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“Oh, fudgesicle. He’s hungry again!” Lucy said dramatically as I opened the back door and latched his car seat in.
“Go, get in your seat, and I’ll buckle you in.”
I should have planned our departure an hour ago. It was too late though to correct my mistake.
I adjusted the nursing pad inside my bra. His tears were suddenly full-blown and caused me to leak like crazy. I had my breast pump packed for this reason. My boobs killed me when they were engorged. Hopefully, it would get better in another week or two once my breasts knew exactly how much milk to produce for him.
“He’s breaking my eardrums,” Lucy informed me.
“Thanks for your commentary over there. How about you grab his bottle from the diaper bag?” I asked. Luckily, I came prepared for this. I had already made his next bottle before leaving and had some breast milk packed in a mini cooler to stay chilled until it could get to Mom’s fridge.
“You have it, not me,” she pointed out.
I blinked at my shoulder where it rested. “Oh.” Kids did something to the brain. “Come here, Eli,” I cooed as I unbuckled and scooped him up. I opened the driver’s side door and sat down with him. By the time I found his bottle, he was screaming bloody murder, and my nipples were leaking with him. Please don’t soak through my shirt before I can change the pads. “Here you go,” I told him, and he latched onto the nipple right away.
“Finally,” Lucy muttered from her seat.
I fussed with Eli’s hair while he took his bottle, worrying about how he’d handle his first night away from me. A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it, and I wiped it away. This wouldn’t last forever, but it truly sucked when every fiber in my body begged to be with them. Always.
“Elijah’s home now!” Lucy piped in, and I turned my head to see his headlights.
“I see that,” I told her. “Don’t even think about yelling at him.”
“I told him I wanted more chips.”
I sighed. “You can’t go around asking strangers for things, Lucy. You know better.”
“He’s not a stranger anymore.”
That child.
“He sees me!” she yelled next. “He’s got a bag in his hand. My chips!”
“Lucy!” I called after her but she was already opening her door and rushing out. Bottle and baby in hand, I hurried out after her. “Lucy!”
I paused, eyes going round. He really had a bag in his hand and was coming our way. He saw me and pulled the bag closer to his side as he stalked toward us. His irises were like black orbs underneath the streetlight and even more intimidating. Suddenly he was next to Lucy, offering her the grocery bag. “I’ve had them in the truck all week. Just haven’t seen you until now.”
She glanced up at me quickly. “Can I have them? Please?”
I sighed and finally nodded. “What do you say?”
“Thank you.” She beamed up at him. Kids were so simple.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I told him. I caught a peek of a lot more than one bag of chips in the bag he gave her.
He shrugged, gaze skimming over me quickly that time. “Are you a nurse?” he asked.
“CNA,” I replied, quickly adding, “But I graduate nursing school next month.” I didn’t have to tell him that. Why did I feel the need to do so?
He nodded, placing his hands in his front pockets. I tossed Eli’s empty bottle in the open door and laid him over my shoulder as I patted his back. Stepping closer, Elijah peered down at me and Eli. “What?” I said nervously, bouncing my left foot.
“You have something on your shirt.” His brows furrowed in the middle as he gazed down at… I followed his gaze to my chest.
“Your boobies are leaking!” Lucy screamed for the world to hear.
“God bless America!” I muttered. The milk had leaked through my pads and bra onto my scrubs.
I glanced up to find his eyes widening. “Oh, that’s…” He covered his mouth and waved his hand around. “Is that normal? Do they do that?” He sounded and looked amazed. You’d think I told him I went to outer space.
