the face. I wanted to gag from the taste—and knowledge—of regurgitated formula because of course I hadn't closed my mouth in time. Fluid poured off my face, dripping over my shirt and finally splashing onto the floor. Before I could react, Stevie started crying all over again.
My former best friend stared for half a second before laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Fortunately, Tom walked in the room. His special gift was healing. Stevie stopped crying the moment Tom cradled him in his arm. Rocking him back and forth, Tom brushed his fingers along Stevie's forehead and down his face, before gently pressing his stomach.
Taking a seat at the table and cooing at Stevie, Tom spread his hand out as his palm began glowing, as if lit from within by a soft white light. Retracing his original path, he gently brushed the glowing palm against the baby’s head and cheeks and finally his stomach. By the time he was done, Stevie was sound asleep like an angel.
I grabbed a dish towel for my face and dropped down into the chair beside them, blotting the worst of the mess from my face and shirt while Eli and Tom talked. Or rather, Tom spoke, and Eli paid attention.
"He should be fine, now. He had the beginnings of an ear infection, and I think it was giving him a headache because he had tension all over his tiny scalp. Plus, his tummy was bothering him, and I noticed he was extra gassy. Have you considered switching formulas? I admit I don't know much about it, but I was looking at one of the baby magazines Charlie has lying around, and there was a whole article about the different brands. According to the article, the wrong formula can even affect their sleep patterns, making it harder for them to sleep through the night. Forgive me if I’m overstepping."
Eli whipped out his phone. "I'm making a note. Because you know what? This is silly, but I've been using the formula my papa used with my baby brother. I've accused Matt—jokingly, of course—how it's his fault Stevie won't sleep through the night. He never wakes me up, just rises when Stevie does and hangs out in the nursery for a couple hours, rocking Stevie while they share serious man talk. Whatever he means, right? For real, though, if changing his formula would help him sleep better, I am all over the idea. My poor alpha really needs to get more rest. I'm glad he and Stevie have bonded so well, but Matt has a lot on his plate."
"Let me grab the magazine. I'll show you the article. If it helps, then I'm glad I was able to suggest it." Tom started to rise, then stopped halfway up and glanced at the baby he was holding. "You mind if I take him with me? I hate to put him down when he's sleeping so well."
Waving his hand, Eli shook his head. "Mind if you take my baby and give me a break? Not at all. In fact, you can feel free to walk as slowly as you want."
Tom laughed softly, taking care not to wake the baby. "Tell you what, since we're only about a month away from having a baby in this house, I don't mind getting extra practice holding yours. There's a nice comfy rocking chair in Gidget's nursery. I bet Stevie would love if I made use of it while he sleeps. Come find me when you're ready to have him back."
As he slipped away with Stevie, Eli pouted at me. "You need to quit hoarding your brothers, Charlie. I think Tom would like a change in scenery, don't you? Lucerne Valley is so nice this time of year."
Even though he was joking, the thought of my brother with the healing touch leaving us made me frantic. "You can't take him. You saw what happened with Stevie. Gidget's going to need a healer around here full-time with me as a parent."
Dropping all pretense and studying me with concern, Eli scooted closer and reached for my hand. "Oh, Charlie, no. For one thing, every baby is different. Which, considering, is probably why my brother's old brand of formula might not be the best choice for Stevie. I got a bunch of different samples in the mail after I started signing up for the free baby magazines. Am I a bad parent for not putting that together myself? No way. Because all