“How did you do that?” Jessi asked.
An excellent question. “I don’t know.”
Emma continued to nuzzle for several seconds before showing signs of a returning fit. “I can’t fool her much longer,” Haleigh said.
“Almost there.” Jessi drizzled three drops on her wrist, then looked to Haleigh. “I think it’s good.”
“Here.” Haleigh extended her free arm. “Let me check.” The formula felt more room temperature than warm, but at least it wasn’t cold. “Feels okay to me.”
“Take your knuckle out and let’s see.”
Haleigh did as ordered, and Jessi dipped the small nipple into the baby’s mouth. The hungry little thing began eating like a champ.
“It’s working,” Jessi said, doing a happy dance on her toes. “She’s taking it.”
“She is.” Chubby cheeks sucked in and out as a little hand wrapped around Haleigh’s thumb. The newborn might as well have thrown a lasso around Haleigh’s heart and tugged it out of her chest. “So precious,” she whispered.
“I should probably take her back now,” the mother said, reminding Haleigh that they were standing nose to nose in the middle of the kitchen.
“Of course,” she said, fighting the urge to keep the child close. It wasn’t as if Haleigh didn’t hold babies every day. They were just usually bright red and covered in bodily fluids.
Jessi mimicked the swaying motion Haleigh had used to calm the child and smiled at the doctor. “Thank you for helping. I panicked for a minute there.”
“I’m sure every new mother panics at first.” Haleigh certainly would if she were in Jessi’s position. And then she remembered that she almost had been in Jessi’s position. Somehow the memory didn’t feel as raw today. She took that as a positive sign. “There’s a learning curve, but you’ll figure things out.”
“We didn’t keep you up last night, did we?” Jessi asked. “You look like you haven’t had much sleep.”
Ah, the honesty of youth.
“I spent most of the night at the hospital. Which is why, as you point out, I look like roadkill this morning.”
“I didn’t say that,” Jessi corrected. “I’m probably the one who looks like roadkill.” She punctuated the assertion with a yawn. “Maybe she’ll sleep after this bottle and I can pass out.”
A pushy voice niggled at the back of Haleigh’s brain, and it sounded an awful lot like Cooper.
You’re a good person, Hal. You know you want to help the girl out and let her get some sleep.
She could volunteer to babysit. For once, she had the day off and wasn’t on call again until after midnight.
“Where is this angel I’ve heard so much about?” echoed a high-pitched voice from the front hall. Abby and Cooper’s mother blew into the kitchen, heading straight for Jessi.
“Hello, Mrs. Ridgeway,” Haleigh said, stepping between the older woman and the retreating teen to give her second—and possibly favorite—mom a hug. “Linda Ridgeway, this is Jessi and baby Emma. I’m afraid the new little angel kept her mother up last night, so Jessi and I were working on getting her to sleep.”
“You poor thing.” Linda gave Jessi a sympathetic frown. “Though it’s been decades, of course, I still remember those first days of having them home.”
“She slept a little,” Jessi said, defending her baby’s behavior. “An hour here and there.”
“You must be exhausted.” The newcomer cupped Jessi’s cheek. “No need to worry now. I’m here.”
Brown eyes caught Haleigh’s over a puff of gray curls. “You are?”
Haleigh mouthed the words Go with it then said, “I’m sure Jessi doesn’t want to put you out, Mrs. Ridgeway.”
“Don’t be silly,” the woman said, taking the bait as Haleigh knew she would. “You need your strength to take care of a baby. Especially in the beginning. Don’t fret one minute more. I’ll take care of the little one while you crawl right back into bed. And then, when you wake up, I’ll make you something to eat.”
“Um,” Jessi hesitated. “Okay?” She passed Emma into Linda’s impatient arms, eliciting a loud belch from the baby.
“Very good, little one,” Linda said, shooing the other two women out of the room. “Go on now. I have everything under control.”
“If you’re sure,” Haleigh said, pushing Jessi out of the kitchen from behind. Linda didn’t answer but continued to hum to the bundle in her arms.