Chapter 162

Silvia The days after Orion's birth melted together like watercolors in the rain. Sleep came in twenty-minute intervals, my hormones felt like they were on a roller coaster, and I was never, ever alone. Noah had claimed the uncomfortable chair by my window like it was his throne. Aunt Rosie had somehow procured a cot and set up what looked suspiciously like a permanent residence in the corner. They moved in shifts—one dozing while the other maintained vigilant watch over me and the baby. "Your blood pressure okay?" Noah would ask every time I shifted positions. "Need anything? Water? Crackers? A foot massage?" Aunt Rosie would chime in before I could answer. I'd reach for my phone, and suddenly they'd both be alert, like meerkats sensing danger. "Maybe rest instead?" they'd suggest in unison, as if I'd been about to run a marathon instead of checking a text. I appreciated it. I really did. But after two days of being monitored like a ticking bomb with boobs, I was starting to fantasize