Her Two Dads (9 page)

“Sounds good.”

Jaime walked back downstairs to his new room, wondering about the fact that Srikkanth had noticed he was shirtless and cared enough to say something about it, even teasingly. He knew what he wanted the observation to mean, but he didn’t figure it was terribly realistic. They’d been very clear about their boundaries when they’d moved in together. Still, a man could hope, couldn’t he? Pulling a clean sweatshirt over his head, he went out into the kitchen to help Sri clean up.

“Damn,
this armoire is heavy,” Jaime grunted as they maneuvered the piece of furniture up the stairs.

“It’s solid cherry,” Srikkanth reminded him, his voice strained as they pushed and pulled on the box, trying to get it up to Sophie’s nursery. “Maybe we should’ve bought something cheaper.”

With a final heave, they pushed the chest into the upstairs hallway. “If we had, we’d only end up replacing it in a couple of years,” Jaime reminded him. “Yes, it’s heavy, but it’s good quality. And it’s the biggest piece. The rest should be easier.”

Srikkanth wasn’t sure about that, but they’d see how it went. He grabbed his utility knife and cut away the cardboard box around the armoire so they could position it in one corner of Sophie’s bedroom. Another trip brought up the chest of drawers that also doubled as a changing table. They brought up the bed on the final trip, setting out all the pieces so they could assemble it.

“This is going to be one of those projects that takes forever, isn’t it?” Jaime groused.

“It might be,” Srikkanth shrugged, “but Sophie will be far more comfortable here than in that little napper. I can’t believe she’s almost outgrown it already. She’s only two months old.”

“Babies grow fast,” Jaime said. “And she’s eating well, so there’s no reason she shouldn’t. I think I remember reading that most babies double their weight by the time they’re six months old.”

Srikkanth shook his head. “We’ll have to get new clothes for her before long.”

“Let’s see if the ones she has will last until it warms up a little more. That way we can buy spring and summer things in the next size. They’ll last longer that way.”

“Makes sense.”

They spread the directions out on the floor and started assembling the bed, attaching the side rails to the headboard and footboard with long screws and then positioning the bedsprings at the highest level so they could reach her easily while still supporting her head. Finally, they got the bed together and the sheets on the mattress. “I think everything’s ready,” Jaime declared. “Now she just needs to wake up so we can show her her new room.”

As if on cue, Sophie started fussing in the other room. Laughing, the two men went into Srikkanth’s bedroom. “You do the honors,” Jaime said. “She’s your daughter.”

“Come here, Sophie,” Srikkanth said with a smile, picking her up. “Do you want to see the room Uncle Jaime and I made for you?”

“What’s she going to call you?” Jaime interrupted.

“Daddy,” Srikkanth said, eyes tearing up as he thought about the unexpected blessing.

“Call yourself Daddy when you’re talking to her so she knows who you are,” Jaime suggested. “That’s the way babies learn names.”

“Do you want to see the room Uncle Jaime and Daddy made for you?” Srikkanth repeated, the appellation awkward on his tongue, but he’d get used to it. Eventually.

Srikkanth carried her into the nursery, Jaime trailing behind him, not wanting to intrude on the moment between father and daughter, but Srikkanth didn’t let him hang back for long, gesturing him into the room. “What do you think,
betti
?” he asked. “Do you like it? Uncle Jaime picked out the sheets and quilt. They’ll keep you nice and warm for the rest of the winter, and then we’ll get something lighter for you during the summer.”

“Your daddy picked out the furniture, though,” Jaime told her. “He wanted something nice for you. Something you could use even when you were older. Don’t grow up too fast, though, baby girl. Let us enjoy you a little while longer, okay?”

Sophie gurgled at them again, her little hands reaching for both familiar faces. They leaned down to let her touch, their foreheads bumping as they did. “Sorry,” Jaime apologized, straightening back up. He looked anywhere but at Srikkanth to hide his embarrassment and his desire.

“Don’t worry about it,” Srikkanth said hoarsely. “It was just a little bump.”

 The nursery finished, they went back downstairs to fix dinner. Jaime took one look in the fridge and groaned. “Chinese?”

