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As he explained his work, I quickly finished my breakfast and returned the plate to the kitchen to catch a quick breath. I’m not even sure what had happened, but it had affected him strongly, and in turn affected me. But whatever it had been, it was over now.
When I returned to the living room, the conversation had moved on to Dad describing the team of football players he had to coach this year. I paused by his elbow and reached for my baby.
It felt as if I’d barely gotten to hold her since she was born. Everyone else was always snagging her from my arms. They only gave her back when she was hungry.
But I was denied yet again when Dad shifted to block me slightly with his shoulder before he paused talking to glance up and say, “She’s good.”
Seriously, it was like I was chopped liver or something.
I knew I could’ve overridden him and gotten my baby back, but I let him have his way.
Returning to the rocking chair, I settled down and curled my legs up again, hugging them close, then I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on my knees.
But seconds later, I felt myself start to fall asleep, and I jerked upright to catch myself. Blinking my eyes open, I dropped my feet from the chair, only to notice the gift bag sitting by the door. It matched the one Vaughn had brought a few days earlier.
Interrupting whatever my dad was blathering on about, I pointed at the bag and blurted, “Did you bring another baby gift?”
When I turned to glance toward Vaughn, he froze, his eyes widening and mouth opening as if to answer, but he didn’t say anything.
I huffed out a breath and shook my head. “You didn’t have to do that, you know,” I told him in a scolding manner.
“And I didn’t have to make him breakfast either,” Mom retorted, standing from her chair and taking his now-empty plate from him before she started for the kitchen as well. “But sometimes, people just like to do nice gestures, and the correct response in those situations is thank you.”
I rolled my eyes after her, then grinned because her words were so Mom-like they made me smile and adore her more.
Obediently, I turned my attention to Vaughn and murmured, “Thank you.”
He nodded, still looking unsure as if he thought he was in trouble. Then he studied me a moment longer before softly saying, “You look tired.”
I swallowed, feeling like I was being held captive by his gaze. Then I sat up a little straighter in the chair and cleared my throat before answering, “I’m fine. Just not quite adjusted to getting up every hour on the hour yet.” Glancing at my daughter snoring in Dad’s arms, I smiled affectionately and added, “I don’t think she knows yet that she’s supposed to sleep at night. She seems to sleep perfectly fine during the day, though.”
“You should go take a nap,” Dad offered. “We got this for a while.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I started, shaking my head, even as exhaustion swamped me.
“No, seriously,” Mom added, pointing toward the hallway that led to my room as she appeared in the living room again. “Go, get some sleep. Now.”
I don’t know why I glanced toward Vaughn. It wasn’t like I was looking for his support, but when I met his serious gaze, he nodded in agreement with my parents.
I sighed. Not only was I outvoted here, but I really did want more sleep, so I groaned out my reluctance and pushe
d up from my chair. “Okay, alright. But don’t let me sleep too long. She needs to eat again in about half an hour.”
“You got it,” Mom promised.
Before I could pass by her, however, she took my shoulders between her hands and looked steadily into my eyes, probably checking for postpartum depression.
She’d gotten a serious case of the baby blues after I was born, so I knew she was all alert, looking for signs in me now. But she must not have seen anything alarming because she smiled softly, kissed my forehead, and patted my shoulders, sending me off to bed.
I shuffled down the hall, walked straight to my room, and as soon as I hit my bed, I crawled under the covers, yawning.
I think I was out the moment my head sank into my pillow.
And, oh, what a nice sleep it was.
9
VAUGHN
