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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 4:13:01 GMT
Amber had to admit she'd been surprised when Brandon had gotten off the phone and said Cooper needed them to watch Melanie, but then she'd gone back to being excited. Going back as far as California, Amber had met Melanie and taken a liking to the girl and when Cooper had needed it upon her return to the city - she, along with either Cassidy or Brandon, would watch the four year old. She was an intelligent, funny and sweet little girl and despite the fact that Melanie seemed to want to steal Brandon away from Amber, the blonde woman adored her completely.
Plus, there was something almost exciting about watching Melanie with Brandon now. Like a dress rehearsal for what their lives might be like one day pretty soon, actually. So after picking up the girl from a disheveled looking Cooper, Amber had made sure that she had everything she needed to make cookies and even work on a craft project with the little girl before taking Melanie home.
Still, Amber had the vague idea that something was wrong. Melanie was normally inquisitive and chatty, but now she just sat at the coffee table in the living room, drawing in a coloring book. "Melanie, sweetheart, are you hungry?"
Melanie shook her head, picking up a new crayon to change the color she was using.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 4:31:56 GMT
Brandon had been trying to remain as calm as possible about babysitting Melanie despite the fact that, like the last time they had, part of him wasn't sure where to even begin with it all. Something about the tone in Cooper's voice had told him that he just needed to do whatever the other man needed in order to make this particular situation as painless as possible. Despite feeling a little uncomfortable and uncertain about the whole babysitting thing, he kept trying to think that this was going to be great practice for the responsibilities that he and Amber were soon going to face. And while he understood that a four-year-old was a lot different than a newborn baby, he hoped that some of the skills would be transferable, at least for when their own kid was four. Besides, the fact that Melanie was coming over seemed to have made Amber happy and excited from the get-go. Ever since the entire debacle with Gwen, Brandon had been convinced that he would have done anything to keep her happy.
He looked over at Amber, uncertain whether or not they were supposed to be trying to get Melanie to talk to them. Instead, he opted to sit next to Melanie, "What are you coloring?" he asked.
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 4:45:39 GMT
Amber thought that Brandon was actually quite sweet when it came to Melanie. The little girl was obviously smitten with him and even though it had been entirely amusing to watch him initially be made uncomfortable by the little girl and her innocent crush on him, Amber found she liked it even more now that he having an easier time watching the little girl. Amber had always known that Brandon was much different than the Brandon Finn the rest of the world seemed to know. For as long as they'd ever been together, he had treated her in a way that no one else ever had. And so Amber liked to think it was her Brandon that was, in actuality, very good with Melanie when they would watch her and the same Brandon that would be a wonderful father. She decided to prepare a snack even though Melanie claimed not to be hungry, slicing an apple and bringing it into the living room, she placed the plate on the coffee table and sat on the other side of the little girl.
Melanie looked down at her coloring book for a moment before shrugging a shoulder up. "It's a princess and a castle," she said simply but then made a face. "But she's sad." The little girl took a deep breath, her shoulders hunching. "My mommy came to my school," she said softly. "And she said she wants me to come live with her. And my daddy got really angry and said bad words. And Maddy went away. And I don't want to go no where else. I wanna stay with my daddy so he won't be mad no more." She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 5:15:52 GMT
Brandon frowned. There was a lot that he didn't know about Cooper's relationship with his ex-wife, and considering the fact that he had barely tolerated the man in high school, and certainly hadn't expected to become friendly with him now. Besides, he normally didn't make a habit out of delving into his friends personal lives. His own personal life with Amber had been drama-filled enough and he hadn't felt the need to get involved with anyone else's drama as well. But now, with Melanie sitting at their coffee table and seemingly upset over everything that was happening, he wished he at least knew what to say to make it better. He turned and looked at Amber, giving a little shrug to ask for her advice on what they were supposed to do next.
Looking back down at Melanie's coloring book, he tried to think of what he could say to her that would make her feel better. But the question was really what did you say to a kid about things that were happening that as an adult he wasn't sure he entirely understood. "Hey," he said to Melanie softly, "It'll be okay."
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 5:22:50 GMT
Melanie sniffled, shoulders shaking slightly as she tried not to cry. She shook her head and scrambled to climb on the couch next to Brandon and tucked up against him. "I don't wanna go no where," she whimpered.
Amber frowned a bit and moved closer to the little girl. "Brandon's right, it's going to be okay." What little Amber did know about Cooper's ex-wife, she hadn't liked very much and it was part of what had endeared Melanie to her so much if she were being honest. Even though her own mother had never left, she certainly hadn't been present in her life and so she liked to watch Melanie and spend time with her in an effort to teach her some of the things no one had ever taught her. It was another reason, also, why Amber liked Madison and Cooper together so much because she thought Madison was a sweet girl who would be good to Melanie while dating her father. "Your dad loves you so much and he's going to do everything he possibly can to make sure you're happy, okay?" She didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep.
