Page 30 of The Complication
Declan nodded. “In case you need me to watch her. I’ve never changed a diaper. It’s not something I wish to do incorrectly.”
“Ah…okay,” I mumbled while trying to kick my brain out of neutral. I’d never imagined Declan wanting to watch Joy. Not that I’d gotten the impression it had been a terrible experience for either of them—but I’d thought it would be a quick, one-time thing. I’d expected Declan to cut all ties with me once I was out of his hair. Who wanted to schedule a weekly fuck with a guy who had to plan around his kid’s sleep schedule?
“Is that a problem? Would you not feel comfortable with me?—”
“No! It’s fine. I trust you. Your request surprised me.” I rebounded after hearing the hesitance in his voice and jumped right back in. “Diaper changing is super easy. Especially with these disposable ones. I remember Molly debating between cloth diapers and these disposables. When she considered all the washing, she went with disposable and I am so freaking glad. The first step is getting the wiggle worm to lie on a blanket or on the changing table. You’ll need a fresh diaper and some wipes close at hand. Once you get her undressed from the waist down, you pull these little tabs to unfasten the diaper and?—”
I didn’t get any further in my instructions. My sweet, precious daughter had dumped a massive stinky load into her diaper. Poor Declan gagged and gasped before charging out of the room. I might have gasped, but that gave way to near-crippling laughter. My vision blurred from the unshed tears and I kept one hand on Joy’s belly as I laughed, struggling to stay on my feet.
This was an important lesson for Declan. Babies were cute and adorable, but they also produced very sticky, disgusting things that required a strong stomach and a somewhat dead sense of smell.
“I guess we’ll have to try with a non-stinky diaper,” I said to Joy, who giggled at our antics.
11
DECLAN FOSTER
Parker was never goingto let me live that down.
I hadn’t been prepared for such a noxious odor to come from such a tiny child. How could anything that adorable and innocent make such a smell? It could have been classified as a war crime if used against someone.
And somehow Parker had remained unfazed. The lunatic’s laughter had chased me out into the hall and seemed to echo through the house.
When I got control of myself and edged into the bedroom, Parker was pulling Joy’s pink shorts on. The worst of the smell had disappeared along with the offending diaper.
The next several days passed quietly as I grew more accustomed to having two guests for meals. Joy was generally well behaved, though she was quite clear about the foods she didn’t care for, no matter how hard Parker tried to get her to eat them. Joy would never be a fan of brussels sprouts.
I tried to stay away from Parker and Joy, giving them space to be comfortable in the house. I was afraid that if I continued to hover, Parker would feel as if he needed to hurry and find a new place to live, and that wasn’t what I wanted at all.
But why was I so eager for Parker and Joy to remain here?
That didn’t make sense.
However, I didn’t let myself poke at that shadowy area of my mind too much. All I knew was that the thought of Parker and Joy leaving sent up feelings of panic while my heart squeezed to the point of being crushed.
No, it was better if they stayed here. It was easier to watch over them both. That was all it was. I was worried about their safety.
Near ten on Wednesday evening, I left my hiding spot, putting my book aside in favor of a nightcap before bed. As I crossed through the house, I found Parker sitting in the center of the living room floor, his hands braced behind him and his legs stretched out while he stared at the large, two-story white wall.
“Is everything okay?” I inquired as I hesitated in the doorway.
“Yep.” He flashed me a broad smile and held up a tumbler with a dark red drink. Ice clinked softly against the sides. “You should ask Franks to make you a bay breeze. It’s tasty. Mine’s a virgin, but I’m sure he can make you a real one.”
“Why didn’t you have an alcoholic one?” I knew for a fact that Parker enjoyed having a drink every once in a while.
“I’m not comfortable drinking around Joy yet. Everything is still so new with her. I want to be sharp in case there is a crisis. Even the idea of being buzzed makes me nervous.”
That made sense. I stepped into the living room. “I can monitor Joy if you want to have a drink,” I offered.
Parker was quick to shake his head. “Nah. I’m good.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten a proper lesson completed for diaper changing.”
A bright bark of laughter jumped from Parker as he tossed his head back. “No! Don’t be sorry. I’m pretty sure I had the same reaction as you when I changed Joy’s first poopy diaper. My dad almost fell over laughing at me. You get used to it…sort of.”
“Can I try again?”
Parker’s smile softened into something so very sweet that sent goose bumps down my arms. “Of course. We’ll make sure it’s an easy one next time.”
