Page 65 of The Forever One
Saying I love you every night and making sure my husband knows how much I appreciate him and am grateful for him is my newest ritual. If anything good has come out of all this shit, it’s the closeness and trust it’s given me with Marco.
My ass begins vibrating, because of course my phone is in the back pocket of my leggings and not in one of those fancy arm-band things Lina has. I manage to pull it out and unlock it without dropping it, my pace now basically at a brisk walk, not even close to a run anymore.
“Hey, Ev. I’m kinda in the middle of a run with Lina, can I call you back?” I could’ve let it go through to voicemail, but I’m using the phone call as an excuse to pause, resting my palm on my knee as I bend forward to catch my breath.
“Riv, Sis… It’s happening. What the fuck do I do? I’m gonna be a dad, Riv. A fucking dad.” Everest’s voice is shaky, scared, and excited beyond belief.
I squeal down the phone, completely unlike my usual self, but this is a big deal. My brother’s baby is ready to make an appearance. “Oh, Ev! I’m so happy for you both. First, how’s Petal?”
“Oh man, sis, she’s so amazing.” He sounds in awe and my pride is beginning to overflow.
“Is Lydia there?” Making sure the doula has arrived, or is at least on the way, is a priority. She’ll keep a cool head and help take some of the pressure off of them.
I can see Lina making her way back to me after realizing I’m no longer right behind her. She gestures to the phone with a questioning look and I gesture to my stomach the way you do when you talk about a baby bump before pointing down between my legs while Ev is speaking.
“Shit, no. I need to call her now.”
“I’ll be there soon, little brother. Stay calm for Pet, I love you.”
“Love you too, Riv.” He hangs up, no doubt to go and call the doula to help coach them through the natural birth.
“My brother’s having a baby!” My squeal of excitement is unavoidable, and my cheeks hurt from grinning so widely.
Lina’s face is a picture of amusement as she raises a brow at my statement, so I clarify… not that I need to, but ya know. “Petal’s having the baby, she’s in labor.”
“Oh my God, that’s great!” A little of the happy spark that Lina’s been missing is now in her eyes, along with that beautiful laugh of hers, and I want to bottle it up for her so she can keep it forever.
“Yup, which means I’ve got a niece or nephew to go and meet and can’t do running anymore.” I fake pout, because it’s obvious I’ve been hating every second of this. She knows I’m here for her though, and that’s good enough for me—even if this has felt like torture.
Saved by the baby.
“You know we’ve got to run back to the house, right?” Lina smirks.
“Ah, fuck.”
* * *
Ev was a panicked mess when we arrived, unsure of his role in all this and feeling entirely useless. Lydia assured him that he wasn’t the only father-to-be to ever feel like this and that his role would really kick in when Baby is born because his Petal will need the rest.
Marco poured him a glass of the expensive whiskey he brought with us and has taken him outside, arm around his shoulder, leaving me inside with a grunting Petal.
“Hey, Beautiful.” The smile on my face is so big my cheeks are close to aching, but I’ll take all the hurt in the world to be a part of this.
“He-hey, Gorgeous.” Petal’s words are spoken through pants and even through childbirth, this woman never fails to amaze me. Her big brown eyes are full of light, her smile wide, and her cheeks pink from exertion. She’s in their large bedroom, homemade dark-wood furniture all around, and she’s sitting up in the middle of their bed. Plastic sheets rustle under the towels beneath her as she tries to find a comfortable position while Lydia dabs her forehead with a cooling muslin cloth.
“What do you need?” The latest contraction has stopped so I move forward into her open arms, pushing all my love for my sister-in-law into the hug.
“I’d love an orange.” She laughs as we pull apart and I shake my head.
“One orange, coming up.”
“How’s my Bear?”
I pause before I get to the door, grinning at how Petal isstillthinking of others, even in the middle of childbirth.
“He’s good, Babe. I’ll send him right on up with your orange, okay?”
She visibly relaxes a little more, leaning back on the pillows and sipping at the glass of water Lydia hands her.