« I know. » She forced a smile. « I’ll be fine. »
The smile vanished as soon as she looked away.
I wanted to insist, but I held back. Emily was Luke’s mother. I did not want to become the kind of mother-in-law who ignored boundaries and called it concern.
Instead, I warmed up the soup I had brought and stayed until Nate came home.
On the drive back to my house, I told myself she was just one of those new moms who found comfort in doing everything herself.
Still, the situation began to feel strange.
Emily accepted help with almost everything else.
She let me change diapers, dress Luke, rock him to sleep, and take him for walks. She had no problem leaving him with me while she ran to the pharmacy or attended an appointment.
But whenever bath time approached, she became tense.
She would check the clock, gather Luke’s things, and disappear upstairs with him. If I happened to be nearby, she closed the bathroom door.
