Page 77 of Derecho

“Do you feel uncomfortable at my place?”

She looked shocked by my question, which I took as a good sign. “Of course not.”

“Do you not feel safe there?”

Her eyes dropped and she sighed. “I feel the safest I’ve ever felt in my life living with you, but that doesn’t mean it’s fair to⁠—”

“Stop—I would be gutted if you and this little guy left. Let’s just get you settled at home and back on your feet. If it doesn’t work out, if you feel like you’d be happier someplace else, then okay. We’ll figure that out if the time comes. Right now, I want you to just be able to focus on recovering from his birth.”

“And being able to fight whatever Greg’s family is cooking up.”

“They’re not going to be successful. At whatever they try. We’re friends, Lain. I’m not letting anyone hurt my friend.”

I fucking hated using that f-word, but I thought my words would be reassuring. Her face fell for a split second before she smiled. It wasn’t genuine. I could tell because when she really smiled, these two gorgeous lines formed around the corners of her eyes and the freckles on her cheeks pulled tight. I didn’t have a clue what I’d said wrong, and I didn’t get a chance to ask as the baby wiggled, his little eyes opening as his face turned red.

“Did you pick out a name for him yet?”

“You mean I can’t keep calling him little alien?” She brought him to her chest. As soon as she snapped her hospital gown open, my eyes went to the ceiling.

“Do you, uh, want me to…uh, leave?”

“No.” She laughed. “It’s just a boob, Lachlan. Don’t tell me you’re afraid…”

Of a breast performing its natural function? No. Of getting an inappropriately timed boner…yeah. I was terrified. It’d been a long…long…time since I’d felt for someone what I was feeling for my friend…who’d just given birth…Jesus Christ, I was a creep, wasn’t I?

“Not afraid, sweetheart. Just wanting to give you privacy if you wanted it.”

“Well, I don’t. I’m not sure breastfeeding is for me…ouch! Jesus, why does no one tell you how much it’s going to hurt?” Clearly, the question was rhetorical because she kept right on talking. “There’s probably going to be a lot of nursing going on at your house while I’m there, so better just get the awkwardness out now.”

I let my eyes drop…to her face. “So, did you have a name?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I named him Reid. He’s officially a Calloway on his birth certificate, too.”

I let my fingers come up to Reid’s little feet, brushing against them through the blanket he was swaddled in. “Reid Calloway has a nice ring to it.”

But all I kept thinking about was how much more I liked the idea of both Lainey and Reid being Fords.

Lainey

“Hey, you don’t need to be doing those right now. I’ll wash them up in a minute.” Lachlan walked into the kitchen, a smile on his face as he rocked Reid gently in his arm. He’d absolutely mastered holding my son safely while walking with his cane, and I was in awe because I couldn’t even manage to feel safe holding him while we were in bed.

Reid and I had been back at Lachlan’s for two weeks, and nothing—I truly meant nothing—felt right. I was so exhausted I could barely see straight. I had tried to learn how the hell I was meant to shower, eat, sleep, and clean up after Reid when the only time he would sleep was when he was in my arms, but I just couldn’t do it. Most days I moved from my bed to the couch while Lach tried to feed me and made sure I was drinking enough water. Then in the afternoon, when someone from his family inevitably popped in to check on us, I would shuffle back upstairs and stay in my room for the rest of the day.

“No, I’ve got it. You have your hands full, and I need to be doing something. I feel like I can’t even remember the last time I picked up anything around here, or helped out.”

I was being a terrible roommate to Lach. And he was stuck here with us. He wasn’t going outside. He didn’t leave to visit his family—mainly because every member of his family dropped in at one point or another during the day. But as much as I wanted to ask him to take a walk with me, or to just sit out under the oak tree, I couldn’t bring myself to.

“That’s okay. You’re not meant to be doing anything right now except healing and soaking up the time with the cutest Earthling there ever was.”

“Actually, if you’re okay, I was thinking I’d try and take a shower⁠—”

Reid wiggled in Lachlan’s hold, and I watched his eyes pop open, the tiniest stretch running through his body.

“Shh,” Lach soothed, but Reid’s eyes blinked and I was already drying my hands off, scooping the baby out of his arms before he could let out a cry.

“I’ve got him. Sorry I couldn’t finish the dishes.”

“Lain…”