Chapter 9
The next morning, Kate was still asleep in the guest room.
Before leaving, Daniel said we'd talk about her staying here when he got home from work.
I held my daughter and didn't press him again.
That morning, his sister Rachel texted to say she wanted to drop off some meals and asked what time would work.
I asked her to come at two.
When the doorbell rang, I'd just finished nursing and was burping my daughter.
Kate opened the door and took the insulated bag from Rachel.
"Emma didn't sleep well last night. Don't mind her not coming to greet you."
Rachel changed her shoes and came straight over to the couch.
"I'm just dropping off food. You don't need to play host."
She studied my face, then glanced at the half-full glass of milk that had gone cold on the coffee table.
"Have you had lunch?"
"I haven't had a chance."
Rachel washed her hands, then took the baby from my arms.
"I'll burp her. You eat."
Kate got a bowl and heated up the beef stew.
Rachel motioned for her to put it within my reach, then told me to get comfortable before picking it up.
After a few bites, I realized how hungry I was.
"How's your incision?" Rachel asked.
"It's okay when I'm sitting. Getting up hurts."
"Who's helping you at night?"
Kate answered before I could.
"She's breastfeeding. No one else can do that for her. I take the baby in the morning so she can catch up on sleep."
Rachel looked down at the baby in her arms.
"What about after feeds? Is Emma doing all the diaper changes and settling her too?"
"Last night, I did," I said.
Kate folded up the insulated bag.
"Daniel had an early meeting today. I have to help during the day too. We can't all stay up all night."
I held my spoon and said nothing.
Last night, our daughter had spit up on her clothes, and I'd changed her before changing myself.
Kate's door had stayed closed.
Rachel asked how much sleep I was getting each night.
"I haven't kept track. I lie down, and it feels like I've barely fallen asleep before the baby wakes me again."
"That's how newborns are," Kate said. "I had plenty of sleepless nights with Sophie. It gets easier once you get used to it."
Once again, she brought up how hard she'd had it.
These past few days, whenever I said I needed rest, she told me this was just what mothers went through.
Daniel kept telling me she had experience and I should listen to her.
Rachel didn't respond to that.
Once the baby burped, she helped me put her in the bassinet, then came back and asked about the care we'd originally booked.
"Didn't Daniel say he had all the overnight care arranged?"
"He canceled it."
She stopped beside the couch.
"All of it?"
I nodded.
"He said Kate would help, so we didn't need to spend the money."
Rachel looked at Kate.
Kate set the insulated bag on the table.
"Hiring someone costs a fortune these days, and I happened to have the time."
"But you can't replace overnight care all by yourself," Rachel said. "You had six weeks of it. You know how much it matters to have a professional take over."
My spoon stopped halfway to my mouth.
"What six weeks?"
Rachel looked at me, her expression changing.
Kate stood and reached for my bowl.
"That was over twenty years ago. The circumstances were different."
I didn't let go.
"You had overnight care when Sophie was born too?"
Kate didn't answer. She looked down and took the empty glass beside me instead.
I turned to Rachel.
"Please tell me."
"She did," Rachel said. "For the first six weeks after Sophie was born, a professional came at night to help."
I set my bowl on the table.
All this time, Daniel had been telling me that having an experienced family member here was enough.
"Did Kate arrange it herself?"
Rachel shook her head.
"Daniel arranged it. He was the one who insisted on booking the full six weeks."