You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 945

Sometimes he’d have the baby curled up in his arm, sitting at his desk and talking business like it was the most natural thing in the world. The way he handled work and fatherhood at the same time left everyone in awe.

The first time the new secretary saw it, she was completely thrown. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the next day in the break room, she finally blurted out to Lincoln, “Seriously, how is someone like Mr. Padilla even real?” She paused, then looked at Lincoln. “You’re a guy. Could you ever pull that off?”

Lincoln, who already had a kid of his own, just shook his head. He didn’t even have to think about it. When his wife gave birth, his mother-in-law and the nanny basically took over. He’d come home after a long day and the baby’s crying would make his brain feel like it might explode. The most he ever managed was half an hour before he had to hand her off.

But Mr. Padilla was on another level. He could hold his daughter for hours, three or four at a time, without breaking a sweat. Sometimes, you just have to admit that some people set the bar impossibly high.

It didn’t take long for the nickname “Super Dad” to stick to him like a badge.

By the time his little girl was just two and a half months old, she was so attached to him that once the sun went down, nobody but her dad could calm her. She only wanted him.

Of course, he couldn’t always make it home on the dot every night. Even if he left the office on time, traffic was always a wildcard.

One rainy evening, the sky got dark early. Patricia was downstairs, finishing her postpartum workout, when the nanny came in carrying the baby, looking guilty. She called out softly, and Patricia immediately knew what was up. She asked the trainer to head out and took her daughter from the nanny’s arms.

While she tried to calm the baby, Patricia glanced out at the gloomy sky. “Are you crying to match the weather?” she sighed, a little exasperated.

That only made the baby cry harder.

By seven thirty the house was swallowed up in darkness and Oliver still wasn’t home. The non-stop crying was starting to make Patricia’s scalp tingle, and her heart ached for her little girl. She finally gave in and called Mr. Padilla.

He picked up right away.

Finally, at eight fifteen, they heard brakes squeal in the driveway. Mr. Padilla jumped out of the car, already tugging off his suit jacket as he crossed the entryway. He tossed the jacket to Johns and took the stairs two at a time. Even when he ducked into the bathroom to wash his hands, he moved fast.

When he finally took the baby from Patricia, she practically melted with relief.

He let out a quiet laugh, chest rumbling. “You did great.”

Patricia sighed, gently touching his arm. “You’re the one doing all the hard work.”

Later, just after nine, Chelsea and Sara showed up together, which hardly ever happened. They stepped out of the car with arms full of takeout bags, sneaking into the dining room and trying to avoid Patricia. Of course, luck wasn’t on their side. She was already sitting there, waiting.