Melanie sniffled, lower lip jutting out. She peered at the apple that Amber had brought over for her and when the blonde woman caught on and handed her a slice, she continued to cry softly even as she nibbled on it.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 5:44:47 GMT
Just when he thought that he was starting to feel more comfortable around Melanie when he had finally started feeling like he was going to be prepared for his own kid, but then she tucked close to him and he felt his body freeze up. Brandon's discomfort around Melanie came flooding back and he realized he still had a long way to go before he knew that he was going to feel comfortable around children, at least he was hoping that the discomfort was only connected to those kids that he wasn't directly related to. What was worse was now that she was crying, he felt the same way he did when Amber had cried in this same apartment.
He sighed and turned to Amber, "What should we do?" he asked her softly, meaning both in terms of the rest of the day as well as in terms of helping Melanie.
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 5:52:25 GMT
Amber watched Brandon's facial expression change, and if she wasn't concerned about the little girl, she might have laughed. She leaned over, hand touching Melanie's back gently until the little girl uncurled from where she was tucked against Brandon and climbed into the blonde's lap. Amber wrapped the girl up and rubbed her back gently while she cried. "Shhhh," she urged her. "It's okay, sweetheart," her heart ached for the little girl. The little girl in her arms let out a shuddering cry and Amber tried to calm her down again, pulling back slightly, she whispered softly to Melanie. "Hey, you know what we should do that'll make you feel better? You and I should bake my world famous cookies for your dad, because no one can be upset when they're eating cookies. And then I'll teach you some new games, and maybe Brandon will even read you a story later if you brought some books, okay?"
Melanie started to wipe her eyes, still sniffling but no longer crying quite as hard. "What kind of cookies?"
"Chocolate chip," Amber nodded with a small smile. "Why don't you go in the bathroom and get a tissue and then wash your hands and we will make sure that we have the absolute best time while you're here, and then your dad will come pick you up later, and we'll have a cookie and everything'll be all right?"
Sniffling resolutely, Melanie squared her shoulders and tucked her chin up before saying okay and toddling off towards the bathroom to do as she was told. Amber, meanwhile, slid closer next to Brandon. "When Cooper comes by later to pick her up, we should talk to him," she nodded. "You should tell him to call Riley," she admitted.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 6:08:12 GMT
He smiled at Amber as she so naturally eased into the way that she was with Melanie. He knew that she was going to be a wonderful mother, no matter how much she questioned whether or not she was going to do well at it. She was just such a kind and affectionate person, and while he liked to think that most of that was reserved for him, he couldn't help but feel affectionate toward her as he watched how maternal she was becoming. As Melanie wandered off to the bathroom, Brandon reached out and placed his arm around Amber's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "I think that's a good idea," he said with a nod, "What should we really say to Cooper, though? Other than telling him to call Riley I'm not sure how to handle the situation."
Brandon wasn't sure what his responsibility was as a babysitter was and whether or not he needed to tell Cooper that Melanie had been upset, that she was concerned about having to leave, and they had to coax her into happiness with a plethora of chocolate chip cookies.
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 6:11:26 GMT
Amber sighed, settling against Brandon for a moment and leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well, I think that you should tell him that we know what's going on and that we're here for him as friends, if he needs someone to watch Melanie or if he needs someone to talk to, even. Hell, you can tell him I'll watch Melanie and you two can go out and get a drink if you guys think that might help more," she nodded, finding Brandon's hand and squeezing it softly as she threaded their fingers together. "But then I get to yell at him, because he obviously lost his temper and then passed Melanie off to us without even explaining anything to her," she quipped. "Good cop, bad cop, we make a really good team," she teased.
She sighed a bit and leaned up to kiss him quickly on the mouth. "You're good with her, Brandon. It's really sweet."
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 16:24:14 GMT
He wasn't necessarily looking forward to having any kind of conversation with Cooper about what had happened. Mostly because if the roles were reversed he wasn't sure that he wanted anyone to tell him about it. Though, he did think that Melanie's concerns and opinions were worth mentioning to him. In fact, he suddenly realized what people were talking about when they prioritized their children's need above anything else. Brandon was sorry that Cooper was going through something like this, but what was maybe even more important was that he continued to communicate with his daughter. When it was his turn to be a father, Brandon hoped that he would have the clarity of mind to communicate with their own son or daughter in a way that might potentially avoid any of this in the future. It wasn't that he was unhappy to watch Melanie, but he had been surprised by how much seeing her cry had affected him. If he could feel this much sympathy over someone else's kid, he was worried what would happen when it was theirs. "I figured now was as good a time as any to figure out how to interact with kids. I mean, we only have another six months to figure it out for ourselves," he smiled at her and kissed her quickly.
