Her eyes went wide. “We are?”
“Most definitely.” I paused to gauge her reaction. She didn’t seem offended at the idea, but I made sure to add, “Unless you don’t want to.”
She quickly blurted out, “No!” then tempered her response by following with, “I mean, it’s the wife’s duty to please her husband.”
I wanted to be offended, but I realized in that moment that Jess was going to need permission to let her freak flag fly. As her husband, she’d be looking to me to grant it.
Something I’d be more than happy to do.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Jessica
We picked Alan’s parents up before heading back to the farmhouse. My dad’s Sunday shifts ended at two, so he was home when we arrived at three.
My dad came out on the porch when we pulled up and had come down the steps by the time we opened the doors of the minivan.
After we all got it, he stuck his hand out toward Hank and said, “Ed Bradbury. Good to meet you.”
“Hank Callahan.” He put his arm around Mrs. Callahan and said, “And this is my wife, Denise.”
Papa gave her a head nod. “Ma’am,” before shaking her hand. Then he turned his attention to Alan. “Carol said you showed up in a minivan this morning.”
“Yeah. I thought a minivan would be the easiest to transport Ruthie in.”
“Especially with the Ina car seat he bought,” I added.
My dad’s eyebrows went up. “Oh yeah?”
Alan replied, “I ordered you and Carol a base, too. It should be here next week.”
“Wow, Alan. Thank you. I’m sure Carol will appreciate that.”
I saw Denise open her mouth, like she was about to speak and Alan told her, “Don’t worry. I got you guys one, too.”
A smile formed on her face, and she simply murmured, “Good.”
Mama walked onto the porch with a crying Ruthie in her arms, and called, “Someone just woke up.”
My mother never got Ruthie when she was crying. Instead, she’d usually announce, “The baby’s awake,”—as if my daughter’s cries hadn’t already told me.
Alan looked at me anxiously. “Can we try her bottle again?”
****
Alan
Ruthie once again held firm in her refusal to take a bottle, and I came downstairs defeated while Jess nursed her in her room.
After making sure the baby monitor was turned off, Jess suggested I go check on how our parents were behaving.
“Who do you think’s going to win the Grandma Games today?” I quipped.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
All the parents were in the living room drinking lemonade when I walked in. As I approached, I’d been happy to hear they were conversing and not sitting in silence.
“How’d it go?” my mom asked anxiously.
