Page 38 of A Moment Never Forgotten
“How did you change her diapers?” Berit asked.
Mak beamed as he led her to the sink and took the baby from her. He laid her down on the dishtowel. “You hold her down, mom, while I unhook the diaper. This is at least a two-person job, sometimes three.” He looked over at Micah. “Captain, we may need your help.”
Micah’s shoulders bounced as he held in the laugh. He’d changed enough of Austin’s diapers to know that it only took one adult but was prepared to be entertained. “I’m here for you. Just let me know what you need me to do.”
Berit looked over her shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow.
Micah winked.
Mak released the tabs on each side then did a quick peek and a tiny sniff. His entire face pinched. “Oh, fuck. It’s going to be a bad one.” He opened the door under the sink and the stench of dirty diapers pushed Micah back a step.
“Whoa. When was the last time you emptied that, son?” Berit’s accusing face said everything.
“We were busy, Mom. She’s a handful. You wait.” Mak gingerly held the diaper by the corners and threw it into the garbage can. He then turned on the sink faucet and ran his wrist under the water a few times adjusting in between. “Perfect.” Turning his head to his mother, he yanked the vegetable scrubber out as far as it would go and held it like a gun.
“Okay, Mom, wipe as much of the poop off with the toilet paper and throw it into the can. Then you hold her over the sink, and I’ll rinse her off.”
Micah totally lost it. He started laughing.
“You will do no such thing. Put that damned thing away.” She looked over at Micah. “Captain Reid, do you think you can manage to hand me the wet wipes?”
She turned her attention back to her son. “Who the hell taught you to change a diaper that way?”
“That’s the problem, Mom. No one taught us. We were going to try to find a YouTube video to show us how, but we were afraid to be tagged as pedophiles since the cyber office monitors our search history and social media. We learned through trial and error.” He gestured to the nozzle still in his hand. “You’re gonna need this.”
“Oh, the torture you’ve endured with these men. Poor little baby.” Kenzi reached up to touch Berit’s face as she bent over the child. “Well, Nanna’s here now, to teach these boys how to properly handle a little girl.”
She popped out several wet wipes and spread the baby’s legs. “With the little girl, you have to be sure you get everything cleaned or she’ll end up with a vaginal or urinary infection. You always start from the front and wipe to the back. Be sure to get in all the cracks and crevices.” Berit demonstrated.
Micah watched intently. He’d never taken care of a baby girl. It was always good to learn new things. Little boys didn’t have to worry about infections as much, but damn, that wrinkly ball sack was fucking hard to clean sometimes. Mak should be glad he has a little girl. Micah learned the hard way that once a baby boy’s dick was exposed to the cold air, it shot off like a fountain.
“You’re supposed to use the diaper to wipe away as much as you can. I’ll show you how it’s done next time.” She glanced at the disgusting garbage. “I’ll also show you how to roll diapers so all the shit stays inside. In the meantime, get that bag out of here.”
Mak looked thankful for something to do, especially something that got him out of the line of fire of his mother.
As soon as he returned, Berit continued her instructions. “Hold onto both her ankles with one hand, lift up her little butt, and shove the diaper underneath. Let her legs down gently and separate them so you can pull the diaper through.” She continued to fasten the diaper securely.
With a big smile for the baby, she picked up the child. “You want to play for a few minutes or are you ready for a bottle?” The baby bounced in her arms and made little noises. “I think you want to play.” She turned to face her son. “Where are her toys?”
Mak had that deer-in-the-headlights look. “She didn’t come with any.”
“Okay.” Glancing around, she scowled. “I’ll entertain her while you clean this up. Those nipples need to be sterilized, the empty formula bags discarded, and the bottles washed.” She moved the baby to her hip and with her free hand picked up the can of formula and shook it. “Is there more?”
“No, Rock was going to make a run to the store and grab some beer and baby formula.” Mak shrugged. “I guess we all fell asleep when Kenzi did.”
“No problem, I’ll pick some up on my way to the hotel.” She looked around. “Where are her clothes?”
“They’re in the laundry.” He grimaced as he hand- washed the bottles in water so hot Micah could see the steam rising. “But I haven’t had time to run a load and there’s baby shit on them.”
Berit’s words finally hit Micah. Hotel. “You don’t stay here when visiting Mak?”
“No, this is a three-bedroom condo, and I’m too damn old to sleep on the couch. There are several hotels less than a mile away.” She started putting things into the diaper bag. “Makensey, are you in the pool tomorrow, too?”
“No. Medical hasn’t released me completely yet.” Mak added, “But I have to go in. They’ll put me on a bike or some other kind of cardio while everyone else is swimming.”
“I’m taking baby Kenzi and going to a hotel. I’ll stop and pick up formula and a few other things she needs.” Berit grabbed the clean bottles and placed them in the diaper bag.
“No,” Micah protested. “There is no reason for you to go to a hotel. I have a three-bedroom condo and it’s just me.”
