"Yes," Derek replied, bluntly. "I need the others where they are. If you could cook, things would be different, but there's more of us now, and that means more food to be made and eaten, which means that Gloria's going to need more help, and not just today. Miranda is the obvious choice, but she needs someone to look after them between feedings."
He moved closer to her, shifted Mark's weight easily to one arm and then lifted her hand, placing it on the back of the baby's neck.
"This young, you have to support his head and neck, because he can't support it himself. But really, most of his day is spent sleeping, eating, and crying." He shifted the baby from his arms into hers, gently, but stayed close, resting his hand on the baby's back.
"I didn't realize...I didn't know that you hated children," he added, his tone almost apologetic. "Perhaps Scott can spare Alcuin tomorrow."