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“Ingy! Don’t be mean!” Odette said.
“I am not. She made an inconceivably loud rude noise! All she’s done since arriving home is pass gas out both ends, vomit on Rick’s shoulder, and shit herself!”
I laughed. “Ingy, language. But you are correct. Babies are a bit grotesque. They cannot help it. They’re only babies.”
“She’s good to go. Who wants her?” Rick asked.
There were open arms all around. Everyone but Astrid fought to hold her. She was a bit nervy. Things with her had been hard lately. She’d been holding something back.
“Asti, I insist,” Rick said. “I will be personally offended if you do not hold my amazing child. She’s perfect. You cannot dispute it.”
The little girls giggled. Astrid rolled her eyes.
“No one needs me to hold this baby. You have a staff?—”
“She needs you, Asti,” I said. “She must know her aunt is there for her. Trust me, when she grows up, she will lean on you. At least, that is my hope. And I need you, too.”
Astrid looked at me, almost tearful. “Okay. Come here.”
Rick showed her how to support the baby’s head like he had been doing this his entire life. My heart swelled. Part of me already wanted another. The logical side of me said to wait a couple of years. Still, he was so lovely with her. My ovaries were working overtime now.
“Why don’t we go make some cocoa?” Karolina asked. “That would be nice, right, girls?”
“Yes, please!” Odette declared.
Ingrid hopped up to follow.
“I’m going to go make sure everything is ready for her in the nursery if we ever get her to bed.” Rick sensed Astrid and I could use some time.
Rick had become good at reading the room. He never wanted to insert himself or make things harder on Astrid and me, but things were forever changed. He was mine; I was his. No matter what Astrid and I had said to one another the day before my wedding, everything changed. The closer Rick and I grew, the more we relied on one another. The emotional support I needed from Astrid was now granted by Rick. In that, Astrid had probably lost my support. I felt guilty sometimes.
“She’s a nice baby,” Astrid said. “Well, as far as babies go. I am not sure what a not-nice baby is. The problem is she looks like Rick.”
I snickered. “Yeah, but he is devilishly handsome, so hopefully she will be a more feminine version of him. Oh, she’s so sweet, though. Isn’t she?”
“She is,” Astrid said.
“Asti, I don’t want you to think about this like it’s us versus you. I know you feel that way, but… it’s not. Rick and I love you. Rick cares for you very much. We both feel strongly that this baby will have a wonderful aunt in you. I’ve been waiting to see this.”
Astrid teared. “I don’t want to make you feel bad for choosing him. He’s your husband. And I don’t want you to think I don’t like him. I do. He may have begun as Prickard. You’re still too clever for him, but he has several redeeming qualities. He has been good to all of us.”
“He has been, yes.”
“And he’s doing a bang-up job here. He seems to know what he’s on about.”
“I think he does.”
“I thought he was making up all that stuff he was reading. Then, I found the stack of books in the sitting room.”
I giggled. “He put so much effort in.”
“What a fucking nerd!”
We laughed together. The baby startled and fell back to sleep. I reached over and put my finger in her hand. She grabbed it instinctively.
“You must do this,” I said. “It’s the sweetest reflex.”
Astrid tried, giggling. “That’s amazing.”
