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Helen came home from her first day back at work after she and Max had each taken a few days off to move into and organize their new apartment. Considering they had trouble agreeing when to move—before the baby was born or after—things had gone pretty smoothly after so much worry. They were particularly happy about having more space, especially since they could give Luna her own bedroom so she wouldn’t have to share with her new baby sister.
Helen was now six months pregnant, and she had had an OB appointment the day before the move, where she found out she was having a girl. Surprised, she asked Lyn to double check the angle on the ultrasound to be sure, since she felt like she was carrying higher and would be having a boy. Regardless of gender, though, Max was happy to be growing their family and starting a new chapter with her.
“Hi, Mum!’ Luna said when she came in. She was coloring at her mini kitchen table while Max was starting dinner. “Do you want to color with me?”
“Hello, sweetie. I will in a few minutes as soon as I say hello to your dad. How was school?”
“I learned the days of the week today. Did you know today is Wed-nes-day?” Luna spoke out Wednesday phonetically to indicate she was still learning how to say the full word. “Dad said he likes Wed-nes-days more than Mondays, but Saturday is his favorite because that’s when we have the most time to do fun things together.”
“I have to agree with your dad on that. What’s he making for dinner? He never cooks, so something must be going on.”
“Steak!”
Helen rubbed Luna’s head and walked over to Max, who had just finished spraying the grill pan and was putting three steaks in.
“How was your day off?” she asked, giving him a kiss. “Glad you took my advice and stayed home for an extra day, by the way. I considered it myself, but I had a lot of admin work to get back to and didn’t want to waste any time getting Wilder up to speed.” Elizabeth had recently agreed to be Helen’s deputy during her maternity leave, and Helen had decided to start showing her the ropes early so she’d be prepared in three months’ time and could start taking on some responsibility now.
“Do you think she’s ready for the job?”
“It’s hard to say right now, but once I let her know how I organize everything and the way I like to run the department, I think she’ll be fine. She’s very assertive and confident, although I think this is about as much management responsibility as she wants. She seems to be more focused on patient care and surgery overall, but she was the best fit for the job. Have you decided who’s going to fill in for you while you take parental leave?”
“Well, Floyd laughed in my face and Wilder turned me down before you scooped her up. And yes, I did try telling her it was only temporary, so not sure what changed her mind when you talked to her. I’m going to meet with Bloom tomorrow to get her thoughts. I think Iggy has too much going on up in psychiatry to really handle being a medical director.”
“Elizabeth said she likes you but that you’re too energetic for her. However, she joked that Karen seems to like her more than you.”
“Oh, Karen! Does she miss me yet?”
“Nice try.”
He briefly turned away from the stove to hug her and touch her belly. “And how did our daughter do today?”
“She seems to be a bit sleepy. Even though I was trying not to lift anything heavy during the move, I think she’s exhausted from all the action and unpacking and putting everything where it’s supposed to be. But don’t freak out; I made sure to track the kick counts today, and she is still moving around as she should be.”
“Good. And I just ordered my new Girl Dad shirt. I can’t wait to get that on for a family photo shoot. But in the meantime, I hope you’re hungry for a steak.”
“What sparked this?” she asked. “I mean, I know you try, but you’re usually not much of a cook.”
“It’s a special occasion,” he said with a grin. “You know, finally getting out of my old apartment that you could barely stand for a year and I promised you we would move as soon as I could get out of the lease. Not to mention, we can start getting the nursery ready soon, especially once we have your baby shower. And of course, I can’t wait to have a new girl in this house to love and spoil like I already do for my two favorite women.”
Helen also had to admit she was excited for her baby shower, which was being planned by Lauren and Leyla and would be held in the ballroom at the hospital. Lauren had offered to get a different venue initially, but since most of hers and Max’s friends were colleagues anyway, it was the most convenient option. The shower was also going to be coed; after all, Helen and Max were not people who did things by the book and in line with traditional gender roles.
“So, it’s a celebration of the time we’ve spent together and what’s to come,” she realized. “I kind of like that. After all, we should have as much fun as we can now before we’re a family of four. I am a little concerned about how Luna will handle the adjustment.”
