Party of Four

The Poppy Bubble - Cole

By the time our parents were able to see the texts from Riley, visiting hours at the hospital were over. They both called immediately upon seeing the texts though, and promised they’d be there first thing in the morning.

Nica had decided to try to breast feed. Poppy seemed to latch well and proved to be a voracious eater. “I am concerned for you,” I said softly, half-joking as I watched what I could only describe as an attack.

“Yeah…” was all she said.

She had also decided to try and pump some once we got home too, or even supplement with formula so that Riley and I could feed Poppy, and not be wholly dependent on Nica. “You’re amazing,” I told her, kissing her temple.

After the discharge, Riley drove Nica and Poppy home while I drove the Mini, following behind them. My driving trauma wasn’t fully conquered, but at least I knew I could do it. I started making little trips, just to prove I could. A Taco Bell run late at night, a Starbucks trip before anyone woke up. Just easy, short, no pressure trips to help ease the anxiety that used to control my life.

Now, my life revolved around Poppy. Our lives revolved around Poppy. The night she was born, Eli entered in our leave, so the three of us would have, at minimum, six weeks off. Though he did tell us that if we wanted more time, to let him know.

Aside from my parents, Willow, Jay, and Mallory also came by the hospital the day after Poppy’s birth. Once we were home though, our entire friend group reached out about coming to visit and made offers of helping with anything we needed. Riley managed all of that. He dealt with the group chat and social media replies. He scheduled visits around Nica’s energy levels and kept track of Poppy’s apparent schedule. He tracked everything she did. He and I split responsibilities when it came to her physical care. Baths, diapers, occasional bottle feedings, changing clothes, middle-of-the-night wake-ups. We made sure Nica had plenty of time to rest and recover.

Her bedroom became Poppy Command Central though. We’d decided for the first couple of months, Poppy would sleep in a bassinet in Nica’s room. So Riley and I slept in Nica’s room. This way he and I could not only rotate late-night diaper and bottle duty, but we could both be there for Nica as well while she recovered.

The weekend after her and Poppy were discharged, her dad came to visit. We had the fifth bedroom set up as a makeshift guest room and temporary storage for some of Poppy’s surplus stuff, so Jason Shaw had somewhere to sleep during his visit. Nica’s excitement was contagious. Because of the pregnancy, she didn’t get to visit him for his birthday like she normally did, so she was ecstatic about the opportunity to make up for that.

The doorbell rang and Nica practically ran to answer it. “Dad!” She threw her arms around him, barely giving him a chance to set his suitcase down in order to return the hug. He smiled as Nica introduced him to us, and I realized the only thing Nica got from her mom was her hair color and texture.

Nica’s hair was brown and curly while Jason’s was black and straight, falling just below his chin. But they had the same honey-colored eyes, the same smile, the same high cheekbones. Jason was about average height and had the build of a former athlete. Which made sense considering Nica had told me he played baseball when he was younger and taught her how to play tennis. Apparently basketball was a hobby too, but he had never played on a team.

Jason also had tattoos. Bright, yellow, red, and orange flames wrapped around his forearm and a dragon peeked out from under the left sleeve of his shirt. On the side of his right leg was a shark. Even if I didn’t already know it, it would be easy to see that Nica took after him far more than she did her mom.

I had been genuinely nervous about meeting him, but he greeted me with a warmth and familiarity that Nica’s mom and siblings had lacked at the baby shower. Riley was in the backyard with Poppy and my parents. My dad was grilling burgers for a late lunch. My mom had set up one of the folding tables she’d bought for the shower to set buns, lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments on. I followed Nica and Jason upstairs, helping him with his bags while Nica gave him a little tour of the house.

I couldn’t help remembering all the conversations I’d had with Nica when she first started at Stella’s about how her dad was her best friend. It was evident already and he’d barely been here five minutes.

We joined the rest of the family outside. My parents were having a quiet discussion over the grill while Riley sat on the futon holding a sleeping Poppy. “Ready to meet your granddaughter?” Nica asked, grinning as we stepped through the patio door.

I saw the exact moment he fell in love with Poppy. His already friendly features softened, his eyes filling with admiration as he looked at the tiny bundle.

“Do you wanna hold her?” Nica asked softly.

He did. Jason took her carefully into his arms, holding her close against his chest. Poppy stirred, the blankets moving as she stretched out. Startled, even in sleep, by the sudden change. She settled against him just as quickly and I watched as he adjusted the blanket, tucking it under her chin so it wasn’t covering her face.

Then my parents came over to meet him. Unsurprisingly, Jason and my dad hit it off quite well. Considering how much Nica and my dad loved each other, it was no surprise how alike he and Jason were. It quickly became obvious why Nica had developed the bond she had with my dad, long before she ever met Riley or me. They had similar tastes, similar personalities. The exact same sense of humor.

Jason fit in seamlessly with us, and I knew instantly it was going to be difficult for Nica when he eventually had to leave.

I watched them, gathered around the table to eat. Riley was explaining Poppy’s schedule to Jason, who listened intently. Occasionally, he’d ask a question, and it became clear how similar Poppy’s behavior was to Nica’s when she was a baby. Apparently, much like Poppy, Nica had never really cried as a baby. She just made sharp, furious squeaks that indicated her distress. Jason was clearly experiencing déjà vu with Poppy.

Nica, meanwhile, looked more relaxed than she had all week. Probably for the first time since she’d found out she was pregnant. It was obvious how much of an effect having her dad here was having on her.

The presence of Jason Shaw didn’t feel like an inspection or a test. It felt like a final, beautiful addition to the family network we had built. He beamed at his daughter with pride, smiling and laughing with us. He didn’t ask prying questions or try to figure out who Poppy’s biological father was. He simply accepted what he saw: two men who adored his daughter and were more than happy to both take on the role of dad to his granddaughter.

I met Riley’s eyes and he smiled, soft and tired, but content. We had survived the baby shower, we survived Poppy’s birth, and now we had survived meeting the one person that had always mattered the most to Nica. We were ready for the chaos of parenthood.

We were ready for anything.