Page 70 of The Homecoming

Danny inhaled the formula from the bottle and belched like a grown man before passing out and sleeping for four hours straight before he woke again. After a new diaper and another bottle, he slept another four hours, and they were the first stretches of time that Autumn had slept since he was born.

Autumn awoke the next morning a new person. After breakfast, she sat Danny in his bouncy seat and he busied himself kicking his legs and smacking at the toys that dangled from the overhead bar attached. The dangling shapes and animals kept him occupied while she washed up the bottles and gave the kitchen a quick wipe down. Perhaps motherhood wouldn’t kill her after all.

“It’s amazing what sleep will do for a person,” Autumn said. Her house was filled with her friends for the first time since regaining control of her life.

Brandon and Hannah sat at the table with Autumn, and both smiled and nodded.

“Good to see you’re looking so much better,” Brandon said. “More like your old self.”

“Bottles were a lifesaver. For both of us.”

“So, he just wasn’t getting enough?” Ben asked from across the room. He was sitting on the floor next to Rebecca, who was attempting to teach Danny how to crawl, even though he was still shaky on even holding his head up for long stretches. She’d been working with him on tummy time on a folded blanket in front of the covered fireplace. Danny smiled and squealed when Rebecca stuck her tongue out at him. It was the height of comedy for the three-month-old.

Autumn nodded. “It seems so. It can happen. I had to let go of the way I thought it should be and accept the reality.”

“Well, you both look so much better now,” Hannah pointed out.

“Yeah, apparently sleeping, eating, and not crying all the time all work wonders for the spirit.”

“Boo,” Rebecca cried out at the boy, who squealed in joy after she revealed her face from behind her palms. She and Ben laughed, making silly faces at the boy who was delighted with the attention.

“So… Dan still hasn’t called?” Hannah asked, her voice low.

Autumn shook her head. “It’s been almost seven months since I heard from him. I’ve been trying to not think about it.”

“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.”

Autumn had grown tired of that response. It was the favorite refrain every time one of them asked the question, and she gave the now familiar answer. She considered telling them to stop asking; if Dan called, it wouldn’t be information kept from them. It would turn into a group text, and the ripple effects would be felt throughout the town.

Brandon reached over and rubbed her hand. “You alright?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m ready to start coming back to work,” she said.

“Anytime,” he replied. “You found a sitter?”

“Not yet,” she said.

“Well, why don’t you start by coming back part-time? You can even bring Danny with you, if you want.”

“It would be nice to get out of here a little,” she said. “Starting to feel a bit cooped up.”

He nodded.

“How’s Scottie working out?”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Sweet girl, but can’t keep up with anything—keys or paperwork.”

“So, my job’s safe?”

“You have no idea.”

“She never could remember who I was,” Hannah said. “Every time I walk in there it’s like we’ve never met before.” She took a drink. “There’s something wrong with that girl.”

“How’s the schedule for fall coming along?”

“We’re almost full up every weekend. If we can swing it, I was thinking we should consider adding weekday weddings.”

“We need to make sure we can keep the quality,” Autumn said.

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