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bring Laurie over so you can meet her.”
    Michelle’s face brightened. “Would you? Oh, Kate.” She grabbed me again in another bear hug. “Oh! That would mean so much. Come over, what? Around noon? I’ll have lunch ready for us.”
    We exchanged addresses and phone numbers and I climbed into my car, trying to make a getaway before she squeezed me again. I didn’t make it. She leaned in through the car window and placed her skinny arms around my neck. “See you tomorrow!”

•CHAPTER FIVE•

    The Second Week—Bonding
    I sped home. I missed Laurie so much, it hurt. I parked my car and transferred George’s bags from the trunk to a shelf in the garage. They seemed too heavy to lug upstairs. Or was I too weak? Either way, I’d ask Jim to bring them up when he got home.
    I hobbled up the stairs, clinging to the banister. The ligaments in my pelvis felt sore and tight. This was normal for me when I started up my running routine after having a long break, but a three-block walk was hardly the equivalent of a three-mile run, right? Maybe an outing so soon after having a baby hadn’t been such a good idea.
    Once upstairs, I barely looked at Mom. I scooped Laurie from the bassinet. “Did she miss me?”
    Mom laughed. “No. She didn’t even wake up.”
    Mom made her way toward the kitchen. I limped after her and saw pots boiling on the stove.
    “I made us lunch.” She handed me a plate with a ham and provolone cheese sandwich, my favorite. The table was set with a pitcher of homemade iced tea.
    “Thanks, Mom. What’s on the stove?”
    “Your dinner.”
    I smiled. Mom winked and put two tablets of Motrin in my hand, then poured me a glass of tea. Nothing like a mommy. I gazed down at Laurie, in her new bright green booties, and eagerly swallowed the pills.
    After Mom left, I nursed Laurie and tried to rest. I thought about bringing George’s bags up from the garage, but that would mean, of course, getting up and going downstairs. I shifted my position on the couch; Laurie snuggled close to me.
    I’d get them in a minute . . .
    I looked at Laurie dozing in my arms. I stared and stared at her, her perfect little round face, rosy cheeks, and tiny chin. When I glanced at the clock, I was shocked to see that an hour had gone by. I nestled her closer and closed my eyes.
    I woke to a ringing phone.
    Oh my God! I had fallen asleep next to Laurie on the couch! I could have rolled over and squished her. And I hadn’t actually checked to see if she was breathing in—how long?
    What time was it?
    I put my hand to her tummy; it rose up and down.
    I grabbed the cordless and Jim’s voice filled the line. “Definitely not George Connolly! What a relief!”
    “You obviously got my message.”
    “Yes. Thank God! Listen, honey, a client called last minute, wants to do dinner and drinks, is that okay with you? This is a big account for me. I should go.”
    I yawned. “No problem. I’ll just be hanging out here enjoying my new favorite pastime.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Staring at my beautiful daughter.”
    The next morning I fed Laurie and got dressed, two activities that are mind-numbingly simple but took over an hour.
    How could one little infant be so much work? It took almost forty minutes to feed her. Oh, well, I could take comfort in the fact that we were getting better. We were twenty minutes faster than last week.
    Before heading to Michelle’s, I reviewed my to-do list.
     
    To Do:
    1. Get better at breastfeeding.
    2. Lose weight.
    3. ✓
    4. Call work and let them know about Laurie and plan a return date—yuk!
    5. George? Where is he? What’s happened to him? Check out his bags today, see what I can find.
    6. Visit Michelle.
    7. Return well-wishers’ phone calls (Paula, Andrew, etc.).
    8. Make dinner.
    I parked outside the Averys’ refurbished Victorian house on Noe Street. It was dark green with white trim and there were delicate potted yellow flowers on each step. I couldn’t wait to get a peek