Page 66 of Jeremy
Allthat takes a back seat today though, because our son is finally coming home.
Melissaand I have hopped back and forth between staying at her place and mine, but Iknow I’ll be staying with her now. If everything goes right, I hope we’ll befinding our own place together soon.
“I’mjust going to hold him all night,” she says.
Lookat her. The sun reflects off her black hair, making it look almost purple, andit’s a sharp contrast to those blue eyes that glow with happiness. She fidgetslike a toddler when we pull into the hospital parking lot, hopefully for thelast time.
Igrab her hand and we make our way inside. It seems surreal to actually get tocarry him out those glass doors a few minutes later, like they’re going to rushout and find a reason he has to stay. But, of course, that doesn’t happen.
C.J.sleeps the whole drive home, but he’s bright eyed and aware once we get inside.Melissa sits on the couch with him cradled on her lap, and I take a seat besidethem. I don’t know how long we stay like that, just watching him, but I don’tthink I could ever tire of it.
He’sstill tiny, just short of five pounds, but he’s gaining steadily, and the boyis an eater. He has also developed a set of lungs and is not shy about lettingus know when he’s hungry or unhappy.
Hestarts to fuss and Melissa hands him to me. “I’ll heat up a bottle if you wantto change him.”
“Okay,buddy,” I say, taking him back to the nursery. “Here’s the deal. I’m going tochange your wet butt, and then you get the food. Sorry, but you’re stuck with abottle because I’ve reclaimed your mom’s boobs.”
“Jeremy,”Melissa calls out with a laugh. “I can hear you on the monitor.”
Shit.I forgot about that. “Well, stop eavesdropping. This is a father sonconversation.”
Brightblue eyes gaze up at me like I’m the most fascinating thing they’ve ever seenwhile I undo his sleeper. Why do they make these things so confusing? Itbuttons up one leg. Why don’t they just make human clothing for babies? I’venever owned a pair of pants that button up one leg.
Imanage to get the sleeper off him, and he starts crying again. “Someday, you’regoing to appreciate how great it feels to be naked.” After I started in thehospital, talking to him just became a habit. I know he doesn’t understand, buthe seems to like the sound of my voice.
Iunfasten the diaper, happy to see he hasn’t shit as well. Baby shit is a wholenew level of disgusting. Green or yellow and runny. Ugh.
Itake off the diaper and grab a wipe to clean him up. Before I get a chance totouch him, I get hit right in the eye with a surprisingly powerful stream ofbaby piss. It burns like fire so of course, I yell, which just allows it to getin my mouth too.
“What?”Melissa steps in the room.
“Hepissed on me.”
Shebursts into laughter as I spit and sputter. She grabs a diaper and lays it overthe top of him in case he goes again. “Where are you going?”
“Torinse my mouth! It hit my tongue.”
WhenI come back from the bathroom, she’s still laughing, and C.J. is dressed in hissleeper. “Why did you strip him? Babies pee when they get cold.”
Noneof the books warned me of that.
“Ihad to get the diaper off,” I defend.
“Look.”She patiently shows me how to remove only the bottom part of his sleeper.“That’s why they’re made like this, to make diaper changes easier.”
Well,I’ll be damned. “There’s a real learning curve to this.”
Cuddlinghim close, she drops a kiss on my lips. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Aknock on the door reminds me I’m waiting for a delivery. “Yeah,” the guy says,when I open the door. “Delivery for Jeremy Martin. The note on the porch nextdoor said to come over here.”
“Thankyou. The front door is unlocked. If you could just leave it in the foyer, I’dreally appreciate it.” I hand him a sizable tip.
“Sure,no problem. Have a good day.”
Mellooks out the front window and asks, “Why is there a Lindon Gallery truck here?I’m not having anything picked up today.”
“I’mhaving something delivered.” She stares at me as I sit on the couch. “I boughta painting from this incredibly talented artist during an exhibition a fewmonths ago. I would’ve bought more, but they’d all sold out, except for one.”
