A Million Dreams (Wish 3)

8 - Expertise

Mia stayed clear of Ted except for leaving treats on his doorstep. She secretly liked how he had to think of her while eating her cookies, although she didn't like the way he dismissed her whenever they found themselves face to face.

She was tempted to talk to Celia or Sage, but feared it would get back to him. Instead, she watched his comings and goings as he switched between the gray-blue eyed man in work boots to the blue eyed wealthy businessman. The only thing that changed was the loud music had ceased. Mia almost wished he'd give her a reason to yell at him.

Ironically, the next time one of them knocked on the other's door it was him. She looked a fright and was short with him.

"What? Can't you see I'm a little busy here!" Mia had zero patience.

"What I see is you need help."

Mia bounce Declan in her arms. She had agreed to watch him overnight while Noah worked and Brenna went off on a girls' weekend. Everything started out all right, he was happy and giggling. Late afternoon, he took a brief nap, but as the evening progressed, he had done nothing but cry. He would only take his bottle for a few minutes at a time.

Mia was convinced he was sick and was contemplating taking him to his father at work. "I'm going to take him to the emergency room."

"I doubt that's what he needs. May I?"

She was dumbstruck as Ted Calhoun reached out his hands and took her nephew out of her arms.

Declan stopped crying as he looked up at the stranger, but after a moment scrunched his face and let out a wail.

Mia watched in amazement as Ted sat down on her sofa and lay the baby down. He was very deliberate as he felt his forehead and back. Then he pressed on Declan's tummy.

Looking up at Mia, Ted said, "He could use a dry diaper at least he's well hydrated."

"He fusses over his bottle." She knew she sounded frantic, but at the same time she didn't want to look incompetent.

Ted stood. "Watch him."

He walked over to her sink and washed his hands. He sat at the baby's head and inserted his pinky in his mouth.

Mia watched as he furrowed his brow. She felt dread; something was very wrong.

"I should have known. It's his teeth."

"Teeth? He doesn't have any!"

"No, he will soon, but unfortunately not tonight." So now Mr. Calhoun was a baby expert. "Go through his things and see if there's any medicine and a washcloth."

She followed his instructions and found only a soft baby blue washcloth.

"Wet it, put it in a bag and then put it in the freezer. You can change him and I'll go get what we need."

'What we need', Mia and Ted were not a 'we', except for a few moments in the garden.

He returned about twenty minutes later with a bag from Walgreens. She had been bouncing and pacing the entire time. The crying had waned some, but she suspected it was only because the poor thing exhausted himself.

Ted opened a box and expertly used a dropper to measure out some medicine. He put the dropper in Declan's mouth and squeezed the contents in.

"Okay. Remember, it's quarter to nine."

He took some other items out of the bag and put them in the refrigerator and walked to Mia with the washcloth from the freezer.

"Here, let me take him. You need a break."