“Take THAT, poopy diaper!” He raised his hand in the air, earning a shriek from Melanie.
“Noah, STOP! You’re holding a big pile of shit over the baby and my couch!”
“Oops. Sorry.” He lowered his hand sheepishly and quickly cleaned up. Their little companion was laying on the couch, bright eyed and calm for once. Noah sat back down beside him and stared down in awe.
“Mel, I have a kid.”
She walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of him.
“Yeah. You do.”
They sat together in silence and Noah let his mind wander to what could be. If Mel and he were in a real relationship—if this baby was theirs together. He could see it all so clearly it made his heart ache with feelings that he had been pushing aside for a long time. She was the first person he thought of each morning and the last person he wanted to talk to each night. He knew he was often her first call when she had a rough shift, and their weekly bike rides had taken on a life of their own, morphing into full day events with adventuring and exploring around the state. Obviously, they enjoyed each other’s company and there was no doubt he was attracted to her, and he suspected that feeling was mutual. So, what would it take for Mel to take the ultimate risk, and let her heart lead one more time? Noah felt himself fill with determination to figure out the answer, and hopefully convince her that he, and what they could be, was worth it.
The next few hours were much of the same. The baby would start to cry, and Noah would work his way through what Mel had said. Sleep, love, food, diaper. Mel had stuck to her guns and stayed back, forcing Noah to step up and be the father he always wanted to be. He didn’t begrudge her that, lord knew she had done enough just offering to take them in and provide the official foster home. Still, after the second bottle, third diaper and countless attempts to bounce, rock, and shush the baby to sleep, Noah was desperate for a break.
“Mel, I’m dying here. Please, can you help me out for a few minutes so I can sit down? As soon as I try to stop moving, he freaks out!”
Mel let out an exasperated sigh, but Noah knew she didn’t really mean it when he saw the understanding smile on her face as she walked out of the spare bedroom where she had been folding the freshly washed baby clothes.
“Yeah, give him here. I’ll try to get him to settle while you order some dinner. Chinese okay for tonight?”
Noah handed her the baby gratefully. “Sounds amazing. Thank you. You’re a goddess, an angel, my savior, and I am forever in your debt.”
She quirked her eyebrow at him. “You’re saying that after just a few hours? Geez, how are you going to feel after a few weeks of this?”
“Oh god, don’t even suggest such a thing. My baby is a genius, he’ll settle and be totally fine by tomorrow,” Noah said teasingly.
“Okay, sure, keep telling yourself that,” came Mel’s response, as she began rocking slowly back and forth. Noah watched her for a moment, taking in the sight of the woman he was quickly realizing was the best thing to ever happen to him, holding his infant son. Damn, that did something to him. His heart felt like it was expanding in his chest, so much it would surely burst.
With some difficulty, Noah pulled himself away from the vision of his every dream come true and went to the kitchen to order some dinner. By the time that was done, and he had grabbed two beers from Mel’s fridge, he turned around just in time to see her lean down and press a soft kiss to the top of the baby’s head.
“You’re a natural, Mel,” he said softly, so as not to wake the now sleeping little boy. He instantly regretted those few words when he saw the pain etched on her face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay, Noah. I’m fine,” Mel interrupted, plastering a smile on her face. “It’s a good thing he’s cute when he’s asleep.”
Understanding she needed to bring the conversation to a lighter place, Noah kept up the teasing tone when he replied, “Hey, what are you implying? My kid is always cute. Even when he’s got shit up his back and is screaming in my ear.”
“Spoken like a true dad.” Mel grinned, and the tension was broken. “I’ll hold onto him for a bit longer, then we can try to lay him down in the crib. Sit down and take a breather, it’s going to be a long night.”
Noah sank back down onto the couch gratefully, knowing she was right, and this was just the beginning.
Goodbye sleep, he thought to himself, as he realized the nerves and worries that were already coursing through his mind weren’t going anywhere fast. If the past few hours were any indication, his days and nights were about to be filled with the never-ending cycle Mel had described. Bottle, diaper, cuddle, nap, and repeat.
Before their dinner arrived, and while Melanie still had hold of the baby, Noah typed out a quick message to the group chat with all of their friends, briefly stating that he would be at Mel’s for a short while. He attached a photo of the baby, and sent it off. Then, knowing he had to face the music with his mother sooner rather than later, he sent another message off, and made plans to visit her tomorrow morning.
Once that was done, he looked up to realize Mel must have been successful in transferring the baby into his crib, because it was blessedly quiet in the apartment. Sure enough, when Mel sank down on the couch beside him, her words felt like an omen.
“Let’s enjoy the calm before the storm.”
Chapter 4
As Mel woke the next morning, she knew somethingwas different. Her pillow felt lumpy and hard, she was still wearing a bra, and there was a distinct odor in the air. As she blinked her eyes open, she quickly realized two very important things: One, her ‘pillow’ was actually Noah’s chest, which her arm was wrapped around tightly, and two, the smell came from the baby who was cradled on Noah’s stomach, so the source of the stench was mere inches from her face.
She sat up abruptly, startling Noah, who tightened his hands around the baby.
“Wha? Huh? Mel? What’s wrong?”
Wrong? Nothing was wrong, as long as you ignored the smell, and the fact that Melanie Haynes had clearly fallen asleep cuddling with a man and his baby. Now, that was something she never imagined happening, ever in her life.