"So, good cop, bad cop? Hmm... that puts some very interesting images in my head of you," he smirked at her.
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Sept 22, 2015 16:45:19 GMT
Amber smiled softly at Brandon. While being pregnant had come as a surprise and although she was still incredibly stressed about the entire situation - the thought and effort Brandon had been putting into preparing for when their baby arrived was something that only made her love him more. She nodded at him, "Six months." It was jarring to think that by this time next year they'd be parents. "I have a feeling there will be a lot of learning on the job," she mused, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Hold onto those images," she teased. "I'll see what I can do about them later when we have the place to ourselves again."
Melanie came toddling out of the bathroom, still sniffling a bit. She walked to the sofa and gave Amber an expectant look that made the blonde laugh and slide over so the little girl could climb up in between them. Seemingly realizing the adults in the room were waiting for her to say something, she looked at Amber. "Cookies?"
Laughing softly, Amber stroked Melanie's hair and nodded. "Cookies! The reason my cookies are so great is because they're a two-person job so I'm going to need a special helper."
"I can help!" Melanie chirped as the blonde stood up and led her to the kitchen.
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Post by Cooper Benson on Sept 22, 2015 17:04:08 GMT
--------------- When Cooper arrived at the Penthouse, he was stressed and exhausted - with no more answers than he'd had when Amber and Brandon had first come to pick up Melanie. Now, well past the little girl's bedtime, Cooper wasn't feeling all that incredible when he knocked on the door of his friends' home. When Amber pulled the door open, he stepped inside. "How is she?" he asked. He'd hoped that his daughter wasn't too upset from all of the yelling that had gone on in their home earlier, he wanted more than anything to believe that most of it had gone over her head. But he knew his daughter was smarter than that, and he'd even probably known how upset she'd been when he kissed her goodbye on her way out the door with the others.
Letting Cooper inside and closing the door behind him, Amber crossed her arms and looked at him. "She's asleep. She fell asleep earlier on the couch and we carried her into the guest room," she walked further into the Penthouse and lifted a plate from the kitchen counter. "Cookie?"
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 18:27:50 GMT
Despite the rough start to their little adventure in babysitting, Brandon had to admit that it seemed like things had ultimately worked out for the best in the end. He had finally gotten comfortable enough around Melanie that he had assisted her with coloring and had even broken his own rule and indulged in a cookie with her and Amber, simply because he was beginning to find it impossible to say no to her. But he had still felt somewhat relieved when she had fallen asleep on the couch and they were able to get her to bed. It was honestly exhausting keeping children entertained and he certainly respected Cooper for doing it all so effortlessly. At least, until today. Amber had mentioned the need for them to discuss it all with him and he agreed, but that didn't mean that it made it any easier to talk about.
Getting up from the spot on the couch where he and Amber had been curled up just moments before, he crossed over into the kitchen to join her and Cooper. "Just so you know," he started saying to the other man, "Melanie told us what's going on. At least from her perspective. She's very smart for a kid, actually."
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Post by Cooper Benson on Sept 22, 2015 19:15:31 GMT
Cooper frowned, taking a cookie off of the plate Amber was offering out and leaning against the counter, he hung his head. "She told you?" He'd been hoping to avoid telling anyone about Simone being around again, instead he wanted to get rid of the problem quietly and quickly. "Yeah, she's a really smart kid," he admitted, taking a breath. "My ex showed up at her pre-school," he spat out a bit angrily. "She's got a new husband who wants to be a dad, so rather than going the traditional route I think they want to take the instant approach."
"My legal staff says there's no quick way out of it, that technically she has rights as Melanie's mother," he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Is Melanie okay?"
"She was pretty upset," Amber said. "She knows why her mom is here and why you're so upset and she's scared it's going to happen. Cooper, you have to talk to her - I know you might not even be able to make certain promises right now, but she's scared."
Cooper nodded, "That makes two of us," he admitted, taking a bite of the cookie in his hand.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Sept 22, 2015 19:58:03 GMT
Brandon couldn't even imagine what Cooper and Melanie were going through at this point, but he did know more about drama than he cared to admit. And while it seemed like he was working toward making things right, he figured that a nudge couldn't hurt. "Have you thought about calling Riley to see if she has any ideas or knows what she can do to help?" And while he was happy to help in any way that he could, it came back to the fact that the situation with Melanie might have been handled in the wrong way. "Is there something that we can do to help?"
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