“Sure,” Srikkanth laughed. “Anything to avoid having to cook and do dishes tonight.”

Jaime laughed and called in their usual order, changing clothes again so he wouldn’t scare anyone when he went to pick up the food.

After
dinner, Srikkanth tucked Sophie into her new bed, hovering in the doorway even after she was asleep.

“Come downstairs,” Jaime insisted. “We can finish watching the movie you missed last night. We got the monitor set up. You’ll be able to hear her if she wakes up.”

“All right,” Srikkanth conceded finally, although he found it difficult to pull away from the door. His little girl was growing up.

Once he got settled, though, the movie got his attention, and he watched it all the way through to the end. Sophie woke up hungry just as the credits started to roll.

“Perfect timing,” Jaime laughed. “Go get her. I’ll bring up a bottle.”

Srikkanth went up to the nursery, picking Sophie up and rocking her in the new glider. “This is much nicer than being cramped in Daddy’s room, isn’t it, Sophie? Uncle Jaime’s getting you a bottle. You can fill your little tummy and then go back to bed in your big comfortable crib.”

“Here you go,” Jaime said softly from the doorway.

Srikkanth held his hand out. Jaime brought it to him and then left the two of them alone again.

Srikkanth gave Sophie the bottle and rocked gently as she drank. The repetitive motion soothed him as much as it did his daughter, and before long, he fell asleep holding her.

When Srikkanth didn’t come back downstairs, even to say goodnight like he usually did, Jaime wandered back upstairs. The sight that met his eyes nearly took him to his knees, so strong was his desire to be a part of the tableau. Srikkanth sat in the glider still, his head back against the headrest, his feet on the ottoman. Sophie lay in his arms, sound asleep, the forgotten bottle hanging loosely from Srikkanth’s limp hand. Jaime debated what to do. He could try to get her into her own bed, but he risked waking both of them if he did. He could wake Srikkanth and let him put Sophie in bed, but Srikkanth was obviously exhausted. Slipping into Srikkanth’s room, Jaime pulled the heavy comforter off the bed, carrying it back into Sophie’s room and draping it over both of them, careful to make sure her face was completely unobscured. “Sleep well,” he whispered, bending to kiss her forehead softly. Feeling daring, he ghosted his lips across Srikkanth’s forehead as well, catching a whiff of cologne as he did.

He left them to sleep, resolving to come up with a better solution than Srikkanth sleeping upright in the rocker. It might be all right for tonight, but it would give him neck cramps for sure if he did it very often.

“
Something
’
s
wrong with Sophie,” Srikkanth said as soon as Jaime walked in the door from work. “She hasn’t stopped crying all day, and she’s rubbing at her ear.”

“Does she have a fever?” Jaime asked, crossing to Srikkanth’s side and laying his hand on Sophie’s forehead. “She feels hot.”

“She’s been like that all day,” Srikkanth verified.

“I think we need to take her to the doctor,” Jaime said. “She obviously isn’t well. Do you want me to call and make an appointment?”

“Would you take her instead?” Srikkanth asked, knowing his voice was pitiful but unable to care. He was exhausted from listening to Sophie cry all day. “I’ll call the doctor.”

“Of course,” Jaime said, scooping Sophie out of Srikkanth’s arms and rocking her against his chest. “It’s going to be all right,
mi hija
,” he crooned. “Daddy’s going to take you to the doctor, and we’re going to get you all fixed up. Just relax and hang on a little bit longer.”

Srikkanth came back into the room a few minutes later. “They have an opening in an hour,” he told Jaime. “They said it sounded like an ear infection.”

“At least they can see her today,” Jaime said, rocking Sophie soothingly. “Why don’t you go take a shower, get something to eat, just take a break? I can hold her until it’s time to go.”

Srikkanth was ridiculously grateful. Summoning a tired smile, he went back downstairs to eat. It had been a hideous day, not knowing what to do to help Sophie, afraid she was sick but not sure it wasn’t another bout of colic. Granted, she hadn’t had one in awhile, but that didn’t mean she’d never have another one. Several times, he’d started to pick up the phone and call Jaime, but that felt too much like admitting defeat.

