Page 36 of Anatomy of Us

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Tessa shows up at eight with a plastic container full of food.

Wesley stops crawling and lifts his head. The second he sees Tessa, he sits and throws his arms up to be picked up. Since we got back from Florida, he barely wants the car seat. He either crawls or demands arms. No in-between.

We sit on the living room couch, my head on Tessa’s shoulder while the baby plays with her hair, fascinated by the strands slipping between his fingers. Tessa doesn’t even try to stop him.

“You expecting someone at this hour?” Tessa asks when the doorbell rings.

When I open the door, I can’t stop myself from putting a hand to my forehead.

Iris stands there wearing a headband with two antennae, holding a bottle of red wine and a balloon that says “Happy Retirement.”

“If this is a hint, you’re screwed,” I say. “I’m not retiring this year. Also, who’s going to rack up more assists than me?”

“It was the only balloon left in the store.” Iris squints past me. “Wait. The boss can’t read yet, right?”

“He’s ten months,” I remind her.

“But he’s super smart. I don’t know. I don’t know anything about babies.” Iris waves it off like facts are optional. “Okay, yeah, it makes sense he can’t read. Give him to me!” she demands, practically yanking Wesley out of Tessa’s hands.

The good thing about surprise Iris visits is she drops onto the floor to play with Wes, wears him out, and lets us eat in peace.

“Goal!” Iris says for the hundredth time, rolling a ball across the rug. “Come on, say it.” She groans. “It sucks my name is too hard for a baby. I wanted it to be his first word.”

Tessa rolls her eyes.

“Did you hear that?” Iris yells. “He said it.”

“He said ‘bo,’” Tessa argues.

“Uh, no.” Iris looks offended. “He said ‘goal’ clearly. If you don’t believe me, fine, we're cool, but he said it.”

Wesley grabs Iris’s ponytail. Iris doesn’t flinch. She’s too busy smelling the kid’s head.

“He needs to sleep,” I remind her.

“Are you kicking me out?”

“If he misses his window, it’s impossible to get him down,” I say.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it.” Iris waggles her fingers in the air. “You need him deeply asleep so you can…” Iris makes another little hand motion.

“Get out, Iris. And don’t show up late to training unless you want Hades to kill you. With the party life you have, I don’t know how you keep scoring, seriously.”

“Oh, and if Nate tries to mess with you, tell me.” Iris drops her voice. “I know people. People who know things…”

I know it’s theater. Iris Vance can’t hurt a fly, no matter how tough she acts. But I also know she’d move heaven and earth to help me.

“Thanks, Iris. Now go.”

“Don’t thank me.” She bumps my shoulder with a light punch. “Just take care, okay? And take care of the doc. She’s magic. I like her.” Iris grins. “And just so you know, you’re selfish with the baby. Learn to share.”

Wes takes twenty minutes to fall asleep. He protests every time I try to put him in the crib, like he knows tonight matters and he wants in. In the end, Tessa hums something I don’t recognize, some soft melody, and Wes gives up.

“That Iris is…” Tessa pauses, searching for the right word as she starts to undress. “Interesting.”

“She’s a human-shaped disaster,” I admit, biting my lower lip because I can’t stop looking at her nipples.