Redemption(71)

“Please don’t ever do that again. Has Brett seen you make that face?”

“Are you kidding? How do you think we got Grayson?”

I knew she was joking, but the thought was more than I cared to process. “Gross. Goodnight, Annie.”

“Night, Liss. See you in the morning. Tell Dan I said hey.”

I waved to her over my shoulder before I walked across both driveways to our house. I couldn’t wait to climb in bed with my fiancé. The only thing I wanted was a pillow and blanket and about eight hours with the back of my eyelids.



*

The time on my phone couldn’t be right. There was no way it was a quarter to eight. Somehow in my haste to get to sleep I either hadn’t turned on my alarm or had turned it off an hour ago when it rang. I threw the covers back and practically fell out of bed. The thud of my body on the floor woke Dan whose concern, while well intended, only slowed my progress out the door.

“Let me go. I have fifteen minutes to get to Annie’s house, and I had planned to shower before I went.”

He didn’t relinquish his grasp on me once he got up. “Lissa, calm down. You aren’t going to do anyone any good in a panic.”

I relaxed until I felt the tension in his arms subside and then made my break. “I’ll be back. Can you get the gifts out of the closet and throw them in the bags on the kitchen counter? There’s tissue paper there, too.”

“Sure, where are they?”

I raced around tearing my pajamas off to put on a bra and some real clothes. As much as I loved Brett, I wasn’t interested in him seeing any more of me than he had in the birthing pool. I doubted I’d ever be able to look him in the eye again. “The gifts? In my closet in the white box.”

He grabbed my arm when I pulled my shirt over my head. “I’ll take care of it. Go help Annie. You have plenty of time.”

I stopped and let out a sigh. Lifting up on my toes, I placed my lips on his in a sweet but short kiss. “Thank you.”

He smacked my butt, and I scooted out the door and down the stairs.

Annie was in a panic when I arrived. I didn’t knock and just barged my way in and up the stairs. Both kids were crying, she was on the verge of tears, and Brett appeared terrified.

“Brett, what’s wrong? Surely you’ve seen them both cry before?” I laughed at his inability to move. He didn’t respond so I gently moved him aside to take Alissa from her crib. “Annie, are you okay with Grayson?” I hadn’t seen her overwhelmed and wondered what kind of night they’d all had.

“Lissa, all he’s done all night is throw up and cry.” Worry etched her tone and answered the question about Brett. They hadn’t had a sick baby yet.

“Have you checked his temperature?”

“He doesn’t have one.”

“Here, switch with me.” Joshua had painful bouts of gas, and I hoped for Annie and Brett’s sake the same was true for Grayson and it was a relatively easy fix.

She took Alissa who stopped crying the moment she was in her mother’s arms. I sat in the glider and laid her son on my thighs with his head at my knees. He pouted, and his bottom lip stuck out in the cutest possible way. “Does your tummy hurt, little man?” I’d said the same words to my own son. Grayson had gone from full-blown wailing to a pitiful plea. I pushed his feet in bicycle motions, peddling them slowly until the first big toot came loud and clear. After a full round of “The Wheels on the Bus,” his tears gave way, and he just watched me with big round eyes. I can only imagine how uncomfortable he had been with the aroma that came from his little bootie.

Brett stared in awe. “How did you know to do that?”

I shrugged.

Annie wasn’t interested in my answer. She was more concerned with getting out of the house. “I wished I’d known it was gas. Our night could have gone very differently.” She popped Brett playfully. “Come on, Alissa’s dressed. Our turn.”

She took her daughter with them to do what they needed to do. I sang a few more verses of the song that had Grayson’s undivided attention and worked his tummy a little more. When I finally got a grin from his chubby cheeks, I thought it was safe to dress him.

Annie had bought them matching christening gowns. They were beautiful, although probably a little more feminine than Grayson would care to see in his teenage years. She’d spent a fortune, but the gown made her son look like a daughter. Although, I’d yet to see a gown made for a boy that was masculine. I giggled as I pulled his arms through the sleeves.

“I promise never to show any pictures from today to your girlfriends. I can’t, however, assure your mama won’t.”

He didn’t have a clue what I was telling him, but he cooed at the sound of my voice and pumped his little legs up and down in excitement. When he gave me a toothless grin, I kissed his mouth. The slobber was gross, but I’d endure for moments like these.

Several minutes later, Annie appeared in the doorway. Brett was behind her with Alissa in his arms looking beautiful as always. The two of them made gorgeous babies. I handed Grayson to his mom, promised her I’d be at the church on time, and ran back across the yards to my own house to shower.

When I flew by the kitchen table, I saw the two bags neatly stuffed with more tissue paper than necessary and grinned at Dan’s job well-done. I raced up the stairs only pausing briefly to admire my fiancé in his suit before rushing to the bathroom to turn on the shower. In record time, I was back out and toweling off my hair.