He sucked with deep, hungry pulls and grunts after each swallow. He was calm and content while his little eyes drooped shut. Wincing, a minute passed before Cherish was used to the sensation. The engorged pain she’d felt around her breast deflated and, for once, she felt true release. She tilted her head while staring at him and instantly felt a connection to the little boy. According to society this would be wrong, terrible even for her to impede on another woman’s infant, but she couldn’t watch his struggles and he was too young to understand the pain he felt in his stomach. This boy would not starve if she could help him. She couldn’t help but care about him. Yes, Cherish was smitten with this little newborn, almost alike to how she was with her own daughter. Then, she noticed that it was almost entirely silent in the room. She honed in to see how Simon and Jasmine fared.
The situation was still odd but oddly right.
Simon caught Cherish’s gaze and saw his child filling his belly. Jr. stared up at this woman like she was all things glorious. That was an incredible thing to see. A mother figure nurturing his child in the most natural way possible. The fact that this woman stopped all she did so his son could eat, showed her character. It didn’t, however, stop the sharp pain in his chest. Inevitably, a lump formed in his throat that he had to fight off again and again. All he could do was lend a faint smile to her in their temporary peace. She returned with a half-smile and turned her attention to Jr. His eyes were shut tight as he nursed with his head cradled by her with care.
The room was silent aside from the sucks and tiny mews emitting from beneath them. Simon carefully eased himself to the bed and sat on the plush mattress. He did a double take to Jasmine and dared to speak, “I think we figured it out.” It was only a temporary fix. Jasmine loved her bottle, but Jr. couldn’t expect Cherish to feed him all the time. That wasn’t fair to her. She was a guest in Simon’s house, and he wasn’t going to saddle her with another baby.
Nodding, she stared down at Jr.’s pale features pressed into her dark brown breast, “I think we did.” She answered.
Simon stared at Jasmine while the last bit of formula swirled down, “Thank you for doing this. I don’t mean, I mean…You just don’t have to feel forced to feed him. I’m not asking anything out of you or repayment.” He pondered a moment to himself, “I wonder if I can get one of those fake boob straps. You’re going to have your hands full with Jasmine.” He said. As he spoke her name, the bottle fell from her mouth and she sank into a deep sleep against him calmly. Simon lifted her to his shoulder and patted along her back as he stole a glance to Jr.
Cherish took a few moments before looking to Simon again. She spoke to him in a hushed voice out of concern, “If you want to try bottle feeding Jr. again, I won’t stop you. Just know that you don’t have to waste your money. I will help you and he seems to like breastfeeding. I am willing to do it. I don’t want him to go hungry. I’ve already seen Jasmine in that state, and it hurts. I don’t want to see him like that. Besides…” Cherish’s gaze drifted down to Jasmine who slept in Simon’s arms, “…she seems to like the bottle more than this little guy.”
Simon watched this woman as she laid out all that she was willing to do for Jr. and him. He wondered for a moment if she felt that she owed him for what he’d done for her. The straightforward look in her eyes and how she held his son tenderly, like a mother with her own child, he believed Cherish meant what she said. One bit caused Simon to read into it more that he should’ve. “It hurts.” He wasn’t sure if she went hungry with Todd or perhaps there was a deeper meaning, but he wouldn’t dare ask.
Looking down at Jasmine as she slept peacefully in the crook between his arm and chest, Simon knew he didn’t want her to go hungry; ever. Just as he’d dedicated himself to Jr., he would make sure that she was always well fed. With this protective need to nurture her, he smoothed her almost bald head, “I’ll keep feeding her then. If we work together I don’t think things will be too bad. We can do this.” He said in a gentle voice.
Spurred on by the silence with the children at ease, he knew they were in a weird situation. Simon’s heart was shattered in a million pieces and he could imagine that Cherish’s was as well. Like it or not, life moved on and two little lives depended on them. Cherish, as far as he could see, was a beautiful soul and he was deeply grateful to have her there. Even if she was as wet behind the ears as he was. “I’m going to lay her down and unpack, alright?” Simon asked. Jr. didn’t look like he was quite finished yet causing his brow to quirk in mild amusement, “Insatiable little guy, isn’t he?” He questioned.
Cherish broke out in a
