@givethispromptatry
He stared down at the baby’s red face with a sad smile, ears ringing as she howled.
“I get it.” He nodded, bouncing her slightly in his arms. “I too wish that life would bend to my whims if I just screamed loud enough.”
The cries echoed off the walls of the small apartment. The small light in the room did nothing to stop the tears of the child that was thrashing behind the bars of its crib.
A shadow darkened the already dark doorway and made its way over, absently pushing one of the small planes of the mobile hanging above the crib out of their way.
"Well, now what's going on here?" His deep voice was hushed even though the cries were surely waking up the neighbors on the other side of the wall.
He reached down and scooped the six month old up into his arms. The crying stopped for a moment as the baby nuzzled into the chest it was held up against. When it didn't seem to be getting what it wanted the cries started up again.
Jeff sat down in the rocking chair by the crib and smiled down at baby Scott's red face with a sad smile, ears ringing as he continued to howl.
"I get it." He nodded, bouncing him slightly in his arms. "I too wish that life would bend to my whims if I just screamed loud enough."
He lifted him up and took a quick sniff of his bottom, and a quick squeeze to his diaper to make sure he didn't need changed, before hugging him a little tighter and bouncing him some more.
"Don't worry, mama is on her way. You wearing her out, you know, need to give her a break sometimes."
Little Scott paused to take in a few breaths but then just screamed louder. "Alright, alright, I know. It's been a whole three hours since you last ate, you're hungry."
"You best let me have him before the neighbors start planning a riot."
Jeff looked up at his wife in the doorway and smiled. "You really should use that pump a bit more. I'm more than willing to help you when I'm home."
"I know. I just forgot. I'll try and get some bottles filled up tomorrow."
Jeff stood and leaned down to plant a kiss on his son's head before handing him over to his mother. He then leaned over his child and kissed his wife quickly then moved so she could sit down in the rocking chair.
"Go to sleep, dear. You'll need to be up in a few hours when his diaper needs changed."
"Yes, ma'am." Jeff moved to leave, but had to glance back at the form of his wife and son and smiled warmly before leaving them to their task.
