Page 116 of You Fall First

Thirty minutes later, Dutton leans his head against my shoulder and snuggles in close. I soak up the sweetness of his baby shampoo as his soft weight sinks into me.

Then he falls asleep.

So does my arm.

Oops.

The wedding was already exhausting, then we dragged him to his first movie outing. He’s also been away from his mother for more than a week. And according to Paige, that’s the longest time they’ve ever been apart.

My mom says when I was little and got too stimulated, I’d crawl up into her lap and fall asleep with my head on her shoulder. She knew I needed to shut down, so she refused to move the entire time I napped.

This is my moment to be present for Dutton like that, and I don’t want to let him down. Still, staying frozen with my body curved around his takes its toll. First, I try wiggling my hand and fingers to get the blood flow going again. Then a crick forms in my shoulders, and I roll my neck in a failed attempt to ease the tension.

“Want me to take over?” Noah whispers, nodding at Dutton.

“I’ll be fine.” I paste a smile on my face. “I don’t want to wake him.”

For the next several minutes, though, Noah continues to glance over, checking in on me.

“You’re uncomfortable,” he says under his breath.

“Just a little cramp in my neck,” I claim. “And my arm’s the tiniest bit asleep.”

“You sure?”

“It’s not that bad.”

Eventually, though, it is that bad.

I lose all circulation in one hand, and every cord in my neck is coiled and tense. I’m starting to wish I hadn’t refused Noah’s offer to relieve me, but suffering in silence isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Besides, this movie won’t last forever.

For the record, family-friendly action-adventure films may be fun, but they sure aren’t realistic.

Right now, Lincoln James is dressed up as superhero Magnetron and fleeing from his enemies. They chase him across multiple city rooftops while he’s holding Baby Magnetron. In a last-ditch effort to escape, Magnetron leaps from a skyscraper onto the building next door, landing in a perfect barrel roll that delivers him and the baby safely to the other side.

Miraculous.

Hadley softly applauds.

“That was my stunt double,” Link tells her.

“Duh,” she says.

“Good one,” I whisper.

Meanwhile, Noah slowly edges over to slide an arm around Dutton. And without another word, while supporting Dutton’s little head, he gently shifts the boy over until he’s leaning on him instead of me.

Oh, man. Freedom never felt so … free.

“Thank you.” I let out a whoosh of relief.

Noah keeps his eyes on the screen, but his lip curves up on one side. “Welcome.”

With a long sigh, I stretch both arms out and shake my shoulders to loosen them up. When I flex and wiggle all five fingers to restore circulation, Noah reaches across Dutton’s seat to take my hand. He gives my palm a gentle squeeze, and I suck in a breath, wincing from the numbness.

“You all right?”