Chapter 4 - The Sound of a Heartbeat
"The bottles aren't working because he feels your distance," Elena observed, watching how Julian kept his torso rigid. "When babies lose their mother's rhythm, they look for it in the father. Unbutton your collar."
"What?" Julian blinked.
"Skin to skin," Elena instructed gently. "Take off that watch. Unbutton your shirt. Put his bare chest against yours. Don't worry about decorum. The gentlemen with the financial papers will survive."
Julian felt self-conscious, but looking down at Leo’s exhausted, red-rimmed eyes, his hesitation vanished. He stripped off his heavy luxury watch, unbuttoned the dark polo, and gently drew Leo inside the fabric, laying the infant's cheek directly against his bare chest.
Leo stirred, let out a tiny, frightened whimper, and then paused.
Julian took a deep, deliberate breath, just as Maya had demonstrated. Inhale for four seconds. Exhale for six. Slowly, the erratic beat of his own panicked heart synchronized into a deep, steady rhythm.
Leo let out a long shuddering breath, relaxed his clenched fists, and buried his face into Julian’s skin. Within moments, the baby fell into a deep, restorative sleep.
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A tear slipped down Julian's cheek, dripping onto the baby's soft hair. He didn't wipe it away.
"You see?" Maya whispered with an innocent smile. "You had what he needed all along."
