“There’s another hot zone in the morning, for the same reason,” Derek said. “Don’t worry: I already disabled the sound alarm in my quarters. If we get a call in the middle of the night, it won’t startle you. Thanks for being here, Clara. We do appreciate it.”
He looked like he didn’t know what else to say, so he nodded gruffly and walked away. Taylor grinned, gave me a little wave, and then followed him down to the bedroom hallway.
“You’re not going to bed, too?” I asked Jordan.
“I usually stay up a little later. We’ve got flexibility, so long as we’re jumping up and ready to go if we get a call.”
I sat on the couch next to him and shifted the baby from one arm to the other. He made an unhappy noise when the bottle wasn’t in his mouth, which immediately ceased when I gave it back to him. There wasn’t much left in the bottle, but he seemed happy to nuzzle at the rubber nipple.
“Wow, look at that,” I said, nodding at the TV. “The Giants are losing to the Diamondbacks.”
“It’s early,” Jordan replied curtly.
“It’s the seventh inning.”
Jordan glared over at me, but his expression softened when he saw the baby in my arms. “It’s been a crazy few days. When you texted me on Saturday, I was kind of busy learning how to change a diaper. I hope my short answers didn’t come across the wrong way.”
“Actually, they kind of did at the time,” I admitted. “But I understand the situation now.”
“It’s crazy. It’s all so crazy.” Jordan shook his head in wonder. “I just can’t believe this happened on Friday night, the night I finally worked up the nerve to ask you out.”
“Bad timing indeed.”
Or good timing, depending on how you look at it. After all, I’m here with Jordan, and will be spending a lot more time with him.
“Speaking of timing,” I said, “you should switch to the Dodgers game. They’re tied going into the ninth right now.”
“I’m perfectly happy watching the Giants, thank you very much.”
“Come on. The Dodgers are playing the Brewers. It’s a series with playoff potential.” I took the baby’s bottle away and put him over my shoulder, then gently rubbed his back. “I’m here, helping take care of this little guy, and you won’t even let me watch the Dodgers…”
Jordan glared at me again. “How long are you going to milk that?”
“For as long as possible! Besides, the Giants suck.”
Jordan clutched his chest like he had been shot. “Keep talking like that and you can kiss a second date goodbye.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean youdowant to take me out again?”
“Maybe,” he said. “Depending on how much Giants trash talk I have to endure.”
“The Giants are a very respectable team,” I said diplomatically. “Even if they have silly Halloween colors.”
I realized that baby Anthony was asleep on my shoulder. I slowly got up from the couch and carried him back to Derek’s room—my room, for the foreseeable future.
As I laid him into his basket of towels, Jordan whispered, “It’s kind of pathetic putting him in a laundry basket, huh?”
I swaddled the baby in a towel and said, “I think it’s cute. You’re doing what humans have been doing for all of time: trying to get by with whatever they have at their disposal.”
Jordan loomed over the basket and brushed Baby Anthony’s cheek with his thumb. “Don’t worry, little guy. We’ll get you some blankets and a proper bassinet the next time we go out.”
“That’s a lot of money to spend for a child you’re only keeping temporarily,” I pointed out.
Jordan responded without taking his eyes off the baby. “Whatever he needs. Besides, we can donate what we have when we’re done.” He sighed and finally looked at me. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” I replied softly.
“Are we doing the right thing?”