Chapter 2
Once I got home, I dealt with blocked milk ducts, fevers, and barely any sleep. I paced the living room with him in my arms, and by sunrise, my hands were so weak I could hardly lift them.
Now Max had reached his hundredth day.
The brooch that was supposed to be mine, the one meant for the mom, was now on Elaine's chest, and the seat that belonged to me was taken by her.
David followed my gaze, trying to calm me down. "Elaine's not feeling great today. She just wants to hold Max a bit longer. Why don't you go check on the kitchen? The manager needs you to look at a couple of dishes."
"Why do I have to go?" I asked.
He looked caught off guard, like he didn't see that coming.
"You've been in charge of the menu from the start," he said.
"It's Max's baptism today," I said.
"I know," he replied.
"The guests will be here any minute. I should be the one at the door, holding him and welcoming everyone," I said.
David lowered his voice. "Sophia, let's not get into this today. Elaine lost a child before, and seeing Max's baptism is bound to stir up old wounds. You already have Max. Just let her hold him for a bit, okay?"
Elaine immediately stood up. "Never mind, I'll give him back to her."
But as soon as she moved, Max made a face and let out a few sleepy whimpers.
David quickly put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't move, he just fell asleep."
He turned to me, his eyes full of reproach. "He's finally settled down. Do you really have to make a fuss now?"
My mom stood up.
"How is it a fuss when the baby is with his own mother?" she said.
David's mom quickly stepped in, smiling as she tried to smooth things over. "Come on, Elaine's just holding him for a few minutes. She was practically family before, and seeing Max today must be hard for her.
"Sophia's always so considerate. She wouldn't make things awkward for everyone just because of a seat."
"Practically family before?" my mom shot back.
She glanced at the brooch on Elaine's chest. "So who's actually the daughter-in-law sitting here today?"
The room went completely silent.
Elaine's tears streamed down as she awkwardly stood up, still holding Max. "Please don't misunderstand, Auntie. I never meant to take Sophia's spot. David was just worried I'd get emotional seeing the baby, so he let me sit here."
She kept insisting she wasn't trying to take my place.
But she still hadn't handed Max back, and the brooch stayed right where it was.
The hotel manager came over and whispered, "Mr. Harper, the photographer's here. Should we start with the entrance photos?"
David jumped at the chance to shut down the argument and nodded immediately.
"Let's get started," he said.
David gently guided Elaine toward the decorated backdrop. I stayed put, watching as he fussed over Max's blanket for her and told her, "Watch your step on the stairs."
The photographer lifted his camera and called out, "Dad, move a bit closer. Mom, show the baby's face. Let's get a family photo of the three of you first."
David didn't say anything to correct him.
Elaine didn't say anything either.
My brooch, my mom's white lily, was pinned to Elaine's chest, front and center for the camera. She was holding my son, and David stood right next to her, both of them bending over, making faces at Max.
The flash went off.
My mom suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Sophia, what are they doing?" my mom asked.
I stood beside the empty chair with my name on it, feeling lost for the first time. I really don't know what to say.
The photographer snapped three shots before finally realizing the mood in the banquet hall had turned tense.
He peeked out from behind his camera, his eyes flicking between us, looking confused. "Wait isn't this the baby's mom?"
Elaine's face went pale.
Elaine shook her head, her voice trembling, "I'm not."
"Then what about the photos we just took?" the photographer asked.
"Delete them," I said.
I walked up to the photographer, my voice calm but firm. "Delete all the photos you just took."
The photographer quickly started flipping through his camera, but David stepped in and stopped him.
"Just keep them for now. We'll sort it out later," David said.
I looked at him.
"Why do you want to keep them?" I asked.
"They're just some photos, no big deal," David said.
"The photographer thought she was the baby's mom," I said.
"He just got confused. We'll explain it to him later," David replied.