Page 56 of The Workaholic Down the Hall

“The doctor hasn't checked her in a while. Should I call her?”

The anxiety in Nora's expression and tone caused my own anxiety to spike. Another contraction hit me with a painful force. When I came out of it, Nora was gone. May smiled serenely at me. “I made an executive decision and asked Mom to leave. She won't be back until the baby's here.”

“Thank you,” I said, exhaustion overwhelming me. “Will you stay?”

“Of course.”

May stayed and she remained calm, even when I felt like my body was going to split in two from the pain and from the baby working her way out of me. When I suggested maybe I should have the epidural anyway, May reminded me it wasn't what I'd wanted. She didn't flinch when I started to push, even though there was a lot of blood. She held my hand and urged me on and was entirely supportive.

The delivery was hard and painful and bloody, but at the end a lovely, healthy, warm baby girl was placed in my arms. I cried with happiness and relief. She cried, too, and I learned really fast how to nurse her. At least, I made my best attempt.

May held the baby, who I named Sophie as soon as I saw her tiny snub nose and bright blue eyes. Then, the nurse had to take the baby away and May went with them to watch over my baby. “You did good, Momma,” May said before she left.

“Thank you,” I said, my eyes already drifting shut with exhaustion.

When I woke, she was back, and Sophie was sleeping in a bassinet by my side. “Sweetie,” May said. “Your aunt is here and she wants to see you and the baby. Cody, Carrie, Nora, and Oscar, too.”

“Of course,” I said. “Tell them to come on in.”

May nodded, but she hesitated. “Um, Noah is here, too.”

I forced a smile, but I didn't feel it. I was so tired. I just wanted to be with my family and my baby. I didn't want to see Noah and wonder what he thought of me and our daughter. I didn't want him to hold Sophie and see no love in his eyes. I didn't want to hear his excuses when he told me he had to hurry back to the office. I just didn't have the energy for any of it. “He can see Sophie, of course,” I said. “But I don't want to see him, May, not now.”

May didn't argue or try to convince me to change my mind. “Okay, sweetheart. I'll tell him.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Aubrey

I was on the couch, Sophie in my arms, my shirt raised so she could nurse, when someone knocked on the door. May had left a half hour before to get groceries and survival necessities, like chocolate and movies, but she wouldn't knock, she'd just walk in. I hadn't showered in more than twenty-four hours, I was almost certain I had spit-up in my hair, and Sophie was going to scream like she was being murdered if I took her off my boob, so I considered ignoring the knock.

Whoever was at the door wasn't in a mood to be ignored. She, or he, pounded three more times. I sighed and pushed Sophie off my breast. “I'm sorry, sweetheart.”

She didn't care how sorry I was, her little face reddened and scrunched as her mouth opened wide and she let out a screech that was loud enough to wreck my eardrums. “Shh, sweetie,” I said. “I'll let you eat some more in just a minute.” If she was awake, she wanted to nurse, so I knew she wasn't going to starve, but there was no reasoning with her, and no amount of talking to her in a sweet voice was going to calm her down. She might only be four days old, but she knew what she wanted and she was persistent.

I pulled my shirt down and snuggled her close, even though she screamed right in my ear. I pulled the door open to see Noah, looking alert, chipper, and clean, on my front porch. My first instinct was relief. He was there, finally, and he'd help me. May had been wonderful, but I felt like such a burden to her. Noah was Sophie's father, helping me care for her was his job. Then, I remembered all the reasons I didn't want him there and the relief vanished and was replaced by a sort of numbness that probably would have been anger if I wasn't so tired. “Why are you here?”

“I'm here to see you and Sophie.” His gaze was on our screaming child as he spoke, his expression twisted with worry. “Is she okay? Can I do anything?”

“She's okay. She just wants to eat. She always wants to eat.”

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Here.” He held out his hands. “Let me try.”

I snorted, because unless he'd grown boobs and was lactating, there was nothing he could do to make Sophie happy. He took her from my arms, anyway. He held her like she was precious and fragile, but he appeared to know what he was doing, because he tucked her in against his chest, bounced her lightly, and she stopped crying. She stopped crying and her eyes drifted shut.

Noah smiled at me over our sleeping baby. “She's so gorgeous.” He gazed down at her, appearing to be completely smitten, and my heart melted. As hard as I'd tried to stop feeling anything for him, I was as much in love with him as I'd ever been, if not more. “Is there anything you need to do?” he asked. “I've got her for a little bit.”

“I could really use a shower.” A shower, a nap, and an uninterrupted meal, but I didn't want to sound greedy.

Noah sat on the couch, Sophie still in his arms. “Go ahead,” he said. “We'll be fine.”

I studied them for a moment. He looked so natural, so comfortable, and more at ease than I'd seen him maybe ever. Something had changed but I had no idea what it was, and in all honesty my brain was too tired and sluggish to work it out. “You can put her down in her bassinet to sleep.”

He smiled. “I'm fine, Aubrey. Go. Shower. Don't worry about us.”

I took him up on his offer and left him alone with Sophie. I took a long shower, shaving everything that needed to be shaved and enjoying the water and the peace. It was so good, I almost fell asleep standing up, right there in the shower.

I managed to stay awake and turned off the water, only to hear Sophie screaming at the top of her lungs. I sighed. My dream of peace had died a quick death. I toweled off, dressed, and raced out to the living room to find May, Sophie in her arms, pacing and cooing to the baby.

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