he said, taking in her summer dress and tousled hair.
‘Thank you,’ she replied, placing the plates on the table and running her fingers through her hair self-consciously. She did look good, but she also looked tired. Dark circles ringed her eyes.
Liam was kicking his shoes off, when Hannah said suddenly, ‘Listen, do you mind if I actually eat my dinner a bit later? I sort of snacked a bit when Gracie ate tea and I’m not that hungry just now.’
‘Oh. Sure, we don’t have to eat right now. Why don’t you take a bath or something? Relax. We can both eat later.’
‘No, no. You eat. What I really feel like doing is taking a walk. It’s still so warm outside and I haven’t had the chance to get any fresh air today.’ She paused and then added, ‘You’ll be right then? Ethan shouldn’t need another feed for a little while yet, I’ll be back in plenty of time.’
‘Course, enjoy yourself,’ Liam replied quickly, watching as Hannah scooped her plate back off the table and placed it in the fridge. She disappeared down the hall to change and Liam shrugged and began to eat. He was getting the feeling there was something she wanted to say – but maybe the walk would help clear her mind. Perhaps she’d be more relaxed with him when she returned.
As she was leaving Liam called out from the table, ‘Wow, babe, dinner tastes great. What did you put in this sauce?’
‘Just some different herbs and things. See you in a bit.’ And then the door slammed shut. Liam ate quietly, and then eventually migrated to the couch where he turned on the television and flicked through the channels until he found the tennis. He was watching a close match between Federer and Nadal when he heard a high-pitched wail from down the hall.
Ahh, there’s my little man , he thought, secretly pleased that Ethan was awake. He’d been asleep when Liam had left this morning, so it felt like it had been forever since he’d held him in his arms.
Ten minutes later though, Liam was beginning to wish that Ethan had waited until his mum was back before waking for his feed. ‘Come on, mate,’ he said, as he danced back and forth across the living room, jiggling Ethan up and down in his arms while he continued to scream and scream. ‘Your mum says you don’t need a feed just yet. Come on, settle down, settle down.’ He watched as Ethan’s gummy mouth continued to open and close like a fish; his head kept turning inwards towards Liam’s chest, searching. ‘Not going to find any milk there, buddy.’
After another fifteen minutes of constant screaming, Liam was now of the mind that Ethan was in fact hungry. Maybe Hannah had got the time mixed up? he wondered. He was slowly feeling more and more useless as he failed to placate his tiny son. ‘Come on, Han,’ he murmured. ‘Where are you?’
When he finally heard the key in the lock, he breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Here she is, mate, mum to the rescue,’ he whispered to the red-faced bundle in his arms. As Hannah stepped inside, he practically launched their son into her arms. ‘Thank God you’re back,’ he exclaimed. ‘Could not get him to stop crying. Think he needs to feed,’ he said in a rush. Hannah stared back at him, seemingly taken by surprise, but then she nodded and turned away, heading down the hall to their bedroom.
Liam hesitated. Should he follow? Keep her company while she fed? Offer to hold him while she took off her sneakers? He probably shouldn’t have thrust the baby straight into her arms as soon as she arrived home. But he had been feeling his stress levels increase in time with the pitch of Ethan’s cries. He didn’t like to feel helpless. He decided to leave her to feed in peace and turned his attention back to the tennis match instead, just in time to see Nadal drop to his knees and punch the air in triumph.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was 3 am, and Hannah was having trouble sleeping. ‘You should always sleep while the baby is sleeping,’ she
‘Thank you,’ she replied, placing the plates on the table and running her fingers through her hair self-consciously. She did look good, but she also looked tired. Dark circles ringed her eyes.
Liam was kicking his shoes off, when Hannah said suddenly, ‘Listen, do you mind if I actually eat my dinner a bit later? I sort of snacked a bit when Gracie ate tea and I’m not that hungry just now.’
‘Oh. Sure, we don’t have to eat right now. Why don’t you take a bath or something? Relax. We can both eat later.’
‘No, no. You eat. What I really feel like doing is taking a walk. It’s still so warm outside and I haven’t had the chance to get any fresh air today.’ She paused and then added, ‘You’ll be right then? Ethan shouldn’t need another feed for a little while yet, I’ll be back in plenty of time.’
‘Course, enjoy yourself,’ Liam replied quickly, watching as Hannah scooped her plate back off the table and placed it in the fridge. She disappeared down the hall to change and Liam shrugged and began to eat. He was getting the feeling there was something she wanted to say – but maybe the walk would help clear her mind. Perhaps she’d be more relaxed with him when she returned.
As she was leaving Liam called out from the table, ‘Wow, babe, dinner tastes great. What did you put in this sauce?’
‘Just some different herbs and things. See you in a bit.’ And then the door slammed shut. Liam ate quietly, and then eventually migrated to the couch where he turned on the television and flicked through the channels until he found the tennis. He was watching a close match between Federer and Nadal when he heard a high-pitched wail from down the hall.
Ahh, there’s my little man , he thought, secretly pleased that Ethan was awake. He’d been asleep when Liam had left this morning, so it felt like it had been forever since he’d held him in his arms.
Ten minutes later though, Liam was beginning to wish that Ethan had waited until his mum was back before waking for his feed. ‘Come on, mate,’ he said, as he danced back and forth across the living room, jiggling Ethan up and down in his arms while he continued to scream and scream. ‘Your mum says you don’t need a feed just yet. Come on, settle down, settle down.’ He watched as Ethan’s gummy mouth continued to open and close like a fish; his head kept turning inwards towards Liam’s chest, searching. ‘Not going to find any milk there, buddy.’
After another fifteen minutes of constant screaming, Liam was now of the mind that Ethan was in fact hungry. Maybe Hannah had got the time mixed up? he wondered. He was slowly feeling more and more useless as he failed to placate his tiny son. ‘Come on, Han,’ he murmured. ‘Where are you?’
When he finally heard the key in the lock, he breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Here she is, mate, mum to the rescue,’ he whispered to the red-faced bundle in his arms. As Hannah stepped inside, he practically launched their son into her arms. ‘Thank God you’re back,’ he exclaimed. ‘Could not get him to stop crying. Think he needs to feed,’ he said in a rush. Hannah stared back at him, seemingly taken by surprise, but then she nodded and turned away, heading down the hall to their bedroom.
Liam hesitated. Should he follow? Keep her company while she fed? Offer to hold him while she took off her sneakers? He probably shouldn’t have thrust the baby straight into her arms as soon as she arrived home. But he had been feeling his stress levels increase in time with the pitch of Ethan’s cries. He didn’t like to feel helpless. He decided to leave her to feed in peace and turned his attention back to the tennis match instead, just in time to see Nadal drop to his knees and punch the air in triumph.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was 3 am, and Hannah was having trouble sleeping. ‘You should always sleep while the baby is sleeping,’ she
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