Instead, I watch her walk out of the door. I look around the silent penthouse, decorated with high-end furniture in every corner. It’s not a kid-friendly space. She sighs and wiggles in my arms, and I instantly freeze.
Please, don’t wake up. Please, don’t wake up.
Then she lets out a slow sigh and softens back in my arms.
Thank God.
I look around the room for somewhere to put her down to sleep. The only place that looks semi-comfortable is the couch, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.
I’ll just sit back down on the couch like we were before. Maybe if I keep her in my arms like this, she won’t wake up.
An hour later, my front door opens. I shoot off of the couch because, instantly, the noise startles the baby, and she starts wailing in my arms.
Jessie strolls in with a luggage cart from downstairs that’s filled to the top with boxes and bags.
“What the hell, Jessie? You woke her up by barging in like an animal.”
“Babies cry, Walker. Get used to it. It’s gonna happen … a lot.”
She struggles to get the cart over the wedge of my doorframe. No matter how hard she pulls, her effort is futile.
“Ugh, here, take her. I’ll get it.”
I hand her my baby, hoping she can figure out why she’s crying. While I pull the cart inside and start to unload all of the items into the family room, Jessie goes to the diaper bag and gets out a fresh diaper and wipes.
“Okay, Einstein. Come here.” She motions for me to follow her to the kitchen table.
She places some kind of mat down, then puts the baby on top.
“What?” I ask.
“You need to change her.” She points.
I know she’s not going to let me get away with not doing this. I might as well suck it up and get it over with. A terrible odor hits my nostrils.
“Eww, Jessie. I think you need stronger deodorant. You stink.”
She giggles next to me with delight. “I think that’s coming from her.”
My eyes bug open. “Did she …”
I can’t even say the words.
“Pretty sure she did. You did just feed her an hour ago.”
I look down at the baby, who seems a bit happier, placed on her back, but is still whining lightly.
“What’s her name?” Jessie asks.
“I haven’t a clue,” I state as I reach down to look at whatever contraption she’s in. “How do you get this thing off?”
Jessie walks me through the process as she rummages through the diaper bag. “She must’ve left something for you. I can’t believe you don’t even know her name. That’s messed up, Walker.”
I cringe at the stuff inside her diaper, breathing through my mouth the entire time. “What’s messed up is that a little thing like this can produce such a pile of grossness.”
“Aha!” she cheers. “Bingo.”
I toss the dirty diaper aside and place the fresh one underneath her, like Jessie told me to. Seriously, this is disgusting.
