Page 8 of Matteo

She jumps at my touch. Fucking hell. This is not good. Not good at all. I don’t dare let her see it, keeping my face as bland as I can.

“I’ll be right back. Let me get your keys to grab the base of the car seat.”

“Wait.”

CHAPTER 3

Matteo

I sigh. “I thought we covered this.”

“We did but… I don’t have the base. My ex—he broke it to keep me from leaving.” Her eyes are down, ashamed.

It’s bullshit she’s ashamed when he’s the one who should be. An ex who wasn’t a contact in her phone. A man who tried to trap her with him. Everything in me clenches tight at what she had to have gone through for her to flee him with a small baby. That it was so bad a place like the motel she’s at was better than staying with him.

“We have car seats. I’ll grab one. Have a rest. It will be a minute.” I assure her.

She nods and lays her head on the exam bed next to her.

I go into the freebie room. Everything was donated. There are cans of formula, baby food, diapers in every size, bottles, pacifiers, a few sleepers, white shirt onesies, and a few plain white shirts. Snagging a large pack of diapers, I fill a diaper bag with five sleepers and as many onesies, along with odds and ends for the baby.

After studying the car seats, I grab one and took it along with the bag to my car. All my vehicles are purchased with safety as the most important thing in mind. After several months of working a rotation in the ER, I saw more deaths from car accidents than anything else.

I’m now regretting my decision not to go with the safest vehicle, which was a luxury vehicle. Because of my height and the need for comfort, I stayed with an SUV. However, I was concerned about how it would appear to the patients coming to the clinic to see me arriving in a vehicle that was more expensive than what most of them would make in a year.

After today, I’m going to use the luxury SUV my mother purchased for me—she was aware of the only criteria I previously used. I don’t give a shit what anyone thought if it meant Amy and Layla would be as safe as they could be.

I find Amy asleep again in the room. The baby is awake, though. She studies me with dark brown eyes like her mother. “Hi, sweetheart. Have a good nap?”

She chuckles as her hands go up to her mouth, and she begins sucking on them. “Hungry? I’ll get you home and a bottle real soon. I promise.”

Her chubby baby hands clap at the news. I unfasten her from the car seat. Damn, she needs to be changed. Snagging the lone diaper and the wipes, I set the baby girl on the exam bed. Layla—she said the baby’s name was Layla.

“Hi, Layla. I love your name.” She chuckles around the fingers in her mouth.

I unbutton the sleeper from the bottom up and scoot it out from under her, only to find her diaper leaked onto the sleeper. It’s a good thing I grabbed some sleepers for her, too bad they’re now in the car. She’s got a little white shirt on.

I find the wipes are actually damp paper towels. Layla doesn’t seem to mind, as I clean her with them. I put on the new diaper and pick her up to take the sleeper off.

Carrying her with me, I go back down the hall to the freebie room. She’s so light. The first thing for her will be a complete workup to confirm she’s healthy. It’s to the point I’m studying sleepers for six months. There are dozens of sleepers. She reaches for them.

“What do you think? How about this one with ladybugs on it? Do you like ladybugs?” It’s brightly colored, and her little hand opens and closes for it.

Lady bugs it is. I grab it and take her back into the exam room. “Mommy is sleeping. You’re going to be a good girl for me, aren’t you?”

When I lay her down, she shows me a gummy smile. “Yeah, you’re a good baby. Sleeping away so Mommy doesn’t have to take care of you.”

“Mama,” she chuckles.

“I’m so proud of you, talking at only nine months. You’re so smart.” I talk to her as I get her dressed in the sleeper. I decide to take her outside first in case I need to help Amy out of the clinic.

Settling her into the car seat, I’m relieved when she only gives me a wave when I tell her I’ll be right back with her mommy. What a good baby, I marvel as I go back into the clinic.

Back in the room I find Amy is still asleep. I hate waking her. Except the sooner I can get her home, the sooner I can get her into a comfortable bed where she will sleep better. “Amy, I’ve got Layla settled into the car now.”

She stirs, then blinks a few times. “Layla?”

“She’s in the car. Can you make it to the car by yourself?” I ask as she attempts to stand.

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