“You’ve got your hands full,” Jeff pointed out. Emily was clutching tightly to Leah and didn’t look like she wanted to let go anytime soon. “I’ll get the sheets in the washing machine and then head out to the store.”
“Jeff, you shouldn’t have to do any of this.” Leah was stroking Emily’s hair and rocking her lightly as she sobbed.
“Leah,” Jeff said, “I want to do this. I want to help Emily feel better. I want to do whatever it takes to get her well. And I want to do it for you, too. Okay?”
He held her gaze as he said the words, and finally, she nodded once. “Okay.”
“Let me know if there’s anything else you need,” Jeff said firmly, and went to change the sheets.
He stripped the Pack-n-Play mattress as efficiently as possible, got the sheets in the wash, and found some cleaner for the mattress. Then he hesitated, looking at the label. Was it safe to use on a baby’s mattress?
Well, he was headed to CVS anyway; he’d get something natural and baby-safe while he was there.
He stowed the cleaner and went back to the kitchen, giving the chili a quick glance. The biscuits were about done, so he pulled them out of the oven and set them aside to cool.
Emily was still sobbing, but more quietly, now, muffled. Jeff remembered Leah saying she was warm, and went looking through the diaper bag, and then Leah’s little first-aid kit. Sure enough, there was a baby thermometer, so he went back to the spare room.
Leah was pacing back and forth in there, with Emily snuffling into her shoulder. She was murmuring something in the baby’s ear, too quiet for Jeff to understand the words, but the tone was soothing.
“Here,” he said. “If you need it.” He held up the thermometer and set it on the side table. “I’m going to head out to the store. Is there anything else you need? Extra...anything? I’ll get diapers, too,” he said with sudden realization. She would need diapers eventually, after all, no matter what happened.
“She’s in a size three,” Leah said. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” Jeff came over and kissed her quickly, and then kissed Emily’s sweaty cheek. “Feel better, kiddo. I’m going to go get you some medicine, okay?”
Emily sobbed. Leah hugged her tight. “Go on,” she said, and hesitated. “The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.”
Warmth rose in Jeff’s chest at her words. He kissed her again. “I’m leaving now.”
He grabbed his keys and went out to his car with Leah’s words echoing in his head. That sounded like...a step forward, at least. It wasn’t an apology for being a burden; it wasn’t abject gratitude for doing a favor.
It was the sort of thing you might say to a husband or wife. Someone who you wanted or needed in your life, someone whose job was to help you out with things.
Definitely a step forward. Jeff smiled to himself and put the car in gear.
CVS was only a short drive away, although he kept it to careful speeds because the roads were a bit icy after the storm and today’s warmer temperatures, followed by the drop when the sun went down.
Inside the store, though, he got a bit carried away.
He got diapers, Pedialyte, and baby Tylenol, but he also grabbed several other kinds of baby medicine, on the theory that even if they weren’t going to help Emily now, it was better to have them around for the futu
re. He picked up baby food, wipes, baby shampoo, a teething ring, and anything else that looked like it might come in handy at some point, because he wanted to be prepared.
He also got a full set of organic, hypoallergenic, child-safe cleaning supplies. He didn’t want his home to be toxic to a baby.
Jeff paid for everything, loaded it all back in the car, and drove sedately and safely back home, even though he badly wanted to floor it—he was suddenly aware of how much time he’d taken picking out forty-seven different things.
Leah met him at the door, her eyes going wide at all of his bags. “My God, Jeff, did you buy out the store?”
“I wanted to make sure we had everything we might need,” Jeff defended himself. “The medicine is in here, though.” He twisted his hand so she could take the smallest, lightest bag, where he’d made sure to put all the essentials together.
Leah took the bag from him. Emily was still tucked against her shoulder, no longer sobbing out loud, but making an upset whiny noise. “Thanks,” she said, as Jeff shut the door and started shedding all of his winter gear. “Could you...” She stopped.
Jeff looked up. “Could I what?”
“Could you grab a bottle from the diaper bag and put the Pedialyte in it?”
Jeff restrained himself from falling to his knees and saying, She’s asking me for help! Thank you! Instead, he smiled. “Sure. I got orange, grape, and strawberry—does she like one better than the others?”