Page 29 of Reindeer in the Headlights
“Are we expecting someone?” Ambrose was at the door.
“Not that I recall.”
But my mate sniffed and told me we were about to be invaded by a herd, and I turned my back to the door and hugged Wilder.
“We’re here.” It was a herd, but one in human form. My in-laws and the rest of the family traipsed in. We’d arranged for them to visit today, and I’d forgotten.
Iris and Rodney glanced around and took charge. My mother-in-law assigned Tilda to clean up, and the uncles took care of the cats while she took Wilder, and Rodney was instructed to do the laundry. Jeffrey and Cecil were at work but would come later after they did a grocery shop for us.
“But we brought food.” She held up a large picnic basket, and told me and my mate to shower and take a nap if we wanted.
Wilder was fascinated by the visitors, and he stopped crying. Our son sighed and kicked his legs as Iris crooned to him and told him how much she loved him. She possessed the magic touch, or perhaps she’d had a full night’s sleep every night for weeks.
I wanted to protest that we didn’t need a nap and we could stay and socialize, but Iris shooed us away, saying we smelled like spoiled milk. Ambrose and I followed orders and trudged into our bedroom.
Standing under the warm water revived me, and my tummy grumbled. That chicken curry I’d smelled was Iris’s speciality, and when I emerged from the shower, Wilder was asleep in the cradle. Maybe we needed to hire Iris full-time.
I put on clean clothes, which was a novelty, and found a pair of jeans that fit over my postpartum belly. When I walked into the living area, I blinked because the cabin had been transformed.
There were no dirty clothes strewn around the room, and the comfortingthump-thumpof the washing machine assured me they were being cleaned and dried. The dishes were done, the floor swept and vacuumed, and the litter boxes had been cleaned.
A mat was hanging outside, which had been washed after one of the kittens peed on it. And the kittens themselves were asleep in their beds. The cabin not only looked cleaner, but it smelled fresher.
Iris urged us to sit, and she served up curry and rice along with vegetables and fresh bread. Ambrose and I attacked the food as if we hadn’t eaten in weeks.
While we were stuffing our faces, Tilda asked us for our impression of parenting.
What did I say? There were the highest highs as I held Wilder to my chest and we stared into one another’s eyes and when I pressed his cheek close to mine. He was adorable when he kicked his legs as I was changing his diaper. This little boy was the result of the love Ambrose and I had for one another, and I’d given part of my heart to my mate and son.
There were also the lowest lows when he cried nonstop and I felt like the world’s worst parent. But those passed, whereas the devotion and unconditional love was for always.
When I finally readied my answer, I said, “The books don’t describe it adequately.”
Ambrose gave us a second helping of curry. “We should have asked my family for help sooner.”
“You’re right, but we thought we had to do it all ourselves.”
“No one can do this alone, or they shouldn’t have to,” Iris added.
“It takes a village, right?” Rodney said.
“We’ll have to get better at asking for help.”
Everyone nodded, but Wilder cried out, and I took a deep breath. I was ready for another round of pacing. But Rodney got our son and told Ambrose and me to take a nap.
“Wilder is going on an adventure with Grandma and Grandpa.”
We waved as everyone left with a promise that they’d be back to cook dinner after Jeffrey brought the groceries. I experienced a pang as Wilder vanished in the truck. My little boy wasn’t in myarms, and I missed him. I sniffed back tears and buried my face in my mate’s shirt.
But Ambrose wrapped his arms around me and said Wilder would be back soon. He kissed the top of my head and dragged me into the bedroom. When we first mated, time in the bed would be spent having sex, but now it was all about sleep.
We fell onto the mattress, not bothering to remove our clothes. We spooned, and I closed my eyes.
“Thank you for being a supportive mate, a loving dad, and for having an amazing family.”
“And thank you for being the best father. I love you.”
“Right back at you.”
