Page 38 of Designs on You

“Momma.” Christopher’s voice slurred, but he recognized her. That was a good thing. A very good thing.

Natalie got up and smiled over him. “Hi, baby. Did you get hurt?”

“I fell off the slide and cut my chin and hurt my face.”

“Ouch.” She smoothed her hand over his hair, watched his eyes drift slowly closed.

“It’s the pain medicine,” the nurse said, shifting kind eyes in her direction. “He’ll be sleepy for a while.” She adjusted his IV. “The doctor will be in shortly to discuss the CT and do the stitches on his chin.”

“Thanks,” Sean said, then turned to Natalie. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Right. Of course he is.”

“Kind of like a rite of childhood, ya know? A fall? Stitches? Remember how I told you about the ones in my forehead?”

“You tripped over a brick and fell onto another brick because you and a couple of your friends were wandering in a construction zone.”

He laughed. “Yeah. I was in so much trouble for that. But I still got ice cream, so…worth it.”

She shook her head. “Boys.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I was fine, and Christopher will be, too.”

“I know. He just looks so vulnerable.”

He reached over and grasped her hand. “It’s just stitches, Nat. He’ll be okay.”

She looked down to where his hand clasped hers, realized how wrong it felt. She pulled her hand away. “Yes. He will.”

Awkwardness hung between them like a thick fog. Fortunately, the doctor walked in at that moment.

“CT is totally clear,” she said. “Let’s do some stitches, shall we?”

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, and she and Sean stepped out of the way as the doctor stitched Christopher’s chin. She held Christopher’s hand since he had woken up.

“You’re being so brave, baby,” she said, stroking his hand and his hair while the very awesome and gentle Dr.Weinberger put seven stitches in his chin.

Once finished, they did the paperwork and headed outside. Natalie bent down to give him a hug and kiss goodbye, but Christopher held tight to her. “Wanna go home with you, Momma.”

Natalie started to tell him that he had to go with his dad, but Sean said, “It’s all right. He needs his mom tonight. I’ll bring Camryn home tomorrow at the regular time, if that’s okay.”

He was being so agreeable, so nice. She didn’t know what to make of it, but she wasn’t about to try and figure out Sean. Not right now. “That’d be great. Thanks.”

Sean hugged and kissed Christopher. “You get some rest, baby boy. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Christopher nodded. “Night, Daddy.”

They got in the car and she got Christopher settled in his car seat. He didn’t say anything on the ride home. She was certain he was exhausted.

“Momma?” he asked as they pulled off the highway.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Can we stop and get ice cream?”

There was her boy. She sighed in relief. “Yes, we sure can.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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