“You don’t have to do that, sis,” Malyah said. “Will you please let us help? You can supervise just as well sitting right there at the table.”
Nami stretched her back and looked at Bebe, who was sitting on the counter and helping mix the cookie dough. “Do you mind if Auntie Malyah helps you?”
Bebe waved at the chairs. “Take dat load off, Aunti Nami!”
Malyah, Nami, and Brianna all looked at each other and burst into laughter.
“Oookay, well I guess I been told,” Nami said as she made her way over to one of the chairs and sat.
Truth be told, she felt exhausted. She suspected her ankles were swollen, but she couldn’t see them to tell, and she honestly wasn’t certain she could go through the effort to prop them up without help.
Duncan walked in with his coffee mug, then stopped and backed up to look at Nami. “Are you okay?”
She forced a smile. “Just really tired.” Bebe now had her back to them, focused on helping Malyah. “And worried about her,” she silently mouthed, pointing at the toddler.
He nodded and continued on to the coffeemaker, setting up a new pod in the machine and then sitting next to her at the table while he waited for it to brew. “If you wish to go home, I believe we have it covered. I’ll be here.”
“Maybe when Beck comes back I might let him talk me into it.”
“Wow, Iknowyou’re tired, sis,” Da’von said as he walked into the kitchen, smiling.
“Don’t you sass me, kiddo,” Nami said. “I’ll sic your wife on you.”
Brianna giggled where she stood at the counter on Bebe’s other side. “I love you, honey,” Brianna said to Da’von, “but I’m smart enough to know to side with Nami every time.”
“Dat’s right!” Bebe held her hand up for a high-five from her. “Team Auntie Nami!”
Nami smiled, halfheartedly pumping her fist in the air. “That’s right.”
“Why don’t you let me help you out to the couch?” Duncan asked. “We can prop your feet up. Make you more comfortable.”
She had half a second of thinking she’d protest that she was fine…then realized that was an utterly asinine reaction.
Shewastired.
She nodded, holding a hand out to him as he stood.
It was the look on his face when he took her arm that worried her. “What? What’s wrong?”
Duncan’s other hand shot out and grabbed Da’von, who froze for a moment, almost as if listening to Duncan tell him something silently.
Then Da’von turned and ran out of the kitchen, grabbing his phone off the counter as he passed.
“What?” Nami asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Duncan said. “Everything’s—”
Nami gasped as a pain hit and then…
She looked down. “I think my water just broke!”
Duncan smiled. “You’re going into labor. Da’von’s calling Dr. Collins and letting everyone know.”
* * *
Beck
His paralysis broke. “I need to get back there!” He stood and bolted for the door, Joaquin on his heels.
