The Tea Series Read online

  “I’m honored. I like the name Evelyn. I like the way her name rolls off your tongue and all three together are just enough to say sternly when she’s in trouble.”

  A.J. asked, “Where did Evelyn come from? I know you. There must be a story.”

  “It’s a combo, really. Eve, because she started off life, and Evelyn is going to start off my new life.”

  I didn’t say anything, but that seemed like a huge burden for such a tiny person.

  “And the last part of it is part of Gran’s name. I stole the -lyn from Carolyn because Gran wouldn’t let me name the baby after her.”

  Gran shot us a look. We didn’t challenge her on that one.

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I think it’s beautiful. Part new and part tradition. That’s the way life should be. And, Suze, Evelyn is going to have a wonderful life. I can feel it.”

  A.J. handed Evelyn to me.

  I couldn’t believe all her hair.

  “When do they let you go home?”

  “In a few days. I’m not really sure. I feel pretty good.”

  “That’s because the really good drugs haven’t worn off yet. Don’t overdo it. A friend of Teagan’s from work said she had such an easy time with her C-section that she was running all over the place as soon as they let her out of bed. Mistake. You need to be careful of yourself.”

  Gran laughed. “Please, Suze, for once in your life, follow orders.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I can do that. Because this isn’t just about me anymore, it is about me and Evelyn.”

  A.J. stayed with Suzi while I ran home, took a shower, and changed my clothes.

  Teagan checked in and said the whole family was excited to meet Evelyn.

  I got back to the hospital just as they were taking Evelyn back to the nursery. Suzi looked really upset.

  “What’s going on?”

  “They have to take her blood again.”

  “Again?”

  “They’ve been testing it. She’s having a hard time keeping her blood sugar under control. The nurse said that we shouldn’t worry but not to let her cry because that is too much work for her right now, and they will keep testing it. She’s a big baby, and it happens sometimes.”

  “I’m sure she will be fine. She’s had a busy day. When will they bring her back?”

  “They said it would just be a few minutes.”

  “Good. Anything I can get you?”

  “You can get A.J. to go home. I know the kind of stress he is under at work, and I know he has a ton of work to do. He doesn’t have to sit with me.”

  “Gran only went home after I promised her I’d be here until Cara got back. Just in case you needed help getting the baby out of the bassinet or you needed help getting relocated or whatever.”

  “I appreciate it, but Cara is here now, so go home.”

  A.J. leaned down and kissed Suzi on the forehead. “She’s beautiful, Suze. You did good.”

  “She is. And so alert. She’s actually moving her head when I talk. Like she hears me and she’s looking for me. I know she is still little…”

  “Still little? She’s only hours old, but then, she is a genius and will be in college in a few months.” I laughed.

  “Of course, it runs in the family.” A.J. gave me a my-sister-is-right-there kiss and walked out the door.

  The next few days flew by. Adeline called a couple of times to let me know that I shouldn’t worry about work, which made me worry all the more.

  They were testing Evelyn’s blood until she could keep her blood sugars where they wanted them for some predetermined period of time. She got herself together, passed that particular test, but then had problems again a day or two later. The days all seemed to smoosh into one big, long day.

  I brought my laptop to the hospital and actually got a bunch of work done while I was sitting around waiting to lift the baby or change the baby, because as time went on, Suzi was getting more and more pain, and she had a terrible time with gas floating around inside of her. The doctor said it is normal. It would work its way out.

  Remind me never to have a C-section.

  By the time Suzi and Evelyn were released from the hospital, I’d made a decision. I didn’t want them staying in their apartment alone until Suzi could move around a little bit better. I didn’t want to offend her, or to break down her confidence by telling her I didn’t think she could handle it — after all, we are just across the hall — but at the same time, I wanted to make her transition a little smoother.

  “Suze, don’t hate me.”

  “What?”

  “I’m just going to say it, because I’ve been trying to think of a good way to say it and I can’t.”

  “Say what?”

  “I want you and Evelyn to stay in my guest room for a few days. I know you guys would be fine in your own apartment, but every time I see you stand up or bend over, my stomach just goes gooey. I know you’re fine, but I’m the mess, so for me, could you just stay with us for a few days? Please.”

  Suzi went very still. I sent up a quick little prayer that I hadn’t just killed all her confidence and set our friendship back to the day I had my meltdown about Barry and her defending him, although, if I were under oath, I’d have to admit that I still think I was right about that.

  “Cara, you know how much I love you — I just named my first child after you — but I can’t do that. You just had crazy people breaking into your apartment. What if Evelyn had been there? I can’t take that chance. As much as I want to say yes, I have to say no.”

  “I didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “That whole thing is over.”

  “No, you didn’t tell me. What the hell is wrong with you? You must be starting to like all the drama.”

  “Not funny, Suzi. I’ve just had a lot going on with my parents coming home and all the stuff going on in the family and then the break-ins and my whole meltdown about the trunk.”

  “Yeah, we need to talk about that too, but right now tell me about the break-ins.”

