Dr. Stud

Oh, wow. That is a wonderful feeling.

Sophia must be hungry, because I can hear her fussing in the kitchen. I gather the papers and cross the house, eager to join them. When I enter the room, Bunny smiles at me and picks up the bottle.

“Did you want to feed her?” she asks, holding the bottle as it drips water from the automatic warming unit. “She’s ready now, if you like.”

“Actually, I would love to feed her. And you can have all of this.”

I hold out the papers, trying to conceal my pride. I did, after all, just make this for her. And she seems to understand, her eyes going wide.

“Oh! Are those my new papers? The whole kit and caboodle?”

“Hopefully, more caboodle than you ever dreamed of,” I quip.

She raises her eyebrows. “Wow, Spencer. I’m not sure I ever heard you made a lawyer joke before! I like it!”

Sophia kicks her heels out, smacking her lips and fussing as Bunny arranges her on my lap. She gazes up at me expectantly until I draw the rubber nipple across her lips. Then she latches on instantly, gobbling it down like a pro.

“We can start baby food any time,” Bunny murmurs. She strokes Sophia’s cheek fondly then sits down.

“Already? She’s not that grown-up yet.”

Shrugging, Bunny draws her finger across the top of the stack of papers.

“The book says we can. I’ve been researching. I have a lot to learn. For instance… did you know that she knows her name now? Try it. Just say it to her.”

She’s looking up at the ceiling, at the whirling fan as she sucks her bottle and I do try it.

“Sophia,” I whisper to her.

Immediately she turns to me, blinking and alert. My heart leaps.

“Is that for real? She did that because she knows her name?”

Bunny grins triumphantly. “Yes! I only tested it like four thousand times!”

“That is so cool, Sophia. Sophia. Sophia, you’re a baby genius!”

We sit in silence for a few moments. The only sound is Sophia’s satisfied suckling, and the breath that comes out of her nose. I know in a few minutes, she’s going to be happy and sleepy, going down for her morning nap. I love it that I know this.

“You’re such a good daddy,” Bunny sighs. “All of you, I mean. You’re all wonderful with her.”

“You’re wonderful with her too,” I smile, catching her eye.

She’s beautiful, relaxing in a pale green chemise with bright pink Chucks on her feet. Kind of an interesting sense of style.

“Can you tell me what’s in the papers?”

“Oh, yes,” I begin again, automatically sitting up straight in my chair and assuming my formal lawyer position. “It is essentially the same document as before, with some substantial additions regarding r

elations—”

“Wait,” she interrupts, her expression dark.

“But I thought we were all on the same page.”

Shifting uncomfortably, she takes a deep breath. “Actually, can you tell me about Nina first? So I know?”

I don’t want to say anything. I feel like I’m suddenly confronted with the door that I hate opening. I don’t want to look at what is behind that door.