The woman’s eyes flicked between them, irritated instead of softened.
“You can’t even keep them quiet,” she said. “This is exactly why babies need mothers, not clueless men who don’t know what they’re doing.”
The room went silent inside my head.
I heard Claire saying, “You’re going to be such a good dad.”
Then I heard the doctor: “We’re sorry.”
My hands froze on Ivy’s zipper.
Then Ivy’s fingers curled around mine.
That pulled me back.
I looked at the woman. “Their mother died bringing them here. Please don’t use her absence against them.”
Something flickered over her face.
It should have been shame.
It was not enough.
“That doesn’t give you the right to invade women’s spaces.”
“I’m not invading anything. I’m changing diapers.”
“You’re leaving.”
“No.”
My own voice surprised me.
Patricia blinked. “No?”
