Aidan
The coffee maker hissed as the first drops hit the bottom of the empty pot. I pulled down two mugs, wondering if I should get Gracie’s ready for her. Mia was still out, proving that miracles did exist, though I assumed we’d hear from her at any moment. She was just starting to stretch out time between the nighttime feedings. We’d hit four hours of sleep around a month and a half, but for the past six weeks, the most we’d managed was four and a half hours. Last night? Five and a half and counting. I’d actually crept into her room this morning to make sure she was fine and had been overjoyed to see her sleeping peacefully.
Now we just needed to pray it was the start of a pattern. Was two nights in a row of this too much to ask for?
A movement by the doors to the backyard caught my eye. Baxter was standing at the door on our deck with a look of disgust because he’d likely been waiting for me for all of a minute. Spoiled pup. However, he was rocking his new sweater. I took another pic for the guys, shooting it off in our group text before letting him in and then quickly putting his food bowl on the floor so he could do his thing with no delay.
As I headed back to the kitchen, I considered our day. Grace had a shift at the library, subbing in for a sick employee during the story hour portion of the morning. I briefly considered bringing Mia. She couldn’t sit like the toddlers or anything, but Grace was big on reading stories to her even at three months old. Heck, she’d read stories to her belly all through her pregnancy. I even had from time to time. My favorite had been about a dance in a barnyard. Still loved that one.
After her shift, maybe we could decorate the tree? The Fraser fir we’d gotten from the tree farm outside Champaign had been in a stand in the corner of the family room since the week after Thanksgiving. At first our excuse for putting off decorating was that the branches needed to settle. Now? We simply hadn’t found the time.
Last night I’d thought maybe I could get some time with Gracie after she was done with her bath and I got Mia down. I’d wanted to check in with Grace, see if I could get her to open up about what had been clearly upsetting her at the library that morning. However, by the time I got to our room, she was sacked out. The lights were on, but not even that was keeping her up.
I lay there, watching her sleep, and briefly wished for simpler times. The first time we met, at the library in college, I’d helped her. She’d had tears in her eyes, a nose as red as Rudolph from some cold, and couldn’t think straight as she tried to write her paper. I talked her down, and that was the end of it—there was never anyone else who caught my eye. Every year we spent together, I grew to love her more. Never had I felt any distance between us. Until now. I mean, hell, I was missing her even though she was right next to me, but there wassomethingI was not seeing, and I hated that she was struggling and I couldn’t fix it.
Enough of that. I knew who I needed to talk to. Propping my phone against the backsplash, I hit the button to call my mom before stopping to consider the time. I didn’t get a chance to hang up, however, since the FaceTime was accepted almost immediately.
“My darling boy, isn’t before seven on a Saturday a tad early even for a morning person such as yourself?” My mom’s warm face filled the screen and immediately gave me some reassurance simply by her presence.
“Hey, Mom, had a few minutes before your granddaughter rises for the day and we all fall in line to wait on her—”
“As you should.”
“—of course, of course. Thought I’d call real quick and see how you were doing.”
My mom was on the move, and I recognized that she’d reached the nook in the corner of her kitchen, which had a table and bench seats. I’d done my homework at that table all through school, talking to her as she danced around the kitchen while cooking. Mom settled in and, assuming not much had changed, propped her phone against the bowl on the table that held apples as she sat back with a coffee mug in her hands. She blew at the top of her coffee while staring at me in the phone, a calculated gaze of hers that I knew well as she seemed to consider what to say.
“Son, out with it. You are practically squirming with the need to say something.”
I groaned, dropping my head in my arms. “I think something is wrong with Grace.”
“Aidan.”
Not sure how my mom translated that mumbled sentence, which had been directed at the table, but clearly she did, because her tone said to sit up and pay attention. I did just that.
“Let’s not freak out Mom today. What do you mean, something is wrong with Grace?”
Embarrassment washed over me. I hadn’t meant to worry her and hated to stress her out at all. Was this even necessary? Meeting her gaze, I apologized. “Sorry, Mom. I’m probably overreacting. Forget I said anything.”
“Try again, son. Spill.” She sat back and took a sip of coffee.
Hopefully Grace and Mia were still out. I felt a bit like I was spilling secrets, but I loved Grace too much to ignore her tears the day before.
“Yesterday I stopped by the library, and when I saw Gracie, she’d clearly been crying.” My heart was thumping out a nervous beat, but I continued. “I love her so much, Mom, and I feel like I’m missing something here.”
Mom sat there, still drinking her coffee, then tilted her head to the side as she considered something. “How much is Mia sleeping at night?”
“Typically four hours, or a touch more. This morning she’s exceeded that by an hour, but who knows how long that will last.”
Mom nodded. “And Grace is still nursing at night?”
“Yep. She’s a rock star.”
“And how’s your sex life?”
Head to counter again. “Mom.” Eye contact was to be avoided here.
“Don’tMomme, son. I don’t need details, but you know my thoughts on sex—it’s a healthy part of any relationship. And I’m guessing by that reaction, it’s not happening. Which, at this point of your baby’s life, is pretty natural. Sleep is rare and, when found, not to be squandered. I haven’t wanted to insert myself in your lives since I was down there when Mia came home from the hospital, but what if I come down for a few nights and take the nighttime hours to let you both sleep? Or whatever, if you catch my drift. Heck, you could go to an Airbnb in town and I’ll stay at your place. I’m open to whatever works for you both.”
