Page 14 of Jaime
It still felt weird. Mr. McIntosh. Considering that seeing him had left me starstruck just this morning, I thought I was handling this pretty well.
“Want to try this on?” he asked, lifting the baby carrier.
I nodded, taking it.
It didn’t look like so many straps could possibly be needed, but before I could figure it out on my own, Ethan reached out, lifting one part and slipping it over my shoulder.
He did the same on the other side, then connected them to the front before moving behind me and attaching it all together.
“It needs to be tight,” he said, pulling the straps until it was snug, but I could barely concentrate on anything but the smell of his cologne. It wasn’t overpowering, but it seemed to blanket me when he was standing so close. So warm and masculine, just like him. I shut my eyes for a moment and when I opened them again, he was standing in front of me, offering Evie.
I blinked, shaking myself.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “Just tired.”
He smiled, but there was worry in his eyes.
“That’s why we’re doing this. You need to be cared for too.”
Emotion threatened to overwhelm me at the statement.
I couldn’t look at him, so I forced myself to concentrate on putting Evie in safely. Then I looked up at Ethan in wonder.
“It's like she’s not even there!” I said, amazed. “She feels so much lighter!”
He grinned.
“Yes! And you have your hands again!”
I laughed, flexing my fingers.
“I’m not used to that anymore.”
I looked down at Evie, who was facing in toward me and looking up at the ceiling with newfound interest, looking as comfortable as ever.
“What do you think, baby?”
She gurgled.
“I’ll take that as approval.”
“Does she have any shoes?” Ethan asked.
“Shoes?” I asked, confused. “She doesn't walk.”
He smiled, a real one this time, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.
“I know. It’s just to keep her feet warm.”
“Oh. No, but she has socks. Liz dropped her off with a bag of stuff. It’s over there.”
For simplicity, I’d kept her belongings in the bag in the living room where it was all easily accessible. Aside from diapers and bath supplies, I hadn’t needed to add to them yet. But maybe there were things she needed that I was unaware of, like shoes.
I watched as Ethan pulled a pair of pink socks onto her tiny feet. Once she was ready, I pulled my jacket on. As always, I tucked a bottle into one pocket and a diaper and travel pack of wipes in the other. Then, I zipped her inside up to the neck so she could still see the sky.
I couldn’t stop staring at her.
She looked so happy. And so much more alert too, looking around at the lights on the bus, at the blue sky above. When we reached the shop Ethan had been talking about, West Coast Snuggles, she was blown away by all the signs and colors.