Or admitting the other feelings he’d developed for his friend. He was afraid to admit that even more than he was to admit he needed help. After all, anyone could need help, and they’d already established that he had no idea what he was doing where Sophie was concerned. Things had gotten better, obviously. He knew how to deal with the daily routine now, but her crying today hadn’t been routine. He’d never been so glad to see someone as he was to see Jaime when he came home today.

With a sigh, Srikkanth headed to the shower, needing the hot water to help him relax. Maybe he’d jerk off while he was in there. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d come. Certainly before Sophie was born. He couldn’t very well jerk off with her sleeping in the same room, and all of his showers had been rushed, not knowing how long she’d sleep and not wanting her to wake and cry for him while he was bathing. Now, knowing she was safe in Jaime’s arms, no matter how upset, he could relax for a bit and let go. If nothing else, it would put him in a better frame of mind for whatever the doctor had to say.

Stripping down, he climbed beneath the hot spray, letting the water soothe away his fatigue. He took his time washing his hair, the feel of it brushing his shoulders a reminder that he hadn’t had a haircut since before Sophie was born either. It wouldn’t be too much longer before he’d have to go back to work. Maybe he ought to see if Jaime would mind watching her for an hour or two one evening so he could visit the barber.

Thinking about Jaime brought back his other mission in the shower. Leaning against the shower wall, he closed his eyes and summoned an image of his sexy roommate the way he’d seen him yesterday, shirtless and sweaty. In his fantasy, Jaime wasn’t walking away from him to get Sophie, but rather walking toward him with intent. Srikkanth shivered despite the heat of the water, imagining Jaime’s elegant features transformed with lust. God, he wanted to see that.

His hand drifted lower, across his abdomen and down to his cock. Circling it with his fist, he stroked leisurely, letting the tension build as he pictured Jaime in the shower with him, imagined it was Jaime’s hand on his cock and Jaime’s cock in his hand. He shuddered at the burst of need that spun through him at the thought. He’d never let himself do this. He had always refused to violate their agreement even in his mind, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself now. He needed release, and none of the men he’d slept with in the past, none of the models he’d ogled on occasion, would do it for him now. His thoughts had one target and one target only: Jaime.

As if that realization triggered something within him, Srikkanth’s hand sped up, shuttling up and down on his sensitive shaft, pushing him closer and closer to release. He lifted his other hand to his mouth, biting into his palm to muffle the sound he made as he came, though he hoped the water helped as well. His cock twitched hard in his hand, semen jetting out to coat the wall of the enclosure. Feeling guilty for dreaming of Jaime when Jaime was taking care of Sophie, Srikkanth finished bathing and turned off the water. Drying off, he tried to regain his composure, not wanting Jaime to realize what he’d done in the shower. Even if he didn’t assume Srikkanth had been fantasizing about him, that wasn’t why Jaime was watching the baby. He’d agreed to watch her so Srikkanth could get ready to go to the doctor’s office.

Finally ready, Srikkanth went back to the nursery. Sophie had settled a little in Jaime’s arms, whimpering pitifully instead of screaming bloody murder. It was a small consolation, at least. “Shall we go?” Srikkanth asked. “It’s a bit of a drive to the pediatrician’s.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Jaime asked, surprised.

“Please,” Srikkanth said. “I’m afraid I’ll miss half of what the doctor says, and I don’t want to mess up his instructions. I want Sophie to get well as quickly as possible.”

“Okay,” Jaime agreed with a pleased smile.

They spent the drive to the doctor’s office trying to soothe Sophie, to no avail. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long in the waiting room, the nurse calling them back into the exam room right away. “What are you in here for today?” the nurse asked.

 “Sophie’s fussy. She feels hot, like she’s running a fever. She hasn’t eaten well today or slept hardly at all,” Srikkanth explained.

“She’s also been pulling at her ear,” Jaime chimed in.

“And when did this start?” the nurse inquired.

“This morning,” Srikkanth replied.

