Page 122 of Sins of the Father

I grab a baby blanket and put it on the bed. “Let’s get her out of her jammies and give her a lukewarm bath. Can you fill the tub?”

“Sure.” He kisses Hope’s head again. His face is full of worry.

I grab his arm. “Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“She’ll be okay.”

He lets out a big breath and nods. “I’ll start the bath.”

I undress her, and she continues to cry while chewing on her finger.

“Steven?”

He comes running out.

“Can you grab a teether from her dresser? There’s a canvas box. Actually, just bring the entire box.”

He obeys and sets the pink box on the bed. I grab one and give it to Hope, but she screams again and throws it at Steven.

“Hey, now, sweet girl. Put it in your mouth this time,” I coo while handing her another but holding it to her mouth.

She bites on it and slowly calms. Her blue eyes glisten, and she makes tiny whimpers.

“There. Now let’s get you in the bath.”

Steven jumps off the bed and hightails it to the bathroom and turns off the tub. “It’s full.”

I pick up Hope and take her to the tub. “Can you grab the bath seat in her bathroom shower?”

Steven leaves and comes back with it. I set her in it, and she sniffles.

I sit on the ledge of the tub, and Steven sits on the other, stroking her head. “Does that feel nice, sweetheart?”

She looks at him and sniffles some more while biting on her teether.

I take a washcloth, fold it, and put it on her forehead, but some water drips down, and she screams.

“Okay, you don’t have to have it.”

Steven holds his hand out. “Give it to me.”

He dips the washcloth in the water, rings it out, and instead of putting it on her forehead, he positions it on the back of her neck.

She tilts her head toward him but keeps it on. She chews more then reaches out and grabs Steven’s pinky.

We finish the bath and put her in a diaper and the thinnest pajamas we can find. I retake her temperature, and it dropped to ninety-nine point four.

“I don’t want to put her back in the crib,” Steven says.

“Agreed.”

Steven sits on the bed, and I hand Hope to him. “I’m going to put some of these teethers in the freezer.”

I leave, and when I return, Hope is asleep on his chest.

He’s so good with her.

---