I have made it to the target.
Chief:
Excellent! Let us know when we can visit. I will be in the waiting room with the rest of the team.
Zombie:
Why is this group chat GREEN??????
Badger:
Yayyyyy!!!! I am on my way with Lennie and Ollie!!!! And Z, ask the noob. And Buddha, you better not go in without me!
Monte:
In the words of Stephanie Tanner… How Rude!
Monte:
I just got here with Jax and Machine
Zombie:
Bro wtf! I am bringing you an iPhone tomorrow!
Buddha:
I get to see the baby first!! Snooze, you lose!
Badger:
Buddha! Don’t you dare!
I noticed Evelyn stirring in her hospital bed, having probably been woken by the nonstop buzzing.
Me:
Guys as riveting of a conversation as this is, I need my phone to stop vibrating every second. I will let the nurses buzz you in when you get here.
Buddha was the first to hold our bundle of joy who was swaddled in a taupe-colored blanket and matching hat. She looked absurdly small in the large man’s arms.
Badger must have threatened to uppercut anyone who tried to hold the baby next. She came into the room panting like she’d ran the whole way there and holding up matching mommy and baby Snoozie slippers. I never understood and probably would never understand why the love of my life had a fascination with these glorified socks. I groaned when I saw the gifts, fully knowing that Buddha and Badger would argue like siblings about who got Evelyn and Emery the best gifts.
Badger walked over to Evelyn who was now holding Emery in her arms. Emery’s blue eyes met mine before going to Badger’s. “She’s beautiful,” Badger cooed. “What’s her name?”
Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears. “Emery Louise Romano,” she said with a smile.
Badger shot Evelyn a knowing look. Emery was her mother’s middle name while Louise was my mother’s first name. We’d wanted something to remember them both. Although I never spoke of my mother, I did miss her every day. She had died from cancer when I was a boy. I knew how Evelyn felt without her even saying it, because it was the same thing I was wishing for. To have our mothers here to meet their first grandbaby.
One by one all of our closest friends came to visit and say hello to Emery. When Chief arrived, Evelyn raised hereyebrows at me pointedly. She had a gift she wanted to give to him, and as she was busy holding the baby, it was up to me to do the honors.
“Chief, Emery has something for you.”
Chief gave her a questioning glance. I handed him a gift bag. He quickly shook out the shirt that was inside, his eyes going glassy with unshed tears when he read it.
“Well what does it say?” Zombie asked.
“World’s greatest Pops.” Chief hugged the shirt to his chest. Derrick Flemming had lost so much in his life. After losing his own family, he built one out of misfits. To Evelyn, Chief was the father figure that she needed.
