When Bo and Lucky welcomed their child into the world one day, he or she would have lots of family and friends crowded into the waiting room, pacing, sharing their hopes and dreams for the new addition, retelling stories of other births.
That poor girl, all alone in the world. Lucky pulled his cellphone from his pocket and texted Charlotte.“I’m gonna be late getting home.”
Someone needed to be there for the girl besides Bo.
And someone should be there for Bo.
***
Lucky stopped by Walmart on his way to the hospital. First babies took a while, right? What did a kid need? From what Bo said, Yolanda had nothing in the way of baby things. Was she having a boy or girl? Pink or blue?
He stuck with yellow and mint green. Receiving blankets, sleepers, booties, a soft gray elephant. The diaper bag and bottles could come later. If the mom needed them.
“Aww,” a salesgirl cooed. “Is this your first child? Are you having a boy or girl?”
“Not mine, don’t know.” Why did sales people always have to get chatty?”
“Your nephew or niece?” The woman scanned the items one at a time and arranged them into a bag.
“A friend.”
Lucky’s curt reply achieved the hoped-for effect. The woman continued her job in silence. Lucky handed over his credit card, parting with the money he’d ear-marked for repairing the back-yard privacy fence. The fence could wait. Babies tended not to.
The local Italian place closed at eight. Lucky checked his phone. Ten minutes. He called his order in from the Walmart parking lot, and stopped by to grab Bo a bite to eat. For some reason, his own stomach’s twisting killed his appetite.
Fuck. After eight on a Friday night wasn’t the best time to cross Atlanta, with so many people out and about.
He pulled into the hospital parking lot at nine p.m. and checked his phone. No messages from Bo.
Bags in hand, and wafting the scent of eggplant parmesan behind him, Lucky entered the imposing twelve-story building and headed for the hospital maternity ward. He’d been to Mercy General so many times over the years, he never needed directions.
Hell, he couldgivedirections.
No Bo. Where was Bo? He texted.“At hospital. Brought some stuff.”
Bo stepped into the waiting room a few minutes later, minus his jacket and tie. He’d rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and unbuttoned the top two buttons. Fucking gorgeous. “What are you doing here?”
“I bought some stuff for the kid.” Lucky held up the bags.
“You what?”
Lucky’s heart sank. Bo wasn’t happy to see him? Had something gone wrong? “You know, blankets, sleepers, that sort of thing.” The kind of things Charlotte got from baby showers when her kids were born. “I also brought you some supper.”
“I’d say that’s sweet of you, but you’d tell me not to start that rumor.” Bo smiled and squeezed Lucky’s hand, drawing close enough to whisper, “Thank you.” Tightness around his eyes, and stooped shoulders told of his mental state.
Please let nothing have gone wrong. “How’s she doing?”
“Fine. Scared.”
“I’ll bet.”
“She’s still in early labor right now. The doctors tried to slow her contractions. The longer the baby stays in her womb, the better.” Bo rubbed his eyes. “Babies keep their own schedules.”
“Is the kid going to be okay?”
“Too early to say. Technically the doctor can’t tell me anything, but Yolanda signed a form saying she wanted them to give me the information, wanted me in the room with her when she delivers.”
What the fuck? In the delivery room?
