I considered if Grace would go for that. Maybe? Though I bet she wouldn’t want to actually leave yet.
Mom cleared her throat, catching my attention. “One more thing, Aidan.”
“Yeah?”
“Your dad and I were married for about eight years before you came along. We were so grateful for you; babies are a gift.”
I nodded, waiting for the truth bomb that I could feel coming.
“And it was also the hardest time in our marriage by far.”
I shook my head, trying to figure out what in the hell she’d just said. “Why?”
Mom shrugged, taking another drink of her coffee before continuing. “Who knows? I don’t know if everyone feels like we did, but we knew how to be a couple. We’d navigated the waters of early marriage easily. We loved spending time together and figured kids would be an easy next step. Spoiler alert—they weren’t.”
I sat up straight and tried to look indignant. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I was all sunshine and rainbows.”
She laughed long and hard, a little too long and hard if you ask me. “Sure, baby. All I’m saying is going from being able to be independent to having to build your entire life around this little being that you love with your whole heart is a bit of a mind switch. An adjustment period is completely normal. Just be there for each other and work on communication.”
I thought about it, knowing she was right. “Well, in the spirit of communication, let me talk to Grace about having you come down before just springing it on her.”
“Springing what on me?” Grace’s voice came from the hall.
I looked over to see the two loves of my life coming into the kitchen. I hadn’t even noticed anything on the baby monitor. Grace’s hair was tousled and longer than she usually liked. Mia had a crease from sleeping on her face but also an open-mouthed smile. I leaned over to kiss them both, pulling Mia to hold her on my hip.
“Hey, Sophia,” Grace called, waving to my mom.
“Morning, my beauties,” my mom replied.
I looked at Gracie and decided to just spill. “I told my mom about your tears yesterday—”
“Aidan!” Grace’s cheeks heated.
“I know, baby, but I just want to take care of you. You know that. Anyway, Mom said she could come down and do any nighttime feedings for a few nights if we wanted to store up some extra sleep.” I mean, I’d also like some other activities to happen, but right then I’d settle for Grace looking rested with no red-rimmed eyesordark circles under them.
“Oh, Sophia, we don’t want to put you out.” Grace looked to my mom.
“Pshaw, you know what a hardship it would be for me to spend time with my only grandchild. I’d love it with everything in me. You two just need to decide if that’s something you both want.”
Grace looked to me and bit her bottom lip.
“What do you say, Grace-alicious? Want to hire my mom to babysit for a couple of nights? I mean, both Declan and I survived childhood, so she has a decent track record.”
Grace slapped my shoulder while my mom laughed.
“Sorry, Grace, I tried to raise him with more manners.”
Grace’s laughter was magic to my ears. “You gave it a solid effort, Sophia. And”—she looked to me and shrugged—“if you want to come down for a couple of nights, I think we’d really appreciate it, though I want to stay here and I can’t guarantee I won’t want to nurse, but you can handle putting her down afterward if that’s okay.”
Sophia raised her coffee mug to me. “Honey, I’ll be there in four hours. I’m off to pack.” She ended the call.
Grace met my eyes and winked at me. “So you tagged in a ringer, hmm?”
“Baby”—I pressed a kiss to her forehead—“I will do whatever I need to so that you can rest.”
“Thanks.” She sank against me for a moment as the three of us stood there, my arms around them both.
All too quickly, she pushed back. “Breakfast?”
