"Jack," I say "Come take the baby, please."
He looks over from the stove and smiles as he reaches for the baby. He holds her gently but keeps a strong grip, as if afraid to let her go. He starts to play with her nose and she giggles and tries to fend him off with her tiny hands. He looks up at me .
"You gonna go wash off? You've got spit up all over you." He says. I shrug. These past few months I'd been covered in spit-up and had learned it was inevitable and just left it there. Leona was sure to do it again, no point in wiping it off. He takes her to the living room and puts her in her toy swing set and rocks her back and forth while she smiles. She has his hair, a sweet almondy brown with natural streaks of yellow. But she has my green eyes. She's a peculiar looking baby, but it gives her character. That's what Jack said.
"Dada? Dada?" Jacks says while he rocks her back and forth, periodically cooing her name. She just giggled lightly and shook her head.
"Ma-Ma." she replies and points to me in the doorway. Jacks eyes get big and he shoots up from his crouching position. OhMy Gosh she said my name!
"She said MAMA! Oh my – Where's my phone!?" he says as he races to the kitchen.
"On the dresser!"I respond as I go to Leona.
"Ma-Ma. Ma-ma, Ma-ma!" She repeats. Jack emerges into the living room armed and ready.
"Say it again, Leona!" he pleads holding his camera up.
"Ma-ma!" She yells as hard as she can muster. Jack laughs heartily.
"Can you say Da-Da? Da-Da, Leona?" She shakes her head and starts to bounce up and down in her swing. I laugh.
"Push." She says to me. "Mama, push." I obey and slowly push her she laughs and thumps her hands on the platter around the swing. Jack crouches next to me a puzzled expression on his face.
"I wonder why she won't say Daddy." He says to me kicking his legs out from beneath him and residing on the rug. I pat his shoulder.
"I'm sure its nothing serious. She's just not ready." I say, trying to console him.
"Hmmm..." He replies vaguely.
"She just probably can't say D's yet. I've heard about that. Babies have to develop their senses. It takes time. Don't worry she'll come along." I counter. He shrugs and flips his phone closed with an exasperated sigh.
"Hey," I say "Let's bring Leona to the Dojo!" Jack whips around when I say Dojo. He hadn't practiced Karate in months and I knew just smelling the Dojo would make him feel better. He nods.
"Yeah. Go wash up and I'll put some clothes on Leona." He says rushing over to her and lifting her gingerly out of her swing. After we're all adequately cleaned we pile into the car. Jack checks and double checks and then triple checks Leona's seat. Until the point where Leona is trying to push him away.
"Ok! Ok! Daddy just wants to make sure you're safe!" He laughs, circles around the car hops into the drivers seat and revs up the engine. When we reach the dojo its barren of all people except Rudy.
"Jack?! Oh my goodness!" he rushes over to Jack and swallows him in a hug. I laugh while Jack fake-chokes. Baby Leona giggles.
"Kim!" Rudy says as I hand the baby over to bear hug.
"Hey Rudy!" I reply when he finally releases me.
"We've really missed you guys..." Rudy says his voice faltering. Jack replies with a "You, too." and proceeds to ask where the others are. Rudy directs towards Falafel Phil's across the courtyard. He escorts us over whil Jack plays with Leona's fingers. Her cheeks blush and giggles.
"Jack. Kim?! Milton exclaim when we enter the restaurant. Everyone greets us with smiles. They were all here; Jerry, Mika, Eddie, Milton, and Julie. They all squealed with delight as Leona got passed around. I desperately wanted to take her back in my arms, she looked scared. I looked over to Mika as she hold her son bouncing him on her lap. She looks up and sees me staring, she smiles and hands Azan to me. He had grown alot and had his father's black curly hair and Mika's olive- orange skin.
"Mama. Want Mama." Leona pleads as she tries to wiggle out of Jerry's unfamiliar grasp. Julie reaches for Leona.
"Don't worry Aunt Julie and Uncle Milton have you." Julie cooes as her and Milton fawn over the baby. Jack and I scoot into the booth and catch up with everyone.
"So, Jack," Jerry starts. Mika and I groan. She looks at me and rolls her eyes. I nod and laugh. Neither of us like the beginning of this. "You busy tonight? Me and the boys were gonna have small get together. You know watch the game, chill and stuff." He says Jack shoots me a look. He'd been trapped in the house with me for five months he deserved some time alone. I nod and he pumps his fist.
"I'm totally down!" He says high-fiving Eddie. Julie and Mika volunteer to stay with me and the baby for the night.
"Sure. I don't wanna be all alone." I say reaching for my child from Eddie, as I give Azan back to Mika. He hands her over and I begin to bounce her up and down on my lap.
"Mama's here." I sing-song as Leona whimpers. All these new faces had scared her. Me and Jack stayed for hours until about an hour before the game. Jack with a quick kiss goodbye for me and Leona, went off with the boys leaving me with Julie.
"I invited Grace. I hope that's ok?" she inquires digging through her purse for something. I shake it off.
"Its fine." I straddle Leona to my hip and strap the baby bag over my shoulder. We head to my car and stop at Walgreens for some junkfood and rom-coms from Redbox. Grace arrives at the house the same time we do.
"Hey, Girly!" She yells as she slams her car door. I wave th e best I can and instruct Julie on which key to use for the lock.
"Its the blue one, Julie. Now Julie, is that blue? No. THAT is sea green. Yes, that key." I say. Julie groans twists the key in the lock and pushes the door open. Grace walks in first toting her own bagged goods she sets everything out on the table whilst finger-combing her hair into a lazy ponytail.
"There." she says feeling accomplished as she brings a platter of soda, cheese crunchies, and brownies. Julie sticks in Sleepless in Seattle periodically stopping when Leona started to have a fit or need to be fed. Eventually it was about 10:00, Grace, droopy-eyed, slugged her legs to a dining room chair and sat down across from me. Julie and Mika do the same. Azan had long since fallen asleep and was now drooling on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, guys. She's a handful." I apologize. They wave it off.
"You know, Kim," Grace starts. " You never told me HOW it happened."
What?
"How what happened, Grace?" I inquire of her vague statement.
"The baby."
"Well, Grace, when a man and woman love each-other VERY much-"
Julie and Mika snort.
"Oh come on, Kim! DETAILS." Grace pushes. She wants to know? Fine. I'll tell her.
"Alright. But this might take awhile."