“Okay, thanks, and Blake,thank you, really. You were amazing today and are amazing with her.”
“Thanks Mr. St. Clai?—”
He gave her the look.
“Deacon,” she self-corrected. “Thanks, Deacon.”
“And tell Noah thank you for the headwear, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”
Blake smiled, clearly proud of her boyfriend and his invention. “Yeah, it’s pretty sick.” She walked over andgrabbed her bag, then said goodbye to Tabby, promising to visit her tomorrow and telling her how brave she’d been.
The timing could not have worked out better. Blake and Jenna left at the exact time that Dr. Jackson, the head of pediatrics at the hospital, came in to speak to Deacon. Dr. Jackson explained that the break was clean, but they kept Tabby in the hospital for observation because her EKG came back abnormal. It was expected due to her pain and stress, and he was hopeful that she would be able to be released in the next couple of hours and not have to be admitted, which was a relief. She hated sleeping in the hospital. Speaking of sleeping, Dr. Jackson left, and within a minute or two Tabby was sound asleep.
Thankfully, the doctor had explained she should try and get as much rest as she could and that the pain medicine might make her sleepy, so Deacon wasn’t concerned. She was knocked out so hard she was even snoring lightly when a familiar face rounded the corner.
Poppy rushed into the room with balloons and a teddy bear but then stopped up short and tried to hold the mylars in place as they bounced loudly against the walls. “Sorry.”
“You’re fine. She’s out.”
Poppy tiptoed to the corner and wedged them gently in place before turning around. “I’msosorry I didn’t get here sooner. I just got out of my class and heard.”
“I just got here myself,” he explained.
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
He nodded. “Traffic.”
She walked over to the side of the bed and touched Tabby’s cast, then brushed her knuckles lightly over the ninja mask before grazing the tiara. “How is she? How’s our girl?”
“Good, fine. She’s tough.”
Poppy nodded. “She really is.”
His sister turned to him and bit the inside of her lip, then took in a shaky breath.
“What?” he asked. It was clear she had news, bad news if his radar was right, that she had to break to him. “Is it the baby? Is it okay? Are you okay?”
“No, he’s fine.” She put her hand on her stomach. “I’m fine.”
“He?” Deacon smiled.
Poppy lifted her head and scrunched her face. “It’s a boy. We found out today. We weren’t going to say any?—”
“I won’t say a word. I promise.”
Her face and shoulders relaxed as she rubbed her belly, but then she took another deep breath, a fortifying breath.
“Okay, so what’s all the dramatic pauses and deep breathing for?”
Her face split in a wide, apologetic smile. “Sorry, I just don’t know how to say this.”
He had zero patience right now. “Just say it.”
“Today, earlier this morning, while we were at the baby’s appointment, before my classes, AJ told me something he found out a while ago. He wasn’t sure if he should tell you or not. He doesn’t always know what to do with information, or if it was his place to tell you?—”
“I know,” Deacon assured Poppy.
Before they moved into Poppy’s renovated house, AJ had rented the Airbnb his twin brother Niko was now staying in, so he’d been Deacon’s neighbor. From their first interaction, Deacon knew AJ Costas was highly intelligent, like Mensa-level genius and autistic. He masked it well, and to meet him you may not pick up on it, but Deacon had right away. He rarely looked people in the eyes, and his social cues were off. Some people read him as rude, but he was just very literal and direct. Deacon appreciated it.
