Alicekai'd 1.38: Adult Homework

A/N: It's weird to say that 'I'm back' when there hasn't been a gap in chapter releases, but to me, for this story, I am. I haven't actually written anything for this one since March (and I'd had 25 chapters sitting and waiting), and as it's late July now, it's been a while. Hopefully I can still 'hear' Alice's voice and continue with the story. So far, so good.

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     Instead of going on my honeymoon, my life without Carlie begins.

 

    Geoff stands just inside the house as I open the door. His expression tells me that he's read mine. "She's with him for two weeks then?"

     I feel my lower lip quiver. "Yes. He looked so upset when I told him that I couldn't deny him his promised two weeks." I DON'T tell him other stuff Mark said. Luckily for me, Geoff doesn't question for more. Instead, he hugs me.

     "We'll make it through."

     The next day, he's off work, so he recommends we give ourselves a project. After a suggestion from me that we research this 'gateway' theory, we end up in Strangerville.

 

     Just being here makes me giggle. I didn't play too much of Strangerville in Sims 2, but it was always kind of fun when I did, especially with the house those three men lived in, the one with the alien-pregnant man. It was the developer's plan to use him as a way to introduce players to the idea of male-alien pregnancy. And I liked the house.

     I keep looking around with a big, goofy grin on my face while Geoffrey buys almost everything the man at the 'weirdo-stand' has to offer. He's most interested in the books, buying a copy of each one. I guess we have homework later.

     For now, though, we start investigating the 'Strangerville mystery.' I'd already done it, game wise, and the end makes me nervous to do it in my new 'real life,' but if it gives me more answers, I'm willing to give it a try.

     We go to the nearby bar and talk to people, and I keep sensing I'm ticking imaginary, to me anyway, boxes. Maybe I'm not just a townie. Thinking like this makes me a little paranoid, like I really am being watched all the time. Or maybe it's just Strangerville.

 

      We stay for a little while longer but then have to race home in time to make it so we can be there when Bruno gets home from school.

     "You two look funny," he tells us after he's finished with his homework. He comes into the living room and sits down on the sofa to watch TV. "Two adults doing homework."

     "Adults have homework, too," I tell him, also reminding him of how I only recently graduated college.

     "But it still looks funny."

     It's strange, but even though he was 'ten' when I first arrived, he's about to age up to teen. I try not to think too hard about it. Doing so just stresses me out as I continue to worry that Geoff and I are both also going to age up. What if Geoff is an elder when we get married? Yeah, worrying about it does me no good.

 

     Then I find something, and I want to smack myself in the head for forgetting about it. "My book talks about some kind of plant in the basement of the secret lab that can reverse aging."

     "They might be talking about life fruit," Geoff says, confirming that he does, in fact, know about it.

     "How do we get a hold of some of that?" I'm heavily hinting that perhaps he could try and sneak a seed from work.

     "I have no idea."

     Big help there, Geoff. Thanks, I think in a deadpan sort of way. I give him a look, and he just raises his eyebrows, almost daring me to outright ask. I sigh and go back to my book.

     Life continues, and Geoffrey finally agrees to get Bruno a bicycle.

     With all his talk of motorcycles, Bruno kind of... sucks at riding a bike.

     Then one evening, my phone rings. Seeing who it is, I take a breath and answer it.

 

     "Hey, Mark." I can sense Geoff tense from where he sits on the sofa.

     Mark sounds like he's almost in tears, and I can hear Carlie screaming in the background. He says he's at the end of his rope, and he doesn't know what else to do. I ask him what he's tried, and he tells me the typical list of stuff you do to calm an infant.

     I sigh. "I'm on my way."

     "I can go," Geoff offers.

     I pause and just look at him, and I picture him showing up at Mark's instead of me. "I think he wants me to come over, not you."

     "Well, of course he does." He gives me a look.

     I sigh and walk over to sit next to him.

 

     I don't get to say a word yet because he leans over and kisses me. Is he sensing something? 

     "Geoff, what are you doing?"

     "What do you mean, 'what am I doing?' I can't kiss my fiancee?" Yeah, he's totally full of crap.

     "I'm going over to Mark's to help him with Carlie."

     "I could go with you," he offers.

     "You need to stay here with Bruno."

     "We'll bring Bruno with us."

     "To Mark's tiny apartment?"

     "Sure. Why not?"

     "Geoff, the last thing he needs is a bunch of people storming into his tiny apartment while a baby is screaming her head off. Now, I need to get going. I shouldn't be gone too long. It's probably something simple."

     He looks like he still wants to argue his point, so I lean forward and kiss him. He'd better know HE'S the one I love and if he's starting to feel threatened, he needs to get over it.

     "It's just for Carlie."

     He sighs, admitting defeat. "Okay."

     I head out, hoping that, like I said, I won't be too long.

     Mark answers the door. His eyes are red-rimmed. I can hear Carlie screaming from somewhere in the apartment. He's not holding her.

     "Where is she?"

     "In her room. I was trying to get her to play with toys. It wasn't working."

     I walk past him.

     Then, to my horror, I find Carlie sitting on the floor instead of in her crib like I'd pictured in my mind.

 

     I try to keep the shock from showing up on my face, and I reach down to pick up my precious girl.

