Page 95 of Scoring Chances
“He’s about to be an uncle,” I tell her.
“Oh nice!”
“Yeah, kid. And thanks to you I’ve had plenty of practice,” he tousles her hair and Maddie tsks, swatting him away.
“Well? Should we go to the hospital? Is it too soon.”
“Hells no it’s not too soon. Let’s scram!”
It was way too soon.
Keelan and I didn’t know that first time moms could sometimes take longer than twenty four hours.
Thankfully that isn’t how long Izzy’s is taking. But by the time she actually does push, the kids are complaining in the waiting room and Maddie is convinced that the flowers we got Izzy are already wilting from how long we’ve been waiting.
Once, Izzy does have the baby. The waiting room is packed with everyone from the team coming to pay her a visit.
Keelan gets special uncle privileges and stays in the room while the other visitors have to take turns.
We’re about to head in next after Ryker and Izzy’s families when I see her.
She’s carrying a giant pink teddy and a balloon big enough to match. And she stands at the entrance looking around.
Until her eyes meet mine.
She smiles. And that’s when Maddie notices her.
She gasps her name and runs to her. “Oh my gosh you’re here! You’re really here!”
Cassidy’s laugh floats over to me and my chest constricts. Does she want to see me? Things left off so strange between us.
I get up anyways, because despite feeling conflicted I still want to be near her. Feel her. Hold her. If even for a second.
“Hi,” I say approaching her.
Her eyes dance over my features. “Hi.” She smiles.
“Here to see the baby?”
“Seems like it.” She holds up the baby gift.
Internal facepalm at that stupid and obvious question.
She’s making me flustered. She’s wearing another one of the outfits I bought her. With her own spin on it. A bright floral dress and white tennis shoes instead of heels.
It looks great on her. She makes it look great.
“Cassidy come sit with us,” Maddie pulls her toward the area we’ve been occupying and nearly set up camp in. Parker is passed out and Cole rises as soon as she approaches and gives her a hug, on his own accord and with no prompting from anyone.
She smiles and looks at him. “Hi, Cole.” Then she eyes the keys dangling from his pocket. And her eyes shoot up to him.
“Wait… did you drive here?”
He nods proudly.
And she turns to me. “And you let him?”
I shrug. “He’s fifteen. He’s gotta learn sometime.”