RoomHate(40)

A half-hour later, my emotions had only gotten worse. My nipples were sore and cracked. Bea was still colicky in my arms. The front door rattled, and full on panic ensued. A rush of adrenaline hit as I frantically reached into my pocket for Justin’s pocketknife. I made sure I wore pajamas with pockets for that very reason.

Someone was breaking into the house.

It occurred to me that my cell phone was upstairs. Bea was screaming, so we couldn’t even hide. The door was shaking again.

“Damn key,” I heard him say as the door opened.

His eyes bugged out of his head as he caught sight of me. Bea was hanging off my boob. My hair was disheveled, and I was stiffly pointing his own knife at him.

“Justin.”





CHAPTER 11


He turned his head away from me. “What the f*ck, Amelia. Put down the knife and cover your tit.”

His surprise arrival had startled me so much that I hadn’t even realized that one of my breasts was sticking out of my nursing bra. I wasn’t wearing a shirt because I rarely slept with one. It was easier to nurse her in just the bra. With Bea in one arm, I walked over to the kitchen and grabbed my cardigan off of one of the stools before covering myself up.

The scene was chaotic as I fumbled with my sweater and spoke through Bea’s excruciating cries, “What are you doing here?”

“Do you always hang around the house in just a bra now? If so, we’re gonna have a problem.”

“I didn’t think you’d show. It’s earlier in the season than you arrived last year. Why didn’t you call me first?”

“For one, I didn’t think you’d be here. I needed to escape the city for a while. I was gonna spend a couple of weeks opening up the house, getting it ready before you arrived.”

Bea’s cries hadn’t waned. I bounced her up and down in an attempt to calm her.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s colicky. I can’t produce enough milk to satisfy her, and she won’t take formula.”

He slowly approached where I was standing and took a peek at Bea’s face. His mouth curved into a slight smile. “She looks like you.”

“I know.”

Now that he was close to me, he took a good look at me as well. “Jesus Christ, Amelia.”

“What?”

“You look like you’ve been through a war.”

“That’s another way of saying I look like shit?”

“Your eyes are bloodshot…hair is knotted. Fuck. You’re a mess.”

“You don’t think I’m aware of that?”

“Have you been sleeping?”

“No. I get very little sleep. She’s going through a rough patch, keeps me up at night and sleeps sporadically during the day.”

“You’ve got the rough patch part right.”

“Very funny.”

“You can’t live like this.”

“What exactly do you suggest I do?”

“You can start by taking a shower.”

“I can’t just leave her crying like this.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe she’s crying because you stink?” He chuckled.

I was speechless for a moment before breaking out into laughter at my own expense. My God. He could technically be right.

“You might have a point.”

“I’ll hold her while you bathe.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“I said I would.”

“Have you ever held an infant?”

“No.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“I can handle it.”

There was no way I could pass up this opportunity. The thought of a hot shower right now seemed absolutely heavenly.

Handing her carefully to Justin, I warned, “Watch her head. Make sure it doesn’t bend too far back. Support her neck with your arm.”

“I’ve got it.”

Bea looked so tiny in his big arms. She seemed to like being there too; the little bugger stopped crying.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?” he asked.

“Haven’t you noticed that she stopped crying?”

“I told you. Maybe you smell.”

“Maybe.” I laughed. “Or it could just be that you’re a chick magnet, and that title extends to infants as well.”

He rocked his body back and forth to soothe her and waved me off. “Shh. Go, Amelia. Before she loses it again.”

“Okay.” I turned around at the foot of the stairs. “Thank you…so much.”

Upstairs, as the hot water poured down on me, I thanked God for Justin showing up when he did. I had really been on my last leg of sanity. Much like he’d always done when we were kids, Justin came through exactly when I needed it. Even if it wasn’t intentional, he was my hero tonight.

Feeling somewhat human again, I stepped out of the shower and got dressed as fast as I could. The fact that it was quiet downstairs didn’t escape me. Still, I felt like I needed to get dressed fast in case Justin was losing patience—or worse, if Bea had pooped.

The reality when I got downstairs was far from what I imagined. Bea’s back was rising and falling as she lay stomach down on Justin’s chest. She was out like a light. He was just sitting on the couch, and things were as peaceful as could be. When he saw me approaching, he held his index finger to his mouth to signify that I should be quiet.