Ev came out of the master bathroom fully dressed, andshe raised her eyebrows at Trace. “Ev’s called everyone,” he said. “They’re on their way. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Okay,” Reggie said. “Thank you, Trace.”
“She’s going to wait until she hears from Bryce that you’re leaving, and she’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“Okay,” Reggie said. “Thank you.” Scuffling came through the line, and then he said, “All right, Kass, come on. We’re gonna get to the car. Let me take the bag.”
Trace stayed on the line as Reggie lovingly and kindly encouraged his wife into the car.
“Oh, Bryce is here,” Reggie said, his voice filled with relief. A car door slammed, and then he said, “He’s plowing the driveway right now. Hey, Bryce,” he called. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Luke’s working on the section closer to the road,” Bryce yelled, and Trace closed his eyes and thanked God for the best family in the world.
Everly Young pacedin the labor and delivery room waiting room. Her brother and his wife had been there forseven hoursnow, and Ev was really ready to see her new niece. Reggie had texted a half-hour ago that the baby had been born—finally—with no complications.
They’d named her Savannah Susannah Avery, and Ev turned back to the big double doors that her brother would bring the baby through…any moment now.
When he didn’t appear, she huffed out a frustrated sigh and turned around to go back the way she’d come. Her husband had gotten the kids to school and then come to join her at the hospital, bringing breakfast and her favorite energy drink. Now, the caffeine ran through her like a rabid animal, while Trace sat in the chair and looked at something on his phone.
“Come sit down, sweetheart,” he told her, and Ev managed to drop into the seat beside him.
“I just don’t get what’s taking so long,” she said.
“Well, they’ve got to give ‘er a bath,” Trace said. “Take her blood. Maybe Kassie is trying to feed her.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Ev’s leg bounced as she watched the door.
“Gabe and Morris went over this morning and made sure everything’s clear—the road all the way back to the house, the driveway, the sidewalk up to the steps, the front porch.” Trace smiled at her. “They’ll be good to go home when it’s time.”
“It’ll probably snow again,” Ev said.
“Well, then they’ll go out again,” Trace said, as if nothing bad ever happened in the world.
Ev did appreciate his steadiness and the way he loved unconditionally and served endlessly and could call on anyone to come do something—even in the middle of the night.
“There’s the baby,” Trace said, and Ev whipped her head over to the door. She jumped to her feet. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t been watching.
Reggie came out, and her beautiful, easygoing brother had been crying. He grinned as he walked toward Ev, the perfect little pink bundle in his arms, and Everly wrapped them both in a tight hug.
“Oh, congratulations, Daddy,” she whispered, and Reggie sniffled as he stepped back, tears streaming down his face as he settled the precious newborn into Ev’s arms.
Then he wiped his face and said, “She’s a little bruised on the one cheek right there. I guess she wasn’t turned all the way, and that’s why it took a little longer in delivery.”
“Not too bad, though,” Ev said, gently running the back of her knuckle over the tiny bruise on the baby’s face. “How’s Kassie doing?”
“She’s really tired,” Reggie said. “I said I’d bring the baby out for as long as I could, so that she could sleep.”
“That’s good.” Ev turned and moved back to the chair where Trace sat. “Come sit down and rest too,” she said.
Trace stood up and grabbed on to her brother and held him tight. Neither one of them said anything, but Trace had been almost a father figure for Reggie. Her brother adored Trace and asked him for advice, and listened to him, and the fact that he’d called her husband instead of her spoke volumes.
“What do you want for lunch?” Trace asked.
“It’s nine-thirty in the morning,” Ev said.
“All right, breakfast.”
Trace tapped on his phone and looked over to Reggie as he sat down. “They’ll deliver right here to the waiting room. Ask me how I know.”
