Chapter 5: A Blow-Out

EILEEN POV:

Leigh rushed into the study once again and handed Dominic another bottle hastily. He held it to Harry’s mouth, who began sucking earnestly once again. He was not as greedy as the first time, but he was still hungry. He slowed down in a few minutes before he fell asleep in Dominic’s arms. A small drop of milk hung on the corner of his lips before dribbling down his cheek.

Dominic stared at his son without looking up. He was waiting for the baby to get sick again. Five minutes passed, and then two more. The seconds stretched on as we stood in silence. Finally, we heard a loud sound coming from Harry’s diaper.

We stiffened before dissolving into laughter together.

Dominic moved to a chair and sat, cradling his son closer to his chest. Leigh motioned to a couch for us to sit on.

“Can you wait a few more minutes if you don’t have anything urgent scheduled?” she asked politely.

“I’m not in a rush,” I replied. How many women would kill to sit opposite Dominic Presley or be in the same house as him? I was beyond starstruck.

“So, tell me a little about your daughter,” Leigh asked, leaning forward. She appeared genuinely interested.

“My daughter turns one in a couple of weeks. She is transitioning into eating solid food now, and she has four teeth. She is not walking yet, but she cleans the floors with her little scoot-crawl,” I giggled.

“Oh, I love when they do that. I miss that age,” Leigh lamented.

We chatted in hushed tones, sharing bits of experience with our daughters. And before I knew it, half an hour had passed.

“I can’t believe it!” Dominic gasped, interrupting our conversation. “He kept down nearly three ounces…” He looked up and spoke for the first time since Harry finished. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he looked right at me.

“How can I thank you? Let me pay you. How much do you want for this?” He looked around, searching for something. “Leigh, can you find my wallet? I don’t want to disturb him by moving. If I just hold him… I want to see how long he will sleep.”

The poor baby must not have slept for long periods of time. The relief in the room was palpable.

He was rambling, and it was adorable. “Leigh already paid me. Handsomely, too. I brought six bags so it would cover two more feedings.”

Dominic stared at me with relief before the panic returned. “And then what? How much more can I get? Whatever she paid you, I’ll double it.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “No, that is not necessary,” I stopped him quickly. “There is a small problem, though. I only have another dozen bags left.” I bit my lip as I tried to come up with a solution.

“Does your daughter need it too?” he asked in a soft but strained voice. “I don’t want you to put your child second because of me. I’m so sorry I even asked.”

He was clearly a better person than most people. If my daughter could only stomach one food, I would do anything to secure all the supply. All my morals would fly out the window.

“It’s not that,” I replied quickly. “I don’t have much stored away. I could keep pumping more, but it would be difficult if I were the only source of food for Harry.”

Dominic looked confused. “I’m sorry, I’m new to the world of breastfeeding. How did you keep up with your own baby’s needs then?”

“I nursed my daughter regularly,” I answered. “I produced more when she was feeding directly. The pump is a last resort, and the same is true for most women,” I added, and Leigh nodded in agreement.

Dominic paused, processing the information.

“I’ll take whatever I can get. I’ll buy all twelve bags if they are for sale. And any more that you can come up with.”

“I’ll pump once I am home and then again in the morning. I have work tonight, so I could bring all the bags I have stored in the morning. Is that alright?”

Dominic sighed with relief. “Thank you so much. Eileen, was it?”

I nodded. “Yes, Eileen Sharp.”

“Let the guard at the gate know who you are, and he will let you in tomorrow without delay.”

“Thank you,” I spoke as I stood up.

“No, Eileen, thank you.” Harry shifted in his sleep to get more comfortable as Dominic stood. “I do have one request, though. Please don’t tell anyone about our agreement. If the tabloids find out, they will never stop.”

I nodded in understanding. The situation was dire, and the paparazzi would never understand. I could imagine the kind of stories they would come up with. “I won’t tell anyone about this. Don’t worry.”

He smiled softly. “I can’t thank you enough, Eileen. I’ll see you tomorrow…”

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DOMINIC POV:

I was sure it wouldn’t work. When Leigh handed me the bottle of breast milk, I expected Harry to suck for a minute before spitting it back up. I was prepared to spend the night in the hospital, watching Harry hooked up to tubes and monitors. Just the thought was haunting.

Yet, here I sat, with my sleeping son in my arms.

He slept for three hours before he awoke. It was the first time in a week that I wasn’t panicked about him eating. I considered calling Camille to give her the good news, but I doubted she would care enough.

Or maybe she would be happy that the crying had stopped and come back home. I didn’t know where she was ‘recuperating,’ but surely, she wasn’t far away from her phone.

He fell back asleep right after drinking another two ounces. I wondered if it was typical or if my little boy was tired from the days of struggle.

I laid him down in the bassinet this time. He had rarely been in it for the past week. Instead, he was either in my arms as I fed or rocked him, trying to make him stop crying. I watched his peacefully sleeping face for a moment before switching the baby monitor on and heading downstairs.

I wanted to ask Leigh to take care of him while I showered. I had neglected myself over the past few days, barely showering, shaving, or eating. If I had to fight the long battle, I had to take care of myself!

No sooner had I gotten to the bottom of the stairs than I heard Harry cry. My devastation was beyond imagination. Less than ten minutes had passed since his feeding, and he must have spit it back up.

“I really thought it would work,” I said between tears. I didn’t care that Leigh was staring at me as I crumbled. I turned around and headed back up the stairs with Leigh hot on my heels.

“I thought so, too. I’m so sorry.” Her words were little consolation. “You get him, and I’ll gather a bag and call for the car. We can take him to the hospital.”

I nodded absentmindedly as I entered the nursery. The sun had gone down, but there was enough light for me to see. As I stared down at the bassinet, I had no idea what I was looking at.

Harry lay inside, screaming in discomfort, but there was no spit in sight. I scooped him up and realized my hand was set, as was his back.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, holding him away from my body and turning him around to see his back.

Only then did I hear Leigh laughing heartily. “That, dear brother, is what we call a blow-out!”