She looks up at me with watery lids. “Every mother struggles. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal to me,” I say, flicking my eyes between hers.
Maya’s lip wobbles, and I can’t stand another second of seeing her break down when I can be here to help. I will drop everything if I have to, I don’t care.
“What’s going on with you and Nina?”
She presses a hand to her forehead and walks to the sofa, where I join her. “She just doesn’t understand me. She always has a dig about Skye, as if I can shove her back inside my womb and pretend this never happened. I’m grateful because she lets me stay here, but it’s destroying me.”
My heart aches for her current distress, and I want to help. “Well, when my grandparents passed, my parents put moneyaside for me and Ivy when it’s time for us to move out and get a house, I can ask for it now and find somewhere to rent or?—”
“No.” She waves a hand at me. “No, you’re not doing that for me.”
“It will be for us. As a family.”
“I can’t ask that of you, Finn. It’s too much.”
“Nothing is enough for you, Maya.”
Her shoulders subtly vibrate. “I’ll see if I can figure something else out first. That’s a lot to think about right now.”
I nod once. “Okay, I get that. But I don’t want you to struggle.”
“I’ll be okay, Finn.” I don’t enjoy the sound of her voice as it dips. “I’ll go get Skye.”
This time, I let her, and when she returns with our baby, I lose my breath at the sight of her and those big brown eyes. Maya settles beside me and places Skye in my arms as I gently cradle her.
“Hello, sweetheart,” I murmur, my eyes straining.
I doubt there will ever be a day when I don’t look at her and cry. She wriggles and makes a sound that’s far too adorable.
“Do you want to feed her? It’s time for her to eat.”
My eyes meet Maya’s. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
Maya leaves and soon comes back with a bottle and a pink cloth. She tests the milk on the back of her hand, I’m guessing to make sure it’s not hot enough to burn Skye’s mouth. I make a mental note of that as she hands me the bottle.
“What do I do?” I ask helplessly.
The corner of her mouth twitches. “It’s okay,” she says supportively. “Hold her upright a little, her head in the crook of your elbow. Then make sure the bottle stays flat, don’t tip it too far, and let her drink from the nipple of the bottle until it’s gone or she doesn’t want to have it anymore. You’ll know if she doesn’t.”
“Okay,” I say as I twist the warm milk bottle and aim it towards Skye’s mouth. “Like this?”
“Yeah, Finn. Just like that.”
Skye latches onto the bottle tip and closes her eyes as she starts to drink. I exhale a silent breath of relief and watch in awe as she rests between my arms.
“See? It’s all good.”
“I feel useless.”
“You’re doing good,” she says softly.
Her words mean more to me than she’ll ever know.
“I can’t believe she’s ours,” I whisper.
“I know. I can’t believe it either.”
