Emily blinked up at him. She wasn’t crying, but her breath had a raspy quality to it. “She sounds rough,” he said.
Leah nodded. “She’s been coughing. It’s a good thing you got the baby cough medicine in addition to everything else.”
Jeff grinned. “I pretty much bought the whole baby aisle. I knew it was overkill, but I couldn’t stop myself.”
“It’ll all get used, believe me.” Leah yawned. “I can go sleep in the spare room...”
“Please tell me you’re kidding. I pre-warmed the bed in here for you and everything.”
Leah giggled tiredly. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Hey,” Jeff said. He put a hand on Leah’s shoulder. “Thank you for waking me up. Thank you for letting me help.”
Leah smiled up at him. And at three in the morning, after hours of taking care of a sick baby, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“I want you to help,” she said seriously. “I want you to be here for Emily. I want you...”
“You want me to...?” Jeff held his breath.
“I want you,” she said, with finality. “I love you, Jeff.”
He pulled her into his arms. “I love you, too. I love you, and I love Emily, and I want you both here with me.”
“Even sick and awake at three in the morning?”
“Even sick and awake at three in the morning,” Jeff promised. He looked at Emily, whose whiny breaths were starting to speed up into something that sounded upset. “And I want you to start feeling better, kiddo. So how about we go walk around a little bit and maybe help you get some sleep, so that your mom can take a break, huh?”
Leah smiled again, and yawned.
“Go,” said Jeff. “Sleep. Pre-warmed bed.”
“Mmmm,” Leah said, and stumbled over to Jeff’s bed. The bed was a little self-indulgent, but shifters liked to have a bit of a nest, so he forgave himself the blankets and pillows and king-sized mattress, especially now that he was going to have someone to curl up in it with.
And maybe when Emily got older, she’d come running in and jump on them in the mornings, and cuddle up with them and nap a little bit before they started their day.
Jeff eased the bedroom door closed and started walking Emily down the hall. “Does that sound good, baby?” he said to her in a low voice. “Running in and jumping on Mommy and Daddy’s bed and waking them up early in the morning? I don’t think I’ve ever met a kid who didn’t love to do that.”
Daddy. Calling himself that gave him a thrill of hope. Leah had said she loved him. That she wanted him.
He looked down at the fussy baby in his arms. “I’m going to be your dad, kiddo,” he said. “Don’t you worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”
***
Leah drifted out of sleep as light filtered through the window of Jeff’s bedroom. She glanced at the clock. 7:30 AM.
Her eyes snapped open wide. She really had meant to just take a nap and let Jeff at least get most of a night’s sleep before going to work. But she’d slept until morning instead.
He wants to help, she reminded herself.
Still, she pushed the covers aside and got up. Jeff would probably have to head to work soon, anyway, and she wanted to be awake when he left in case Emily needed anything.
But when she opened the bedroom door, the rest of the house was strangely quiet. No sobbing baby, no whining baby, no coughing baby...
She walked cautiously out to the kitchen, where she saw Jeff making coffee. He glanced up and saw her, and beckoned her closer with exaggeratedly silent motions.
“She fell asleep!” he said quietly, when they were right next to each other. “About twenty minutes ago. It was time for the next dose of Tylenol, and when I gave it to her, she calmed down and just nodded off. It was amazing.”
W