I glance down at Cami. She’s falling asleep. “Sure. But when she wakes up, she’ll probably be a little sore. We’ll have to be quick, or she’ll scream the place down.”
“Why don’t you keep her out here? I’ll dash in and out.”
I nod, taking Cami off him. As soon as he disappears inside, she starts to fuss, so I slip her into the carrier and rock her back to sleep before she can wake up properly.
Cyrus is in and out in less than two minutes. He re-emerges holding a soft-looking white bunny with a little fuzzy tail and long, floppy ears.
“I asked the sales assistant what a baby would like,” he says, tucking his wallet back into his pocket. “Do you think she’ll like it?”
“Only one way to find out.”
He kneels down next to the carrier, stroking Cami’s face. “I got you a present, ladybug,” he says quietly, nestling the rabbit in next to her. Cami sighs, stirs, and grabs at it with her eyes still closed, hugging it against her. Cyrus’s smile lights up his whole face.
* * *
When we finally make it back to the boys’ flat, we can barely open the front door.
In the few hours we’ve been away, the lounge has filled up with cardboard boxes and shipping containers. They’re stacked on the counters and scattered over the floor.
Cyrus whistles, setting Cami down on the coffee table. “Look how much stuff you need!” He exclaims. “You’re going to ruin us all.”He glances at me. “You got this, babe? I think I need a nap.”
“Of course!”
Sebastian is in the kitchen, tapping at his laptop. He looks up as Cyrus heads to his room. “Beth. Can you come here? I want to discuss your position.”
I float over to the kitchen table. Seb gestures for me to take a seat, so I do, feeling suddenly like I’m at a job interview. It doesn’t help that he’s fully dressed up; even though he’s been working from home, he’s still smartly turned out in a navy suit, with a white shirt and silver cufflinks. The only sign of disarray is the coppery-brown hair flopping over his forehead. He clears his throat, setting his laptop aside. “I’ve looked at your online CV. You worked at a nannying agency up until last year, correct?”
“Yep.”
“What was your salary?”
“Fourteen pounds an hour.”
He nods. “Would eight-to-seven work, or is that too long a shift?”
“That’s fine. She’ll nap for a few hours a day, so I’ll have a couple breaks to relax.”
“How about two hundred a day, Monday to Saturday?”
My eyebrows raise. That’s a lot more than I’m used to getting paid. “Monday to Friday,” I say. “I’d prefer to give her the weekend to bond with her dad.”
“Fair enough.” He glances over at Cami. “They got the DNA swabs okay?”
“Yep. The nurse said you should have the results by tonight.” I tilt my head, considering him. Now that I’m seeing him in the full light of day, there’s something about Sebastian’s face that kind of reminds me of Cami. It’s definitely not his colouring; but maybe the shape of his eyes? His full, soft-looking mouth? “Are you still convinced she’s not yours?”
His mouth tightens minutely. “She’s not.”
“Why are you so sure?”
He looks back down at his computer, clicking open a file. “She can’t be mine. I used protection.”
“Yeah, but most contraception has a failure rate of a few percent, right?”
“Not if you use it correctly.”
“I’m sure Cyrus has plenty of experience operating condoms.”
A muscle tics in his jaw. “Why, exactly, are you pushing this?”