8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
SARAH
This was why the doctor and my mom had been suggesting I encourage Nora to be a bit more independent. I shifted her in my left arm again, keeping myself between her and the stovetop, and added the vegetables to the pan. It had taken me an hour to get to this stage because Nora wouldn’t let me put her down while I made dinner. At this point, I’d be lucky if I ate before nine o’clock.
Letting her sleep in my bed again for the last few nights hadn’t helped the separation anxiety. That was for sure. But it had been just as much for me as it was for her. It was harder for me to let her fuss after Drew’s visit with her earlier this week. But we were starting over tonight because I really needed her to learn to self soothe. I was only one person, and it was unrealistic for me to hold her all the time.
With a renewed determination, I headed back into the living room where her Pack ’n’ Play was set up. She clung to me as I set her down and put a few toys in front of her. And, of course, within a minute, she was screaming at the top of her lungs.
Be strong , I chanted silently as I forced myself back into the kitchen.
Just as I was stirring the veggies, a loud banging from the front door startled me, making me jump.
Though my heart was racing, I couldn’t help but smile. Jay was the only one who ever showed up unannounced.
Shaking my head, I scolded myself. Nope. Not going there.
The warm smile that greeted me when I pulled the door open was harder to ignore than the scowl he’d sported last time he’d appeared like this.
He stepped inside. “Can I help?”
Despite the butterflies erupting in my stomach, my heart sank. I still wasn’t sure what his motivations were. But regardless, having someone else hold her wasn’t the solution either.
I shook my head. “You don’t have to.”
“I know. But she’s been crying on and off for the last two hours.” He sniffed the air. “We both know what happened the last time you were cooking and got distracted by her.”
I rolled my eyes. Jeez. I burned food one time, but apparently, I’d never live it down.
But I was hungry, so if he wanted to sit with Nora so I could finish dinner, then I should just accept the help.
“Would you mind just sitting on the floor with her while she plays with toys?” I scooped Nora out of her Pack ’n’ Play. “I don’t want her falling asleep this early.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Can I put the game on again?”
“Sure.” Being a football fan myself, I would never mind watching a game. Usually, I had one on in the background while I was cleaning or cooking.
After getting Nora situated on the rug with a few toys, I left her with Jay and went back into the kitchen to finish my stir-fry.
“That smells really good,” Jay called from his spot on the floor.
I turned and smiled at the scene. He was holding up a rattle doll in front of Nora, making it dance. Nora’s giggles were the best thing I’d heard all night.
“Would you like some?” The least I could do was offer the guy a plate of food.
“Uh, sure.” He shrugged. “Was just gonna order a pizza again, but this smells too good to pass up.”
“Do you not cook?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I make a mean PB&J and can cook ramen or throw a frozen pizza in the oven.” His attention was still focused on Nora, but his words were directed at me. “But I lived at home until a few weeks ago. My mom did most of the cooking.”
The spoon I was holding clattered to the countertop. I knew he was young, but wow.
I hadn’t lived at home for almost ten years now.
He finally looked up, meeting my gaze, and gave me a sheepish shrug. “I can throw simple things together, but no, I don’t really cook.”
This dinner wasn’t anything special, but I made a pretty decent stir-fry. The trick was not to overcook the vegetables. That way they still had a bit of a crunch to them. But suddenly, I felt self-conscious. I rarely cooked for other people. Heck, I didn’t even have a dining room table. Now, I wished I had. We’d have to sit on the sofa or floor in the living room or on the other side of the island that served as a breakfast counter. At least I’d had the good sense to buy a few stools when I’d moved in last year. Though that good sense had clearly left. Otherwise, I would be telling Jay to go back to his apartment.
But I wanted him to stay. Having a meal and adult conversation sounded pretty perfect right about now.