He nods, shakes my hand, and then pulls me in for a hug. “I love you, son.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
“Well, we should probably get home,” Landon announces, wrapping his arm around Cami’s shoulders, then frowns when he looks over at Addie. “Are you okay, Blondie?”
“These Braxton Hicks are crazy,” she says, taking a deep breath.
“Honey, I don’t think it’s fake labor,” Sue says, rubbing Addie’s back. Suddenly Addie looks down to find her pants soaked through.
“Oh God. That’s my worst nightmare.”
“What?” Kat asks.
“My water just broke in public.” She reaches for Jake. “It’s a good thing we’re already at the hospital because I’m going to have this baby today.”
“Oh my God,” Riley says. “Do you have your hospital bag?”
“Jake just put it in the car yesterday,” Addie says with a nod. Jake isn’t speaking at all; he just looks shell-shocked.
“Let’s get you checked in,” Kat says.
“You need to go home,” Addie replies, voicing my thoughts exactly. “You were freaking kidnapped today. Go get some rest.”
“Fuck that, you’re having a baby,” Kat says. “I’m fine. Now let’s get you checked in.”
“Oh God,” Addie says, reaching for Jake’s hand. “This is going to freaking hurt.”
“Take the drugs,” Cami suggests.
“What time is it?” Riley asks.
“You just asked that ten minutes ago,” Mia says, but checks her phone anyway. “It’s noon.”
“Is she ever going to have that baby?” Riley asks, and yawns. “She’s been in there for seven hours.”
“I was in labor with Kat for thirty-six hours,” Sue replies with a smile. “The baby will come when it’s ready.”
“You deserve an award or something,” Cami says, her eyes wide in wonder. “That sounds like agony.”
“It wasn’t a party,” Sue replies with a laugh. “I think I tried to kill Stu with my bare hands at one point. But then she came, and she was the tiniest, sweetest thing I’d ever seen.”
“I’m still the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen,” Kat says, winking at her mom. “We should find out how she’s progressing, and if it’s slow, we could take shifts.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Landon replies. “We’re all just a phone call away.”
“I’m not leaving,” Mia says, shaking her head. “You all can go home if you want and I’ll call when there’s news.”
“I want to be back there with her,” Cami says with a frown. “It’s not right that we’re not there.”
“She said that only those who were there during conception are allowed to be there for the birth,” Riley replies, rolling her eyes. “I mean, come on. Do you think the doctor was there saying, ‘That’s right, Jake, give it to her.’”
“Ew,” Cami replies, scowling. “That’s not sexy at all.”
“Exactly,” Riley says.
“We have a baby!” Jake exclaims, running into the room. He looks exhausted and sweaty and so damn happy. “She’s amazing. They’re both amazing. Oh my God, I’m a dad.”
“Is it a girl or a boy?” Mia asks.
“A girl,” he says with a grin. “I have to get back in there.”
He turns and runs off, and the girls stare at each other in shock.
“What about her name? And how much she weighs?” Kat asks me.
“I’m not back there either,” I remind her.
“This is why one or all of us should be back there,” Cami says, shaking her head. “He’s too flummoxed to give us information.”
“We’re going to leave, now that we know she’s okay,” Sue says to Kat, hugging her close. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Me too, Mama. Thank you.”
Stu gets a hug in there as well before they leave, hand in hand. Mom and Chase both left after Addie was checked in and we were settled here in the waiting room.
So we’re left with the five girls, Landon, and me.
“Should we see if we can go back to see them?” Kat asks. “I’d like to go home to get a few hours of sleep, then come back this afternoon.”
“I’m sure Addie and Jake need some rest too,” Cami says with a nod. “I’ll ask the nurse.”
She hurries off to find someone and I drag my fingers down Kat’s cheek. I just can’t stop touching her. “We should go home.”
“I want to see them first,” she says with a yawn. “But then, yes, let’s go home.”
“You have to be exhausted.”
“I’m more delirious now, I think,” she says with a laugh. “I’m past tired. But it’s okay because Addie was up all day and night and had a baby.”
“I love how you put things into perspective.”
“She can have visitors, two at a time,” Cami says with a smile. “Kat, you and Mac go first so you can get home.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Kat says with a smile. We head out, walking down the hallway to Addie’s room, and walk in to find her snuggled in her bed, Jake at her side, and the new baby cradled in her arms.