Snips n' Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

Chapter 5

Ethan turning three weeks old marked the time Owen had to go back to work, which meant that for the first time since their baby was born, Claire would be left alone at home until both Mason and Owen would come back later in the afternoon from school and work respectively. The redhead was glad this year's thanksgiving would be at Karen's, and she didn't have to worry about anything until her twelve weeks of maternity leave were up. ...At least that was what Owen intended.

For the past 21 days, Claire hadn't been allowed to touch a broom or a mop. She hadn't washed or dried a single plate or spoon, and it didn't matter how much she insisted, Owen hadn't even let her change a diaper. Owen had hired a maid to attend the house and Claire's needs, and she had been working with the family since they had brought baby Ethan from the hospital.

She came at eight and left at six from Monday through Friday. The first maid Owen had hired quickly turned Mason into a lazy boy, who was fast to assume the young lady would do everything for him. Claire had raised him so he would make his bed the moment he woke up, and wash every glass and plate he used. If he messed it up, he had to put it back in its place and clean after himself.

Now that he had his own bathroom, Claire had demanded him to be the one to keep it clean, and laundry on the floor was a negative unless he wanted to spend one week without playing videogames.

Jane, their first maid, had seen herself out of the door after five days. On the third day on the job, she was told NOT to make the bed for Mason: on her first morning she had gotten to it before the kid, and now he started waiting for her to do it. That was strike one for Claire.

Getting Claire some help was something Owen thought would help lifting some heavy weight off her shoulders now that her priority was Ethan, but they had to hire a maid almost every day. Claire was too demanding, but then again, she was a perfectionist and if Owen was expecting her to be able to stay off the house matters, she needed a maid that could work at her pace and with her system.

"Clementina!?" Claire called out, "What happened with the diapers?" She rolled her eyes. Ethan ate a lot, and that meant he crapped as much, and they kept running out of diapers, so she had sent the maid to go get her a pack at the small convenience store just a few blocks down.

Claire had already learned to juggle between breastfeeding her baby and texting/sending e-mails nine years before, so right now she had it completely mastered. She texted Owen, insisting to please remember to stop by a retail store and buy the big box of diapers.

"Clementina!?" Claire called back again, baby latched on her, moving his soft eyes up. "Sorry, handsome." She murmured and gently ran her hands on his little head and slowly relaxed. "We are taking a nap after this, aren't we?" She almost begged. She was exhausted.

They were lucky Ethan wasn't much of a crier unless he needed something like food or a change of diaper, but he still woke up every couple of hours altering the two. Mom smiled softly, hearing the little noise her baby did while swallowing.

Once Ethan let go of her breast, she cleaned his little lips and chin. She waited for a few minutes while she rested him over her shoulder, the little noise of his breathing the most beautiful sound Claire had ever heard. She just loved hearing him breathe against her ear after he was full.

Claire looked over to the bassinet she had by her side of the bed, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she rested her baby over a blanket on Owen's side. Ethan was now on his back, able to move his head to the side, looking for mom while she adjusted next to him, wanting to keep him close while they both took a nap.

"What daddy don't see, daddy don't know...right?" She tickled his tummy a little, the baby wiggling his little legs. Claire was very strict at night, and didn't allow the baby in bed with them. Aside from the physical crushing hazard, she knew it would be a struggle to make him stay in his own room when he was old enough, and adding a crib to that just made it harder.

Claire moved her head closer, aware that Ethan could only distinguish her if she was eight or ten inches away. "We just won't tell daddy that you are napping with me today, and you will be good and stay in your bassinet tonight." She stated, kissing his cheek softly.

She adjusted on her side and curled up so Ethan could stay between her knees and her breasts. She rested her hand close by and let her finger brush the palm of his gentle hand softly while he slowly drifted to sleep.

"Miss Dearing?" The maid stepped into the master bedroom with a pack of diapers; she was finally back from walking at least half an hour to get them.

Claire grunted, she was finally able to get some sleep and this woman was interrupting her nap for something as insignificant as some diapers. "What have I told you about waking me up, Clementina?" The redhead didn't even bother turning to face her: if she moved, then Ethan would be disturbed.

"Not to wake you up unless the house is on fire." She recited what her employer had roared at her last time this had happened. "But you said the diapers were a matter of urgency."

Claire had indeed said that, so she mumbled under her breath, annoyed that some people seemed to take everything literally, and apparently sarcasm was a foreign language to many. She made sure not to wake up her baby as she gently sat up on the bed. "Let's see." She smiled condescendingly. "Let's see the diapers that are oh so urgent at this very second when Ethan is fast asleep." Claire reached out with her hand so the other woman could hand them over.

The look on her face alarmed the maid. Claire released a heavy sigh and gave her the pack back. "These are size 1!" She had to swallow the scream she was ready to throw at this woman so she wouldn't wake the baby up. "Did I send you out to get size 1?"

"No, but the lady who helped me said the baby could wear these too." Clementina explained.

"Why didn't you get newborn diapers, Clementina?" Claire took a deep breath; Owen had begged her to listen to the maid and their way of thinking before throwing them out. So here she was, asking the woman why she hadn't run the errand following the instructions she had been given.

"They had run out of them." She explained.

"Did you hear that, angel?" Claire snorted, "You poop too much." She ran her fingers down the baby's belly and smiled lovingly down at him before her attention moved back to the maid, her smile replace with a glare of annoyance.

"Just get out." She requested, before she set the pack of diapers on her nightstand and adjusted back to cuddle with her baby and try to get some sleep. "Do you need a bloody degree to do a simple task, for the love of god?" Claire mumbled before kissing her baby's little hand and gently letting his soft scent calm her.