A nurse took the baby away to be washed and evaluated in the nursery. India and Jeremy followed the baby out, barely looking back at Lainey as they departed. The nurses buzzed around for a bit, and Dr. Jones checked to make sure that the placenta was all out and that there wasn’t any tearing that necessitated stitches. But once she was cleaned and resting comfortably, Lainey was left alone in the hospital room. The television was on and turned to a cable news station, the sound muted. Lainey watched the silent flickering picture—the female anchor with her white-blonde hair and glossy lips, the male anchor dapper in his suit. They looked, she thought, like the sort of people who glided through life without any problems. The nurse-midwife had instructed her to get some sleep, and Lainey thought she would—she’d never felt so wrung out, so bone-achingly exhausted, in all of her life. But instead, she just lay there, numbed and sore, and feeling as though some essential part of her had been removed and taken away.
What do You think about When You Least Expect It (2010)?
