Joey woke up to the baby crying. She moaned loudly and got out of bed, stumbling down the hall. She picked up the baby, who continued to cry. “Please, just go to sleep. If I don’t get sleep, I will fail my test tomorrow!”
The baby ignored her pleading, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Sometimes I wish you would just sleep for two hours straight. Is that too much to ask?”
But his answer wasn’t what she hoped for. Joey brought the baby back to her bedroom. She sat at the desk, the baby on her lap, and turned on the lamp. She made another attempt at her social studies homework, but the baby grabbed her pen and threw it across the room. “That’s it! I’ve had it!”
“Jo?”
“Yeah, you. Get out of bed and help me with this demon. He wont go to sleep!”
Dawson groaned and hopped out of bed. He took the baby from her arms and brought him to the bed. Dawson tickled him until he was laughing hysterically. “Great Dawson, get him wide awake. You stay up with him. I need some sleep.”
Joey climbed back into bed as Dawson took the baby to another room. In a few seconds, Joey was sound asleep.
The next morning, Dawson awoke Joey at six. “Jo, let’s go. We’re gonna be late if we don’t start moving.”
Joey mumbled something under her breath as she walked towards the shower. “Where’s the brat?”
“He’s asleep. I’ll get him ready. You just get yourself ready.”
She nodded her head but said nothing as she closed the bathroom door. Dawson heard the shower turn on as he packed the baby’s diaper bag. He heard the sounds of the baby waking up, went over to the crib and looked in. “So, decided to wake up at a normal hour? Come on, we gotta go.”
The baby giggled as Dawson picked him up and brought him downstairs, setting him in the high chair. Mitch Leery was in the kitchen, coffee already on. “Good morning Dawson.”
“What’s good about it? I don’t think I can handle this baby thing anymore. Who’s bright idea was this anyway?”
“Idea? What, the baby? I warned you about the responsibilities Dawson. Now it’s time to pay up.”
“Why can’t this kid just sleep one night all the way through?”
“That’s just how babies are Dawson. Where’s Joey?”
“She’s in the shower. Is there anyway you and Mom could take him? For a few nights?”
“I’m sorry Dawson, but the second you two decided to become responsible adults, you took on everything that goes with it. These are the consequences. Go tell Joey to hurry up. You only have a few minutes before you have to drop the baby off.”
“I know, I know. I’m gonna take him today, give Joey a break. This way she has a few more minutes of peace. Tell her I’ll be back to pick her up.” Dawson picked up the baby, his bag, and left.
A few minutes later Joey came into the kitchen, drying her hair with a towel. “Hey Mr. Leery, where’s Dawson?”
“He said he’d come back for you. He took the baby without you.”
“Sometimes Dawson is a lifesaver. That kid wouldn’t shut up all night. Was Dawson this bad when he was a baby?”
“Worse. But I was working two jobs, his mother did most of the work.”
“You guys deserve an award or something. I don’t see how it can be done.”
“Like I told Dawson, you have to be ready for responsibility. It comes with the package.”
“Yeah well I want a refund.” Joey poured herself some coffee and disappeared back upstairs.
Mrs. Leery greeted her husband. “How’s the proud parents today?”
“I thought she was going to suffocate the baby last night. Dawson’s being good about it though. A lot better than I was.”
“You didn’t have a baby at age sixteen either. It can’t be easy for either of them.”
“It’s all about...”
“Responsibility,” she finished. “I know. I just think maybe we should help out once in a while.”
“Gail, their grades aren’t suffering. The only thing different is their lack of a social life. They need to learn that raising a child isn’t easy.”
“But I can’t believe we’re doing the right thing by staying out of it. Can’t we help a little?”
“No. Now let’s go, before we’re late.”
Joey leaned on her arm trying to stay awake through chemistry. She felt her heavy eyelids slowly begin to shut, and enjoyed the peace it brought her. She decided she could keep them closed for a few minutes, no one would notice.