“After I left for work,” Jaime added. “She wasn’t fussy during the night or early this morning.”

“But not long after,” Srikkanth continued, “so it’s probably been since a little after nine.”

“Let me take her temperature,” the nurse said. “We’ll start with that, and then the doctor can go from there.”

The nurse approached with a thermometer, the pressure against Sophie’s ear as she took the baby’s temperature enough to set her screaming again. “One hundred point four,” the nurse declared after a moment, “and her ear is definitely sensitive. Most babies don’t even notice the thermometer unless they have an ear infection. Go ahead and take her top off so the doctor can listen to her chest as well, to make sure she doesn’t have anything else. He’ll be with you in a moment. She’s a lovely baby, gentlemen. Did you adopt her?”

“No, she’s my daughter,” Srikkanth replied, caught off guard yet again by the assumption he and Jaime were a couple. “Her mother died in childbirth.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the nurse apologized. “We’ve just seen so many couples with adopted children recently that I naturally assumed….”

“It’s fine,” Srikkanth assured her. “A perfectly logical mistake. We’ll wait for the doctor.”

Flustered, the nurse left them alone. “That’s the third person in as many weeks,” Jaime chuckled, choosing to focus on the humor in the situation rather than on how much he wished the nurse were right.

Before Srikkanth could decide how to reply to that, the doctor knocked and came in. “Mr. Bhattacharya, how are you?” Sophie chose that moment to let out another wail.

“I’ve been better,” Srikkanth admitted. “Sophie is sick.”

“So I hear,” the doctor replied. “Let me take a look at her.”

Jaime stepped back to make room for the doctor, who listened carefully to her heart and lungs. “Her lungs sound clear. That’s good. Has she had a cold or seemed congested?”

“Not really,” Srikkanth replied. “I mean, I’ve wiped her nose a couple of times, but I figured that was because she was crying so much. She’s barely stopped all day.”

“Let me check her ears,” the doctor said. “That’s probably what’s causing all this. If it is an ear infection, she won’t like this. Hold her so she doesn’t squirm.”

Srikkanth tightened his grip as the doctor approached with the otoscope.

As predicted, Sophie started screaming pretty much the moment the exam tool touched her ear. The doctor was obviously used to the sound, though, taking his time to examine her ear thoroughly. “It’s not as bad as all that,” the doctor soothed when he stepped back. “She definitely has an infection in that ear. Let me check the other one to see how it’s doing, and then I’ll give you a prescription for some amoxicillin to clear it up.”

“Do you have to check the other ear when you already know she needs medicine?” Srikkanth asked, not sure he could stand listening to her scream that way again.

“It’s better to know for her records,” the doctor explained. “If she’s prone to ear infections on one side, the other side, or both sides, it may change the long-term treatment options. I know it’s hard. Maybe let your partner hold her for this one. That way you won’t feel quite so guilty about letting me check her out.”

There it was again. That automatic assumption he and Jaime were a couple. The suggestion made sense, though, so he handed Sophie to Jaime. The doctor waited until Sophie was settled in Jaime’s arms before checking her other ear. “This one’s clear,” he said. “That’s good. It means we caught the infection early. She’ll still need a course of antibiotics, but hopefully she’ll recover more quickly and not be as fractious in the meantime.” He sat down at the desk and pulled out his scrip pad. “How old is she now?”

“Two and a half months,” Srikkanth replied.

The doctor nodded and wrote out the prescription. “And she can have a half dropper of infant Tylenol or Motrin every six hours. If that isn’t enough, you can alternate between the two of them every three hours, as long as it’s six hours between each dose of the same medicine. The hardest part of an ear infection for babies her age is the pain. The antibiotic can take up to thirty-six hours to start working, and you obviously don’t want to listen to her scream for that long. The painkiller will help with the fever as well, and that should help her get her appetite back. If she isn’t noticeably better in forty-eight hours, call us back. If her fever goes higher than one-oh-three, bring her back in or take her to an urgent care center if it’s after-hours. None of that should happen now that she’s on antibiotics, but I prefer to give all the precautions rather than take chances.”