The Anti-Boyfriend

I swallowed. If it wasn’t poop now, the chances of it being poop later were pretty high. I vowed to worry about that when the time came. Couldn’t say I was looking forward to it, though.

“You take a new diaper from here and place it under her, then fold the top over and secure the sides with these tabs.”

I exhaled. “That seems pretty straightforward.”

“Yeah, well, it depends on the situation, but the main thing is, just be careful to make sure she doesn’t roll off the table. If you don’t change or clean her perfectly, it’s not the end of the world.”

After that, Carys put Sunny in the baby swing and brought me into the kitchen to show me where the formula was.

She pointed. “These single-serving containers just pour right into the bottle I use right there.”

Carys placed the jars of baby food I’d need on the counter along with a plastic spoon.

She began writing down a feeding schedule. “She already had her bottle this morning, so the next meal can be these pureed bananas at eight. She normally has rice cereal for breakfast, but that’s a little more complicated to prepare, so I’ll just give her that for dinner.”

I nodded, trying hard to take it all in.

“Don’t worry, it’s all down on this pad of paper—what to give her and when.”

I scratched my head. “Okay…yup.”

“I would change her diaper next around ten. So, approximately every two hours.”

I gulped but tried to seem nonchalant.

Carys lifted one of the jars. “Around 11AM, she’ll have these sweet potatoes and peas. Then I follow it up with another bottle of formula.”

My head started to spin a little. “Got it.”

“At noon, you’re gonna want to try to put her down for a nap. But change her diaper again first. Text me if you have an issue putting her down. It usually just entails placing her on her back in the crib and turning on her mobile. It’s okay to leave her in there awake. She eventually falls asleep if the mobile is on.”

Trying to maintain my game face, I nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Some babies have two naps, but she only has one. I find she sleeps better at night with just the one.”

“And you said in the past, her naps can be anywhere from an hour to three?”

“Yeah. I’m impressed you remembered that.” She smiled. “But yes, very unpredictable.”

“Alright.”

“Depending on when she wakes up, I’d give her another bottle either after her nap or around three. That will tide her over until dinner, and I’ll handle that when I get home.”

I looked at the time on my phone. It was past ten minutes since I’d arrived. She needed to leave. “You’re gonna be late. Don’t worry about us. Go.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I owe you big time, Deacon. Big time.”

She rushed around in search of her stuff.

“Don’t forget anything,” I warned, taking one of the drinks I’d brought out of the tray. “Take the coffee with you.”

She took the cup from me and looked around one last time. “Got my phone, got my purse…” She took a deep breath and ran over to kiss Sunny on the head. “Bye, baby. Be good for Deacon.” She looked over at me. “I can’t believe I’m saying that—for Deacon.”

Me neither. “We’ll be fine.”

“Text me if you need me. I don’t care how often.”

“Okay, but I’m only gonna do it if I really need to, like if the apartment is on fire.”

“Oh God, don’t say that,” she said as she rushed down the hall.

After I closed the door, the silence was deafening.

Sunny stared at me from her swing. I was relieved she seemed content. At least one of us was calm.

“Okay…that whole ‘we’ll be fine’ thing? That was just an act so your mom wouldn’t worry. I’m freaking out, little girl. You need to help me. No surprises and we’ll be good.”

She squealed.

“Alright, you cool to just chill there for a few? Looks like, according to your mom’s schedule, we don’t have anything until eight.”

I rubbed my chin. “Actually, I need to go next door to get my laptop so I can use it when you’re sleeping. I’m gonna take you with me to go get it. You okay with that?” Unfastening her from the swing, I lifted her out.

We walked over to my apartment, and I grabbed whatever I could fit in my left hand: my laptop, some beef jerky, and chips. I wasn’t sure what Carys had to snack on over there.

On the way out, I stopped at the mirror that hung on the wall near my door. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of myself juggling all these items along with the baby. When she spotted herself in the mirror, Sunny flashed a huge, toothless grin. Her almond eyes turned to slits at the joy of seeing her own reflection.