Page 210 of As The Shifter World Turns

Neil

“Your coffee’s cold, Neil.”

Coffee? That hot drink brimming with caffeine I used to enjoy with my friends? That coffee? It was what I used to drink when I got up in the morning after a good night’s sleep. That first cup of coffee to start the day was the best ever. I vaguely remembered it.

What I couldn't recall was sleeping. At least not sleeping by myself or even sharing a bed with Martin. And the little person who was responsible for my being awake a good chunk of the night was Charlie. My little Charlie.

Now when I opened my eyes and the sun was streaming in the window, I didn’t have enough energy to lift my head.

We’d decided, Daire and I, with input from Nate and Martin, that Charlie should sleep in my place each night initially. He was often at Daire’s who took him to the roof and instructed him about plants, and he crawled on the grass outside Martin’s apartment. But each night he slept in his crib in 2B. Or that was the plan. I put him in the crib at bedtime, but he didn’t want to be alone.

Martin pointed me to internet sites which said he should be learning to put himself to sleep, and for Elune, Dyani, and even Toby, that may have worked. But none of them had experienced the trauma that Charlie had. When he was with me, he was in a carrier on my chest unless he was eating, in the bath or having his diaper changed. And when he was in 3B, Daire or Nate were holding him too.

It was called baby-wearing and it was more common in some cultures than others. While it was exhausting in many ways, he was calmed by my heartbeat,learning that I was always there for him. He’d recognized Adrian’s smell and heartbeat and he mourned the loss of his dad by crying. Those first few weeks were grueling when he howled for what seemed like twenty-four hours a day.

He needed to be close to me, and me to him.

There was one person who Charlie adored from the moment he met him, and the feeling was mutual. Toby, more than anyone, had a special connection with the baby he referred to as his little brother.

And then there was Patch. He was used to babies. He lived with Elune and Dyani was a frequent visitor. But at first he was wary of Charlie. Toby’s insight that first night when I got the phone call was right. Patch was a little jealous of Charlie.

But I could have kissed Toby because he was so adept at managing Patch’s emotions while also being the big brother that Charlie needed. I fell in love with Toby all over again whenever he interacted with the baby and the dog. He was growing up so fast and I wanted to tell him to slow down.

“Neil? Let me take Charlie.”

“Huh?” I opened one eye. “Martin. Did you sleep here last night?”

He shook his head. “You gave me a key, remember, and told me to let myself in before I took Toby to school and headed off to work.”

“Oh, right.” I didn’t remember but wasn’t going to admit it.

Toby bounded in. “Can I hold him?”

“He needs a clean diaper.”

Toby had been learning how to change a diaper but I wasn’t sure he was ready for a poopy one. “I’ll do it and you can help,” Martin told him. “You drink your coffee, Neil. I made you a fresh one.”

While I sipped the hot brew, I ran over what I had to do today. Daire looked after Charlie while I worked if he was free or Nate helped out. The alpha had cut down his traveling and taken more assignments closer to home since Charlie had come to live at Sunshine Manor. And he was filming the reality show at the motel. I was helping him with that, again with Charlie strapped to my chest.

Micah shouldered some of Daire’s workload at the motel so my grizzly friend could be with Charlie, though that was becoming more difficult because Archer was nearing his due date.

Martin took the baby for walks and did his best to sooth him while I worked, but even though Charlie was getting to know all four parents, it was me he spent the most time with and it was me he held out his arms to when I came into the room.

Anthony, dear Anthony who now lived in 3A, was helping me with admin. I’d had a huge influx of people leaving other companies, where the bosses gouged their workers and demanded huge fees, and signing up on my site. I’d been busy before becoming a dad but now I rarely sat at the computer.

I was paying Anthony by the hour but was considering employing him part-time to take over therunning of the office.

“That’s gross, Charlie.”

I eyed my three loves on the other side of the room—my family— as Martin wiped Charlie’s butt. “I used to do the same for you, Toby. And your poop was just as smelly.”

Charlie giggled as if he understood he’d made Toby gag and he wriggled his legs, making it difficult for Martin to put the diaper on. No matter how exhausting it was being a dad, I was loving every minute of it.

Archer

There was no time for the hospital once again, though I neglected to mention that to my mate at first because the contractions were coming hard and fast.

My water broke around the time I normally got up in the morning. Unlike when Elune was born and none of the Sunshine Manor family had kids, now everyone did and they couldn’t just drop what they were doing and babysit. But we had a secret weapon living in the basement apartment. Martin and Toby.

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