Page 7 of Coming Home for Fall
Sasha replied with a small, grateful nod. After a pause, Sasha breathed in deeply and her eyes widened. “Mmm, something smells good!”
“Oh!” Callie’s eyes widened. “I have to check on the chicken!” Rushing back to the kitchen, she opened the oven and grabbed her mitts, rescuing the chicken in time. It was well toasted on the top but not burnt. After setting it down on the counter, she got to work throwing the veggies in for a few minutes.
“Woah! Didn’t know I’d be staying with a chef,” Sasha noted as she meandered into the kitchen.
Callie chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m not. I just wanted to make something special for your first night. Make it feel like home.”
A soft, grateful smile formed on Sasha’s lips. “You could’ve just made frozen fish sticks and I’d be happy... anything would be better than what I’ve had lately...” She paused, gently brushing her thumb over the baby’s head. “So, thanks. It means a lot.” She then moved to set Dot in the little plush playpen David had brought out of storage. Heading back into the kitchen, Sasha began preparing a bottle for the baby. As she moved to microwave the cheap plastic bottle, Callie made a noise at the back of her throat almost involuntarily.
Sasha stopped her work and turned to Callie, blinking.
“Oh—nothing.” Callie shook her head. “I—I was just going to let you know that we have some glass bottles in the cupboard if you’d like one.”
Sasha’s brow furrowed and she chuckled. “You’re saying to give her a glass bottle? Uh... I don’t want her to break your stuff.”
“Right, no. I—it might sound a little weird, but they’re made for babies, so they’re pretty durable. Plus, I bought the best ones I could find online.”
Sasha tilted her head. “Are the glass ones better?”
“Um—well—” Callie stared down at the chicken and bit her lip, plastering on a smile before she met the girl’s gaze again. She didn’t want to make Sasha feel like she’d messed up again,so she tried to be delicate. “I don’t really know if it’s true or not. It could just be one of those things you read on the internet.” She laughed nervously. “Or maybe they’re just trying to make us afraid of plastic, so we buy more glass ones. Anyway, I just saw somewhere that glass is supposed to be healthier, that’s all.”
Sasha slowly set the plastic bottle down onto the counter, her eyes searching Callie’s expression. “Are the plastic ones bad for her?”
“No!” Callie waved her hands. “No, not at all. It’s like—hmm.” She sucked air through her teeth, silently cursing herself for starting this conversation. She should’ve minded her own business and let Sasha use whatever bottle she wanted. When her kids were young, she’d also used plastic bottles—it couldn’t be that bad. “It’s not that the plastic ones are harming her... I don’t think... It’s—it’s just that if you have the glass ones, those are supposed to be… better.”
“Because of microplastics?”
“And other chemicals...” Her eyes darted quickly for a moment, but she tried to cover up her anxiety with an even bigger smile. “Besides, they’re easier to clean. That's what I read on this one blog, anyway.” Callie fidgeted with her thumbs, searching for the right words. While plastic bottles weren’t the end of the world and she didn’t mean to judge Sasha for using them—she’d already purchased the ones that were proven to be safer. Moreover, since she’d already dug herself into a hole, it seemed too late to pull back. “Here, let me make the bottle. How about you have a seat and relax.”
Sasha looked over at the baby, who was happily sitting in her playpen, watching the adults talk. “Okay,” she said, sliding onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Thanks for getting the other kind. They probably weren’t cheap.”
“They were on sale,” Callie lied, as she poured the milk from the plastic bottle into the glass one. Next, she grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and turned on the burner.
Sasha leaned forward on her elbows. “So, is that the better way to heat up a bottle?”
“Huh?” Callie chuckled. “Oh, no. This is just the way I know how. I was worried I’d make it too hot in the microwave, not sure if its better. If anything, it takes longer.” She smiled over her shoulder. “But if Dot starts fussing, I’ll switch to the faster method.”
“She doesn’t really fuss a lot,” Sasha replied. “That’s why I was so worried earlier, I thought something really serious was going on.” She pressed her fingers to her forehead. “I thought— well, I don’t even wanna say it, actually.”
Callie nodded. “It’s scary, when they cry like that.”
Sasha let out a weary sigh. “That’s for sure.”
“But you said she’s not normally fussy, so that’s good. It’s always nice when your first one’s well behaved. Taylor wasn’t always on his best behavior, but he was nothing compared to the youngest.” Callie smirked, chuckling. “And then of course our middle child was a perfect little angel, as they often are. Ever read about the psychology behind birth order?”
Sasha shook her head.
“It’s interesting stuff! Of course, I didn’t learn about it till after my kids were grown, but it helps me understand them now as adults. If you want, you can borrow book I have—”
“That’s okay.” She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I don’t think I’ll need to know much about birth order stuff. I’m not really planning on having more kids.” She let out a soft, nervous chuckle. “I mean, even Dot was a surprise—a wonderful one—but still... let’s just say I’m happy with just raising one child and being done.”
Callie couldn’t blame her. Sasha was so young. Getting pregnant at twenty meant that she was going to miss out on a lot of fun, not to mention, having to raise the baby on her own meant she’d have to work twice as hard as other parents. Callie would’ve been surprised if Sasha had said wanted a bunch of other kids.
“Did you grow up with a lot of siblings?” Callie asked, turning the stove down a little as the water started bubbling.
“No. Just me.”
“Same here,” Callie said. “I was an only child.”