Several minutes later, she heard “JOEY!”
Joey sat up straight in her chair and looked around. The rest of the class was gone, it was just her and Mrs. Schneider. “Joey, are you getting enough sleep at night?”
“Not really. I’m sorry Mrs. Scheider, I promise I wont fall asleep again.”
“I know this class isn’t that exciting, but please make an effort to stay awake, okay?”
“I’m sorry,” she said again as she stood up.
Dawson was waiting for her outside the classroom. “What took you so long?”
“Deep discussion on why you shouldn’t fall asleep in class. Dawson, how much longer do we have to keep this up?”
“Till he’s about eighteen. Then we’re done.”
“There has to be a better way,” she moaned as they walked to their next class.
Jen and Pacey met up with Joey and Dawson later that day. “Hey, if it isn’t the proud parents. Having fun?”
“Bite me Pacey,” Joey said as she walked passed them.
“What’s her problem this time,” Pacey asked Dawson.
“What else? The baby was up all night crying, Joey had a test today which she knows she failed, and she got caught sleeping in chem. I don’t know how much longer she can handle this.”
Jen looked at Dawson. “I could babysit, if you want. If it would make things easier.”
Dawson thought about it for a minute. “I don’t know. My parents are so hyped on this ‘responsibility’ thing that they wont even help.”
“So what? That’s them. Pacey and I can watch him, for a night at least. I’m sure Grams would love him around the house.”
“Your grandmother? Love the idea of the demon child? She’s already made it clear that she doesn’t approve.”
“Yeah but who can resist his cute face.”
“Wait a minute,” Pacey said. “I just realized you volunteered my services without my knowledge.”
Dawson laughed. “Where have you been? Okay Jen, it’s a deal. I’ll bring him by after school, and I’ll come get him around ten?”
“Sounds good to me. If you guys don’t go out, at least get some sleep. You both look like crap.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Dawson and Joey were in the bedroom lying on the bed. They had decided not to go out, but to just sit home and enjoy each other. “So,” Joey said, “What now?”
Dawson sighed. “It’s kinda quiet without him around. Now that our homework is done, we usually play with him. Give him a bath, our usual routine.”
“How did we get into a ‘routine’ so quickly? It’s too weird Dawson. It’s too quiet.”
“Let’s just enjoy this moment while we have it Jo.” He leaned over and began kissing her on the neck. She moaned in enjoyment, hoping that this moment would never end.
Mrs. Leery opened the front door. Jen and the baby were standing there. “Jen, is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Dawson was supposed to pick him up at ten, but he never showed.”
“Hang on, let me go check on them.” Mrs. Leery invited Jen in as she went upstairs. She knocked on Dawson’s door, and when she got no answer, she opened it. Dawson and Joey were sound asleep. She quietly closed the door again and came downstairs. “They are asleep. I’ll take him.”
Jen handed the baby over to Mrs. Leery. “Glad they finally got some sleep.”
Mrs. Leery sat down on the couch next to Jen, the baby giggling on her shoulder. “How are they doing? In school? Friends?”
Jen, feeling uncomfortable, spoke quietly. “I’m not sure it’s my place to say. You should really ask them.”
“Please, they wont tell me. Mitch has it drilled in their heads that they aren’t allowed to have any fun. I don’t want that for them. For Dawson.”
Jen nodded her head in agreement. “I guess they are okay. We really don’t see them much anymore. I know Joey fell asleep in class today. And Dawson’s worried about her, because she’s trying to do everything on her own. They are definitely different.”
“You better get going Jen, school tomorrow.”
Jen stood up and walked towards the door. “Okay, just don’t get mad at them for not picking up the baby tonight.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. I just wont tell Mitch.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next few weeks were the same. Joey struggled to deal with the baby, school, Dawson, making it look easy to Dawson. Dawson saw new things that made him love Joey even more. She was a stronger woman now, much stronger than what he thought she could ever be.
