by Piper Rayne
Once we’ve driven in silence for a minute, I say, “You can stop being sour now.”
Austin looks at me. “I’m the firstborn. I should get to use Mom’s name for my daughter, not Savannah.”
I laugh and place my hand on this thigh. “Technically, Rome could’ve done it with Phoebe. It’s no one’s right. Just be happy that her name will live on with one of her grandchildren.”
He says nothing. I think this whole conversation has more to do with the fact that we’ve yet to agree on a name. He thinks we should go generic and I want unique.
“What about Adley?”
“What’s wrong with Jessica, Heather, or Emma?”
I blow out a breath. “Nothing’s wrong with them. I just want something more unique,” I repeat for the hundredth time. “I think Adley Bailey is a cute name.”
“Adley Bailey?” He says it out loud as though he’s testing it. “They end in the same three letters.”
I dig in my purse and grab the baby name book we’ve highlighted our top picks in. There are no names we agree on. Not one name is highlighted green—I used yellow highlighter and he used blue. We’re so compatible except when it comes to this.
“Bevan?” I ask.
“Absolutely not.”
“Brinley?”
“Same reasoning as Adley. Brinley Bailey.”
“I think it’s sweet. I’m not sure what you expect. You need to give in.”
He pulls into the hospital parking lot as raindrops land on the windshield. “I should give in to what you want?”
“I’m the one who will be torn open for her to come into this world.”
I feel like a jerk using the “I’m the one giving birth” card because I witnessed Austin’s guilt over his helplessness during our fertility treatments. He would’ve taken those shots for me if he could. He was so hesitant to inject me where I was already bruised and tender. The path to parenthood hasn’t been easy for either of us. But I’m starting to panic. I want our baby girl to have a name before she arrives in this world.
“Seriously? That’s your reasoning that I should be okay naming our daughter Brinley?”
He gets out of the Jeep and I open my door, holding my stomach as I lower myself to the ground. Austin’s hand wraps round my arm and helps me down.
“I don’t see how we’re going to come to a compromise,” I say, sighing.
He reaches into the back of the truck and hands me the Lake Starlight rain jacket he wears during baseball season. “Put this on.”
I put it on as the raindrops become bigger. Car after car pulls into the hospital parking lot behind us. The Baileys and their significant others all file out of their cars and make their way into the hospital.
“Did you know it was supposed to storm?” I ask Sedona, who’s seemed a little down since she returned to town.
“No.”
She’s about as easy to talk to as Austin lately.
“I’m in first,” Grandma Dori says, pushing through all of us to get to the nurses’ station.
The nurse stands and speaks loudly enough that we can all hear her. “Savannah is in labor and delivery. You can go to the waiting room up there.”
We all wait by the elevators, having to go up in groups. Thankfully, Austin and I don’t end up on the same one. Better to allow us to cool off about this name thing.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Brooklyn.
“I’m good, but Savannah going into labor has made me anxious to have our baby. But my due date is after you guys. I think I’ll be the last.” She frowns.
I run my hands over my stomach. “Yeah, Dr. Baldwin told me I was probably at least another week or more out.”
The elevator dings and Wyatt holds the doors open for Brooklyn and me to step through. Right as we step out, a cramp hits my stomach and I stop.
“You okay, Holly?” Brooklyn asks.
I massage my stomach and straighten my back when the cramp disappears. “Yeah, I think something might not agree with me from the shower.”
“I’ve had horrible heartburn.”
Brooklyn and I continue to talk about our ailments from pregnancy on the way to the waiting room. Grandma Dori heads to the nurses’ station and is soon escorted down the hallway to Savannah’s room.
The kids all circle around the toys, playing while my mom and Uncle Brian watch them. My mom can’t wait for her first grandchild to be born. She’s agreed to decrease her hours at the diner to watch our daughter for us once I go back to work in the fall.
Everyone finds a seat, but before I can sit, another cramp grips my stomach and I blow out a breath.
“Hols!” Austin says, at my side immediately, his hand on my back. “What’s wrong?”
All eyes land on me.
“Nothing, just something I ate.”