     She's doing those exhausted, hiccuping cries, and I wonder how long it was until Mark finally decided to call me. How long has she been crying? I start to lightly bounce her before cradling her in my arms.

     "Shhhhh. It's okay." Then, to Mark, I ask, "Is she hungry?"

     "No," he answers dejectedly. "I've done all that. She's dry. She's fed."

     "Is she constipated?" Maybe he didn't think of that.

     "Well, she made a dirty yesterday. Can a baby be constipated in a day?"

     "Maybe." I reach up and gently feel her tummy. I don't feel any hard lumps. Then I see her eyes start to droop.

      "I think she just wanted her mama," Mark quietly says behind me, breaking my heart.

     Carlie looks up at me like she somehow knows what her daddy just said, like she agrees with him. I hear Mark sniff behind me. Carlie's eyes start to close.

     "She's exhausted," I say.

     "Well, I know how she feels then." Out of the corner of my eye, I see him run his hand down his face.

     "Why don't you go take a nap?" I turn and look at him. 

     "I'm not tired."

     I purse my lips. Bullshit. I carefully put Carlie in her crib. She immediately starts screaming.

 

    "See?" Mark walks over. "This happens every time. I even tried the whole 'let her cry and see if she goes to sleep' thing."

     I've only been here for a little while, and I'm already ready to pull my hair out. Now, I wish Geoff had come. He can always get her to calm down. "Maybe she's cutting a tooth?"

     Mark walks around the crib.
 

      Even thought I can tell he's about to scream himself, he rubs Carlie's tummy and croons to her in a deep voice. Her legs relax, and her hands no longer form fists. She stops screaming, and she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

     "That only works sometimes," he offers in quick explanation as I give him a look like I'm asking him why he didn't just try that in the first place.

     I sigh and leave the room.

     He follows me. "Don't leave yet. You know, just in case."

     "Fine." I flop myself down on the sofa and get out my phone. Mark goes into the kitchen to wash a bottle.

     When he walks back into the living room, I don't have to look up to know he's wearing a snide expression.

     "Checking in with your old man?"

     I scowl. I don't want to hear more about how Geoff is technically old enough to be my father. "If you mean my fiance, yes. I'm letting him know I'm staying longer."

     Mark bears a heavy, snappy gait as he walks over and has a seat next to me. 

     "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," I start in on him before he can do the same to me.

     "Whaaat?" he asks, pretending like he has no idea what I mean. "I was just going to thank you for coming over. I realized I hadn't done that yet. So, yeah, thank you."

     "Even though YOU were the one to finally get her to go to sleep after all."

     "Well, it wasn't working before. I really think having you here helped." He pauses. "Thank you."

     I need to get him to go somewhere else. That tank top looks too good on him. Before I can say anything, though, he starts talking again.

 

     "I got my copy of the Full Moon script the other day from a courier. Damn, you're amazing. You're taking all the guess work out of it for me, like all I have to do is keep doing what I'm doing to understand Jarred. It's like, in the sequel especially, he's... me."

     Crap. In a way, he's spot on. "Oh, well, you know, I, uh, pull from experience."

     "I'm flattered."

     I let out a huff. There are way too many love scenes in Full Moon.

     "So, I have to ask..." He gets my attention again.

 

     "Is the number of sex scenes in the movie indicative of your current frustration?" He pauses, glancing at me, before the idiot decides to keep going. "I mean, I personally know how long it's been for you because it's the same for me, and I know I'M incredibly--"

     "This is none of your business."

     He blinks at my interruption. "I'm just trying to fully understand my character. You know, like, 'what was going on in the mind of the writer that she wants me to portray here?' Stuff like that. Honestly, I can't wait until we get filming."

     "You'll survive two weeks." We were supposed to start after what was going to be my honeymoon. Well, wardrobe and stuff would've been a week and a half, immediately after I'd gotten back, but the actual filming is in two weeks. I'm dreading it, wishing I hadn't have given myself free rein to write whatever I felt at the time. Now, Mark is going to milk it for all it's worth.

     Then the bastard crosses that line.

      "Since you're here, we could rehearse some. That way, on the day of filming, we could happily surprise Chris by showing how connected our characters are. I think he'd like that."

     "Stop it, Mark."

     "Oh, please. Nothing like that. We're studying our characters, really digging in deep. It's like a group study session. It's homework." He grins, but I'm not buying it for a second.

     "Keep that up, and I'm walking out the door."

     His face suddenly falls. "It was just a suggestion."

     "Do I look stupid to you?"

     "No, you look smoking hot."

     I glare at him.

     He sighs.

 

     "I told myself I wouldn't do this, but as you know, the cat's out of the bag now. I meant what I said the last time you were here, and I meant it the first way I said it, in the present tense. I miss you, Alice."

     I move to stand up. "Call me again if you're having trouble with Carlie, but only for that."

     "No, wait!" I turn and see him wide-eyed. "Uh, at least stay for a few more minutes. I need to take a shower. Um, and help yourself to whatever in the kitchen, okay? Can you at least stay for that?"

     "Fine." I gesture for him to get moving, and he does, glancing back at me constantly like he's afraid I'll leave anyway.