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At nine, he heard water running, so he walked back to the bedroom and tapped on the door. She was dressed in prepregnancy clothes, leaning over the crib to dress the baby.

“Your friends are going to hate you,” he said, impressed.

“Good morning,” she said, grinning. “These things were baggy on me.”

“I didn’t hear you get up last night.”

“He got up at three. He slept five hours. I’d say that’s through the night.”

“Let me fix you coffee and breakfast. Do you want to eat here or out there?”

“I’ll come out.”

“He looks good.” Baby David was trying to catch his hand with his mouth. “They do that already?”

“Apparently. I’m so glad to be home.” She leaned over to kiss Dave. “I’m sorry we can’t go to mass this morning.”

“Maybe next week. I’ll take him.” He scooped up the baby, lifting him to his lips. “You cutie.”

They walked out to the light-filled living room. “Did I already say how glad I am to be home?”

She sat on the couch and he handed David back. “I’m glad you’re home, too. I’ll get your coffee.”

Nursing had gotten easier each time, but for some reason that morning he had trouble latching on, like he didn’t have the strength. Dave got her a bottle of stored milk and heated it. The baby was able to drink it.

“I’ll research it,” Dave said. “If you let me feed him, you can eat.”

They spent the morning doing that, handing him back and forth to each other. She showed Dave the announcements, and he approved of them.

“I’ll print the pictures and go to the mailbox later today.”

She’d read the third day postpartum might be iffy mentally and a little depression creeped in that didn’t surprise her. And it was not helped by his struggle with nursing.

Dave found the answer online in a forum for parents of babies with Down syndrome. Since he had been able to nurse successfully, he might just be tired. They were doing the right thing by giving him the bottle. Later that morning, Katrina attempted to nurse again and he did fine.

In the afternoon, he ran out to mail the announcements that Katrina had written and addressed and to pick up a few groceries from Spencer’s. The post office was closed, so he stood at the mailbox at the back of the building that faced the creek and added the envelopes a few at a time.

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice said, coming from behind him.

Turning, he came face-to-face with Amber. Flushed, her eyes flashed in anger.

“I went to the wild horse meeting today. Grace was there. She let it slip that your son is a Down syndrome baby.”

Dave could have ignored the offensive term if Amber had been at least smiling. But no such luck.

“He has Down syndrome,” Dave said, reserved. “He’s not aDown syndrome baby. Down syndrome is only part of who he is, Amber. It doesn’t define him totally. You should get informed before you show your ignorance.”

Gasping, she reached over with her hand—she was almost as tall as he was—and slapped him across the face. Later, he had to admit that she had a powerful right hook.

“Ignorant? You just proved your own ignorance, you bastard. You got involved with that hick from Florida long before you left me. She conceived that kid when you were still sleeping in my bed.”

Rubbing his cheek, he thought back to his timeline with Katrina and realizing he was about to risk getting slapped again, he laughed in her face.

“Actually, I never slept in your bed after the first time I was in hers. There was no need. No worries, Amber. The only regret I have right this second is that I just sent you our birth announcement. Why Katrina thought she needed to show you any respect just shows you what a class act she is compared to you. Are you going to break into our cottage now and throw food all over the place like you did to Maggie’s?”

It took her a few seconds to regroup, aware that she’d probably sunk to a new low.

“You’re disgusting. You deserve a reject kid.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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