“We talked about that today, actually,” Max reassured her. “Hey Luna, come here for a minute!” Luna happily put down her crayons and walked over to her dad and stepmother.
Max handed Helen the spatula and knelt down next to Luna. “Tell Mum that we got to talk about what will happen when your little sister comes.”
“What it’s going to be like when I have a little sister. I asked if I can play with her and hold her, and he said I can, but I have to wash my hands and be careful. We can practice on my dolls and stuffed animals before the baby really comes.”
“That’s right. And did your dad explain that sometimes, your baby sister may need a little more attention than you?”
Luna looked confused. “Is that true, Daddy?’ she asked. “You still love me, right?”
“Oh, of course we do!” Max said reassuringly. “It’s just that babies can’t do very many things for themselves. You couldn’t when you were a baby either. I had to feed you, give you a bath, put you to bed, choose what clothes you’d wear…now that you’re more grown up, you can do some of those things yourselves. But not to worry: Mum and I agreed that we will take turns helping you get ready for bed and make sure we spend time with you during the day.”
“OK, because I like when Mum reads to me or gives me a bath.”
Helen let out a big huff when she got up from the floor. “Sorry, I’m afraid it’s a little uncomfortable for me to be at Luna’s level right now.” she told him. “I overestimated myself. By the way, you didn’t try to talk to her about jealousy?”
“I admit I got caught up in the excitement.”
“Yes, that’s not something I hear every day,” she replied sarcastically. “You’d better turn the steaks before they start to burn.”
“I guess that would be a good idea. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure yours is well done. I know you miss having medium well, but it won’t be long before you can enjoy it that way again.”
“It’s a necessary evil,” she said with a laugh. “My only other question is, are you still making those loaded baked potatoes you found when you were looking through my Pinterest account? If you enjoy it that much, you could always make your own account and use your phone, you know.”
“But looking through yours inspires me so much more.”
She smiled. “OK, I’ll compromise. We can have a joint board for nursery decoration and baby name ideas, which is the biggest thing to discuss now that we know we’re having a girl.”
“I can’t just vote for Maxine?”
Helen made a face and shook her head. “I’m not going to suggest Helena. And now that I’m saying it, oh God, I don’t like either of those names. So, I’m overruling the both of us.”
“Then majority rules since you’re the one carrying the baby, and she has to live with the name. Oh, and yes I am doing the potatoes. They’re still in the oven.” He opened the oven door to check on them. “Looks like they have about 5-10 more minutes, so I’ll turn the steaks down to low if they get done first. It’s officially restaurant night at the Goodwin-Sharpe residence. “
“So that was your grand plan?” she asked him. “To turn our new apartment into a restaurant after we just barely moved in?” Although she seemed surprised and confused, she was smiling the entire time.
“Well, this is New York. Sometimes the best restaurants are a hole in the wall, the one undiscovered spot that the tourists have yet to infiltrate. I mean, yeah, we just moved in but I don’t think things look that bad around here. Think of this restaurant as the new spot in town that the food critic is going to visit and then write up a rave review in The New York Times . So, I can’t wait to hear what you think of the head chef.”
“Even if the steak is dry and the baked potatoes are overcooked, I’ll tell him he did a nice job and while he needs a little more practice, it’s the thought that counts.”
She walked back over to Luna. “Why don’t you put your coloring book away for now and we can do some more before bedtime? Daddy’s new restaurant is opening and we have to get ready. In fact, I hear we have a reservation for three; four if we count your baby sister.”
“I’m hungry.” Luna agreed. “Let’s go eat.”
“Me too. And you know what? The restaurant is only open for a limited time because Daddy has to go back to his other job at the hospital tomorrow. He’s so talented, isn’t he? We’re very lucky to have him. Oh, and there’s a good chance that next time we get to do this, your baby sister will be joining us.”
After Luna washed her hands, she sat back down at the table. Max was preparing plates of food for everyone, taking extra time to cut Luna’s steak into smaller pieces.
“All right, everyone, dinner is served!” He brought his own plate back to the table and smiled at his two favorite women. “Bon Appetit!”
“I have to admit it looks good,” Helen whispered to him. “It’s a great way to ring in the next chapter of our lives.”
“See? I was right all along.”