Page 192 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

He’s a good boy, charming, with big blue eyes as captivating as his father’s. He has us all drooling like fools over him.

After the first days, when everything is chaos, we acclimate to the new schedules. The little one is king of the house. He has total command, and we’re all at his service.

He feeds every two hours, whether day or night. It’s exhausting because, in addition to being an eating machine, he doesn’t sleep much.

Eric takes care of him. He wants me to rest, but I see how drained he is. One day, after a whole night dealing with the baby’s gas, he didn’t get up until eleven o’clock in the morning. Even he was surprised by that!

Two nights later, I woke up startled and found Eric sitting on the side of the bed, swaying all by himself. He didn’t have the baby in his arms, but they were still forming a cradle. I saw the baby asleep in his crib.

“Honey, lie down and go to sleep,” I told him, suppressing a laugh.

He did, and he was asleep in seconds. When he curled up in my arms, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

Flyn is a wonderful brother. There’s no jealousy, and he’s more affectionate than ever. In the afternoon, after doing his homework, he wants to be with the little one. He’s proud to be a big brother, and you can see it on his face.

We all talk baby gibberish!

Even Norbert!

I’m myself again. I’m back to being Judith, although I’m struggling with the last ten pounds of my baby weight. So much ice cream and plum cake. But it doesn’t matter. The important thing is my baby’s healthy.

The hormones have settled down, and I’m happy. I don’t cry anymore, I no longer growl, and I don’t have postpartum depression.

My father and sister have come a couple of times to see us in these two months. He’s bursting with pride every time he sees his big boy, and Raquel is too. I do notice, though, that she’s down because of the end of her wild little fling.

I try to talk to her, but she doesn’t want to discuss it. I give up. When she wants to talk, she’ll come to me. I know.

Little Eric is the most beautiful and wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, and now when I look at him, I’m sure I’d get pregnant a thousand times just to have him near me.

Like a fool, I’m watching him sleep when Eric comes in and kisses me.

“Let’s go, sweetheart. We have to go.”

Dressed in a wonderful evening gown and wearing the kind of heels that can cause a heart attack, I mutter, “I feel bad about leaving him.”

Eric smiles and kisses me on the neck.

“It’s our first night out. You and me alone.”

His voice reanimates me. We’ve been planning this outing since the gynecologist told us we could resume our sex life. After Eric convinces me that life goes on and I have to get back to my routines, I get up. I give my precious baby a kiss and walk away, hand in hand with my love.

In the living room, Sonia is playing Monopoly on the Wii with Flyn. “Look how handsome you two look!” she exclaims.

“Ah, Jude, you’re beautiful!” Flyn echoes.

I love hearing stuff like that. It’s the first time I’ve managed to get dressed up since I gave birth. I take my usual little turn, and Flyn smiles and hugs me.

“You’re in charge tonight; you’re the big brother,” I say.

Flyn nods and Sonia winks at me.

“No worries. I’ll take care of both of them,” she says.

I smile and kiss her.

“You have our cell phone numbers, right?”

“Yes, darling. Since forever. Go...Go and have a good time.”

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