baby #1: adelaide palooza

Introducing baby #1, Adelaide Palooza, named for my great, great, great, great, great grandmother--the wife of Riverview's founder. Addie is an Artistic Virtuoso. Looks like she's inherited some of my grandmother's musical talent.

Cullen showed up at the 11th hour after not answering his cell or replying to a single text I'd sent all labor. He met his daughter, didn't seem too fussed, and then followed me out, laughing all the way. Creep.

He asked if he could come by to help us settle in. I told him sure. After a two day hospital stay, I could imagine how much work my garden needed. The garden was currently my sole source of reliable income. I couldn't afford to neglect it, especially not with a dependent.

Cullen hailed us a taxi, then the jerk drove to my place in his own car. Why didn't he offer us a ride?

"Oh, you know, can't risk baby vomit or one of those other nasty bodily fluids on my pristine upholstery."

Sigh. I was starting to wish I'd gotten to know him a wee bit better before jumping in the sack with him. But such is the nature of the contract.

I left Cullen in charge of the baby while I tended the garden. I know, right? Parent of the year award belongs to me. I came inside to find her dirty, overtired, and screaming with hunger.

"Did you not think maybe she needed something? Like one of her parents?" I asked him once I'd tucked her back into her crib.

"I didn't ask for this, Lola. You kind of dumped it on me."

Men. Honestly. "You asked to come help us settle in!"

He shrugged it off and moved in closer. "So, how about it?"

"How about what?" I really wasn't following.


"Baby's sleeping, so how about we head to the other room for some--"

Oh, no. Hell no. Piece of slime. No wonder he'd been so eager to follow us home. "What makes you think I'd want to sleep with you again?" Now seemed as good a time as any to tell him. "This isn't working for me. I think we should be friends."

He didn't take it well. Accused me of leading him on. I don't know what was going through his mind. Do men ever think? For starters, we had a one night stand. I didn't hear a word from him until he turned up at the hospital and just about fainted. And secondly, even if I wanted to keep him around, I just pushed out a baby. Like five minutes ago! The undercarriage isn't exactly back to normal yet, you know?

He left in a huff. As I settled in with Adelaide for my first night without a nurse, I felt a momentary sense of panic. What was I thinking, agreeing to do this? 100 children... on my own, without a partner. Not that I'd ever want someone like Cullen to help me out, anyway, but the option would have been nice.

Meanwhile, I'd do the best I could with Addie and hope she'd forgive me for my lack of experience and parenting knowledge. The nurse had told me parenting gets easier with each child. I sure hoped so, because soon enough I'd be looking for my next baby daddy.