. She knew you'd put her up in a comfortable bed and pay her medical bills."

"What should I have done, turned her out? She was nine months pregnant!"

"So you help her find a halfway house or something. The woman is selfish. She's got addictions to feed. And she knows how to prey on idiots like you. She's known all along that she'd be going back to that Jerry guy. Now she can do it having deluded herself into thinking she's done good for her baby."

Travis felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He stared down at the note which was turning slightly blurry. "I'm not stupid, Dustin," he said softly.

Dustin sighed loudly. "Go feed this baby so I can get dressed."

Travis hadn't held Emily but once or twice. He took her awkwardly and then went to the kitchen to get the bottle. He sat in his recliner in the living room and fed her. She was finishing off the last of the milk when Emma came to the door. Dustin must have called her. She knocked once and then let herself in. She was all dressed for church which was still two hours away.

She smiled in sympathy at Travis. "Let me have her," she said softly. And Travis gladly handed the baby over. "You just do whatever you need to. I'll take care of her."

Travis stood and paced for a moment. "Shit, Emma. I don't know what to do."

"Well, know this. There's no hurry. Right now, just adjust to the situation and keep your routine as best you can. I'll help anytime you need me."