Picture Perfect?

DEVLIN'S POV :

"How's it going , Dev ? Are you guys getting enough sleep ?" , Juliet's voice says from my phone .
"What's sleep ?" , I mumble . "Apparently , Liam is going to be nocturnal . He sleeps most of the day , and then when Ash and I get ready to go to bed , he decides he wants to socialize ."
"I'm sorry , sweetie !" , she says sympathetically . "I'm sure he'll get a system going soon . Besides , aren't your folks coming out for a visit ?"
"They flew in today , Ash is picking them up at the airport as we speak . He didn't think an airport was a great place for a week - old baby to hang out , and he's had a bit more sleep than me , so we figured he was better off driving ."
"There's no way you're telling me that he stays in bed and lets you do everything ! That doesn't sound a bit like him , not as crazy about you as he is !"
"No , not at all ! He does what he can , but it's not like he can feed him for me , so I'm up every time he cries ." , I say . "He's been doing quite a bit of the housework , so I don't have to worry about that , which helps , but it doesn't exactly take the place of a full nights sleep ."
We talk for a few more minutes , and I send a couple of pictures to her phone , then Ashley's car pulls up , so I end the call . I go to the window , and see Ash helping my dad get the bags out of the trunk , while my mom seems to be on the losing end of an argument with a stuffed green octopus that's almost as big as she is . The dogs run to the door , yapping , doing their guard - dog schtick , which , of course , wakes up Liam . He's vocalizing his displeasure with the situation when everybody walks in the door .
Ash immediately come over and lifts Liam out of my arms , saying , "Go say hi to your folks , I've got this ."
My mom tosses the octopus onto the couch and gives me a big hug , followed by my dad . Then she says , "Now I want to meet my new grandson , since he couldn't wait for us to get here to make an appearance ."
Ash hands him to her , and both of my parents instantly become babbling idiots . We watch them for a few minutes , trying to keep from giggling , while they coo over Liam , and then I can't stop myself from yawning .
My mom looks at me , and says , "Honey , why don't you go take a nap ?"
"But you guys just got here , I want to hang out for awhile ." , I say .
"Devvy - Dove , you're about to fall asleep standing up ." , Dad informs me . "We're going to be here for the next ten days , we'll have plenty of time to visit . You go rest , I think we can handle it for a couple of hours ."
"Go ahead , darlin' , I'll wake you up if he gets hungry ." , Ash urges , so I head for the bedroom to lay down for a bit .

