“Good thing she’s going to be beautiful like her mum.”
When I look up at Maya, her eyes are glistening again, and I wish I could wrap her in my arms, too.
“Don’t.” She releases a jagged laugh. “I look so awful at the moment.”
“You could never look awful, Maya.”
She’s always looked beautiful with a face of make-up and a fancy outfit, but my favourite is when she’s bare faced, wearing oversized clothing with her hair thrown up. Completely raw and breathtaking.
When Skye’s bottle is nearly finished, and she doesn’t want any more, Maya teaches me how to burp her to make sure the milk is digested properly. My hand nearly covers the entirety of her back, and when I hold her to me, I get a whiff of her scent and let a thousand different sensations wash through me.
Maya plays with her necklace again, and I sense a wave of anxiety.
“Hey,” I say softly, and she meets my gaze. “Everything is going to be alright, you know that?”
She chews on her lip. “Taking one day at a time.”
I smile at her words. “That’s what my therapist always says to me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. No point worrying about the future when we should be focusing on now.”
She hums softly. “I suppose.”
“No matter what happens, I’m gonna be here, okay?”
Maya inhales a breath, one that I believe has been constricting her chest. “Okay.”
CHAPTER 17
MAYA BROOKE
Watching Finn feed Skye does something to my brain chemistry.
It’s stupid, and maybe I’m even more stupid to put my trust in him after everything. But I know the expression on his face when he holds Skye is authentic because I know that feeling all too well. In utter awe that we could make something so beautiful in this world of chaos.
An hour later, I show Finn how to change Skye’s nappy. He keeps telling me he’s useless because he doesn’t know how to do anything, but I don’t judge him because I didn’t know either. When you’ve done it once, you can do it again and again. It just takes a little practice.
“Oh my god,” Finn chokes out and waves a hand in front of his face. “Why does it smell so bad?”
I stifle a laugh, but my eyes are beaming. Oh, the joys of becoming a parent. “You get used to the smell.”
“Used to it?” His green eyes widen. “Oh god. It’s burning my eyes.”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip to stop the giggle rising. “Not too late to back out now,” I say lightheartedly. “Wait untilshe moves onto solid foods, that’s when it really starts to smell. From what I’ve heard, this is nothing.”
Finn glances at me. “Nothing is going to push me away,” he says adamantly. “Even if something so pretty can be so stinky.”
My laugh finally breaks free, and Finn’s eyes soften. I can’t remember the last time I laughed. It warms my soul and holds me like a tight hug. It’s probably because I’m starting to realise I might not have to do this alone, and I’ll have someone to share this experience with.
“I’ll never forget the time after my birthday party,” I say, and Finn freezes. “We were both a little hungover, but oh my god, whatever you ate that day, your farts literally smelt like sewage. If you compare that to Skye, you’d win hands down.”
“Hey,” he scolds me playfully. “We said we’d never bring that up again.”
I slap my hand over my mouth to stop the chuckle from escaping. “I’m sorry,” I say before pursing my lips, but my smile keeps crawling in. “If you think this smells bad, you literally had a demon inside you that day. It was almost a hazmat issue.”
His head shakes in disbelief. “You are a menace for bringing that up, Maya Brooke. A menace. We swore secrecy.”
