Page 34 of Raising Love
Her question made me pause. My gaze wandered across my room, landing on my high-tech workstation. The multiple screens sat untouched, reminders of the professional life I’d barely had time to consider since Baby Love entered my world.
“Myself, Walt, and Tyrell’s mom all told you that if you ever needed anything, you could call us,” she said gently.
“I know,” I admitted quietly. “It’s just… you’re still grieving. And while Leo and I are, too, it’s not the same as what you and Tyrell’s mom are going through. If the hardest thing for us right now is dealing with a lack of sleep, we can handle it.”
“But you don’t have to, Ivy,” she said firmly. “We were prepared to help Kendra and Tyrell the moment they told us they were having a baby, and we want to be that help for you and Leo. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Her words hit me square in the chest.
“The baby needs you two at your best,” she continued. “And if you need a break to rest, tell us. We’re here for you. The saying ‘it takes a village’ is more than just a saying. If you’re depleted, let us help.”
I exhaled a shaky breath, her reassurances sinking in.
“Would you like us to take the baby today?”
My head shot up at her offer. “Would you?”
She laughed softly.
“I mean…” I cleared my throat, pressing a hand to my chest to steady myself. “It’s so last minute, Mrs. Simmons. I couldn’t ask y’all to?—”
“We’d love to,” she said, her voice kind. “We’d absolutely love an opportunity to spend time with…” She paused, then asked, “What’s his name?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, cringing. “We haven’t chosen a name yet.”
“Oh.”
“It’s just…” I started, feeling the weight of my hesitation. “Kendra wanted it to be a surprise. She never told us or you guys what name she was considering, and I don’t want to pick just anything.”
“It’s okay,” Mrs. Simmons said quickly. “You’re doing great. You two are doing great.”
“We’ve been calling him Baby Love,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. “You know, Baby, and Kendra and Tyrell’s last name.”
She chuckled. “That’s clever. A good placeholder until you decide.”
I nodded to myself.
“Look,” she continued, “Walt and I can be on the road in half an hour and at your place in about an hour. We can pick up… Baby Love, is it?”
I smiled. “Yup. Baby Love.”
She giggled again. “We’ll take him for the weekend and bring him back Monday. Does that work?”
“Like a dream,” I admitted, my voice breathless with relief.
“Wonderful,” she said warmly. “We’ll start getting ready now.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Simmons. I’ll have everything ready when you get here. Is there anything specific I should pack in his bag?”
“Nothing at all. Whatever he needs, we’ll take care of it.”
I felt a rush of gratitude wash over me as I pictured uninterrupted sleep for the first time in weeks.
“We’ll see you soon,” she said before hanging up.
Springing to my feet, I headed straight for Leo’s room.
I knocked lightly at first, then a little harder when I got no response.
