Baby Daddies - Tara Brown Page 0,92
Lori, Jenny, Carson, and Rich.
“Hey!” I manage to get out before Sami assaults us. “Oh my God, she is so perfect.” She leans over the carrier as it cruises by to Nat’s room. Sami hugs me tightly. “Nat’s just getting her stitches. We can go in, in a minute.”
I shudder.
“What happened?” Matt asks. “You’re pale.”
“She gave birth in the car. Fifteen minutes of labor. Ten minutes of pushing in the car.”
They recoil in horror. Carson gags.
“I threw up.” I look down at the booties the nurse offered me. “I don’t know if I closed the door to the apartment. I ran. I brought nothing. No baby bag. No clothes. No shoes. She went from giving me a blow—we were messing around and then it hit.” I earn a disgusted look from Jenny and Sami. “Her idea. I said no. Her stomach looks like Aliens.”
Lori snorts.
“And then it just happened.” I can’t relive it.
“Where’s the car?” Lori’s voice is low.
“Emergency parking lot. A paramedic moved it for me. I’m getting it towed.”
“It can’t be that bad—”
“No,” I say weakly, cutting Matt off, “it’s a kill it with fire situation.”
“Did she poop?” Sami asks.
My expression answers that.
“Yup, fire,” Lori agrees.
“Sweet Jesus,” Carson mutters.
Rich crosses himself.
“What do you need?” Matt asks.
“The hallway at the house, it’s ruined. Throw that carpet out. Get a cleaner in there. If you could grab me some runners and a change of clothes. Nat has her bag and the baby’s packed. It’s in the nursery. My wallet.” My brain.
“What the fuck?” Lori whispers.
“It was so fast.”
Jenny pales.
“I’ll go and get the stuff and deal with the car,” Matt says.
“I’ll come.” Lori leaves with him. They’re fleeing and I don’t blame them.
“You can go on in,” the doctor says as she leaves the room, smiling wide as if this is all normal.
Sami bolts into the room with Carson and Rich on her heels. Jenny gives me a look. “You okay?” She’s never this nice to me but she’s being serious today.
“No. I’ll never stop seeing that chord hanging from her—” I gag again.
“Okay, let’s just shut that down.” She pats me on the arm and walks past me, her belly leading the way. “I can’t believe I still have to do this shit,” she grumbles. Even though she’s pregnant with twins, her belly is smaller than Nat’s was. From behind, you wouldn’t even know she’s pregnant.
Jenny and I stand awkwardly off to the side as Sami and Nat cry and Carson stares at the baby Rich is holding.
“Look how tiny she is,” he whispers, mesmerized by my girl.
Sami and Nat hug and kiss and cry. “Girls are weird,” I mutter to Jenny who nods along. “Where’s Bev and Geoff?” I ask.
“Driving here as fast as they can. They weren’t going to make dinner, they were out doing photography in some park.” Jenny shrugs. “Bev’s pissed Nat went into labor early.”
“I’m not!” Nat says with a deep sigh. “My butt is broken, and I don’t know if my poor vagina will recover, but the feeling of not being pregnant anymore is bliss.” Nat beams at Jenny.
“It took three months for things to feel better, completely better,” Sami adds. “But having Eli in my arms made the pain fade a lot right away.”
“Where is he?” Nat asks.
“Mom and Dad came to the house to take care of him so we could come here. He’ll have to meet his new cousin Kara tomorrow.” Sami sighs. “We’re mommas together now.”
“Yup.” Nat sounds exhausted, like she’s hovering on the verge of tears. “Jenny, do you want to hold her?”
“Oh, uhm, actually—”
“You don’t know how, do you?” Sami smirks. “I know that feeling. Trust me, the moment they hand you your own baby, it changes.”
“I can’t believe how tiny she is.” Carson isn’t moving on. He glances at me. “Are you stressed out with her out here in the world, this small and delicate?”
Instantly, I’m gripped by fear. He’s right. She’s so tiny and fragile. Anything could happen to her. And what about when she’s older? What if guys are mean to her or try to touch her? Fury fills me.
Nat sees my face and reaches for me. Her eyes are watery sapphires. “Come here.” Her voice stops the all-encompassing panic. I walk to her and take her hand. “One day at a time.” She squeezes and pulls me to kiss her. She still smells like home in my heart. The scent is soothing. Even as she yawns and snuggles into me.
“Well, we won’t stay.”