Page 69 of Goode Tidings

"I figured as much. I'm Eden." I'm careful to keep my tone neutral, not because I want to avoid being mean, but because I don't want these two assholes to know they carry any weight at all. Letting go of Callum, I lean over the table, offering a hand to Hailey first. She shakes it, as does Todd. I'd like to give Todd his handshake back, or some pointers on how to do better. In my book, the only reason for a limp handshake is a disability or an injury.

"H-how are you?" Hailey asks Callum. Her eyebrows lift, her eyes soften. Nostalgia, with a side of concern.

"Well," Callum answers. He looks down at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Who knew Hot Squat was a good actor? "Really well." His arm goes around my waist, pulling me in flush to his side. I smile up at him, and palm his midsection. For good measure. Totally not because I remember what his stomach looked like without a shirt on and I'm currently being an opportunist.

"That's great, man." Todd speaks enthusiastically, volume a touch too loud. "It's good to see you. I wasn't sure we ever would, after everything⁠—"

"Shush, Todd," Hailey hisses between clenched teeth.

"It's ok," Callum says. He actually does sound ok, after that initial shock receded. He doesn't look like he wants to vomit anymore, either. Yay, Callum!

A shrill cry pierces the air. The baby, wearing a headband with a giant sunflower and the tiniest cardigan sweater and leggings over a onesie that reads Fallin' for Daddy, is suddenly awake and mad as hell. Hailey bends downs and ejects the baby from the straps securing her to the stroller. "Sh sh shhh," she hums into the baby's ear, bouncing her gently. The baby continues to scream.

"First year molars?" I guess, and Hailey looks at me in surprise.

"Yes. And someone"—she tosses an accusatory glare at Todd—"forgot the medicine."

"I thought I threw it in the diaper bag," Todd defends, probably not for the first time today. Or the tenth. "My mom said you can put whiskey on the area and it has the same effect."

"I am NOT putting ALCOHOL in our baby, Todd." Hailey glances at Callum. Is she embarrassed to be fighting in front of Callum, given their history? Or is she imagining how it would be to raise a teething, fussy baby with Callum instead?

A streak of possessiveness slices through me. I don't like her looking at Callum like that. Too bad, Hailey. You made your bed. Lie in it with Todd, the way you already did.

The hot stab of jealousy isn't something I've felt in a long time, and I don't particularly care for it. It makes me uneasy.

The baby continues to cry, and I feel bad for her. Letting go of Callum, I roll up the sleeves of my sweater and say, "Are you charging for baby time like I'm charging for puppy time?" I make a show of peeking over the table at the baby in her arms. "How about we barter?"

Her eyebrows raise. "You want to hold a crying baby?"

"I will hold that crying baby while you run to the store and grab medicine for her," I offer. "I'm a mom, too, but my baby is fourteen and cries about totally different things."

"Fourteen?"

I nod as I step around the table. I'm shorter than Hailey by a solid four inches. "I was young when I had him. I was in love, blah blah blah." I reach out for the baby. Hailey hands her over, while Todd stands there like a dud. Some men are naturally great fathers. Others need to be given step-by-step instructions in order to complete any and all baby-related tasks. There's a third category, the I'm a terrible father type, who give up and disappear after some undetermined amount of time. My dad falls into that third category, though to be fair, some moms do too.

"This is Essex," Hailey says, settling a burp cloth over my shoulder.

Essex? Are we serious?

"Do you want me to come with you?" Todd asks Hailey. "Because Cal and I could use a few minutes to catch up."

Cal? Interesting.

"I would've handed Essex to her father if I thought he was staying here." Hailey glares at Todd. "But by all means, sit back and relax and chat. Can I bring you a beer?"

"Um." Todd looks at me and Callum.

I pat Todd's shoulder. "The only answer to that is, I'll come with you, honey."

Todd nods. "Right, of course. I'll come with you, honey."

Hailey offers us a tight smile, removes her purse from the compartment beneath the stroller, and steps away. Todd dutifully follows.

We watch them go, and then I turn to Callum. Baby Essex whimpers softly now, soothed by my extra-special mama bounce I started when Oliver was a colicky baby. It's a deep movement, long on each side of the dip and prolonged at the crest. "Hey, Cal," I say, teasing Callum.

He responds with an eye roll.

"How does it feel to watch me hold your ex-fiancée's baby?"