head. “No. That’s not what I meant. I was actually thinking we could call him Caplin.” He offers me a soft smile before transferring his affectionate gaze to our son. “Just because you gave up that name when we married doesn’t mean you can’t still pass it on.”
“Caplin,” I murmur. “I like it. Even if it is kind of a young adult fiction name.”
The next day, we’re able to bring little Caplin home to our apartment, where he has a very successful first meeting with Bucky. Declan and I took it in turns last night and this morning to come by to feed and walk Bucky, and to let him sniff some of Cap’s things—yes, including a dirty diaper—so he’d already be used to the scent before we brought the baby home. We’ve been a little concerned over the past few months about whether Bucky might not like having another creature in the house who takes up so much of our attention when he’s used to having it all lavished on him, but so far—and admittedly it’s only been a few hours—he’s been a champ.
This evening we have a Zoom catch up scheduled with Declan’s entire family, but before then we want to give Caplin a bath because he still has bits of gunk on him, and no one wants to see that.
We decide to use the kitchen because there’s more space in here than in our tiny bathroom. While Declan takes his time choosing the outfit Caplin’s going to wear for his first time meeting all the Kellys, I set out a clean towel on the counter, along with some baby wash cloths, and another smaller towel for drying him. Then I fill a bowl with luke warm water and set it on the counter next to everything else.
Finally, Declan enters the kitchen with the onesie he’s selected and a fresh diaper. And, of course, the baby.
Declan’s brows shoot up as he sets eyes on my sponge bath set up. “Wow, do you think that bowl’s big enough?”
“He’s still got bits of gunk on him. We need to do a thorough job.”
Dec just shakes his head with amusement. “Okay.”
He brings Caplin over and sets him gently on the towel I’ve laid out on the counter. He’s awake but not fussing, and fortunately that doesn’t change when we strip him out of the little gray onesie he’s wearing. I guess we’ll just have to see how he reacts once we put water on his skin…
“Jesus, that thing’s disgusting,” I say, screwing up my face at Cap’s umbilical cord stump. “It looks like a shit coming out of his stomach.”
“When was the last time you did a shit that looked like that?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I can’t exactly see my own shits as they come out.”
Dec lets out a breath of laughter. “Can we please stop talking about shit and just clean the kid. Everyone will be waiting for us.”
I grin and pick up one of the little washcloths, dipping it into the bowl of water—right at the exact time that Bucky decides to come up behind me and head-butt me in the ass. I end up flipping the bowl over and dousing myself and my immediate surroundings in water, although thanks to Declan’s lightning-quick reflexes, the baby is spared. Meanwhile, the bowl goes flying and somehow lands on Bucky’s head, prompting the silly mutt to start crashing into the kitchen cupboards in an effort to dislodge it.
I roll my eyes and remove the bowl, earning a grateful lick from Bucky. “Seriously, dude. You could have just lowered your head and it would have come off.”
Turning back around, I see Dec with Caplin in his arms, his expression wide-eyed.
I hold up my hands. “Don’t say it. Smaller bowl next time.”
24
Brendan
* * *
When I get home after work I’m immediately hit with the smell of something delicious coming from the kitchen, and for a moment, I’m worried I’ve accidentally walked into the wrong house. But as I make my way down the hallway I can see that, despite the unfamiliar scents and sounds, this is most definitely our home. There are Baxter’s PJ Mask pajamas that have been left by the door of the bathroom; there’s Arya’s lovey that’s been dropped halfway down the hallway; even my own trainers are adding to the mess, still sitting by the door where I kicked them off after a brief run yesterday. Yep, this is definitely home.
I bend to retrieve the lovey as I