Ben (The Sherwood)

He smiled at me. For the first time in forever, Heath genuinely smiled. Dad stepped around us and grabbed Seth and AJ. “Let’s get the stuff out of the truck. Ben, do you want Asia’s crib in Elijah’s old room or in your room?”

I had no clue. “Mom?”

My mother stopped the fussing she was doing arranging bottles in a cabinet in the kitchen. She walked to the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. “I don’t know. By six weeks I guess you don’t have to worry about SIDs so much. I forget. But now they put babies on their backs which reduces the risk of SIDS nowadays. Everything has changed since you boys were little. She can sleep in Elijah’s room if you want, I guess.”

I interrupted her. “What is SIDS?” I asked, shaking my head at her. She needed to speak English.

“Sudden infant death syndrome. Don’t put Asia in bed with you either. You might roll over on her. They have boxes you can put them in. I saw them on Facebook. Such a cute idea. We just stuck you kids in bed with us and hoped for the best. You were all right though.”

I wasn’t sure about Elijah and Seth. I sometimes wondered if Mom or Dad had cut the oxygen off to their brain during their infancy. My brothers were both intelligent men but dumb as dirt when it came to common sense.

And boxes? What the hell was Rachel babbling about boxes that you pu

t a baby in? “Mom,” I snapped at her. Dad rolled his eyes at her. “Put the crib in my room. She’s staying there until she’s eighteen.”

Dad was laughing all the way out the door. I went to the kitchen where Mom was putting away bottles. I thought I should know where she was putting them and how to make them. She showed me on the can of formula how to mix the powder with bottled water she had left on the kitchen counter.

We left Heath in the living room with Asia. He was still standing where I left him holding her snug against his chest, eyes closed rocking her gently back and forth. My brother was humming to my daughter.

As I glanced over my shoulder at Heath, Mom looked where I was looking. “That little girl has done more for your brother than anything else has since he returned from the Marines.”

“He’s seen her before?” I asked.

She nodded. “He went with me a lot to Elijah’s house to see Jeremiah and Asia. Not that he doesn’t love Justin and Jeremiah but something about Asia has touched him. He felt this need to protect her. He rocked her for a long time every time we visited.”

“I’m glad she brings him peace, Mom. Something sure needed to.” Mom glanced up at me and she nodded.

“So, you know how to make bottles. What else do you need to know?”

I licked my lips. “Everything. Diapers? How do you change a diaper? How do I know when to change her diaper? What else does she need? You’re the expert. How do I know what she needs? She can’t talk. How do I keep her safe?”

Mom laid her hand on my arm. “Ben, it’s trial and error with every newborn until you get the hang of being a new parent. The new diapers have a stripe on them, so you’ll know if it needs changing. Yellow to blue. Blue means change it. They are idiot proof. If they weren’t, in my day, we stuck our finger in and checked,” she informed me.

I was just grossed out by that information.

“Feed her every four hours. If she’s fussy in between try feeding her. Maybe she’s hungry. If not, maybe she just needs her Daddy.”

“When do I give her a bath?” I asked. Mom didn’t realize that I needed explicit instructions. She rolled her eyes at me.

“Benjamin, how often do you bathe?”

“Every night when I come home from work,” I explained.

“Then bathe your daughter every night too or every other night if she’s not stinky or hasn’t thrown up on herself. It’s not complicated. Use common sense.”

She started to walk away. “If I had common sense I wouldn’t have a daughter who has a nineteen-year-old mother who ran out on her.”

Rachel chuckled at me as she glanced over her shoulder. “That’s true,” she agreed. “I’m getting her clothes now. Do you want them in your room?”

“Sure,” I said. “I’ll have to get a dresser to put them in.”

“After we get everything moved in, your dad and I will run out and get one for you.”

“Thanks Mom,” I told her. I really did appreciate her help with this. I hope she doesn’t mind middle of the night phone calls because she was getting them first since it was her idea to send a baby home with a novice.

“You’re welcome,” Rachel replied.

She walked away then. I leaned on the counter and watched Seth and AJ move Asia’s crib into the house and down the hall to my room only banging it once against something, but I didn’t care. My daughter was moving in. I had bigger things to worry about than a ding against a wall.