Page 17 of SEAL's Doorstep Baby

A sound alarms me, and I drop the diaper. Maddie giggles beneath the clean material.

The doorbell rings, but I decide to let whoever is there rot, at least until I can get this diaper on her.

Another ring follows, and a third before I decide I might as well just answer the door if they are going to keep at it.

“Maddie.”

She turns to stare at me with her hazel eyes, a serious expression on her face.

“You stay put, okay?” It’s not like she can go anywhere, but it feels good to tell her.

Maddie’s response is to clap her hands together and gurgle nonsensically in my direction.

“Good.”

Talking to a baby like that probably ranks high on the list of concerning behaviors, but I have not gotten a wink of sleep for days now. Allowances can surely be made for me.

Securing Maddie in her cot so she can’t find her way to the ground, I march to the door with a few choice words on my mind for the visitor.

I walk to the front door and open it to see a familiar face. Allison.

“Good morning, Allison. I completely forgot you were coming today.” That’s a lie. Since about 3:00a.m., I have been waiting for her to come back. I was just distracted by Maddie. But I’m not about to admit that to her.

“Hey Jacob. You don’t look like you got any sleep. You okay?”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” I could talk about my long night, but I decide that discretion could be the better part of valor. “But yeah, I’m okay.”

I start making my way back into the nursery so I can finish up putting Maddie in her diaper.

“How’s my baby girl?” Allison takes a look at Maddie, pinching her cheek while leaning into the crib. She turns back to look at me. “Having troubles with the diapers?”

“More than you could possibly know, Allie. Please show me how to put these on properly.”

All of my pride is gone. I just want to know how to do this so I can pull it off by myself next time.

“Sure thing. Did you powder her first?”

That was the first thing I did after toweling her off, and then I followed that by trying to put on the darn thing which just wouldn’t stay in place.

“First thing I did.”

“Good. Now this time,actuallywatch what I do so you can do it easily by yourself.”

I’m a bit annoyed, but since shehasshown me how to do this before, I bite my tongue and just nod.

Allison is quite the teacher. I watch attentively as she shows me how to put the diaper on Maddie and secure it properly. By the time she has finished, I am sure I can do it in my sleep.

“Thank you. You are honestly amazing. It seems so easy when you do it.”

“You’re welcome. It’s all practice.” Allison is almost blushing at my thanks; her face lighting up with a gentle smile. “I, uh. Babysat a lot. Maddie and, you know… growing up, others.”

With her watching Maddie now, it is easier to attend to other things I have put off. Like finally taking a bath and getting something to eat.

Once I am done with my bath, I quickly put on some clothes and then I root out my laptop from my backpack, digging through my clothes to reach it so I can make the call I have been putting off for some time now.

This first. Then food.I think as the video call rings. When it connects, Micky’s face is the first I see before Pete joins in, too.

“Hello, chief. I thought you had forgotten about us. To be honest…”

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