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“Hello, hello.” A voice behind us makes me spin around, and I feel a surge of relief as Aroha comes in and closes the door behind her. She looks around the house, eyes wide, but doesn’t comment as she walks in, carrying a suitcase. She puts it down. “Someone sounds hungry,” she says. “And I don’t mean you, Henry.”
“I was just boiling a kettle,” Henry says.
“Actually, I brought some of the boiled water from Maddie’s fridge.” She ferrets around in the change bag and brings out a bottle.
I wince as Leia increases her volume. “Why does a baby’s shriek cut through you so much?”
“It’s supposed to,” Aroha says. “She wants to get your attention.”
“Can you take her, please?”
“I’ll just make the milk.”
“No, I’ll do that. Just… just take her.”
Her eyes meet mine. “All right,” she says softly, and she comes up and lifts Leia out of my arms.
Maddie got so anxious when she couldn’t quiet Leia—she’d walk up and down, late at night, rocking her and crying at the same time, and saying how she was a terrible mother because she couldn’t comfort her own child. I wonder whether Aroha will be the same—will she get stressed and agitated?
But she just kisses Leia’s head and says, “It’s okay, little bubs.” Seemingly unconcerned at the baby’s wails, she walks into the kitchen, and says, “Come on, let’s make you some milk, shall we?”
Chapter Thirteen
Aroha
“Let’s have a look at the tin,” I say, taking it from Henry and reading it. “How much water is in the bottle?”
“One hundred and fifty milliliters,” Henry says, checking it.
“It’s one scoop per fifty, so James, add three scoops of the formula. Yes, like that, but level it off. That’s right. Now put the teat through the ring and screw it on. That’s it! Put the lid on, and shake it so it all mixes up. Henry, run the hot water. Now, James, just hold the bottle under it for a little while so it heats up a bit. You can pick up the bottle warmer from the house tomorrow.”
I cuddle Leia while James turns the bottle beneath the hot water. He looks a little more relaxed now, even though Leia’s still yelling.
He glances at me, and I nod and hold my hand out and take the bottle from him. I shake it with my free hand to make sure there are no hot spots in the milk. “Hold out your hand, palm up,” I instruct him. When he does, I tip a little of the milk onto his wrist. “How does it feel?”
“Warm. Not hot.”
“That’s fine. Well done, guys!” I take the bottle and a muslin square and walk into the living room, sit in one of the armchairs facing the TV, and tease Leia’s lips with the teat. She starts sucking immediately, and the house falls quiet.
James blows out a breath and exchanges a glance with Henry.
“I feel like we’ve defused a bomb,” Henry says.
I stifle a laugh and look down at Leia. She really is the most gorgeous baby. She could be James’s, with those big turquoise eyes. What a shame I never knew her mother; I’d like to have met her.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Henry says.
“Thanks, Henry,” I call, and he waves as he heads to the door. James goes with him, and they talk in low voices for a moment.
I look around the room, taking in the furnishings. Gaby had told me the house was a mansion, but I thought she’d exaggerated. She hadn’t. When I pulled up at the front gate, I had to enter a code that James had sent me. The long drive wound through beautiful gardens before widening out in front of a huge house. It looks as if it’s in three wings. At the moment we’re in the central section, in a glorious living room. It’s all open plan, with a dining area to the left, a black leather suite with an L-shaped sofa and two rocking recliners, a glass-topped coffee table, and an absolutely enormous TV. A PlayStation sits on a glass shelf beneath it.
Behind me is a large farmhouse kitchen, with marble worktops, a central square pine table and chairs, and every piece of equipment you could ever need. Does he use it all? Everywhere looks spotless, almost like a show home, and nothing close to being child friendly.
James closes the front door, and he walks into the living room and sits in the chair opposite me. I rock the recliner slowly, watching him.
“You look so relaxed,” he says.
“I did a free online course called Mindful with Your Baby. It looked at stress factors and how, when you’re anxious, you can transmit that anxiety to the baby. It talked about meditation and other ways to relax, so you and baby can read each other. I found it very useful.” His expression hasn’t changed. “I’m guessing you think that’s all New Age bullshit,” I tease.
