Complete Chaos

039

Melody was a week old.

Julia was recovering from the birth just recently, she was able to walk normally, and it didn't hurt as much when she moved.

Julia was happy to be out of the hospital a day after she had Melody. She didn't like hospitals having only bad experiences attached to them.

Melody was able to breathe on her own. The results from the test came back. There was nothing to worry about; she was good to go home. Julia stopped bleeding, but she needed to rest. Any rough movements or carrying heavy things could be bad for her.

The new parents didn't sleep much that first week. Melody woke up every three hours crying, wanting to be fed.

The first week was hard for the three of them. Steve and Julia were getting used to having someone new in their lives.

They had gotten used to their dynamics, just the two of them, but now they added a new member. Melody was getting used to being out in the world. It was an adjustment for the newborn.

Julia felt confident having everything under control. The last few days were a routine for the three of them.

Julia would wake up at 4 am to feed Melody. By 5 am, the newborn would fall asleep then she would feed her again at 7.

Steve would change her diaper while Julia slept for a few extra minutes.

At 8 am, Julia would get up, use the restroom and get into new clothing, leaving the clothes with spit up in the laundry basket.

Steve would be downstairs with Melody making breakfast. He had gotten better in that area. He wasn't an expert, but the food wasn't uncooked or burnt. The pair would eat breakfast, having a few minutes of quiet and tranquility.

On a good day, it lasted 30 minutes. After finishing breakfast, they cleaned the table and spent the rest of the day keeping Melody alive and trying to keep their sanity intact.

Steve was traumatized after changing Melody's diaper for the first time. The newborn had pooped, and the smell that came out of her diaper made him almost throw up. He had also accidentally touched the dirty part of the diaper. He washed his hand five times but swore he could still smell the poop.

He didn't make the same mistake twice. When cleaning Melody's diaper, he did it from a safe distance. He hid his nose inside the neck of his shirt and watched where he placed his hands.

The three of them were going to spend a lot of time together. Steve was still looking for a job. He was looking for a new job since the mind flayer destroyed the mall.

He was applying for different jobs with Robin. He thought he wouldn't like the teen, but then they spent the summer together and got tortured by Russians, and their friendship blossomed.

He wanted to have her as a coworker; it would make his job a little bit less miserable. They hadn't gotten any luck.

Julia hadn't worked since having Melody. She was on a break and couldn't take care of a newborn and work full time. She wanted to start working again in a few months.

There were new recipes she wanted to try, but every time she wrote them down, she lost the piece of paper.

They needed the money for Melody's diapers and new clothes in the next few months. She didn't have the option of stopping working for too long.

The young pair was unsure how they were going to make it financially. Steve didn't want to tell Julia, but he was stressed. He had a role to fill, and he didn't how. He didn't know what to do.

It was better for Julia to not know. He didn't want to stress her more or make her feel bad.

She already had a lot on her plate. Being a new mom, grieving the death of a friend, and having her own business. It was too much for Julia; he didn't want to upset her or add any more worries.

For the first time, the new family went out of the house to an unusual place to take a newborn child.

Carrying a small Melody, who wore a light blue onesie, Julia walked down a narrow path. Steve walked behind both girls, watching Julia's step making sure she didn't trip.

The newborn lay on her mother's chest calmly. Julia carried her securely as she got closer to her destination. Melody moved her tiny face. Julia moved her hand up and down on Melody's back, soothing her. The girl closed her eyes, her tiny chest moved up and down, her mouth half opened, sleep consuming her.

Julia's eyes started to water as she got closer, picturing all the what ifs.

"Hi," she whispered, the wind blowing her light brown hair back. The only response she got was from the birds chirping on a nearby tree.

She swallowed a knot that was forming in her throat, "I have a daughter. This is Melody." She looked down at her sleeping daughter. Melody had closed her mouth, her lips were on a thin line.

Julia exhaled her breath, shaking slightly, "Melody Ivyerly Harrington," she said a little louder, her mouth moving upward into a smile.

"We really liked the name Ivy, but we wanted to add something a little special." Julia looked down at the green grass, a bouquet of flowers near a tombstone.

"Steve was the one that came up with the idea. He thought of adding your name to hers," she explained. The dark gray tombstone had engraved Kimberly Bell on the top. Underneath the name, the message a daughter and friend who will never be forgotten could be read.

Julia nearly cried at the hospital when Steve suggested combining the name Kimberly and Ivy together to make Melody's middle name. They had written Melody's name on the documents Rose handed to them right away. Once they spent a few hours near their daughter, they knew that was her name. Her middle name was the one it took them a little longer to figure out.

Then Steve said Ivyerly, and she fell in love with the name. In a way, she was keeping Kimberly's memory alive.

Julia looked up at the sky. It was a clear blue sky; no clouds were in sight. "I wish you could have met her, Kim." She looked back at the tombstone. Julia felt guilty for Kim's death. If only she could have done something different. Maybe if Julia had called her sooner, Kim would still be here. If only Julia had fought harder, maybe her friend would be alive. There was no way of knowing, and that's what broke Julia inside. She had regrets about the events that took place only over a week ago.

Steve placed his comforting hand on her shoulder. Having him around made Julia feel more at ease. He was an incredible support system. He didn't have to say anything. By the way, he looked at her; she knew what he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go to your funeral. I was in labor," she let out a small laugh.She looked down sadly; Melody moved in her arms.

"I know from wherever you are. You will be looking at our little Mellow. I promise I'll tell her about you."

The petals from the flowers moved. Julia wanted to believe it was Kim. She was trying to communicate with Julia in her own way.

"I'll tell her how great you were," Julia said with a smile, her tears drying.

More petals moved.