____________________________________________

I feel someone shaking my shoulder , and hear Dad saying , "Dev, hon , wake up . Apparently Mr . Liam is hungry now ."
I take him from Dad , and bring him under the covers with me to feed him . "Where are Mom and Ash ?" , I ask . "And how long have I been sleeping ?"
"Almost three hours , and Ashley drove your mom to the store to pick up a couple of things , they should be back soon ." , he replies . "After you're done there , I'll get him cleaned up and changed , and you can either go back to sleep , or have a shower before dinner , whichever you want ."
"That sounds good , I think I'll go soak in the tub for a bit ." , I say . "Are you sure you remember how to change a diaper ?"
"As long as you don't have the kind that use safety pins , I think I can muddle through ." , he chuckles .
I hand Liam back to Dad when he finishes nursing , and head to the bathroom . I start running the water , dump in some gardenia - scented bath stuff , and climb in . I haven't been able to do this for a few months now , and I've definitely missed it . Showers may be quicker and more convenient , but not nearly as enjoyable .
As I'm soaping myself up , Ash comes in and sits down on the rim of the tub . He leans in to kiss me , and says , " Hey there , darlin' . Did you have a good nap ?"
"Yeah , I actually don't feel like I should be auditioning for " The Walking Dead" , I say .
"Dev, I'm sorry ." , he says . "I feel like I should be doing more , instead of letting it all fall on you ."
"That's silly , babe ! You've been doing everything that you can , I know that ." , I tell him . "What else do you think you could be doing , anyway ?"
"Finish your bath , and we'll talk about it over dinner ." , he says , giving me another kiss . "Your folks and I kicked a few ideas around while you were asleep , now we just need your input ." Then he stands up and walks back into the bedroom .
I finish up my bath , get dressed , and head out to the kitchen , where Mom has taken charge of dinner . She's checking something in the oven , while Ash puts together a salad , and Dad sets the table . Liam is sleeping in his bassinette , and Tinsel and the dogs are in the corner , eating .
"What are we having ?" , I ask , as I sit down at the table .
"I'm making my honey - orange chicken , and baked potatoes ." , Mom tells me . " And I already made a strawberry pie for dessert . But before we eat , I'd like you to go look at some stuff that Ashley and I brought home from the store , and tell us what you think ."
I get up and walk into the living room , and see a couple of bags on the coffee table . I look in the first one , and see several cans , and the second has a box in it , with a picture of some sort of gizmo that I've never seen before .
"What is this stuff , anyway ?" , I holler . "What exactly are y'all up to ?"
Ash comes into the room , and starts taking things out of the bags . As he puts them on the table , I see that the cans are baby formula , and he holds up the box and says , "This is a breast - pump , in case you're not feeling the formula ."
Mom hollers that dinner is ready , so we go back to the table and sit down . After we fill up our plates , Mom says , "We were talking while you were asleep , and Ashley was telling us how bad he feels that he hasn't been able to do more , so we came up with some ideas ."
"Yeah , darlin' , I know we said we didn't want to go with bottle - feeding , but you're getting so wiped out , I've been thinking maybe we should kinda meet in the middle ." , Ash chimes in .
"How do you mean , exactly ?" , I ask .
"I'm thinking that maybe we give him the bottles at night , at least part of the time , then we can take turns getting up ." , he says . "I feel like I should be doing more , and this way I can . And you can get a little more rest , before you drop from sheer exhaustion ."
"And we went ahead and picked up the pump in case you were totally against the idea of the formula ." , Mom adds . "Or in case it turns out that he can't have it ."
"And I already called Dr . Hong to run the idea by her , and she said it shouldn't cause any problems ." , Ash continues .
I start laughing , and say , "Boy , I take a three hour nap , and everybody gets industrious ! If Dr . Hong doesn't think it'll hurt him , and you really want to do it , then I guess we can give it a try ."
"Babe , he's my kid , too ." , Ash says . "There's no reason that you should have more of the responsibility than I do , at least for now , when I'm not touring ."
And as she passes around the pie , Mom says , "And tonight , you can both get some rest . Dad and I will take Liam in with us , and we'll make sure he has his bottles , and everything else ."
"That's right , it'll give us a chance to do some bonding with our new grandson ." , Dad adds .
We tell them they don't have to do that , but there's no arguing with them , so we finally give in . After dinner , we hang out and watch a couple of movies , and take turns cuddling with Liam , before everyone decides they're ready for bed . Ash reminds them that we're all going to go out tomorrow , so they can see some of the sights here in Vegas , and we decide on what time we want to leave before everyone heads to their rooms .
Ash and I go to our room , and after I put on my nightshirt , he brushes my hair for me , then strips down to his underwear and we get into bed .
As I'm lying here , with my head pillowed on his chest , I ask , "How the hell did I get so lucky , anyway ?"
"How do you figure ?" , he mumbles into my hair .
"Because I somehow ended up with the perfect guy . You're smart , talented , gorgeous , fantastic in bed , and you are the sweetest , most thoughtful man I've ever met in my life . What did I ever do to deserve you ?"
He tips my face up so I'm looking at him , and says , "It's just like you keep telling me when I ask those kinds of questions ; because you're you , darlin' . You and Liam are all I need from life , and I'll do anything to make sure you know that . Losing a little sleep isn't that big of a deal , Dev . And I'm nowhere close to being perfect ."
I snuggle back against his chest , finding the perfect spot to go to sleep , and say , "If I were a little more awake , I'd argue the point , but whether that's true or not , you're perfect for me ."
And as I start to drift off to sleep , I hear him say , "Just like you are for me . And that's all that matters ."

Notes