Chapter 15 - Life

Kate pushed the cart as Cam searched the shelves. Six different options had flummoxed her. “I dunno, which one is best?” she said, turning to Kate. Her best friend looked equally as confuddled by it all. “Michelle always expresses any extra so I can feed them in the night or whatever…we’ve never used this stuff. What do you reckon?”

“You’re asking me?” The left side of Kate’s mouth curled up. “I mean, surely they’re all much of a muchness?”

Cam blew out her cheeks. “I guess so.” She picked up the can closest to her. “This one says newborn, so…” She shrugged and placed it into the cart before grabbing two more. “I mean are they newborn? They’re six weeks now, is that still newborn? At what age do they become the next stage?”

“It will be okay, Cam.” Kate read the instructions on the tin before passing it to Cam. “Up to four months,” she said before adding, “Michelle will…”

“Yeah, she will be fine. We just need to get through this and then it will all be fine.” Cam tried to smile and faltered as her throat tightened. “I just…I wish I knew where she was at least.”

Kate nodded and pushed the cart forward. “She loves you, and the kids. Whatever is going on with her…she isn’t stupid, she’ll come back. Lots of women have something like this go on for them after childbirth.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself. Just get through tonight, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully she can clear her head of whatever it is that is bothering her and we can talk about it.”

Cam shook her head. “I keep going over things. Was I really that blind that I didn’t see something was wrong with her? I knew she was tired, we both are, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

Now Kate shrugged. “People are good at hiding things, Cam. Maybe she’s been feeling out of sorts for a while and not said anything?” She reached out and pulled some diapers from the shelf and put them into the cart.

Stopping in her tracks, Cam said, “So, what does that say about me? That I didn’t notice…I mean, we’ve both been tired and stressed out with Darcy, but I didn’t realize she felt like she needed to literally run away.”

“I dunno, Cam. Maybe it all just came to a head? Only she can explain; we just have to be patient with her, and in the meantime, you’ve got all of us to fall back on.”

“Yeah, thanks. Let’s get back. Mum is probably losing her mind if Darcy is creating.”

Kate laughed. “Yes, probably not what she expected when she got back from her holiday.”

* * *

It was suspiciously quiet when Cam and Kate returned to the beach house. Cam had become accustomed to screaming any time she had come home these past couple of weeks, but this was different.

Tiptoeing, Cam crept into the living room to find her mother sitting in the armchair with Darcy lying in her lap, sleeping. Noah cooed happily in her arm, lying against her shoulder.

“Who is that and what have you done with my daughter?” she asked in a whisper. Kate followed in and was instantly told to shush by Cam.

Pippa Thomas chuckled. “This is your daughter; we’ve had a nice time snuggling, haven’t we Noah? And Darcy is catching up on her sleep.”

“No, seriously, what…how…” Cam flopped down onto the couch. “She’s not screaming.”

“Very observant, Camryn.” Pippa smiled. “I remember when Caroline had colic. Nasty business. Your father and I tried everything they suggested, nothing worked, and then old Mrs Drummond at number 55, she said try something warm on the tummy. So, we did…worked like a treat.”

Cam sat there, open-mouthed. “So what did you do?” She needed to learn this magic trick immediately.

“Simple, I warmed up that fancy lavender heat pillow Michelle has and laid it across Darcy’s tummy…it took a while but eventually, voila.”

“I can’t believe she’s so…calm.”

Noah grizzled a little. Feeding time didn’t pass by just because his sister was finally being quiet. “Trial and error, Camryn. Most things are with parenting.”

Cam stood up. “Well, good. Cos that’s what this baby formula is going to be…trial and error.”