The Scarecrow

Chapter 39

The first few days at home were quite a learning experience for Rory and Finn.  She felt like she was up more than she was asleep. The baby was eating every ninety minutes like clockwork. It didn't allow Rory to get much rest between feedings. Even when Finn would help out with burping and diapers, she didn't get much more than a glorified nap. It seemed to leave her more tired than she was before sleeping. Finn, on the other hand, slept straight through the incredibly loud noise from the tiny newborn.

I don't know how he does it. He can sleep through anything, she thought. She dragged herself out of bed and into the nursery where Tori was fussing again. She felt like a zombie. She picked her up, sat down in the glider chair, and began feeding the baby. The peace and quiet were welcomed, and soon, sleep was upon Rory. A few minutes later, she was startled by the squirmy baby in her arms. She switched the baby to the other side. She felt some instant relief as Tori began to eat.

A few minutes later, the baby was burped and the diaper was checked. Rory put her back in her crib. She quietly snuck out the door and went back to her room. The minute her head hit the pillow, she was out. It felt as if only a few moments had passed when she heard Tori's cry on the monitor. She tried rousing Finn, but he was dead to the world. She repeated the process just as she had ninety minutes ago.

The next morning, when Finn finally woke up, he found he was alone in bed. He yawned and stretched as he rolled out of bed. He was fully rested and ready to face the day. He had no idea what Rory had been through the night before. He walked into the nursery to find Rory feeding Tori in the glider. He could see the bags under her eyes and the droopy eyelids that accompanied the black circles.

"Did you get any sleep, Love?" he asked softly.

"If by sleep you mean naps, then yes, I got some sleep," she replied with a bit more snark than usual.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried, several times, but you were practically dead."

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. He felt terrible that Rory tried to rouse him, but couldn't. "What can I do to help you?"

"I'm not sure there's much you can do since I'm the one that has to feed her," she replied sounding defeated.

"Well, when she's done eating, I'll take care of burping and nappy duties. You go back to bed, and we'll get you some uninterrupted rest," he suggested.

"I'd love to, but when are you going to feed her if she's hungry?"

"There's a small stash in the fridge from you pumping, right?"

"Yes, but -"

"No buts. I'll use it to feed her, and you get some rest. You're no good if we're not taking care of you as well," he said sternly.

Finn grabbed the burp cloth and put it on his shoulder. He carefully took the newborn from Rory and put her on his shoulder. When Rory stood up, he leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. She smiled in return, but there was a bit of worry in her eyes. It's not that she didn't trust him, it just felt more like she was skirting her motherly duties. It wasn't his job to take care of Tori, and she felt the pangs of guilt for wanting to rest. Rory's pro/con list was interrupted by her daughter's burp. She looked at Finn one last time as he doted on the baby, and knew he was right. She desperately needed some rest. She returned to the comfort of her bed, and within seconds, she was out.

Finn cleaned up the small mess Tori made from spitting up and checked her diaper. He got comfortable in the glider with the babe in his arms. She fussed for a moment, but quickly returned to slumber as soon as Finn began singing. He didn't really know what to sing, so he broke out a chorus of Waltzing Matilda in a soft voice. Once asleep, he laid her in her crib and quietly snuck out of the room. He looked around for the baby monitor, but couldn't find it. He stealthily snuck into the bedroom, where Rory was fast asleep. He retrieved the video monitor and headed downstairs for some breakfast.