  I spent the next several minutes explaining to Suzi that the break-in was done by Adeline’s grandson. He’s young. He’s brilliant, has an IQ of some high number, scary smart; I think Roland said he was a “misguided genius.” One of those scary smart guys that has all kinds of book knowledge and a brain that looks at everything a little bit sideways. I think I might be the dumbed down version of that. It’s not that I’m dumb, but I’m not scary smart — and he is a special little snowflake. He was raised in a way that I don’t begin to understand, and it shows.

  Anyway, he was actually trying to help, not hurt, but he went about it in such a weird way that everything is all screwed up, and until they get it figured out, I’m not really allowed to talk about it.

  So, long story short, I’m safe in my own home, and there is nothing that I would like more than to have Suzi and Evelyn stay with us for a few days of pampering for Suzi and the good aura of having a baby in the house.

  Suzi started to cry.

  I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.

  “Cara, thank you. I didn’t want to go home alone. Gran said I could go there, but it would be such a big step backwards for me. If I’m with you and A.J., then I’m right across from my apartment, and it doesn’t feel like I’m, I don’t know, it just feels better. Are you sure?”

  “Oh, thank God, I thought you would think I thought you couldn’t handle it, and I know you can, but I just feel like your body has been through a lot in the last few days, and, besides, when it’s my turn, I want everybody to owe me so that you guys all take care of me.”

  “Deal. We should ask A.J.”

  “No need. He loves you, and he’s in love with Evelyn. Can’t stop talking about how smart she is and what a good baby she is and how she is just as beautiful as her mother. If I didn’t know better, I’d think…”

  “You never asked him, did you?”

  “Asked him what? If he wants kids? We talked about i
t. He does. I’m just not there yet.”

  “That’s not what I was talking about, but it’s good to hear. I was saying, remember back when you said that one of the few things he decided to move into your apartment when you guys were first together was the — ”

  I interrupted her. Bad habit. “Oh, right. I forgot about that. No, I never really asked him. Things have been so crazy for so long. I went all passive and forgetive instead of passive and aggressive.”

  “It’s still a conversation the two of you should have some day.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “No, it’s a conversation you and A.J. need to have.”

  “I hate it when you do that to me.”

  Just then they brought Evelyn into the room, and all other subjects were forgotten.

  The nurse was smiling. “She is such a good little pooper. Two dirty diapers and two wet diapers just while she was in the nursery. She is obviously doing well breastfeeding. Has your milk come in yet?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You’ll know. Do you want to talk to someone about it? We have nurses that can help you if you’re having any problems. Are you sore at all?”

  “Nope. She seems to know what she is doing, even if I don’t.”

  The nurse smiled. “If you don’t mind, I’ll watch while she latches on.”

  Breastfeeding is personal enough, but breastfeeding lessons made me feel like I was in the way. “You know what, I’m gonna run downstairs and grab a soda. You want anything?”

  “I’d kill for a hot chocolate.”

  The nurse smiled and pointed toward the door. “There is a snack room across the hall. Mom can have anything out of there that sounds good. But I admit, the hot chocolate from downstairs is actually better.”

  “And they put chocolate syrup and whipped cream on it. I swear. I’ve been so careful about my diet while I was pregnant, and I’m going right back to being disciplined after I leave the hospital, but I would love a hot chocolate from downstairs with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.”

  “You got it. I’ll be right back.”

  I grabbed my purse and headed for the cafeteria.

  While standing in line, I texted A.J. and let him know I’d invited Suzi and Evelyn to stay with us for a few days.

  He returned my text just as I was paying for our drinks.

  He said he was grateful.

  He’d show me how grateful tonight.

  I love it when he does that.

  The next several days were a little bit strange. Time either flew by so fast I couldn’t keep up or moved so slowly I couldn’t stand it.

  We took Evelyn to her baby wellness check, which was just stupid. The baby was fine, but they pretty much forced Suzi to bring her to a doctor’s office where a bunch of sick kids were waiting to see the doctor.

  The new moms — there were several — all huddled in one corner, but still, why would you put a baby in that germy situation?

  My mom tells us all the time that they didn’t bring a baby out of the house when we were first born, and she said when she was a baby it was for an even longer period of time. Now you see newborn babies at the mall. I will not be bringing my baby out in the middle of germy people for a while.

  Another thing I thought was strange is they didn’t teach Suzi how to swaddle the baby. There is a right way to do it. It is a comfort to the baby, so I don’t understand why they didn’t show her. Poor little thing would get a little fussy, Suzi would try to wrap her up, but the blankets would just come all undone, and then Evelyn would be fussy again. I’d double swaddle her, and she’d fall asleep and not wake up again until she needed something.

  Seems to me if I’d been in a confined space for a long time and all of the sudden my arms and legs could go anywhere they wanted, it would be disconcerting.

