Page 38 of Deprived No More

I fling my arms wide before I can think better of it. I’m sure this isn’t helping the baby fever I’ve been suffering with recently, but there’s no way I’d say no to this.

Meghan drops the little one into my waiting arms and laughs. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Yeah, anytime,” I coo. Rocking the little guy, I’m immediately swept away by his little fingers. Gah, I miss this. Luckily, I got to experience it with Grace and Olivia since I missed so much of Logan and Mason’s early years.

His eyes open wide, and I can feel my heart skip a beat. God. I’d give anything to have one more. “Hi, little guy. I’m Kat. You’ve been so good for your mommy. Resting so we can try and get her feeling better. You’re such a good boy.”

“Oh, lord. Somebody has it bad.” Eve laughs.

“Gah. I want another one so bad, Eve.”

“Your poor husband.”

“Poor husband nothing. He’s got it good. The least he can do is let me have one more. I mean, think about it. Is there really that much difference between four kids and five?”

She lets out a cackle. “Well, when you put it that way.”

“Okay, we’re back,” Sarah says as she stops in front of me so the mother can collect her baby.

Looking sorrowfully at her, I joke, “Do I have to?”

The patient laughs. “Come on over tonight. You can hold him as much as you want. He won’t sleep at night. Only during the day.”

“It’s tempting,” I tell her. “He’s so beautiful. Congratulations.”

She gives me a proud smile as she gathers the little one into her arms.

Several days later, after I’ve put the kids to bed, I find myself going through their old things. Baby clothes and infant toys sit in small piles as I regale the incredible moments I had with each of my girls during their infancy. I’m sure I’ve kept these things for sentimental reasons, never expecting I’d eventually want another. But each delicate item is pulling at my heart strings.

It’s been so quiet in the house lately. I’ve been scheduled to work in the emergency room on the days Olivia would normally be home with me. The daycare asked if we could at least temporarily move her to full-time status versus dropping in unexpectedly every time my schedule changed. I understand. They have to manage their staffing. But with her at daycare five days a week, it’s so lonely during the early parts of the day. It’s as if all of my concerns about her beginning kindergarten and leaving me to idle here alone have begun years earlier than expected.

I could easily cut back at work. But I typically only work four days a month unless someone is out on vacation or ill. Or I could pick up more hours, and we could hire a nanny. But I didn’t want to have kids just to watch someone else raise them. Sure, some help from time to time might be good. But I don’t want to miss any more than I have to.

“There you are. I wondered where you went.” Nick stands in the doorway, leaning as he looks over the small mountains of items I’ve been sorting through. “Good. It’s about time we got rid of that stuff.”

Looking up at his smiling face, I have to fight not to cry.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Kat

“Oh my gosh, if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes,” I tell my best friend, Olivia, as I greet her at her corner table at Mother Goose. We’d had to locate a new breakfast place, given The Belleview Café closed down a few years ago.

“It’s been too long. Sit down and catch me up on everything.”

“Well, there isn’t that much to tell. Grace is doing amazing, and the boys are as rowdy as ever. Little Olivia is loving preschool, but I’m not ready for her to be gone so often.”

“Oh, I miss that sweet little thing. I still can’t believe you named her after me.”

“Bright blonde hair and big blue eyes, why wouldn’t I?”

“Good morning, ladies. What can I get you?”

“I’ll take an egg white omelet and a coffee, please,” Olivia tells the server.

“Hmmm. Can I have two eggs scrambled with cheese and a side of Avocado Toast? Oh, and a cup of coffee, please.”

“Sure thing. Coming right up,” she says, reaching for our menus. The restaurant specializes in farm-to-table meals using organic food primarily from local farms. Hanover, Virginia, is rich with farmland, and it gives me a good feeling to be supporting the people in my community when I fill my belly.

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