She pulled away from him and handed him the bag she had slung over her shoulder. “Let’s go home, Hue.”
Turning, he took her hand with a smile and led her from the hospital they had almost called home for two months. It was the same route they had taken the night Zia had been born. But this time, they were leaving with their son, their family.
Noah must have known he was leaving the only home he had ever known because he cried the entire drive. Two hours of steady crying from the back seat. Nothing they tried worked to stop it. By the time they reached the apartment, both adults had gone a little crazy.
Amanda spent the next hour just getting him settled down, fed, and put to sleep. Hue felt useless. A few hours later, when the baby woke up a bit more even-keeled again, Amanda fed him, changed him, and just held him for a while until he fell back to sleep. Hue felt useless.
So, it went for the first five days they were home. Amanda did everything. Hue did nothing. Every time he asked if he could help, she said no. He might as well have stayed working. At least there, he was useful.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, it was book club night. Hue said he could watch the baby since Amanda would only be across the street. And didn’t she need a night away from the baby? He knew he could handle a few hours with their son. He was capable of that. But Amanda had insisted she had to take him to show the girls. All of which had been through the apartment over the course of the four previous days. He didn’t argue. It was no use.
So, Hue had nothing to do all afternoon. Football season was now over, and there was only basketball, which held no interest to him. All he had to keep him company was his thoughts. And they were not comforting.
Pulling out his phone, he called Math. His friend was probably home alone with his kid, because his girlfriend trusted him. “Hey, Math, it’s Hue.”
“Hey Hue. Are you on baby duty too?” Math rubbed it in.
“No, I don’t think she trusts me.” He admitted the truth.
“I wouldn’t either.” Math chuckled.
“Thanks.” He felt even worse. His friend didn’t even think he could take care of his son.
“I’m kidding, Hue. Tess didn’t trust me with the baby either, and I had three before. Three, and she hadn’t had one until Zia came. But who was the expert? I will tell you, her. Not to mention you’re actually dealing with a baby expert over there. An actual expert. Give it time. She’ll relax,” Math said, calming his anxiety just a fraction. Then he added, “Or not, she is Mandy. If you only would have talked to me before having a kid with her, I would have told you that. But no, you had to do that all behind my back.”
Ignoring the bard, Hue sighed. He was happy Math and everyone else were accepting him as Noah’s dad. Only family and the book club even knew Hue wasn’t the actual dad. Though he didn’t see how people thought that he and Amanda had been together for months without anyone finding out.
Shaking his head, he admitted, “I just feel worthless all the time. She does everything for Noah, and I can barely even hold him some days.”
“I know, it will pass. She’s still looking at him as a miracle and trying to get all her moments with him.”
“I do too. I want my moments,” Hue admitted.
“You will get your moments. You will get to teach him to throw a football. No way my sister is ever doing that. And you can teach him to play video games. Another thing Mandy can’t master.” All of it true, but it didn’t help him when the baby couldn’t even hold his head up yet.
“You do know one day I will tell her all the stuff you say about her to me, and she will remind you how well she can throw a punch.” Hue smiled at all the times he had watch the oldest Nordskov get the better of her little brother. He always deserved it.
Math laughed. “She is a mom now. She wouldn’t do that. But seriously, just talk to Mandy. She’ll understand.”
“Maybe, I don’t know.” Talking to Mandy when she didn’t want to talk never worked.
“She will,” Math assured him.
After hanging up with Math, Hue couldn’t decide if he felt better or worse. But no matter how he felt, he needed to talk to Amanda about this. Before, it had led to a fight. One he would regret as much as the fight over his mom’s health. Probably more, because now he knew what it was like to be without her, and he never wanted to do that again.
After staring at his phone for a few minutes, he placed another call, one he had been thinking about making since they got home. One he didn’t want to make. Not ever. But one that needed to be made before he talked to Mandy.
“Krystal, it’s Hue.”
“Hi, Hue. How are you doing?” The woman sounded bored, the same way she talked to him for the last three years of their marriage.
“Fine.” He wasn’t going into everything great happening in his life. She wouldn’t even want to hear about it. If it didn’t involve her, she wasn’t interested.
“Oh, fine, is it? That’s not what I heard. I heard you’re dating Math’s big frumpy sister. Not even one of the pretty ones. I know the pickings are limited in Landstad, but couldn’t you do better than that?” His ex seemed to be in a bad mood today. Hue was happy he didn’t have to live with her anymore. Maybe it was good his marriage had broken down.
“Krystal, I’m not talking about Mandy with you,” he stated sternly, realizing she had always been like this. He had just ignored it, but not anymore.
“You know, I saw it coming. You two were constantly flirting with each other. Always. I couldn’t stand her. I don’t know how Seth put up with her for so long,” Krystal admitted.