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“Yeah.”
“You both have tempers. I’m surprised at how calm you’ve been about all of this.”
I crinkle my nose and make a funny face at Addy, earning me a little giggle. I’m glad I’m able to soothe her so quickly. “She’s taught me patience, I suppose.”
“May I hold her?” Fritz asks, completely surprising me.
“Uh, sure.”
He stands and grabs Audrey under her armpits, keeping her away from his body, studying her like Bren had only moments ago. I suppress a giggle building in the back of my throat.
“That man is insane,” Fritz says. “Those are Brenner Reindhart’s eyes, or my name isn’t Friedrich Hartmann.”
“I know,” I say.
“Then why’d you let him think she could be Finn’s?”
“There’s a chance. The timing, it’s just not one hundred percent certain. You know?”
“You could have lied,” Fritz offers.
“I’m not the lying type, Fritz.”
“Yeah. I’m starting to see that,” Fritz says with a small smile. “He’s upset. Let him calm down. He’ll come around.” Then his nose scrunches up. “What is that smell?”
I stand to get close to them. “That is Miss Addy needing a new diaper. But, shit. In all the chaos, I didn’t grab a diaper bag. I guess I’ll have to brave the reporters.”
“No. I’ll have Everett get everything we need.”
“Everett?”
“My security guard,” Fritz explains.
That’s rock bottom. I didn’t even bother to get the other man’s name who protected my daughter and me today. I’m not handling any of this right.
I give Fritz a list of supplies, and Everett goes shopping.
In the meantime, I do my best to clean Addy up with dampened toilet paper and rinse her in the kitchen sink.
“But you don’t have a diaper yet,” Fritz protests.
“I'm not leaving her in a dirty one while we wait for Everett, Fritz.”
“What if she, uh”—he points at Addy’s naked bum while I dry it—“you know, goes again?”
I laugh. “Well, we pray she doesn’t. And if she does, oh well. We wash again.”
“Right.”
I dry Addy off, wrap her in a towel, and hand her to Fritz. “Can you hold her for a bit? I have to run to the restroom.”
“No, wait,” he protests but grabs on to Addy anyway. “What if she goes again?”
I shrug. “Then she goes.”
When I come back out, Fritz is glaring at me. A wet trail begins on his shirt and almost reaches his jeans. I roar with laughter. I can’t help it—and lord, I need the laugh right now. He looks so angry, glaring between the baby and me, but it only makes me laugh more. He tries handing her to me, but I shake my head.
“That’s yourtío,Fritz,” I tell Addy.
