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It was a strange moment, possibly the most bizarre of her life, and she didn’t know what to say to make it less surreal. Slowly, she shifted her gaze from Eddy to his father. Cole stood two feet away, looking at the baby, unblinkingly. She saw him suck in a breath when Eddy raised his little fist and rubbed it against his eyes. What was Cole thinking? Should she offer to let him hold Eddy, or was that crossing some sort of boundary?
For the briefest moment she imagined this scene the way she’d wanted it to happen. Cole might have been overseas when Eddy was born. That she could have accepted. But if he’d been willing to make a real commitment to her—to them—then he’d have come rushing to her as soon as he returned from a mission so he could meet his son. Awe might have been part of that scenario, too, but not this…distancethat she saw on Cole’s face.
“How is he?” Cole asked after a long minute. “I mean, is he healthy?”
“Very. The pediatrician was pleased with his weight gain at his four-month checkup.”
“Was he small at birth?”
“Not at all. Almost eight pounds.” Eddy’s birth weight had surprised her, considering how sick she’d been throughout the pregnancy. “He’s more than ten now and thriving. He’s had two rounds of vaccinations already, and he even rolled over by himself last week. I think he’ll crawl early since he can push himself up already when he’s on his tummy and seems strong.”
The corner of Cole’s mouth turned up. “That’s good. Strong is good,” he said, not taking his eyes from the baby’s face.
“You can see his eyes are still blue, but the doctor thinks that will change in the next few months. We’ll have to wait and see.” For the moment, her baby was blue-eyed and had wispy black hair on his head. She might be biased, but she was pretty darn sure that he’d be a heartbreaker like his daddy when he grew up.
“My mom has blue eyes, too,” Cole said.
“Then maybe the blue will stay.” She’d never met his parents, which struck her as odd now that she thought about it. They’d been together for two years before the breakup. But then, it had been a casual relationship, dating when he was on leave but having limited contact the rest of the time. Still, she’d thought a bond had formed between them. It just hadn’t been strong enough, apparently. Just then, Eddy’s face scrunched up and he let out a wail.
“What’s wrong?” Cole’s tone was anxious.
“He’s hungry and wet. Aren’t you, little man?” She made her voice sing-songy to appease the baby. “I’ll change him and get a bottle. Make yourself at home.”
“Can I help? I mean, I don’t have much practice but…”
“I’m used to being on my own. I’ve got it.”
It sounded accusatory but it was the truth. She’d had no choice but to handle things on her own.
Kelsey took the baby upstairs to the nursery and quickly changed his diaper, turning on the mobile to keep him happy while she worked. After that, she warmed a bottle in the kitchen and returned to the living room. Eddy’s face reddened and she could tell a serious cry was coming on, so she put the bottle into the baby’s mouth as she sat on the ottoman. He greedily began sucking it, his eyes open and bright. Her attention was focused on Eddy, but she could sense Cole hovering nearby. She looked up at him, noticing the tension in his expression. “You better sit down.”
Before you fall down.She sighed. It shouldn’t be this way. Ideally, a father and son should bond, but these two were strangers, and she supposed it would stay that way. He sat on the couch within a few feet of her and Eddy.
“Is this weird for you?” she asked, wanting to get things out in the open. “Not used to babies?”
“It’s not that. I’ve got younger cousins and friends with kids. It’s just that none of those aremykid, so, yeah, I guess it’s weird.”
Cole was locked onto them, watching Eddy’s every slurp, kick, and air punch as he downed the bottle.
“Being pregnant was weird. It was like an alien force had invaded my body.” While the severe morning sickness had finally ended, other symptoms had persisted. Leg cramps, swollen ankles, exhaustion, and a displaced placenta that put her on bed rest. The whole thing had been a nightmare. Some women glowed in pregnancy and relished each moment. Kelsey couldn’t relate.
“Sorry to hear that. Was it tough?”
“Yeah, it was kind of hellish, but the reward was worth it.” She focused on her son. Cole had no idea how she’d struggled to get Eddy to this point, where he was sleeping for six hours together most nights and the colic had finally ended.Eddy’s eyes had drifted shut as he ate.
Kelsey gently worked the bottle from the baby’s mouth and raised him to her shoulder to burp him. “Maybe someday I’ll give you the nitty-gritty details. Right now, we should talk about what to do.”
“We need to call the police like you planned. Then we’ll go on from there.”
Eddy’s hand drifted down her shoulder as he relaxed. Cole reached out as if to touch it but pulled back at the last second.
“He won’t bite,” she laughed.
“I know that.” Cole shot back.
He stood abruptly and pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’m going to call the police.” With that, he walked into her dining room and seconds later she heard him talking to a dispatcher.
“That’s your daddy,” she whispered in Eddy’s ear. “He’s just a little uncomfortable around you. Hopefully, that’ll get better.”