  I read somewhere that doctors are now thinking that swaddling could be bad for a baby’s hips, but I haven’t read up on all that, and it seems to me they come up with a different theory every day. Mom said when we were little you always had a baby sleep on their stomach so that if they barfed a bit they wouldn’t choke and they wouldn’t flatten out the back of their heads. Now they say that a baby should be on their back. Then there is the whole attachment thing and the family bed thing and who knows what else.

  When I have kids, I’m sticking with what I know.

  They also didn’t show Suzi how to change a diaper. They just told her to make sure the baby was clean. Well, if you have never seen it done, how are you going to know what to do, like front to back and all that? No wonder Suzi was worried.

  And they told her that as soon as Evelyn’s belly button fell off she could start giving her regular baths, but they didn’t tell her how to do that. With a slippery baby wiggling all around, Suzi had no idea how to support her head or that a little towel on the bottom of the kitchen sink is an easy approach or the best way to hold her to make sure she feels secure.

  When Suzi gave Evelyn a bath she cried — Evelyn, not Suzi, but I think Suzi was close. When I gave her a bath — Evelyn, not Suzi, although Suzi could use the rest — she fell asleep.

  It’s pretty amazing how much I owe my mom.

  I never realized how much she taught us and how valuable the lessons are. Like the whole browned flour thing. I told Suzi about it, and she looked at me like I was stupid, but my mom always swore by it, and Teagan has told several of the girls at work.

  One woman came to work in tears, her daughter had such a bad diaper rash. Teagan told her to use browned flour. The lady didn’t even know where to start. Teagan told her to take a frying pan, put flour in it, turn on the stove, and let the flour brown. Dark but not burned. Smells terrible. When the flour is brown, and cool, apply to baby’s bottom. That simple.

  Teagan telling us about it was hysterical. She did a great impersonation of the woman’s reaction. The woman looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

  Of course, then the woman came back a couple days later and told her it worked and even her doctor was amazed.

  You can’t really tell anybody but family about this kind of stuff, because if it doesn’t work, the person is going to turn on you in a heartbeat, and these days the stuff that our mothers and grandmothers did is pretty much looked down on, so I would never suggest it to a stranger, but I told Suzi. We’ll see if she tries it.

  I’ve got a zillion little things my mom showed us or the rest of the family figured out. Like teaching a kid how to ride a bike using a beach towel. It’s so much easier, the kid can’t get hurt, and it builds enough confidence that there are no issues. We never used training wheels, and we all knew how to ride bikes when we were really young. We didn’t use helmets either, but that’s a whole other conversation.

  By the way, if Suzi buys Evelyn a crawling helmet and kneepads, we are going to have a bumpy ride.

  I know I don’t get to decide how Suzi raises her own baby. I know she will do a fabulous job. I know that it’s none of my business. But if she does something like that, I’m gonna have to have a talk with her.

  You are supposed to help your friends when they go a little nuts, right?

  I don’t think Suzi will do that.

  I hope not.

  It would drive me crazy to keep my mouth shut.

  Okay, why lie? I wouldn’t keep my mouth shut. It would drive me crazy if after I butt into her parenting, which I have no right to do, she decided to ignore me, which she has every right to do.

  It’s been really fun having Suzi and Evelyn at the apartment, but Suze has decided to move back across the hall to her place today. She can get up out of the chair even when she’s holding Evelyn; that was her biggest concern.

  Gran has been coming over every day to visit, but there haven’t been any other visitors, and I think that Suzi wants to get over to her place so some of her friends can drop by.

  She didn’t want to have people over right away, because there’s a pretty serious bug going around town, but I think she’s feeling more
confident about visits now. She told me she was leaving while we were clearing the table after breakfast.

  “You know that if you need help with anything, all you have to do is knock on the door or call me.”

  “I do, thanks. I think Evelyn and I are going to be fine.”

  “I know you are.”

  “I’m going to start back to work tomorrow. A.J. said that I can do most of it from home anyway, so I’m going to turn my dining room table into an office and work from there.”

  “That sounds great. If you need anything — ”

  “Thanks.”

  “Remember, you aren’t supposed to lift anything heavier than Evelyn. That includes her car carrier thing. If you need something picked up, let me know.”

  “I will, but I feel great. I haven’t even needed my pain pills.”

  “That’s what worries me. You feel good enough to overdo it, and you are an overdoer anyway.”

  “Says the queen of overdoing.”

  “Learn from my mistakes. Besides, I’ve never had a C-section.”

  “No, but when Barry got to you, you did all kinds of stuff before you had permission.”

  “Speaking of which, Barry I mean, what happens now? Are you going to contact him and tell him about Evelyn?”

  “No. As part of the divorce settlement, he gave up his parental rights. I don’t have to tell him anything, and I’m not going to, and I don’t want to hear any arguments about my being selfish or unethical and him being her father and him having a moral right even if not a legal one.”

  “You won’t get that argument from me.”

  “Really?”

  “Suzi, I don’t think you should have to deal with the complications of all things Barry. I don’t think you should tell Evelyn that he is evil or anything, just that he made some really bad decisions and that he has to live with the consequences, but I don’t think protecting your child is a bad thing.”