I smile and wrap an arm around Zoe’s shoulders, pulling her into me as we step onto the elevator.
“That’s true,” Rachel says. “But I think Trick’s mom and sisters are already at his house, so it’s not like it’ll be just the three of them having a quiet Christmas alone.”
Anvil rolls his eyes. “A thousand bucks says that was Trick’s idea, not hers.”
“We could check to see if Ash and Kathleen want to stay over at our house? Laurelyn might want her own mom or Trick’smom there, but probably not everyone, huh? And I don’t think the Reillys’ house is big enough for all of the Patricks to stay. Ours is though.”
My gaze flicks to ‘Vil’s face, and I try not to smirk at his dark expression.
After a pause, ‘Vil says, “Ask.”
“You want me to text Trick?” she asks, surprised.
“No. I already said I don’t care what he says. Text Laurelyn. No…actually, Raven, text Baby G instead. Irina will want to see her anyway and give her the present for babysitting. When she’s at our house, you suggest she stay and lure the other sister over, too. Say it’s to give Trick and his wife some time to rest and settle in with the new baby. She’ll want to do that.”
Rachel nods and then catches my eye and chuckles. “C Crue Operations 2.0, huh, C?”
“Seems like,” I say, amused.
“Kathleen drinks whiskey and is a good pool player,” ‘Vil says. “On a holiday, she’s not a bad trade for Trick. You can tell him I said that.”
Everyone laughs.
Then I shake my head. “You really think this is a workable plan, ‘Vil, to get Trick to settle in for a quiet Christmas at home? You start talking whiskey and playing pool, it’s a party. One that includes all of us and his sisters, but not him? And you expect to gloat about it?”
“Yeah, you’re right, C. Better to keep it low.”
I smile. There have been days when I thought I wasn’t ready to be a family man.
Today I realize I already am, and have been for a while.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
The Following Year
ZOE
Calways says things can turn on a dime in high stakes situations, and I'm reminded of that on the day Rachel goes into labor. We expect it to be routine because Irina's delivery was so smooth. Their new little girl however is much bigger, over eight pounds, and Rachel's small frame just isn't big enough.
There’s a crash caesarian section because both of them are in danger. After the baby’s delivered, Rachel hemorrhages severely. Her heart stops. The doctors are able to restart it, but she’s comatose when they take her to the intensive care unit.
We rush to the hospital, and when we see Sasha's face, the silence that falls is profound.
“How do things look?” C asks.
Anvil shakes his head as he clenches his jaw. “She hasn’t woken up.”
At those words, my stomach drops and I feel ill. Sasha’s eyes have a sheen, like he’s close to tears, which immediately makes me start to cry.
Irina was playing at Trick and Laurelyn's, and they arrive as soon as they arrange for Laurel’s sister Monet to watch Sean.
When Trick and Laurel get to the hospital, they have Irina with them.
As ever, Irina is excited to see Sasha. For a moment, I think Trick's made a mistake by bringing her, but when she exclaims, “Dada's here! My dada's here!” and reaches for him, Sasha's expression eases and he takes her.
I slip out into the hall because I'm crying and don't want Irina to see it. C joins me after a couple of minutes but seems at a loss for words.
