Help Arrives

The next morning, Lucy shuffled into the kitchen bleary-eyed, wearing Tim's hoodie and mismatched socks, with Naiomi clinging to her chest in a wrap and Tyler resting in the bassinet nearby. Tim was at the counter, pouring a heroic amount of coffee into two mugs.

"Morning," he said with a sympathetic smile.

"Barely," Lucy muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Did we sleep at all?"

He handed her the mug. "I think we hit thirty-two nonconsecutive minutes. New record."

Just then, a knock at the door.

Tim raised a brow. "You expecting someone?"

Lucy blinked. "No. Maybe Celina?"

When Tim opened the door, Angela strolled in like a woman on a mission, holding a grocery bag in one hand and a large iced coffee in the other.

"Saved your lives," she said, handing the coffee to Lucy.

Lucy nearly wept. "You're a goddess."

Angela grinned and started unloading supplies on the counter — snacks, frozen meals, diapers, wipes, even bath salts.

"I figured you guys wouldn't ask, so I came anyway," Angela said. "You're doing amazing, but you need help."

"We're surviving," Tim said, glancing at the babies.

"Exactly," Angela replied. "But you could be thriving."

Lucy sat at the table, bouncing Naiomi lightly. "If you say the word 'thrive' one more time—"

Angela laughed, pulling out her phone. "Okay, okay. Hear me out: night nurse."

Tim blinked. "A what?"

"A night nurse," Angela repeated. "A trained professional who comes in overnight, takes care of the babies — feeds, changes, soothes — so you can sleep. Game-changer. We hired one for Emmy the second time around. I almost cried when she walked in the first night."

Lucy stared at her. "Wait... that's a real thing? People do that?"

"Rich people do that," Tim muttered.

Angela rolled her eyes. "You guys are not broke, Tim. And even if it's just a couple nights a week — it makes a difference. Sanity matters."

Lucy looked down at Naiomi, then over to where Tyler had started to stir again.

"I don't know... it feels weird to let a stranger handle them," Lucy said softly.

Angela knelt beside her. "I get it. I do. But you need to take care of yourselves, too. You've got three kids now. Let someone else help carry the load, even just at night."

Tim and Lucy looked at each other.

"Let's think about it," he said.

Angela stood and handed Lucy her phone. "Start by reading reviews. I'll send you a few we loved. You don't have to do this alone."

As Angela packed up to leave, hugging them both and kissing the babies, Lucy held the phone in her hand and looked over at Tim.

"Maybe she's right," she said. "I didn't even realize how tired I was until she mentioned help."

Tim kissed the side of her head. "We've got each other. But having more than that... might not be so bad."