Stacey stood between the traffic light her friend was about to cross and the store entrance, looking down at the stroller, trying to think of an explanation not involving Mikey suddenly being one year old. She was at a loss, the sudden clash between her old and new lives causing her to freeze for a moment - and then she heard Moira's voice in front of her. "Hey, Stace, how's it going? Did Mikey not feel like grocery shopping?"
Stacey looked up at Moira and just said the first thing that came to her mind: "Hey! No, he's on the couch with Daddy. From how tired they looked, I guess they're both asleep by now."
"Aw. Have you started him in daycare yet?" Moira asked, and Stacey felt both surprised and relieved that her friend apparently knew her as Mikey's mother.
"Yeah, Jim took him there today. Apparently he did great and liked it."
"Cool. What was it like for you, back at work?
"Work was okay, but I missed my baby." Stacey said.
"I guess it will take some getting used to, after having him around all the time for the past year."
"Yeah, but we'll manage." Stacey smiled. They kept chatting inside the store, talking about Mikey, Moira's work and other topics while picking up food and groceries. The conversation flowed naturally, and to Stacey's surprise it didn't feel awkward at all - this was who she was now, a mom talking to a friend.
The only slightly awkward moment was when they passed by the condoms and Stacey tried to grab a pack and put it in the stroller as nonchalantly as possible. Her Christian upbringing meant she felt sexuality was a very private thing between partners, and she was glad Moira wasn't looking as she hid the condoms between bananas and lettuce in the stroller seat. She felt a little tickle of anticipation at the thought of Jim and her re-discovering their changed bodies. She remembered their conversation about giving Mikey a little sibling, but right now, with him just a year old and a risk he might be getting even younger, it wasn't the time. It would definitely be an option later though.
"Now that Mikey's getting used to being away from you guys for some hours, I was thinking I could watch him some time so you and Jim can have some time to yourselves." Moira offered, and Stacey found herself blushing slightly at the thoughts she'd just had - probably Moira had seen her pick up the condoms after all.
"Thanks a lot! We can look into it. He can be quite the handful, though." she replied with a slight chuckle.
They reached the baby aisle, and Stacey stopped in front of the diapers. They had several full packs at home, but after two blowouts in a single day she suspected they weren't the best choice for Mike and his runny mostly-breastfed poop. She considered switching sizes, brands or both and went for the cheap store brand, sticking with size 4 as they didn't feel that loose on her son and she was afraid size 3s would cut into his soft little potbelly.
A blue romper with Bob the Builder on it caught her eye, and despite her reminding herself Mikey had enough clothes for now she found herself checking out the size - 24M, it would fit.
"Can you talk me out of buying this super cute romper?" she asked Moira. "We've got enough clothes."
"Hm, I guess you have enough clothes - but it IS cute." Moira replied with a grin, and the romper ended up in the stroller. Luckily, the store's limited selection meant no more irresistible clothes came up, although Moira and Stacey cooed over a pink frilly onesie with a big strawberry on the front available in sizes NB to 6M.
"I wonder who of us will have a girl first." Moira said.
Stacey looked up at her friend with rised eyebrows, not having thought of Moira as the motherly type so far.
"I've been thinking a lot recently - and I think I might want a baby with Eddie. I'm not sure, we haven't talked about it yet, I'm just considering." Moira said slowly.
"Wow. I think you'd be a great mom, if you want to go for it." Stacey said.
"I don't know, with all the responsibility and that. But seeing you and Jim handle it so well for the past year got me thinking." Moira explained.
Stacey didn't know what to say. Moira's words reminded her she hadn't really lived through Mikey's first year and that intense phase of new parenthood, so the praise felt undeserved, on the other hand she was glad to hear Jim and her had apparently done things mostly right.
They paid for the groceries and left the store, and as they hugged goodbye Moira reminded Stacey of her babysitting offer.
Moira thought about it all the way home, the idea of a date night with Jim distracting her from the changes to every aspect of her and her family's reality that had occurred and might keep occurring, and the role her breasts and her milk seemed to play in them.
When she came home, she found the couch empty and heard Jim's voice from Mikey's room. She left the grocery bags in the stroller and went to say hi, eager not to miss any more of Mikey's waking minutes this evening. She found Jim holding him on his hip in front of the mirror. Mikey wore sleeveless green and white striped two-piece pajamas with a little frog embroidered on his chest and suckled on a matching green pacifier, his cuteness melting Stacey's heart - and Jim's too, going by the look on his face.
"Hey, you look great! Who picked out that outfit?" Stacey asked. Mikey idly poked his finger into Jim's chest and mumbled "Nana" through his pacifier.
"Great choice, Daddy" Stacey said and kissed Jim's cheek above the beard. "What have you guys been up to?"
"Well, not much. We both took a nap until Mikey took a dump." Jim said with a grin.
"Oh, another blowout?" Stacey asked.
"Not this time, but it was close. Looks like the milk goes right through him." Jim replied.
"Yeah. I bought the cheap diapers to give them a chance, maybe they'll fit better." Stacey said.
She looked at Mikey, wondering if he'd mind them discussing his poop, but he didn't look embarrassed or bothered at all - just sleepy, slowly suckling on his pacifier, leaning his head against Jim's shoulder with his eyes halfway shut.
"Are you hungry, Mikey?" she asked him, and he looked towards her, opening his eyes as he seemed to process the simple question. "Do you want a snack before bedtime?"
Roused from his half-sleep, Mikey realised that although he wasn't that hungry - it had been less than two hours since his last feeding - mommy milk and cuddles would be a great way to end his big day of daycare adventure. He nodded his head and reached out towards her with his arms. "Mama!" he said through the pacifier.