Invisible String

56

Two weeks later…

The house felt strangely calm, like the air had been vacuum-sealed and we weren’t quite sure if it was peace or the eerie quiet before chaos. Mira, now eleven months old and crawling at light speed, had been left with Austin—along with Lily, who was deep in her “I do it myself” phase.

“You sure you’re okay with both of them?” Travis asked as he loaded the diaper bag into the car.

Austin leaned against the doorframe, holding Mira on one hip while Lily was already trying to zip up her own jacket. “I’m positive. Worst case, they tie me up and feed me puffs until I submit. Go.”

I laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Mira’s cheek. “She just had her morning bottle and Lily knows where everything is. You’ve got this.”

He gave a confident thumbs-up, though I noticed the tiniest flicker of panic behind his eyes. Still, we left them—armed with snacks, instructions, and a solid playlist.

As we drove to my six-week postpartum appointment, I found myself watching Baylor in his car seat more than looking out the window. Six weeks. It didn’t feel possible. The whole thing still felt like a blur—cramps that weren’t cramps, a surprise delivery, suddenly being a mom of three.

“I still can’t believe this happened,” I murmured, breaking the silence.

Travis glanced over, one hand on the wheel, the other reaching for mine. “You’ve said that every day.”

“Well, it’s still true every day.”

He chuckled. “You’re handling it like a champ.”

I gave him a look. “I was leaking through my shirt while wiping Mira’s nose and burping Baylor this morning.”

“A multitasking champ.”

At the clinic, we only brought Baylor this time. The carrier felt light compared to juggling two toddlers. The receptionist smiled warmly as we signed in.

“Back so soon?” she teased. “You were just here… what, six weeks ago?”

“More like dropped in unexpectedly,” I said with a smile. “He wasn’t on the calendar.”

She leaned over to peek at Baylor. “Well, he’s adorable.”

“Thanks,” I replied, brushing a hand through my hair. “He’s exhausting. But adorable.”

Once we were in the room, I changed into the thin paper gown while Travis sat on the chair bouncing Baylor in his arms, whispering nonsense words and cooing.

The OB walked in moments later with a familiar smile. “Taylor! Wow—you look great for six weeks out.”

“Looks are deceiving,” I joked. “I cried in the parking lot last week because I dropped a muffin.”

She nodded knowingly. “Sounds about right. Let’s take a look and talk through everything.”

The physical exam went smoothly—everything healing well, no concerns. Then she sat down and folded her hands.

“Tell me how you’re really doing.”

I swallowed and glanced over at Baylor, who was snoozing again on Travis’s chest. “Honestly? I’m tired. Mira is in full-on chaos mode and Baylor needs to eat every two hours. I cried a lot the first two weeks. Like, a lot. But I think I’m coming out of it. I have help… and I’m learning how to breathe again.”

She gave me a gentle smile. “That’s a beautiful way to put it. Baby blues are real, but it sounds like you’re coming up for air. Keep checking in with yourself. And your partner.”