He leads me to a chair, and I sit for a few minutes before another gripping pain that’s worse than any menstrual cramp I’ve ever felt hits me.
“I’m getting the doctor,” Austin says, heading to the nurses’ station.
“I’m fine.” I wave him off. “I was just at the doctor. They’re probably those Braxton Hicks things.”
Before he returns with a nurse and a wheelchair, I’ve got Phoenix on one side and Harley on the other, both of their hands gripping mine.
“I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think these are Braxton Hicks,” Harley says.
“We’ll just check you out. No harm in that,” a nurse says, helping me into a wheelchair.
An hour and a half later, sweat is pouring down my face, my legs are in stirrups, and there’s some Doogie Howser lookalike between my legs.
I groan as pain rips through my belly. “I need an epidural.”
“You’re too far along. Come on, Holly. You’re almost there,” the nurse says.
My mom brushes the hair off my forehead and smiles at me. “You can do this.”
Austin looks pale and his hand is clammy in mine. I’m not sure either of us thought it would happen this fast.
“One more push and your baby’s head will be out,” the doctor says.
I look at Austin. “I’m tired.”
He bends down and kisses my cheek, gripping my hand. “One more push and you can name our daughter whatever you want. Brimey, Adley, Reighleigh. Whatever.”
“It’s Brinley and no.” A tear slips from my eye. “I want us to agree. It has to be mutual.”
“I’ll name the boy when we have our second child,” he says with a sweet smile, his thumb swiping at my tear. “Just one more push.”
I whimper and whine, but then an incredible burning sensation between my legs steals my attention and an intense need to push comes over me. I grab my mom and Austin’s hands, pushing as hard as I can.
Dr. Hinkle puts up his hand. “Give me a second.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I ask, looking at Austin. The urge to push is so strong.
“She can’t just stop, can she?” Austin asks.
But the doctor says nothing, and I hear no sounds from the baby. Panic wells inside me. Something is horribly wrong. I knew I should’ve asked for an older and more experienced doctor.
“Okay, one more,” he says.
Tears stream down my face as I push again, and then the most glorious sound fills the room.
Our baby girl crying.
My back falls to the bed and my eyes close.
“You’re kidding me!” Grandma Dori walks into the room as if there are no restrictions here and if there are, they don’t pertain to her. “I missed the whole thing while waiting on Savannah and she hasn’t even had one contraction.”
“Congratulations, Mommy, it’s a boy.” The nurse places my baby in my arms.
I stare at Austin and he stares at me.
“I’m sorry, what? Our baby is a girl,” I say.
The nurse opens up the blanket, and sure enough, there’s a penis. “Nope, that’s definitely a boy.”
“But… what?” I look at Austin.
/> The shock is already stripped from his face, replaced with a cocky smirk. “I guess this means I get to pick the name then.”
Fourteen
Brooklyn
We’re all sitting around waiting for news on Savannah when she comes waddling out to the waiting room in a hospital gown. “Did Holly already have the baby?”
We nod. She gives Liam a scathing look as though he has any control over when she’ll have the baby.
Savannah sits next to me. “This is horrible. They have me walking, and if this doesn’t work, they’re inducing me because my water already broke.”
We all know how competitive she is, and she would’ve loved the bragging rights of having her baby first. Who would have guessed that Holly would go into labor so quickly she wouldn’t even have time to get an epidural?
“She deserved a fast birth,” Savannah says, her head resting on my shoulder. “I’m glad it was easy for her.”
“For sure,” I say.
The struggle Holly and Austin had to get pregnant is a far cry from Wyatt and me saying let’s go off birth control and bam, I end up pregnant right away. I’m so grateful it worked out for them.
“It’s a boy, by the way, not a girl,” I say.
Savannah straightens, looking surprised but pleased. “So I’m the only one giving birth to a girl this time then?”
I shake my head. “Yes, Sav, you won the ‘who can have a girl’ competition.”
I’ve been a bear this entire pregnancy. So much so that I’m surprised Wyatt is still sitting next to me, reading a magazine. But these feelings overtake me, and by the time I realize what I said or did, my apologies aren’t worth much.
