Just a Positive Pregnancy Test - London Casey Page 0,94

women wasn’t going to go over well in the NICU.

So I did the next best thing.

I ran through some lullabies.

I amazed myself by remembering most of the words.

I pieced together the songs and chords by ear and it seemed to flow.

When I played, baby Hank moved.

I saw his little toes wiggle. His fingers curling just a little.

“That’s right, son,” I said to him. “This guitar is going to be yours someday. Just takes a lot of practice.”

I continued to play until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I stopped and turned my head.

Mila was there.

Smiling down at me, tears in her eyes.

My best guess was that Buddy called her.

Goddamn, Buddy…

That must have been his way of really thanking me.

Which I appreciated.

“I love you, darling,” I said to Mila.

She leaned down and brushed her lips to my cheeks. “I love you so much, Silas. Play for our son again. He loves it.”

I took a deep breath.

I started to strum the guitar again.

Mila kept her hand on my shoulder.

And there he was… baby Hank… moving his little arms and legs.

I ran out of songs to play so I started to repeat the lullabies.

The second time around, more parents sang with me.

So did the nurses.

I looked back at Mila again, smiling.

I went from singing in bars and clubs with willing women and sipping whiskey to singing to my son – and the other sons and daughters - in the NICU.

I guess that made me… a rock star dad?

Chapter Forty-Three

MILA

I had a dream where we went to the hospital and baby Hank wasn’t in the incubator. And nobody knew who baby Hank was. There was no record of him being born. When I started to yell at the nurses, security showed up and arrested me. Everyone thought I was acting crazy. I begged someone to lift my shirt and see my stomach. The stretch marks and extra skin from being pregnant.

That dream ended and another one took its place.

This time I was in the hospital and I was able to take baby Hank home.

I cradled him in my arms, stepped out of the hospital and was suddenly on the road to the house Silas bought for us. As I whispered to the baby about his new house, I looked up and the house was gone. In its place was a giant sign, declaring that it was property of the Lovor family.

“It’s okay,” a voice whispered to me.

I threw an elbow and yelled, “It’s not okay!”

My eyes jolted open and I rolled to my back to find Silas staring at me.

“Did I elbow you?” I asked.

“You did, darling,” Silas said.

“Oh, Silas. I’m sorry. I was having a terrible dream. Our house was gone. The Lovor family took the land and-”

“You haven’t seen the house in a long time, Mila,” Silas said.

“I just can’t do it. It doesn’t feel right without him with us.”

“You don’t know that,” Silas said. “Let’s go right now. Nobody is there. We can walk through it together. If we get there and it’s too much for you, then we’ll leave. I swear.”

“Silas…”

“You just had a dream the house was gone,” he said. “Don’t lie to me, darling. You’re going to be thinking about it all day.”

I sighed. “You’re right.”

“So go see it for yourself. The last time you were there, the front door fell off the hinges.”

“Fine. But… I require coffee. Something sugary.”

“A kiss from me?”

“No,” I said. “Not that kind of sugar. You idiot.”

I smiled and pushed Silas away.

“When we’re done at the house, we’ll go right to the hospital,” Silas said. “I’m going to call right now and check on the baby. You get dressed. Then I’ll get you your coffee and sugar.”

I nodded.

I didn’t look back at him.

The thought of baby Hank still in the hospital…

I didn’t want him to see me cry.

“Watch this,” Silas said.

He opened the front door and it did not fall off its hinges.

“Whoa,” I said. “Big improvement.”

“And now… your house…”

He pointed and I stepped into the house.

It was like a different world.

I gasped and covered my mouth.

The house was beautiful.

Throughout all the construction, Tyler managed to keep the original crown molding intact and put it back up. The house definitely had an instant feel of being like an old country house, but very much updated.

Silas walked me to the living room.

He went right to the brick fireplace.

Next to it the corner was open.

“I had Tyler put an outlet there,” he said. “Perfect spot for the Christmas tree. And the tree can be seen