First Days Aren't So Bad

The week seemed to drag by but before I knew it, it was Thursday and I was starting back to work after getting the ok from my doctor.

I walked in at 4 to my department looking like a bomb went off. Sometimes I swear that I was the only one actually doing anything in there. Although, I guess everyone feels like that some times.

I spent the first hour trying to organize my shelves so that you could actually tell what product went where and how much it was, after I had that done, I started on the risers. I was in the middle of filling the bagged diapers when heard someone say it was about time I got back.

Glancing down from the ladder I saw Jenna and then Hank came in my line of vision. “Hey you guys!” I got down from the ladder and quickly put the diapers onto the shelf before turning to them. “How are you doing?” I asked Hank as I held out my hand to Jenna.

“We are doing great. Well,” he looked at Jenna who was now trying to chew on my hand. “She’s teething, so I’d watch out if I were you.”

Bending over, I looked at Jenna and waited for her to look up at me before I said anything. “You aren’t going to bite me now, are you sweetheart?” She just gave me this grin and continued to try to get my hand in her mouth. “Jenna?” She looked up at the sound of her name, “You have very pretty eyes, did you know that?” She reached her wet face out and tried to touch my mouth. “Oh you don’t want to do that, that’s icky.” Jenna giggled at the face I made when I said it was icky and before long she had lost all interest in my hand and was chewing on her own. “You know,” I said as I turned back to Hank. “We do sell teething toys here.”

Hank nodded, “We know we’ve been looking for the little rabbit one.”

At first I didn’t know what he was talking about but then it hit me. “Oh! The one where the hands and feet are safe for babies to chew on?” I headed off to the toys as I was talking. “We have that one right…” I scanned the shelf and sighed, “Well it should be right there. Just one second.” I went to grab a ladder. “I haven’t got to these risers yet.” I told him as I climbed up to take a look at the stuff on the risers. Carefully moving some items I found a couple bags with the teething pals in it. “Here we go! I have two rabbits, two ducks and two bears.”

Hank took the rabbit that I handed him and looked it over. “I asked a couple days ago and they said they didn’t have any.”

Rolling my eyes, I continued to put the others I found on the shelf. “It’s possible that we didn’t have them when you asked.” I said and then leaned in closer to him and whispered, “But in all likelihood they were sitting up there for days and no one checked because they just couldn’t be bothered.”

Hank nodded, “I know what you mean, it seemed like the person that I asked didn’t want to help me, she just told me they should be here and then told me they were out when she saw the space was empty. She didn’t even try looking up there like you did.”

“I’m sorry they didn’t give you the service that they should have given you. And,” I turned to Jenna as she eyed the rabbit in Hank’s hands. “I’m sorry that you had to go with out the bunny to chew on.”

He went to give the bunny to Jenna but stopped at the last second and looked at me. “I should probably sterilize it first, right?”

I shrugged, “Personally I would just because you don’t know where it’s been but it is up to you.”

“Yeah,” he looked back and forth between Jenna and the bunny. “It’s just that I don’t want her chewing on her hand.”

“Well, you could give her a teething cookie like the other day when I saw you.” I suggested.

“Heather doesn’t want to give her too many cookies, she says they ruin Jenna’s appetite and then she doesn’t want to eat her meals.”

“Oh, I don’t know what else to suggest then.” We started to walk along, I didn’t even realize we were moving, I was thinking that hard. “Oh!” I grabbed his arm, “How about a wet facecloth? You can wet it with cold water and let her chew on that. If you have a clean one on you, that is.”

As he dug through the diaper bag he told me that Heather has told him before about that, “but do you think I remembered?” Hand shook his head, “I guess she’s right when she says I don’t listen to her. Ah ha!” He threw his hand up in the air and a dry facecloth was dangling from it. “Would you mind…?” He nodded to Jenna.

I told him it wouldn’t be a problem, “I’ll just put her to work.” He wasn’t gone for long; I didn’t even get a chance to tell Jenna what her duties would be when working with me! We watched as Jenna took the facecloth in her hands and stared at it, I wasn’t sure she was going to use it but finally she squished the cloth against her mouth and tested it out.

“Well,” Hank glanced at his watch, “We should go. Thanks for your help; it’s great to see you back here again.”

When they left I continued my work on the risers, stopping every now and then to help other customers or to talk to those who noticed I was gone for the past week. It was great to be back, even if it did mean that for most of my shift I was missing out on time with Josh.

I couldn’t wait for 10 to come. From about 8 on I was watching the time, trying to encourage it to go a little faster but of course, it didn’t. In fact it seemed to slow to a dead stop.

When ten came, I damn near ran out of the store. Ok, I actually did run out of the store and heard a few people wondering where I was going in such a hurry but I didn’t take the time to stop and tell them, it had been long enough away from Josh.

I arrived at Josh’s apartment ten minutes later and let myself in with the key he gave me when we had our discussion about my relationship with Jordan. I didn’t keep the key, or I tried not to keep it but he wouldn’t take it back, he told me to hold on to it.

Opening the door, I was a little disappointed to see that the apartment was already dark. Josh had told me that he would try to wait up for me to get there but it looked like he couldn’t wait any longer.

I went to the bathroom, slipped out of my clothes and jumped in for a quick shower. After I was dry and dressed in the shirt that he had left out for me, I quietly made my way to his room and slipped into bed with him.

I thought he was asleep, I didn’t say anything and I tried not to move. But he was awake; he reached out and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back against his warm body. “Welcome home my love,” he whispered against my shoulder.