Slowing Down

So Lucinda moved into her new place yesterday and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know that in the beginning I wasn't too friendly towards her but since she left Roger and was staying with Reed, we've gotten closer.

"Promise me you'll come by to see me," she said before Reed and I left for the last time last night.

I told her I promised. "I'll come by tomorrow after work with Alexis, what do you say?" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Reed frowning and so did his mother.

With a laugh she told me that she could wait a day or two. "It looks like Reed wants you to himself." Reed grinned, nodding lots.

When we left Lucinda's we went back to my place because Devon was at Reed's...drunk and I told Reed I wasn't having Alexis around him when he's like that. Reed understood because he didn't want Alexis around him like that either but he hated that he couldn't take Alexis down to the beach and sit with her as the water lapped at their feet. Alexis loved that, she would get excited as the water neared her feet, you could actually feel the excitement building in her and then when the water touched her, she just giggled like a mad child. He hated missing out on bonding time with her.

"I think I'm going to tell Devon he needs to find some place else to go," Reed told me as we gave Alexis a bath.

"Where is he going to go?"

Reed shrugged, "I don't know, he keeps saying he has no where to go and I don't want to seem like a jerk but he needs to get out of my house!"

"Maybe I should talk to him," I told Reed.

"Hell no!" Reed dropped the washcloth and stared at me. "I don't want you talking to him when I'm not around."

"What?" I rolled my eyes. "I can handle Devon, I don't need you there to 'protect' me Reed."

"Amber he has done nothing but hit on you every time he's around you, I don't like it and I don't need him to tell me how hot my woman is! I bloody well know how hot you are!"

Smiling, I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Hot enough to keep you coming back for more."

"Yes," he gazed at me. "At least that hot."

Reed wanted to stay over last night but he wasn't sure about leaving Devon unattended and drunk in his house, so he stayed until 11 and then went home.

This morning I got a call from Reed's number just after 8, I thought it was Reed but as I answered the phone I realized that he would already be at work.

"What do you want Devon? I'm in a hurry, I have to get to work."

"Ammm-berrr!" He laughed.

He was drunk. Sigh. "Devon I don't have time for this."

"Skip work, call in sick."

"I can't Devon and besides Alexis wants to go to daycare, she has friends there."

He was silent for a moment and then he said, "Good. Friends are good. Reed is my friend - good Reed....bad Devon."

"Devon," I mentally groaned, I didn't want to deal with him like this. "We need to talk, you and I."

"Oh? Ammm-berr want to be bad too?"

"No Devon, I just want to talk to you about this situation. You know this isn't the way to deal with every thing."

"Well I can't run away Amm-berrr."

"That's exactly what you are doing Devon." I glanced at the time and told him I had to go. "But do me a favor, please don't drink any more alcohol."

"But it makes me feel good," he reasoned. "It takes away all the stupid shit and leaves just the happy stuff. Ha ha happy shit..."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not going to talk to you when you are drunk Devon so please stop drinking."

"You are talking to me now."

"Devon!" I snapped. "Fine! I'm not going to bring Alexis around you when you are like this!" I knew that would make him sit up and take notice, since Saturday he's been spending more time with Alexis and talking about her, I think he is reaching out for the one thing that he can't get but seems to want. "She wants someone who can play with her toys with her, not someone who fumbles and drops everything. I don't like that you swear around her and I don't like that you are teaching her that it's ok to get mad and throw things. I don't want my daughter to think it's ok to be violent Devon."

Silence.

"Devon?"

More silence.

"Devon come on."

"You won't let me see Alexis?" Devon sounded like he was shocked.

"No, I won't let you see her."

"But when Reed -"

"Devon, I won't let her go to his place when you are there like this."

"Oh," he said and then went silent again.

I ended the call not long after. I didn't want to tell him over the phone and I didn't want to use Alexis as a reason for him to get sober but I did.

I just hope there isn't a mommy hell for stuff like that.