Page 37 of Jade

He knew what to do. He knew exactly what to do. Disconnecting the call without saying goodbye, he turned on his heel and strode back into the pharmacy.

Jade

She’d fallen asleep in the penthouse in her old room and woken up in the suite she shared with Pastor Ryan. She knew it before she opened her eyes. She could smell his cologne on the bed sheets.

“That jerk face,” she muttered, cursing Baze for selling her out.

As soon as the words left her dried out lips, Ryan was beside her. “Good, you’re up. You’ve been out for hours. I need to take your temperature.”

With a heavy sigh of resignation, she popped her mouth open and waited. What else could she do? This was her life now. She’d asked for it, and Baze apparently didn’t want her back.

She waited for the thermometer under her tongue, but it didn’t happen. Instead she heard the pop of a cap, and Ryan’s hands were on her shoulders, rolling her onto her stomach.

“Silly Jade. You know sick Babies get their temperature taken the old-fashioned way.”

His hands were at the waistband of her pajama bottoms peeling them down her hips before she realized it wasn’t panties she was wearing—it was a diaper.

She didn’t know how it had happened. What had shifted between them or what Baze had said to him, but she was weary with relief as he pulled her cheeks apart and stuck the cold metal probe of thermometer between them.

She felt embarrassed, and of course she was worried about what he thought about having to care for her this way, but if he was horrified or disgusted, she couldn’t tell.

“Good girl,” he praised her as she lay still, with the thermometer poking out of her bottom hole.

His voice was even cheerful when he pulled it out after it beeped and announced her temperature. “One oh one point nine. It’s going back up. We’re gonna have to get you in the bath. After that, Daddy will put a fresh diaper on you and some new jammies and feed you Gatorade in a bottle to get you nice and hydrated.”

She was too stunned by the surprising turn of events to argue as he rolled her over on the bed, stripping her naked before carrying her to the bathroom.

This time, he stayed with her, not just for the first few minutes, but through the entire bath. He poured water down her back and front, he washed every inch of her skin and even her hair, and when he lifted her out of the tub, and dried her off, he even took the proper steps to care for her braids before laying her naked on top of the covers.

“It’s time for a fresh diaper, little one. And don’t be afraid to use it if you are too weak to go to the potty.”

She opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say and before she could think of a thing, Ryan put a finger to her lips to shush her. “You don’t need to speak. Daddy knows it hurts. I’m here now, just let Daddy take care of you however you need to be taken care of.”

Blinking back tears, she could only nod her head in awe. Ryan was a little awkward as he lifted her legs to scootch the diaper under her hips and as he fastened the tabs on the side, but he managed, and when he was done, he dressed her in a pair of jammies that had been her favorite before she’d abandoned them to live as her Middle self. They were bright neon green and covered in rainbows and though she couldn’t explain it, just the sight of them let her know everything was going to be okay.

When he was done changing her, he produced a baby bottle seemingly out of nowhere and filled it with her favorite cherry Gatorade while she watched before scooping her into his arms and carrying her to the sitting area, where he sat on the couch, propped a pillow under his arm and lifted the bottle to her lips.

She was timid at first, afraid to trust it, afraid what he would think and that when she was better, and this was all over, he’d tell her that he didn’t want or need all this and that her needy Baby self was more than she bargained for.

But when she looked into his eyes and found nothing but love and gentle encouragement, she let go and sucked harder, surprising herself when she drained the bottle in minutes. She’d been thirstier than she’d realized.

“Good girl,” Ryan praised again. “Would you like some more? You probably need it. Getting lots of fluids is important.”

Shoving the bottle away, Jade shook her head. She was still thirsty and she knew it was important to stay hydrated but, for the first time in days, her mouth didn’t feel too dry to speak, and she had more pressing things on her mind than whetting an insatiable thirst.

“Daddy…” The word came out barely above a whisper but she cleared her throat and started again. “Daddy… how? Why? Are you sure you’re okay with this? I know it’s… it’s a lot and it’s not what you signed up for. And I don’t want this all the time, I just feel so sick and weak and everything hurts.”

“I know, baby, sshhh. Shhh. It’s okay.”

“Is it though? Are you sure? Are you really sure? Because if it’s too much, it’s okay. I can rally. I can woman-up and stop being such a baby and take care of myself and swallow pills and hold drinks and handle a thermometer under my tongue. I don’t want to lose you or do anything that you’re not comfortable with.”

Again, he shushed her. “It’s fine. You’re fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine. Stop talking. I know it hurts, and you don’t need to worry about me or us or any of it. The only thing I want to hear you say is yes.”

“Huh?” Jade asked, thoroughly confused and unsure what exactly she would be saying yes to.

“I want to show you something in the next room. Can you walk a little bit or do you want me to carry you?”

“I’ll walk,” Jade answered, figuring it was okay to talk since he’d asked her a direct question.