Chapter 9 #2
Motherhood had been unexpected, but the minute he was in my arms, the biological instinct kicked in.
The internet had been a much-needed resource, but I’d begun to realize that my intuition could be trusted when it came to my son.
My body responded to his cries. I’d learned to distinguish between the different types too.
And more often than not, I found myself waking up a minute before he did, even in the dead of the night.
This was my reality now. And though I felt mentally unprepared, physically, I was built for this.
But navigating this coexistence with Jasper? I had no clue.
We’d had a fun night all those months ago, but then we’d avoided one another. He was a hot playboy and I was me.
But now this relative stranger was my child’s father. A man I’d be tied to forever and someone with whom I had to get along.
So I’d let him sleep on the lawn if that’s what he wanted. Maybe he’d get uncomfortable after a few days and go home. Or maybe he’d be useful.
After I burped Vincent and got him latched to my other breast, I texted my friends rather than calling.
Evie:
He’s here.
Ruby:
***
Evie:
Jasper. He brought a tent. He’s gonna camp on my lawn.
Ruby:
Did he bring a boom box too?
Frankie:
Should I get my shotgun?
Evie:
What are you talking about?
Ruby:
Looks like we’ve got the selection prepared for our next movie night. But why the lawn?
Frankie:
I can shoot at him. Or just scare him off if you prefer. Ignore Ruby. This is not Say Anything, this is more of a Red Dawn situation.
Evie:
He says he wants to be close to us.
Ruby:
You can’t say that stuff to me. I’m forty-three months pregnant.
I giggled. Ruby had entered what she called the eternal whale phase of pregnancy, where day after day, her thoughts solely revolved around getting the baby out.
Evie:
How do I make him leave?
Frankie:
I’ll tow his ass out.
Ruby:
Or maybe see how this plays out? Let’s say his intentions are good. How bad would it be if he left you alone for the most part but provided an extra set of hands when you needed them?
Ruby:
Large, strong, capable hands. Probably a bit callused from all the manual labor.
Frankie:
Gross.
Ruby:
I can’t help it. Pregnancy makes me horny. This baby is killing me, and I’ve got months to go.
Frankie:
Maybe make staying there uncomfortable for him. That might encourage him to leave.
Ruby:
Yeah, send him out to fetch things and call him in for the blowout diapers.
Frankie:
Make him mow the lawn.
Evie:
I’m not making him do yardwork.
Ruby:
You should. Maybe the gods will smile upon you and he’ll take his shirt off while he does it.
Frankie:
It’s forty degrees out.
Ruby:
Just let me live. You’ve got a hot guy camped out on your lawn and at your beck and call. Accept this gift from the universe and focus on one of the other million things you have on your plate.
Frankie:
Or I’ll get the shotgun, just let me know.
Jeez, my friends were no help. It was either sex or violence with those two, and I needed to be clear-headed about this.
I wiped Vincent’s mouth, shoved my boob back into my tank top, and put him on my shoulder so I could coax a burp out of him. Silently, I walked the house, patting and rubbing his back and maybe spying on Jasper in the backyard.
Luckily, there was just enough space to peek through the curtains without moving them. And outside, the flood lights were on, bathing him in a hazy glow.
He worked diligently, expertly setting the poles and the straps until the tent was fully assembled. It felt almost pornographic. The precision. The attention he gave it. How carefully he worked.
That may have been what surprised me most about Jasper. He was competent. He did things efficiently and he completed tasks.
If he was changing a diaper or doing laundry for Vincent, he did it. All of it.
That was a quality I’d rarely encountered before, and certainly not with my dad or any of my stepdads.
It was… unnerving.
He unfolded a small chair, turned on a large lantern, and went inside the tent. I’d never camped before. I’d never done anything outdoorsy, really.
Maybe it was strange that I’d fallen so hard for Vermont, but the scenery had captivated me instantly.
As a city kid with parents who didn’t give a shit, I’d missed out on so many experiences. When I’d come up here with friends for a weekend and hiked for the first time, it was an almost religious experience. Fresh air, mountains, dense forests.
I fell head over heels in love.
I rubbed Vincent’s back, contentment settling in my chest. His childhood would be far different. He’d get to grow up here, spend time outdoors. Jasper would probably take him camping and teach him to fish.
That made me strangely happy.
In fact, as I changed my little guy, put him in his sleep sack, and sang him his favorite Italian lullaby, that peace and contentment only grew.
This kid was going to be okay. His parents were clueless, sure, but after watching Jasper pitch that tent, it was hard not to think that we might just have a chance.