"It's just you and me kid." Maggie told the gurgling baby in her arms as his mother closed the door behind her. It was Amelia's first day back at work and the babysitter bailed last minute. She walked into the living room with the baby and placed him down on the play mat trying to interest him with his toys, but nothing seeming to interest him. She looked around her sisters apartment and spotted a baby swing in the doorway.
"Hmm, how about we do some swinging?" She cheerfully asked as she picked the baby up and put him into the swing. And lightly pushed him back and forth causing the baby to fuss. "Okay so maybe no swinging."
"Hoooooooow about we do some tummy time?" Maggie ask as she picked the baby out of the swing and carried him back to the mat placing him on his stomach. She picked up a baby rattle trying to entice him, but to no avail. In a matter of minutes he was in full blown tears.
"Oh it's okay." Maggie cooed as she picked up the baby trying to comfort him, it only seemed to encourage his tears. "All right, All right."
"Let's try to eat, how about that?" She walked over to the fridge where Amelia left milk for the baby. She warmed the bottle up for the baby while he sat in his high chair still crying. Once she was done he tried to give Scout his bottle but he refused it.
"You'll feel better if you eat." She kneeled down so she was at eye level with him and tried giving him his bottle only for him to push it away causing it to fall on the floor. "Ooookay, so it doesn't seem that you wanna eat."
"Alright how about we take a walk? I know you love to take walks with your dad." The boy's aunt grabbed the baby carrier and secured it around herself placing the baby in. She walked around the apartment lightly bouncing him, the actions not calming him down.
"How about we try to take a nap? A nap sounds good right?" The woman starting to get concerned that the baby had been crying as long as he was. She brought the baby into his nursery and laid him down in his crib, causing the baby to scream.
"Let's try some music, your mommy says you love to listen to music." The cardio surgeon cooed as she stepped over to the dresser where the sound machine was, she flipped the switch turning on the peaceful music. Which only seem to upset him more. She could barely hear herself think over the baby's cries, she didn't know how people did this day in and day out.
"What are we going to do?" She knew Link was away for the weekend at a conference, and Amelia was in surgery. She knew if she called one of them they'd be worried, their son wasn't much of a crier at least not to this extent. She picked the baby back up and put him back into his carrier and exited the nursery. This had never with her other nieces and nephew, her sisters had always called her the baby whisperer. Scout just seemed to hate her.
"Okay, little buddy. I think I know what we're gonna do?"
_______________________________________
"Is he okay?" Amelia asked panicked as she noticed her crying son and Maggie in the gallery.
"He kinda won't stop crying." Maggie admitted into the intercom.
"Does he have a fever?" The neurosurgeon asked not looking up from her patient.
"No." Maggie confirmed whilst putting the back of her hand against his forehead, his crying slowly stopping. "He's calming down though."
"Did he eat?" Amelia asked looking up at the pair, making eye contact with her son.
"He refused." Maggie said as she sat down on one of the chairs, the baby stopping his cries.
"Did you try putting him to sleep with the sound machine?" The boys mother asked focusing back on her patient.
"Yeah, he screamed his head off though. He's calm now though, I think he just missed you." Maggie realized the baby was happily smiling now that he was in the same vicinity as his mother.
"Oh." Amelia was taken aback, it still stunned her most days how much her son loved her. "Possibly, I mean I've never been gone this long. And Links been away."
"Well he's content now, no worries." Maggie smiled hugging the child closely as he watched his mother.
_______________________________________
"There's my sweet boy." The neurosurgeon cooed as she walked into the attendings lounge. She took her baby from her sisters grasp.
"He's much happier now." Maggie said, relieved it stressed her out for how long he has cried.
"Did i make a mistake? Am I going back to work too early?" Amelia asked suddenly feeling like a terrible mother.
"No! Not at all, it's just going to be an adjustment. It probably didn't help that Link is at that conference."
"God I feel like a terrible mother." She sighed as she sat down on the couch.
"Amelia, I promise your not. You love your son. It's just going to be an adjustment. I mean look at Mer she has the kids and the career."
"Thanks for watching him. Sorry he was such a trouble."
"He wasn't." Maggie smiled sitting down on the couch next to her sister. "He's my favorite nephew under the age of two."
"Is he now?" The boys mother smirked.
"Absolutely." Maggie rubbed the boys back as he laid on his mother's chest recovering from his crying. "Your not a terrible mother, look at how much he loves you."
