Handing Jasmine back to Cherish, he pulled the decorative pillows off and dragged the comforter to make a space for their new guests. The room was no longer perfect for him, but Cherish now, “Go ahead and settle in.” He said in a gentle tone.
Blowing out, she lowered the strap of Jasmine’s baby bag from her shoulder and proceeded to sit in the rocking chair. She held onto Jasmine and began to rock, “Thank you again, Simon.” She said.
Pausing, he looked to Jasmine who fussed in her mother’s arms, “Eat up little one.” He whispered. Jasmine erupted into a shriek and showed the true power of her lungs. Quickly, Cherish stood and placed her on the changing table. She had far more respect for Emily and didn’t feel right to use the bed. Simon quickly pointed to the wall across from the bed, “The bathroom is over there.” He stated.
Downstairs there was a harmony of cries in unison of Jasmine from Jr. Sighing, Simon cut his glance towards the hallway, “And it begins.” He muttered lowly to himself as he left.
Cherish glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Simon’s back before he disappeared. Lowering her head, she smiled at Jasmine and spoke in a soothing tone as she changed her diaper. As she pulled out a “fresh” onesie, Cherish grimaced. Her little girl’s outfit looked worse in the sunlight streaming through the blinds.
After Jasmine was changed, Cherish huffed out, carried her baby over, and sat down in the rocking chair again. Shakily releasing a breast, she held Jasmine tight, and tried to place her nipple into her daughter’s mouth. Jasmine was not impressed. She grew frustrated almost immediately, wailed out, and rolled Cherish’s nipple in her mouth. In less than a minute the feelings of rejection began to bubble forth. She took a deep breath and remembered not to take the refusal personally.
Cherish clenched her jaw, “Please baby.” She whispered under her breath and forced her dark nipple back into Jasmine’s mouth. Rejected again. After three less-than-par sucks, Jasmine gargled on her own spit and tears before her reddened face twisted. A screech, beyond anything Cherish had heard, emitted from her little body and Cherish began to wipe her face, “S-shh.” She murmured.
Simon checked Jr.’s diaper, rocked and shushed him while they both waited for the bottle warmer. Unfortunately, Simon didn’t have working nipples for Jr. to satiate himself on, so the boy would have to settle for formula. This was an uphill battle. The nurses in the hospital noticed Jr. fought to eat from the bottles. They warned Simon to mention dietary issues to the pediatrician which only worried this new father more than it should’ve.
At every turn when Simon tried to feed Jr., the little boy spat the nipple out, the milk he gained dribbled, and made a mess in his cries. Simon began to question his ability to hold a bottle and figured he was the one in the wrong. Exasperated, he took his crying, hungry son upstairs. He knocked on the door before entering the room. His brows bowed in sadness, “I’m trying to get him to eat but he won’t take it. Am I doing this properly?” He asked with a hint of panic in his voice. He knew Cherish was in this blindly as well, but he was desperate and hoped two heads would be better than one amid the wails.
Cherish’s glossy and overwhelmed eyes met with Simon’s worried blue gaze as he approached her. Their lack of parental skills were on the edge of cracking and neither of them seemed to worry that she was topless. She tried to concentrate over the crescendos of screams of the babies’ symphony. She held Jasmine in one arm, pushed herself to her feet, and gently took the bottle from him. She tested the nipple against Jr.’s cheek and bounced Jasmine in her arms. Jr. was quick to spit the rubber out and his deeper cry shrieked with Jasmine’s once more. Jasmine shook, and her little arms jerked around erratically. Jr. mimicked her and Simon swore they were in competition on who could be worse.
The bottle was going to waste and Cherish knew, deep down, that’s what Jasmine wanted; not her. Jasmine wanted the first thing she was fed with and imprinted in her mind. Unable to see a baby starving, including her own, Cherish blew out while she placed the bottle on the dresser, “I’m sorry. I... just…let me.” She stumbled, unable to finish the sentence; much to Simon’s confusion. This man was desperate to try anything.
She held Jasmine out to him, traded babies, and pushed the bottle back into his hands. She stared down at Jr. and placed her finger into his mouth. She felt his tongue and how strong of a suck he had as one of the nurses taught her. Cherish smiled once Jr. began to suck while he opened his blue eyes at her, “Hello handsome.” She said to him glancing over at Simon, “Try the bottle on her.”
Simon brought the artificial nipple to Jasmine’s sweet little lips. Immediately, she latched on and suckled repeatedly to satiate herself. Her blue-gray eyes peered up at Simon and he was socked in the chest. Through his darkened emotions, he’d found another beacon of light and, in almost an instant, felt love. A smile washed over him as he lightly bounced and rocked her. Jasmine was an easy baby to feed and Simon relaxed, “Look at you, beautiful. What eyes you have.” He said feeling a bit awkward to hold another’s child as his own, but he was melting for her.
Waddling to the rocking chair, Jr.’s calm broke and he weakly cried out again, “Okay, okay. I-I’m new
