You know how people tell you all the time, not to blink because time flies? I know they’re talking about parenthood and life in general but, the last two and a half weeks have flown by, and I’d like to know how to slow it down. For a few more minutes anyway.
Rhys and I are sitting in the tiny pre-op room at Women’s & Children’s Hospital waiting for the doctor to take Reid back to the OR for his surgery. All the paperwork has been signed. The nurse gave him the tiniest dose of calming medicine, and they got his IV started.
He’s currently cuddled up in his daddy’s arms while Rhys paces the length of the room.
I’m dresses in paper scrubs and one of those funny hats so that when it’s go time, I can walk him back into the operating room. I won’t lie, I’m jealous of Rhys right now because I want to be the one cuddling our boy. At the same time – I’m going back with him until he’s under, I know it’s only fair that Rhys has his time now.
I don’t like this part of co-parenting, the part where we share.
“Hey,” Rhys whispers and offers Reid to me as if he can read my mind. “They’ll probably be coming soon, you take him for a little bit.”
The tears I’ve been holding back all morning threaten to fall as I hold Reid against my chest.
When the nurse walks in and says it’s time, my chest tightens, and I feel like I can’t stand. I bite my lip when Rhys leans in and kisses Reid’s cheek and tells him that he loves him. Then, I begin walking – each step feeling like I have concrete blocks for shoes.
By the time we’re actually in the OR, and they tell me to have a seat on the gurney with Reid, the tears fall. His little eyes fluttered open and closed a few times before they put the mask over his face. In seconds, he’s out like a light. Someone takes him from me, and one of the techs walks me out to the waiting room, reminding Rhys and me what to expect and that they’ll call us as soon as he’s in recovery.
As soon as she walks away, my knees lock, and I fall into Rhys, sobbing.
His arms wrap around me, his chin sitting on the top of my head while he rubs circles on my back.
“He’s going to be okay, Kels. It’ll be over before you know it and we’ll be taking him home.”
“I know,” I sniffle and hiccup against his chest. “He looked so much smaller, and helpless in there. All this big equipment and this little tiny baby.”
“Let’s go sit down,” he offers and takes my hand.
Rhys grabs a box of tissues from one of the nearby tables and hands them to me as we sit over in the corner and wait, me with my head resting on his shoulder and his arm slung over me.
The whole thing takes less than forty-five minutes even though it feels much longer.
The same tech from earlier comes out to get us and leads us back to the recovery room. Reid is groggy but awake and letting everyone know how unhappy he is. His nurse is trying to console him, but when we walk in, she’s more than happy to hand him over to me.
“He is really upset. If we can get him to settle down, you can try to offer him a bottle with a little bit of Pedialyte in it to start.”
It’s hard to do much more than sway back and forth in one spot with the wires and IV still attached to Reid and my efforts are doing little to calm him down. Meanwhile, Rhys is standing against the wall – in his usual ‘bad ass’ stance. Arms crossed over his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, and he’s smirking.
If I don’t laugh, I’ll only end up crying again. That or throwing a blood pressure cuff and Rhys’ head.
“Is something funny?” I give him my best scowl and watch as he tries to fight back an even bigger grin.
“You want me to try?”
“Rhys Mitchell, I swear to the heavens, if I hand this baby to you and he stops crying,” before I can finish, Rhys moves to my side of the room and holds out his hands.
I only want the little dude to calm down, so I give him up along with his pacifier. Rhys lays him against his chest, puts the pacifier in his mouth and runs his hand over Reid’s back. My jaw hits the floor as he falls silent, almost instantly.
“What the f…” I growl under my breath.
Rhys shoots me a wink and smiles. “I have the magic touch.”
“Fuck you,” I roll my eyes and sit down on the edge of the bed.
The nurse flutters back in a short while later with a tiny bottle of Pedialyte and hands it to me. “Go ahead and try to offer him three ounces to start. If he keeps that down, you can offer him half of a regular bottle. Dr. Wyatt said to just take it slow. He’ll be by to check on him after lunch time, and if all is well, you’ll be able to head home. If you need anything, I’m right at the desk, and I’ll be in and out to check on you.” She’s talking to me, but I can see her eyes flutter to Rhys more than once. I can’t blame her, I look at him like that too.
“Thanks.” I offer her a warm smile even though I’d really like to tell her to keep her eyes to herself. And grab Reid’s empty bottle from the diaper bag to fill it with the Pedialyte. “You want to do this?” I challenge Rhys.
“Sass,” he bites back.
I bat my lashes, “You’re the hero here. I thought you’d want to keep up with your image.”
“Jealousy does not look good on you.”
“You sure you don’t know her from somewhere,” I narrow my gaze at him.
He’s not buying it. He shakes his head and takes the bottle from me. “It’s more likely she knows me. Not the other way around. I can’t help it, when you’re hot, you’re hot.”
“If she asks you for a picture or an autograph, I will claw her eyes out.”
“Simmer down.” He grins and takes a seat in the middle of the hospital bed, leaning back.
We’re waiting for the doctor to come in and discharge Reid when my friend and Reid’s favorite babysitter stops by to check on us.
“Hey, you. I was on break and figured…” her voice cuts off as she pulls the curtain open and her eyes widen at the sight of Rhys. “Well, holy shit. This is the hottie that fathered my favorite boy.”
I lean my head back and sigh. “Crystal. Really? Why can’t any of my friends be normal?”
“I’m Crystal,” she offers Rhys, her hand, and he shakes it. “You’re Rhys, the hot cop. That would be how I know your name, not because Miss Tight Lips over here told me anything. There is no denying the resemblance now though,” she takes a breath and looks at me. “Jeez, you could have told me Reid’s father was back in the picture.”
May the floor open up and swallow me now.
“You’re all nuts. All of my friends are fucking nuts. I’m so glad you came to check on us, and fawn all over Rhys.”
“Hey now, it’s not my fault you caught me off guard. You could have told me the viral hot cop was your baby daddy.”
“Crystal! For fuck sake.” Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Rhys barely holding himself together. “You really live for embarrassing me.”
“It’s because I love you. Now,” she walks over to Rhys.
If she touches him, I’ll kill her.
I hate all of them. I hate my friends, and I hate that Rhys makes me want to kill my friends, especially those friends who I love and trust so much.
“Let me see this little cutie before I have to get back to my floor,” she swoops Reid out of Rhys' hands and swings him on to her hip. For the first damn time since he came out of surgery, he smiles, at Crystal. “Did they treat you good, buddy? Did they give you a popsicle? I bet they didn’t. Aunt Crystal should go get you one. Shouldn’t I?” Reid laughs while I shake my head.
She goes on talking nonsense to him like she likes to do. Meanwhile, Rhys moves over to sit in the chair beside me while Crystal has her moment.
When she hands Reid to me and leaves, Rhys nudges my elbow.
“That was fun.”
“Tons. I’m sorry. First Katie flashes you, Zoey as well…Zoey and Crystal…I swear she’s normal. She’s a nurse in the Pediatric ICU. She’s usually the one who watches Reid. She was the one who was with him the night I…” I pause and clear my throat. “The night I left the signing early to come home. He had a bad ear infection that night too.”
“Kels. It’s ok. We’re ok.”
I don’t have time to analyze his words because the doctor comes in right after, ready to check on Reid one last time and give us all the follow-up instructions.