Isaac awoke the next morning to the sound of young happy voices and plates clanking in the kitchen. It took him a moment to get his bearings and realize he was on the foldout couch in Taryn’s living room. The desert sun streamed through the bay window, throwing light over the big, bright room.

Isaac sat up and ground the sleep from his eyes. Taryn, dressed in a red chenille robe, was passing by and noticed Isaac sitting up.

“Hey!” she said, coming into the living room and sitting in the chair next to the pulled out couch bed. “How did you sleep?”

Isaac smiled. “I did okay,” he said. “Although I have to wonder how it is that I organized this little trip, and I ended up the odd man out sans bed.”

Taryn chuckled. “You’re getting old,” she teased. “Those young ones will get a jump on you every time.”

“Is Clara awake?” Isaac asked.

“Probably,” Taryn said. “She was still asleep when I got up. She never makes a sound, though. You have to go in and check.”

Isaac threw back the covers. “I’ll go,” he said.

Isaac padded to the nursery in his bare feet. Sure enough, Clara was standing up in her crib, clutching the railing and looking around.

“There’s my girl,” Isaac said.

Clara spotted him and smiled broadly. She began to bounce up and down a little. Isaac’s heart melted. She knows who I am, he thought happily.

Isaac lifted his daughter from her crib. A foul stench assaulted his nose.

“Whoa, somebody has a muddy diaper,” he said.

Isaac carried Clara to her dressing table and prepared to change the offending diaper.

Taylor was standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. “Oh, the joys of fatherhood,” he said.

Isaac opened the diaper and made a face in spite of himself. “You eat a steady diet of cereal and pureed fruit and see if you don’t have a few problems,” he said.

Taylor moved into the nursery and stood beside Isaac.

“Tay, hand me the wipes, would you?”

Taylor handed Isaac the wipes and watched as he cleaned Clara up, powdered her and put a fresh diaper on her. He tossed the soiled diaper in the garbage pail and lifted Clara into the air.

“Does that feel better?” he asked Clara in a sing-songy voice.

“It smells better,” Taylor deadpanned.

“How did you guys sleep?” Isaac asked as he and Taylor made their way toward the kitchen.

“Like babies,” Taylor said. “I forgot that playing softball really wears you out.”

In the kitchen, Taryn was at the table reading the paper while Zac and Iris were pouring batter onto a waffle iron.

“Ooh, breakfast,” Taylor said, pulling a chair up at the table with Taryn.

Taryn smiled. “Do you want some juice or something, Taylor?”

“Taylor can get his own juice,” Isaac piped up. “He doesn’t need you to wait on him.”

Taylor scowled at Isaac. “I was going to tell her that,” he said. Taylor turned to Taryn. “I can get my own juice Taryn, thank you,” he said. “But if you’re done with the comics, can I read those?”

Taryn grinned and handed Taylor the section of the paper he had asked for.

“I can get Clara her breakfast,” Isaac offered. “Should I just go ahead and strap her in her high chair now?”

“Yes,” Iris said, leaving Zac in charge of the waffle iron while she took a baby bottle from the refrigerator and handed it to Isaac. “But give her this while you’re fixing her cereal or she’ll get antsy.”

After breakfast, everyone got dressed and they gathered in the living room to try to decide what to do with their day.

As they were discussing it, a look of sudden realization came over Taryn’s face. “Oh, no,” she said. “I forgot I have an industry function I have to go to tonight.”

Isaac looked at Taryn sideways. “An industry function?”

Taryn nodded. “An awards dinner,” she said. “I completely spaced it. I would just skip it, but I won an award. It’s kind of important that I go.”

“It’s okay,” Isaac said. “We’ll be okay. We can stay with Iris and Clara.”

Taryn looked skeptical. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Taylor nodded. “It’s cool Taryn, really, “ he said. “You go ahead and go.”

Taryn looked at Iris. “Is this okay with you?” she asked.

Iris looked at her mother quizzically. “Of course,” she said.

“All right then,” Taryn said. “But I won’t be late. I don’t want you to feel like you’re spending the whole weekend babysitting.”

“It’s not babysitting, Taryn, it’s parenting,” Isaac reminded her. “I came here to see the girls.”

Isaac’s words stung Taryn, but she recovered quickly. “Right,” she said brightly. “Well, I have to leave at 7, but we have the rest of the day. Let’s decide what we’re doing.”

Chapter Sixteen
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