When Joey returned from putting the baby to sleep, Dawson asked her to sit down. “What’s up Dawson? It’s Friday, let’s not waste time talking.”
“There’s something I need to tell you. We agreed on honesty, and I need for you to hear this.”
Joey sighed and sat on the bed. “You’re not gonna dump me are you? Leave me to be a single mother?”
Dawson laughed. “No, just the opposite. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. These last five weeks, actually the last year, you’ve changed so much, and I just wanted to tell you how great I think you are.”
Joey, feeling slightly embarrassed, looked away. “Dawson, forget it. Let’s watch a movie or something while we have the time.”
“Please Jo, just listen to me for a minute. Do you realize everything that has happened? Since the camping trip, when we finally completed that bond that we will have forever. And how I had such a problem admitting what we had done. Then you get kidnapped, shot, and the whole pregnancy experience, through everything you pretty much kept your cool. And I’m proud of you for it.”
“Dawson, why are you saying these things to me? We both went through these things together. You changed as much as I did. Why bring it up now? We’re still changing, we will always be changing. That’s part of life.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know that I really love you Joey. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Joey smiled at him and kissed him on the neck. “I love you too Dawson.”
There was a knock at the door. “It’s open,” Dawson yelled.
Mrs. Leery walked in. “Jo, Bessie’s downstairs.”
Joey looked at Dawson and a huge smile appeared on her face. Dawson jumped out of the bed, followed by Joey, and they ran downstairs.
Bessie opened her arms for Joey and they hugged. Dawson hugged her too, relieved that she was back safely. “So, how was the trip?”
“Completely relaxing. How’s the baby? Did I miss anything? How big did he get?”
“Bessie,” Joey said slyly, “you were only gone for a month and a half. He couldn’t have changed that much. He’s sleeping.”
“So how are you two managing? Tell me everything.”
Dawson laughed. “It’s been a lot harder than anything we could have expected.”
“Good,” Bessie stated. “Maybe you’ll think twice about sex next time.”
Dawson and Joey looked at each other and broke out laughing. “Yeah, we’ll definitely be more careful.”
Mrs. Leery returned from upstairs with the baby. She handed him over to Bessie, who seemed very happy to see him. “He looks good! I missed you so much,” she said in a baby voice.
“He’s all yours,” Joey said proudly. Then she looked at Dawson. “We’re free!”
Dawson gave her a big hug. “It’s still early, let’s go out!”
Joey looked at Bessie, who nodded her head in agreement. “Don’t stay out too late. Thanks again guys.”
“Sure!” The two teenagers ran out of the house.
Bessie and Gail laughed as they sat in the living room. “So,” Bessie started, “how did things really go?”
“They were great. Mitch refused to interfere. He said it was better if we left them to handle everything. They took him to the sitter in the morning, went to school, picked him up, somehow managed their homework and grades, got up with him in the middle of the night, I’m really proud of the way they handled things.”
“As long as they didn’t handle it too well. This was a great idea, I have to give your husband credit for that. After we found out Joey wasn’t pregnant, they needed to learn what could have happened. And this was the best way.”
“I just hate to think of Dawson growing up. When he was a baby, I would pray that he would grow up fast. Now I wish he wouldn’t.”
Bessie looked at Alex, who was giggling and pulling her hair. “I hope Alex turns out to be as good a son as Dawson. Guess his parents are to thank for that,” she said as she looked up at Gail.
Mrs. Leery looked sympathetically at Bessie. “It hasn’t been easy. And it will get harder. But it’s all worth it in the end.”
THE END
Never to be written in again!
Never EVER
It’s over!
It’s Done!
Stick a fork in it!
NO MORE!!!
REALLY!!
I MEAN IT!!
I’M DONE!
If anyone thinks there should be more, if you ask me really nicely, maybe I’ll give you permission to write it YOURSELF! Really, no matter what you say, it’s done!!!
Well, Maybe....