Unexpected Love

“You can hold him when he wakes up,” I assured him before he could ask. The way he lit up caused me to laugh out loud this time. He glared at me and began giving me all the company updates as we entered my office.

We’d been going over things for around a half-hour when Tucker began to cry. Cabe rushed over to pick him up, but after a few minutes of rocking and bouncing, Tucker’s cries had only increased. “He’s probably hungry,” I said as I crossed the room to where they were swaying in front of the view of Manhattan. “I’ll take him. Can you make up a bottle, please?” Cabe rushed to complete his task while I attempted to soothe Tucker. It didn’t seem like he had any interest in calming down, so I breathed a sigh of relief when Cabe returned with a bottle. Tucker latched onto it like I’d denied him food for a week. He sucked down the two ounces in minutes and began to cry again.

“Maybe he’s still hungry?” Cabe suggested. He produced a second bottle, and I raised an eyebrow even as I gratefully took it. He shrugged. “You know how I like to be overprepared.”

I chuckled and slipped the nipple into Tucker’s mouth. He sucked the second bottle down as quick as the first, then went back to crying. I was starting to feel panicked and wondered if I should take him to the ER. “Why don’t you take him home? Maybe he just needs some cuddles in a familiar place.” Cabe gathered all the baby paraphernalia and another stack of documents I needed to take home with me. I secured Tucker into the carrier, and the three of us made our way to the parking garage where Hank was waiting.

Throughout the drive home, Tucker’s cries seemed to get worse, and I decided to call the pediatrician before going straight to the hospital. I explained the situation, and she assured me that babies did this sometimes. “It could be that he simply needs to cry it out.” I glared at the phone, not at all happy with her response. “It could be gas or a number of other things. I wouldn’t worry too much unless other symptoms develop.” She gave me a list, and I wrote down everything she said on one of the folders.

Tucker’s screams were breaking my heart, and as soon as Hank parked the car in front of our home, I climbed out of the car and took him out of his baby seat. I settled him on my shoulder and whispered comforting words while rocking from side to side. I was feeling a little frazzled and frantic but tried to keep my heart rate and breathing steady so I wouldn’t upset Tucker any further. Another car pulled up behind mine, and the back door opened. My neighbor exited the vehicle, and unsurprisingly, we drew her attention.

“How’s fatherhood, Jonah?” she asked with a teasing lilt in her tone. Mallory was vice president of the most prestigious ad agency in town, and she was rarely home. Though she was a very nice woman, she was extremely career-driven and made no secret of the fact she wasn’t interested in a husband and kids. Though, she did get a little soft with Tucker. But who didn’t?

“I—” before I could finish saying anything, I felt something warm running down my shirt. I sighed. It wasn’t the first time Tucker had peed all over me, but the smell emanating from him indicated that it was worse this time. I lifted him away from my body and dropped my eyes to see yellowish-brown goop all over my shirt and, oozing from the sides of Tucker’s onesie. A blowout. Great.

“Shit,” I mumbled.

“I think that’s pretty obvious,” Mallory snorted before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

“Hardy har,” I grumbled, throwing her a dark look. Just then, Tucker let out a loud belch. “Well, I bet that felt good, dude.” Despite being covered in shit, I smiled at my little man, hoping this meant it had just been a gas bubble causing him to cry. He looked a little unsure for a second, as though he wasn’t sure what was happening. Tears started to well in his blue eyes, and I cringed, but when he opened his mouth, cries weren’t what came out.

Instead, I found myself covered from chin to waist in baby vomit. He gagged a couple of times, expelling some more each time before he seemed to finish. I was stunned silent and didn’t have any clue what to do next. I would have been worried, except Tucker was suddenly happy as a clam. Flailing his little arms and legs, he flung more poop from his diaper while he gurgled happily.

Knowing I’d have to wash everything anyway, I went ahead and set him back down in his baby carrier. I had a gym bag in the car, and Hank handed me the towel from it, trying and failing to hide his amusement. “Thin ice, Hank,” I snarled even though we both knew it was complete bullshit. I would never fire Hank; he was like a member of my family.