Lost and Found

Nate watched Krissa shift the baby in her arms into a strange position where she lay on her stomach across Krissa’s forearm. Krissa patted the baby on her back. “Okay, boys, what’s the problem here?”

They both sniffled and hiccupped. “I spilled my cereal,” one said. Nate looked from one identical twin to the other.

“Let me,” he murmured and went to the kitchen. He snooped through cupboards until he found paper towels and something to clean the carpet with, returned. He crouched down in front of the boys and started scooping soggy cereal into the bowl. He scraped up as much as he could, then blotted the milk with towels.

“I’m Nate,” he said to the boys and smiled. “You guys help me clean this up and we’ll get something else to eat. Okay?”

They nodded, wide-eyed, and helped clean, pressing paper towels with all their little might to absorb the milk, then scrubbed at the stain. Krissa walked with the baby, rhythmically patting her back and murmuring soothingly to her. The wails seemed a little less frantic, although they continued.

It was enough to drive you insane. He could see why Cameron was freaking out. She appeared in the door, car keys in hand, brows drawn together and her mouth a thin line.

“Are you sure…”

“She’ll be fine, Cam.” Krissa walked over to her friend. “You know she’ll be fine. You just have to get away.”

“But she’s crying…”

Krissa nodded. “Yup. Now, go.”

Cam left. Krissa walked another circle around the room and Nate took the boys into the kitchen.

“I don’t know your names,” he told them.

“I’m sorry.” Krissa walked over. “This is Alexander.” She put her hand atop one blond head. “And this is Benjamin. They’re three.”

“We’re twins,” Ben piped up.

“I see that. I can’t even tell you apart.” Nate gri

Krissa smiled at him. “Ben has longer hair.”

“Ah.” He studied them. “Okay. But I bet you’re different in other ways aren’t you? One of you is the good twin and one is the evil twin. Right?”

The boys laughed. “I’m the good one!” Ben cried.

“No, I am!”

Their tears were apparently forgotten. “Okay, you guys hungry? What do you want?”

“I want chicken noodle soup.”

“I want a gillcheese sammich.”

Nate gri

Nate caught her eye and she smiled ruefully. “I was afraid that wouldn’t work.” And she paced again.

“She needs to move,” he commented.

“Yes. There’s something about that rhythm…putting her in her car seat and going for a drive apparently works, too. I’ve heard of parents who put their kid’s car seat on top of the clothes dryer. The hum and the vibration put them to sleep.”

“How do you know she’s okay?”

Krissa shrugged. “If she’s not hungry, wet or poopy, she’s probably okay. The first time this happened when I was here, I freaked out just like Cameron. But after a couple hours of crying, Emma was exhausted, fell asleep and was fine. Nobody really knows what this colic thing is. Some think it’s gas. Others think it’s just the stress of the day built up to a point where the baby can’t handle it anymore.”

He nodded, ladled soup into bowls. “Now this is hot,” he cautioned them. But impatient, Ben had to try it, then started crying when it burned his mouth. Shit.

“Here.” Nate poured him a glass of cold juice.

“Mommy puts ice cubes in our soup,” Alex said helpfully. Okay. He could do that.

When the twins had eaten, the baby had fallen asleep and Krissa sat down with her. “I don’t want to put her down,” she said softly. She’d changed Emma’s position so she cradled her in her arms. Nate watched the tender expression on her face as she gazed down at the sleeping little bundle. Now she was quiet, she was adorable.

Nate played with the twins, although he felt he should clean up the kitchen and do the dishes, but they dragged him outside to see their play structure. Outside it was easy to amuse them, and he let them run and swing and slide until Cam arrived home.

Inside, Krissa was handing the baby over to Cam. “She just woke up,” Krissa said. “And I think she’s hungry, so it’s perfect timing.”

The baby nuzzled at her mother’s breast. Cam looked much better, exhausted but in control. “Thank you,” she said with a sigh, dropping her purse to the floor. She sank onto the couch and unbuttoned her blouse.

Startled, Nate averted his eyes. Uh, yeah. That’s how babies were fed.

“You remember Nate, don’t you?” Krissa asked Cam. “I didn’t get a chance to say anything earlier.”

Forced to turn to her, Nate kept his eyes above Cam’s shoulder level.

“Of course,” Cam said with a smile. “Sorry about all the drama, Nate.”

“No problem. It was fun playing with the boys. They’re good kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “They’re little monsters.”

“Cam!”

Nate’s gaze went to Krissa’s horrified face.

“They are,” Cam said.

“They have a lot of energy,” Nate put in. “They’re kids.”

Krissa nodded, glanced at her watch. “We should go. Derek was pla

Nate followed her and helped do the dishes and wipe the counters.

“Thank you again. You’re a lifesaver, Kris, truly.” Nate read the gratitude in Cam’s eyes, dropped his gaze to the nursing baby for a fleeting look, then turned to Krissa. She watched the baby with a look in her eyes that was…hunger. Longing.

How hard was this for her, to come and help her friend, see the baby, knowing she was never going to have this? He rubbed at a strange twinge in his chest.

“Any time, Cam,” Krissa replied quietly. She met Nate’s gaze. “Shall we go?”

“Bye, Kris, bye, Nate,” Cam called.

“Bye, Auntie Kwissie! Bye, Unca Nate!”

Uncle Nate. Amused, Nate waved at the boys as they left.

“Whew.” Krissa blew out a breath once out of the house. “That was crazy.” She eyed him. “Thanks for coming. You were a big help with the twins.”

He shrugged. “No problem. I like kids.”

She tipped her head and got a fu

Derek had arrived home before they did. He’d already had di

“But not just any cheese,” he noted. “Not that processed cheese on white bread I made for them.” He looked approvingly at the Havarti and Gruyere combination on thick toasted multi-grain bread.

“Gourmet gillcheese,” she agreed. They laughed.

“What’s so fu

Krissa waved a hand. “Nothing. We just got back from rescuing Cam. She was having a mommy meltdown.”

“Again?” Derek frowned, took a beer out of the fridge. “Want one?” He looked at Nate, who nodded. Derek handed the bottle to him and got another one.

“Uh…Krissa? Want a drink?” Nate asked, sending Derek a frown.

She smiled at Nate. Aw. That was so nice of him. Derek, the big idiot, hadn’t even thought of her. “I’d love a beer,” she replied and shot Derek a look, so he retrieved another one from the fridge and brought it to her. “Thanks, hon.”

“What’s Cameron’s problem now?” Derek raised the bottle to his mouth. “They should never have had that third baby.”

“That’s what she says.” Krissa couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice and both men glanced at her. She shrugged. “Hey, Emma was an accident. She admits that.”