Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“What way are they delivering her oxygen?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Something that covers her nose. Not sure what.”
“Have my mom and dad seen her?”
“They only allow immediate family in. So no Grammy or Pappy time yet.” He answered as he led me to the washing station.
We washed our hands for three full minutes, dried thoroughly, and made our way inside the NICU. The NICU was set up similarly to the ICU, except everything was scaled down to permit the tiny little lives instead of their adult counterparts.
We made our way to Harleigh’s room, and I almost cried out when I saw her covered in the gazillion wires and tubes. Her tiny little body was sitting under the blue bilirubin lights that helped with jaundice. Her foot had the monitor attached to it that measured her heart rate and oxygen stats.
“Hello, Pickle! Do you want to meet your old incubator?” Max asked our daughter.
I laughed, and Max pushed me closer to the incubator so I could get a closer look. “Why is there a Barbie in there with her?” I asked curiously.
“Size comparison. She also told me she wanted it. It’s the Holiday Barbie.”
Oh, Lord. I can already see this child getting everything she ever wants or desires. Already she has him wrapped around her little finger.
“Payton!” Eleanor said excitedly from the doorway.
“Hey, Ellie! Do you see my girl?”
She hustled up beside me and started to undo the clamps that held up the side of the incubator. “I sure do! She’s adorable. Your man and your girl also get quite a few looks when they do Kangaroo Time, too! Max, get the girl a chair, chop chop.”
Max helped transfer me to the recliner at Harleigh’s bedside. Once I was situated, Max removed my gown, and Ellie placed Harleigh on my chest. My eyes started leaking as soon as I felt her tiny little body against the skin of my chest. Max covered Harleigh and me back up with the gown, and then Ellie followed up with a blanket as well.
Max’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
“So, Payton. You never told me your husband could sing!” Ellie said as she adjusted the baby’s feeding tube.
My eyes snapped to Max’s face. He was staring at the ceiling, and a deceptively innocent smile graced his face. “Max! You little shit!”
“I can’t sing! I swear!” He said.
Heat rose in his face, and his neck and cheeks started to resemble a nice rose color. “Really?”
“He sings to her when she has her cranky spell in the evening. He’s here every day at half past seven, and he sings to her for over an hour. The rumble of his chest just lulls her right to sleep. We were thinking about recording it for her to listen to on repeat.” Ellie said proudly.
Max’s face was full on red now.
“Oh, Max. You’re such a sweet heart.” I said to him.
I raised my hand to his so I could bring him closer. The man was so sweet. I kissed his knuckles and tucked his hand into the crook of his neck so I could lean on it. My eyes tipped down to Harleigh’s hat. It had a skull and crossbones on it. My mom was most likely the culprit with this one.
“So how’s she doing?” I asked Ellie.
Ellie explained the fine details to me. She told me that she was doing really well for a baby born at that gestation. If all continued on this current path, that she’d be out of here by the time she hit four and a half pounds.
“Only three pounds to go, Pickle.” Max said as he ran his index finger down her cheek.
“Would you like to pump while you’re here?” Ellie asked me.
I looked at her as if she was smoking something good, and she laughed.
“We’ve been milking you like a cow every two hours.” Max explained.
Understanding dawned, and I readily agreed. I wasn’t that much into breast feeding, but Harleigh needed every step up she could get, and if I had to strap on a boobie sucker every two hours to make sure she got the best leg up she could get, I would damn well do it.
ɸ
“Hello, I’m your nurse for the day. My name is Jessica. If you need anything, let me know!” Nurse Jessica said giddily.
Max’s eyes, however, were not on Jessica’s bouncy boobs. They were on me in concern as he helped me into bed. I glared at Jessica, and then thanked Max.
“Thank you, baby.” I whispered to him as he gave me a hug and a kiss.
The door to my room shut quietly as Nurse Jessica took her leave.
Max was just waiting for the girls to get here, and then he was going to do some work. His face looked haggard, though. What he needed to do was sleep. His eyes looked haunted and slightly sunken. His Hooter’s baseball cap was pulled down low over his eyes, hiding the hair that was an absolute mess. His face looked like he hadn’t shaved in a forever.
“You realize that No Shave November is over, correct? It’s December 23rd, get with the program!” I teased.
He grinned his perfect Max grin at me, and gave me a soft peck on the lips, tilting his hat so he didn’t poke me in the forehead. His lips skimmed over the stitches that were still in my forehead, and I smiled.
“We match now!” I laughed.
He shook his head as he disagreed with me. “We’re getting rid of that as soon as we can. You will be seeing a plastic surgeon.”
The door to my new hospital room flew open and hit the wall with a crack. Max had a huge ass-fucking knife in his hand in the next second.
I looked at him cautiously as his sister came bouncing in and practically threw herself at me, ignoring Max and his huge ass knife. I glared at him, and he put it back behind him and it disappeared.
“Where’d you stow that thing, in your pants?” I asked warily.