Face Your Fears

Chapter 33

Milo was asleep.

His little hands were balled into fists beside his head, his tiny mouth turned down in a frown. He kept making these little sniffling noises every so often, his chest fluttering as he breathed.

I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him sleep.

Milo had been home with us for almost four weeks now, and I still had difficultly believing that he was actually my son. Now that he was here, I found it impossible to imagine life without him.

He was unsually quiet for a newborn, and exceptionally observant.

When he wasn't sleeping, he preferred to stay tucked up in my or Hadley's arms, or laying on our shoulders, and he simply watched. It was the most fascinating thing, seeing the expressions that would flit across his face when he saw something new, or met someone for the first time.

Everything was new to him. I was beyond lucky to be able to see him growing each and every day.

"Archer, can you zip me up, please?"

I looked up as Hadley spoke, exiting the bathroom, lifting her hair off her neck.

"Sure."

I stood and crossed the room to her, reaching out to zip up the back of the light blue dress she was wearing.

"Were you watching Milo sleeping the entire time I was in there?" she asked, letting her hair fall.

"Yes," I answered immediately. "Why, is that weird?"

"No, no, of course not," she said, turning around to face me. "I just thought I was the only one."

"What d'you mean?"

Hadley shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked over to Milo's crib. "I don't know. It's just like...sometimes I get this irrational fear that if I take my eyes off of him, he'll disappear."

"No. That's not just you," I said. "I get the same feeling, too."

She reached down to stroke a finger across Milo's cheek, and he gave another quiet sniffle, as if even unconscious he knew his mother was nearby.

"Maybe it's just new parent paranoia, then," she said.

I slid my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. "I think we have more reason than most to be paranoid about our son."

"Fair point. But I'd rather not think about that today. Or tomorrow. Or ever again."

I wholeheartedly agreed.

My phone started ringing at that moment, and I quickly grabbed at it while Milo woke and immediately started crying.

"Hello?" I said into the phone while Hadley comforted Milo.

"Hey, bro, we're on our way over right now," my sister June said. "Everything all right on your end?"

"Yeah, we're fine. We just have to get Milo ready, and we're good to go."

"Brilliant."

I signed off with June, tossed my phone onto the bed, and finished packing the diaper bag while Hadley changed Milo.

Today was the day of all days.

Today Milo was going to be baptized at St. Patrick's. It was going to be the biggest event to hit the family since his birth.

My mother and my aunts were going all out for this, and far from being annoyed about it, I was excited to be able to photograph the event whenever I could find the time to get my hands on my camera.