Page 41 of A Return For Ren

“Put a toy in his hand when you change his diaper,” Zara said, laughing.

“Do you think that will help?” he asked.

“Did you watch me do it last night when I changed him for you?” she asked.

He hadn’t been paying attention because he was cleaning up dinner, but his son had a habit of reaching between his legs when he was exposed and it made diaper changes tricky. More so when there was a mess down there.

“No,” he said. “I didn’t.”

“Then you didn’t see me tuck him under?” she asked.

“What?” he said. “What are you talking about?”

“You mentioned that at times he wakes up in the middle of the night and he’s soaked. His waist is wet from pee. My guess is maybe that is what’s waking him up rather than being hungry. Tuck his penis down between his legs where the diaper absorbs better. If you aren’t paying attention and it’s up, he’s peeing up toward his belly while he’s sleeping. They don’t make diapers really absorbent up there.”

Good lord, he was an idiot. “I never thought of that.”

“Not many do unless it’s pointed out to them. Get it, pointed...”

“Very cute, Zara,” he said. “But good advice. Thank you.”

“Don’t be afraid to ask me anything,” she said. “I know men tend to not think of things or want to voice questions or concerns. I don’t have a child of my own, but I’ve been around them for years. I had Willow overnight a lot too. I’ve got all sorts of tricks for you.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate it. Dee is great and all, but she has girls.”

“The tucking is a trick I learned a long time ago. I’ll confess it was another one of my employees who said it, as she’d had boys too. Naptime doesn’t usually cause too many issues with wet clothes because they aren’t lying down as long.”

“My laundry might be cut in half now with that trick,” he said.

It made him realize how nice it was to have people he could go to about things.

Maybe his mother might have been able to tell him that information. Or not. It’d been a long time since he’d been in diapers and it’s not as if there were any other kids in the family.

His mother was enjoying her time with Max and it made his heart feel good to see it.

He was wrong to keep his son from his family. He knew that.

Just another guilt he was going to have to live with.

His mother hadn’t brought up once about the fact his father never knew he had a grandson. He suspected that would happen at some point.

If he could go back in time, he was not sure if he would have done anything differently though. He had a lot of bitter feelings toward his father that he couldn’t get out of his head. He wouldn’t have wanted his son talked to or treated the way his dad had treated him.

Nor did he want to hear what poor choices he’d made in his life again.

If it wasn’t what his father wanted or agreed with, then it was wrong. It’d been like that his entire life.

“Glad I could help,” she said. “This is a nice town.”

They were driving through downtown now. “There is a lot of historic charm. Not that I pay much attention to that.”

“We’ve got that in Mystic too,” she said.

“We do. Maybe that is why I don’t think much of it here. I’ve lived it or with it most of my life.”

“Or that could be what drew you here and why you didn’t want to stay in Boston.”

“Some would say Boston has more historic charm than Mystic depending on where you go or live.”