CHAPTER 36

“Milka? Milka, baby, please take your fingers out of your nose.” I sighed and reached forward to dislodge them.

She screamed and smacked the sofa. “No!” She immediately shoved them back up.

“Milka hudson!” I pulled them out. “Do it again and you’re on the naughty step!”

She stared at me defiantly and shoved two fingers of her other hand back in her nose.

“That’s it. On the step.” I removed her fingers for the hundredth time today and lifted her by her armpits.

I deposited her on the step and set the timer. I left it on the counter and went back into the front room, dropping to the sofa with a heavy sigh and rubbing my temples.

Three days of this back-and-forth thing with Conor was driving me mad. Not only did I miss him ridiculously, Milka did, too, and she was making it known with bad behavior. Three hours of sleep last night had left my patience paper-thin, and I was ready to leave her in her crib and let her scream it out.

She was screaming on the step, so it was not like there’ll