Sassy in Diapers by Milly Taiden Page B

mother to the yard.
    She sat down on a picnic table and motioned him over. “Get your furry ass over here, Nate. I know that face.”
    He grinned. “What face?”
    “The one you make when you need my help but are not sure how to ask me. You’ve been making the same face since you were a baby.” She leaned her arms on the table and swept a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “So tell me what’s going on.”
    “There’s something wrong with Karla,” he said. Then he laughed at how stupid that sounded. “I mean, there’s something worrying her, and I can’t figure out what. She’s very quiet, and I don’t know what to do to help.”
    His mother nodded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. I went to see her, and she sat by a window the entire time.”
    That’s all she did when he was home too. “I tried to get her excited about the nursery, but whenever I mention it, she gets pale and says her legs hurt or that she’s tired. I’m not really sure what it is about the nursery that’s upsetting her.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I won’t let her do any work, I just want her input on the kinds of things she wants to see in there.”
    “I think your mate is suffering from feeling overwhelmed by her upcoming motherhood.”
    He frowned. “I thought women were born with some wanting-to-be-a-mother chip in their heads.”
    “You did not just say that,” his mother mumbled. “I sometimes wonder how you boys got mates to begin with.”
    “Thanks for the vote of confidence, mom,” he laughed.
    “Nathan Wolfe! Not all woman are born with the whole wanting-to-have-babies thing. And even if we were, which we’re not, don’t you think you would be scared to death to have three kids in one shot depending on you?”
    “But that comes with time. I mean, I know we’re not perfect and won’t be perfect parents.”
    His mom blew out a breath and glared at him. “Tell me something, son. Has your mate seen much of her mother recently?”
    He thought about it. Karla didn’t even like talking about her mother. He knew why, but he didn’t see how that had anything to do with the nursery. “No.”
    “It’s because her mother is not the best mother out there. That probably means Karla’s feeling all kinds of insecure about being like her mother. She’s probably insecure and overwhelmed all at once.”
    “Would that be a reason for her to have panic attacks?”
    His mother’s eyes widened. “Panic attacks?”
    “Yes. She’s woken up shaking a few times. Crying another. I’m not sure what’s causing it. She says nightmares, but I know the difference.”
    “Oh, honey. She needs help. She needs you and the rest of us to help her see that her future is not dictated by her past. She also needs a massage!”
    Fuck. His mom was right. He ran a hand through his hair. “So what do I do? I haven’t done the nursery, trying to give her time to make up her mind on how she wants it to look. I want to make it how she wants.”
    His mother waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll get that information for you. You need to go take that class with the others. I think you showing her you’re going to help her will really give her that sense of partnership she needs.”
    “But we are partners.”
    She nodded. “Yes, but she’s the one carrying three kids. Not you. She’s the one unable to sleep or eat or anything because of that. A person starts to think the responsibility is all on them after a while.”
    Leaving his mother to tend her garden, he went in search of Ellie. He knew she could help him figure out how to get Karla to relax.
    Ellie was on her computer, a ton of baby decorations on her screen. “You need me?”
    He nodded. “I’m going to do the nursery for the babies this week, and I need you to do me a big favor.”
    She swiveled to face him fully. “Sure. Name it.”
    “I need her out of the house for a day or two. I’m hoping that time will be enough to get the place set up.”
    “What are you