The door guy leans the stroller against the wall by the apartment door and hands me the diaper bag as he gives us a nod. Adele passes him a twenty. “Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver.”
He thanks her and gives me a nod before glancing in my apartment, frowning, and going back to the elevator.
I look down at the fabric monkey-clad head poking out of the baby carrier. Lilly is now old enough to coo and giggle and sit up by herself and she’s a sight for sore eyes, too. She rouses and looks cranky immediately. Her little lips puff out in a massive pout and she begins wailing.
“Get in, get in,” I wave Adele in, grabbing the baby stroller, ushering them inside.
Jada has a perfect view of the whole exchange. She’s at the island looking at us and biting her thumbnail, looking like she’s trying to hide that she’s been crying with a smile.
“Oh, Jada! Hello again!” Adele greets. “Could you do me a huge favor and…” Adele throws her jacket off and starts undoing the wrap thing she’s got around herself. “I’m dying to pee. Can you hold her for me?”
Jada hops down off the stool and comes straight over, arms out, ready to take Lilly.
“I have to pee, too!” Braeden announces. “Hi! I’m Braeden. Are you my unco’s girlfriend? I didn’t saw you at the wedding. Why do you only have one shoe on?”
“No, I’m… I work here. But I know who you are. I see your face all the time!”
“You do? How?”
Jada jerks her thumb backwards to the wall in the living room of framed photos my brother took. He’s got lots of framed portraits of Braeden and Lilly here and in San Diego. Aiden is good with the camera and he takes mostly pictures of people, managing to capture them at the perfect candid moments. If he didn’t go into business, he’d have been great as a professional photographer.
“Oh. That’s me! Like at home!” He heads to the wall to look closer at the portraits. Oh wow!” Now Braeden is looking out the window. “We’re high up! Way, way high up!”
“We sure are,” Jada says, her voice going funny, making me look at her to see what that’s about.
She leans down and pulls her other shoe off, then her sock and carries both shoes and the socks to her bedroom door. She opens the door and tosses them inside.
My eyes bounce to the window, at the view of the river. It’s a great view. I prefer the view at home, but this view Aiden has ain’t too shabby. And the view from his bedroom is even better, a view of the park.
“What’s yer name?” Braeden asks.
“I’m Jada.”
“Oh. I hearded my mom talking about you on the phone with my Auntie Carly.”
“Bray!” Adele exclaims. “You’re such a little sponge. Zip your lips about Momma’s conversations. Go pee first. I’ll finish getting Lilly out. Don’t forget to wash your hands. Down there,” she points down the hall.
“I haven’t been here in a long, long time. Not since I was a baby,” Braeden says. “So I don’t really remember it.”
“Oh. That’s a long time!” Jada plays along.
Braeden nods and runs for the bathroom.
I’m watching the exchange when Adele hands Jada the miserable, crying Lilly.
“Just a minute, precious. Momma has to pee and then I’ll get you all settled.”
Jada snuggles Lilly to her chest. “It’s okay, baby girl. You’re okay. Shh.” And she gently bounces her as she walks.
“I’m using the master ensuite. I can’t wait,” Adele rushes off.
And Lilly has settled and stuck her thumb in her mouth, putting her monkey head against Jada’s chest. Her eyes are droopy.
Jada is still shushing her and bouncing as she walks back and forth along the length of the living room window, and then Jada gets a weird look on her face and backs up and instead walks back and forth by the island.
“You afraid of heights?” I ask, smirking. Because that’s obviously what that expression and the jolt away from the window was.
Jada sticks her tongue out at me and looks the other way.
I laugh. Loud.
Jada looks at me, startled, and covers the now sleeping Baby Lilly’s ear.
“You’ve worked here a while. How do the windows get cleaned?” I ask.
She looks at me with horror.
“What? You’ve never cleaned the windows?”
“I close my eyes,” she says, looking away.
I laugh again.
She gives me a narrow-eyed look. “You don’t look like such an ogre when you’re laughing,” she observes.
“Huh? An ogre?” I ask.
“If the loincloth fits,” she mutters, and her face goes even redder.
I laugh again, but keep the volume down so I don’t wake the baby.
“How’s that burn?” I ask.
“Not bad. I’m fine.”
“Here, I’ll take her; you should finish your dinner.”
“I’m full,” she says and holds Lilly closer like she doesn’t want to give her up.