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She waves away my offer. “No, no. Thanks, though. It’s just an adjustment. This first month with Belle is very important for our bond. Besides, there are two of us. We take shifts to divide and conquer.”
“Always wondered what it felt like to equally share parenting responsibilities. Must be nice,” Jake mutters.
“Better luck next time.” She stretches to give him a consoling pat on the arm.
I wince and capture Sydney in my peripheral. It’s only then I realize that she’s been abnormally quiet. The little girl appears frozen in place while mesmerized by Belle.
“Why don’t you come sit next to me, Syd?” I point to the available space that separates the carrier and my thigh.
She breaks free from the trance and leaps onto the sofa. Her face is immediately pressed into the infant’s personal space. “Hello, Belle. I’m Sydney Grace Evans. It’s super nice to meet you.”
I laugh. “You’re so polite, superstar. Don’t be upset if she doesn’t answer you for a year or two.”
“M’kay. She’s sooooo teeny tiny. Can I hold her?” Her skinny fingers tap at the harness buckles.
Joy cracks an eyelid open that I didn’t see her close. “Maybe next time, twinkle toes. We should probably get going before I pass out sitting upright.”
“Already?” Syd’s whine is the definition of devastated. “You just got here.”
“It’s late. You need to get your beauty sleep,” she counters.
“Then I’ll be extra pretty like you and Harper,” the little girl states proudly.
Joy’s gaze questions mine at the obvious change in how Sydney addresses me. Rather than veer off on that tangent, she stands with an exaggerated yawn. “You’re well on your way, kiddo. Soon enough, you’ll have us beat.”
Syd squeaks. “No way!”
“Try and find out.” She winks.
I peek at the clock to see it’s almost nine o’clock. We’ve stayed an hour later than normal. “Would you mind dropping me off on the way, mama bear?”
Strong hands settle on my shoulders, kneading at the sore muscles. “Let me take you, Pitch. Depend on me.”
I groan as Jake’s thumb digs at a knot. “It’s the opposite direction for you. Why are you going through so much trouble?”
“It’s not trouble. I wanna be there for whatever you need.” He stoops forward until our eyes meet. “Going out of my way for you doesn’t bother me.”
“I’m not trying to uproot your routine.”
The smolder he pins on me threatens to incinerate my resistance. He lowers his guard completely, exposing the blatant hunger and yearning in his gaze. “I’m finding that I’d like you to uproot a lot more than that.”
Joy exhales a pleased noise. “And that’s how babies are made.”
Sydney gasps. “Really?”
“In a nutshell.”
The little girl pauses for a beat. “What do nuts have to do with babies?”
“More than you know,” Joy replies.
Syd bounces on the couch. “Daddy, you gotta kiss her.”
“I do?” The question is for his daughter, yet he’s still staring at me.
“Uh-huh. Like a king kisses his queen.” She hops off the cushions to twirl in rapid succession. “And I’m the princess who wants a brother or sister.”
“We shouldn’t mess with the fairy tale,” Jake rasps.
