"Everybody out," he commands, and they skitter past me like gnats in the night at his command to leave us alone. I crawl into the bed beside him on the side he isn't bandaged on. Now I'm even more pissed because they shot him onmyside. Inmyspot. Where I lay my head every night.Motherfuckers.
"Hi," he rasps, holding me tightly into his side.
"Hi," I whisper, blinking back tears. My head is on his shoulder and tears fall silent and hot down my cheeks. Cass holds me close and kisses my forehead. I cannot wait to get him out of this hospital and back into the safety of our home. My phone vibrates in my pocket, startling the both of us. I open it to a video call from Mindy. Linc's face is staring back at me, with a look of concern on it.
"Mindy is needing to check on you," he says.
I smile and wipe my face. "I'm good. I just got to Cass's room. I'll be heading over shortly." I fake a smile hoping that it masks the sadness that was just present on my face.
"It's okay if you don't come," Mindy says.
Linc turns the camera around and Mindy is white-knuckling the side rail of her hospital bed.
"I'm going to be there with you, Min."
She offers me a smile just as a contraction hits and her eyes shut tightly. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, her brows furrowing together. Linc steps closer to her and rubs her back in a comforting manner.
"Alright. I'll be right here. I'm only at four centimeters. I'll call when I'm at eight or nine."
I nod. "Sounds like a plan. You're doing great!" I offer words of encouragement as she gives me a thumbs up before we hang up. Mindy labors for four more hours and I spend every second of that time in this bed with Cass. My phone rings at four thirty in the morning, waking me up. Linc's name flashes on the screen.
"It's time. She's about to push."
Disoriented and half asleep, I stumble out of bed and kiss Cass's forehead on my way out. Excitement hums through my veins as I knock on Mindy's door. When I walk in, there is a large, bright light shining between Mindy's spread legs. Linc is on one side, holding her hand and she looks like she's in so much pain.
Mindy's face softens briefly when she spots me walking into the room. I stand on the same side Linc is on, getting out of the way of the nurses and the doctor.
"She refused the epidural," Linc informs me.
"She did and she's doing great!" One of the nurses cheers, giving Mindy that little bit of extra encouragement.
"Fuck!" Mindy yells, gripping down on the railings on either side of the bed. She's squeezing so hard that I fear she may break the metal railings. I stare in awe as her stomach contracts and it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The nurses and doctor urge Mindy to keep going and with one more hard push, baby is out and crying.
It's the sweetest sound, that little cry. "Congratulations, it's a boy!" the doctor cheers, laying him on her chest.
Mindy cries hard, her chest shaking with the baby on it. Linc stares down at the two of them with so much love in his eyes that some of it leaks out and runs down his face. I smile through my own tears as I watch them, the three of them, a family together for the first time. Linc leans down and kisses Mindy's forehead, over and over again.
"You did so good, baby. He's here and he's perfect."
"I can't wait to spoil him rotten," I say, admiring my best friend's new family. The tiny life she's created. Mynephew. Cass is going to be so thrilled that it's a boy.
It's nearly daybreak and we're all exhausted. Mindy especially. Once the doctor has her sewn up and the room clears, Linc runs out to get her breakfast. She's requested Cracker Barrel and Lincdidn't bat an eye, simply kissed her head and put her order in his notes before heading out to get it for her.
"Do you want to hold him?" Mindy asks, her tired eyes glimmering as she stares at her baby boy.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I want to hold him!"
She grins at me and hands him over. He's so tiny. He weighs right at six pounds with a head full of blonde hair. I can't see his little eyes because he's got them closed tight, but he does have the cutest little button nose.
"What's his name? I ask, looking up at her.
Mindy's head is rested on her pillow, her eyes are closed and for a moment I think she didn't hear me, but then she speaks.
"Maverick Zane."
"I love it. It's perfect. Just like him."
I stare at baby Maverick until Linc comes back in with breakfast. The smell of food makes my stomach growl loudly. So loudly that Linc and Mindy both turn their gaze in my direction. I smile sheepishly and shrug.
