Page 45 of Out of Control

It would be goodbye to the privacy she and Joe had just enjoyed, from their emotional lovemaking on Christmas morning to both of them being able to walk around the house only half-dressed, to Joe not constantly criticising his daughter’s behaviour, to not having to think about Adele’s preference for convenience foods. All of those freedoms would be replaced by a house full of new baby chaos. She’d visited friends with babies and their domestic life went out of control: mess, toys, and everything focused around that one tiny being. It was probably acceptable when that tiny being was your own flesh and blood, but when it was an uninvited guest, was it possible to put up with it?

She and Joe had spent the previous day reorganising Adele’s room to accommodate the newly purchased cot in one corner and a changing unit with storage cupboard underneath in theother. The steam steriliser was left boxed in the garage — with luck Adele would breastfeed for a while, meaning it might be a few months before this would have to come out and clutter up the kitchen counter. And she might have moved out by then.

“Do you think we’ve missed anything? Are there enough packs of nappies? Are you sure we don’t need one of those baby gym toys?” The new grandfather was like a cat on a hot tin roof.

“It will be fine. More nappies can be bought at the drop of a hat, and Adele might like a hand in choosing things herself.” Fiona remembered the girl’s independent streak.

“Perhaps we should have a Welcome Home party this evening and invite Dan? Since he went to see her, he’s been posting ‘proud uncle’ photos all over social media.”

“No party today. Let Adele settle and Dan can pop round soon.”

Joe had followed the instructions for fitting the car seat. He had got Fiona to double-check it and then he had again compared its positioning and fastening with the illustrations in the leaflet. Fiona refused when he asked her to give it a fourth look-over. “We are both intelligent people. You followed the instructions and we’ve checked it. Off you go and do the honours.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Why? This is a once-in-a-lifetime family thing — Adele won’t want me there cluttering up the scene.”It will be emotional and I don’t want to have to fight tears of regret that bringing a baby home from hospital was something I deliberately turned my back on forever.

“It feels like it needs a woman’s touch. And, well, Rose . . . she’s not here . . . so . . . I don’t know anything about babies.”

You know more than me — you’ve been involved in bringing up two of them, and I am not and never will be a Rose replacement, in either Adele’s life or yours.“OK.” Joe wasacting like a small child who needed his hand holding, and she eventually agreed to go with him for Adele’s sake rather than his. “We need to go now or Adele will worry that we’ve abandoned her.”

* * *

Adele was sitting in the small lobby of the ward when they arrived, Natalie in her arms and her overnight bag at her feet. “You’re late and they needed the bed for somebody else. I didn’t know whether to call a taxi or not.” There were dark circles under the girl’s eyes and a frown across her forehead.

Joe bent and kissed the cranky young mother and the peaceful baby. “I’m sorry, love, but I wanted to make sure that the baby seat was properly fitted in the car.”

Adele looked puzzled. “Where is it?”

“What?”

“Where’s the car seat, Dad?”

“In the car.”

The point of this question-and-answer session hit home quicker for Fiona than Joe as a young couple walked towards them. The man was holding the car seat by the handle. The baby was fastened securely in place.

“That—” Adele pointed at the seat as it swung gently in the man’s grip — “is how they are used.”

It took a few moments for Joe to grasp the meaning of his daughter’s comment. “Are you telling me that we carry Natalie around in the seat and then for every journey we have to fit and refit it in the car?”

“Yes, exactly that, Dad.”

“I can’t go through the stress of doing it wrong on every journey.”

“It can’t be rocket science, Dad. Thousands of people of ordinary intelligence do it every single day.”

The argument was not auguring well for them playing happy families at home, but it had swept away any emotion that Fiona had feared might overcome her.

“Are you able to carry Natalie to the car in your arms, Adele? I’ll carry your bag.” Fiona broke the antagonism between father and daughter. “With a little time, your dad will get used to everything. It’s brand new to all of us at the moment.”

Adele harrumphed but acquiesced.

At home Fiona made Joe leave Adele to her own devices with Natalie upstairs. “Let her settle them both in. She is in charge of Natalie, not us.”

“But while I’ve got time off work I could help.”

“We’ll help when we’re asked, but she’s got to grow her own confidence.”

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