I grab his hand. Wyatt glances over at me with surprise but squeezes it. I really did get lucky when he walked into my life—or when I hit him with a flying projectile, I should say.
Without warning, a slow leak of fluid escape between my legs. I look down, expecting a puddle similar to what Savannah had, but I don’t see anything.
A bolt of lightning flashes outside, thunder sounding immediately after. Phoebe runs into Rome’s arms and Dion into Harley’s while Calista continues playing on Rome’s phone like nothing is going on around her. Even Maverick slides closer to Griffin. This storm is a doozy.
Another leak of fluid flows out of me and I look down again, but don’t see anything.
Savannah’s attention shifts to me after watching all the parents tell the kids it will be okay, it’s just a storm.
“What are you looking at?” she asks.
I bite my lip and stand. Sure enough, there’s a wet spot on the chair.
“Are you…” Savannah says.
When I release his hand, Wyatt looks at me and follows my vision to the chair, bolting up. “Did your…”
“I think so.”
“Let me go get a nurse.” Wyatt leaves.
Savannah’s hands go up. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
So much for her calm, serene personality where nothing bothers her. The redness in her face is similar to mine these months.
“The third Bailey baby. Those full moons and storms do it every time,” the nurse says, helping me into a wheelchair.
“Let’s go, Liam.” Savannah stands and walks fast, trying to keep up with the wheelchair. “She has to be ready to come out.”
“I don’t think we should run or anything,” Liam says.
Our family cheers us on as we leave to find our room.
Turns out, my water has a slow leak. Unlike Savannah, my contractions come right after the doctor fully breaks my water.
“Drugs,” I say to Wyatt when the pain becomes too much.
“They said he’s coming soon.” Wyatt pulls my hand from his shirt. “Remember Lamaze and just focus on one item.”
“We left the item at home. I don’t have my suitcase either. I don’t care what I said before. I want the drugs.” I moan as all the muscles in my stomach contract.
My husband must see how serious I am because he goes off in search of the anesthesiologist. He returns with a doctor other than the one who looks like he could be Maverick’s best friend. Is it wrong that the gray around his temples makes me trust him more?
Wyatt has to wait in the hallway while I get the epidural. There was a time during the pregnancy when I wanted a natural birth, but I must’ve been certifiable crazy. My deepest regards to the women who choose to do it without drugs, but I don’t want to be one of them.
By the time Wyatt comes back in, I’m lying back in bed and feeling a little better.
Phoenix and Sedona come in to visit me since I’m comfortable now.
“We can’t find Juno,” Phoenix says.
“What?”
“When we all scattered, I saw her in Colton’s car, but they never got to the hospital,” Phoenix continues.
“You called her?” I ask.
“Like, ten times. It’s either turned off or dead because it goes right to voicemail now,” Sedona says.
It’s not like Juno to miss anything with our family. Even with her struggles after finding out Colton was getting married, she’s been there for all of us. Planning our baby shower and coming to appointments if our other halves couldn’t.
“Maybe they’re hashing out the whole wedding thing. I doubt she’s been open to him about her feelings,” I say.
Wyatt walks in with a drink from the vending machine.
“I hope so. I worry about them,” Sedona says.
Grandma Dori joins the party. “Savannah is being induced. How are you, sweetie?” She scoots Phoenix out of the way to sit on the edge of my bed.
“I’m good now. The epidural is, like, a miracle worker.” I smile at Grandma Dori with what feels like the first real smile I’ve given all day. “Have Austin and Holly named the baby yet?”
She shakes her head. “That baby will be Baby Bailey for months knowing those two.”
We all laugh.
“Now that it’s a boy, do you think they’ll use Timothy after Dad?” Sedona asks.
Grandma Dori shrugs. “None of you have to use their names. They’re a part of the babies whether you name them after your parents or not.” She grabs my hand. “I’ll go check on your sister and be back.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” I say.
She’s about to leave but stops short of the door. “Have any of you seen Juno?”
We all look at one another.
“And there’s my answer.” She leaves the room.
Before I can start another conversation with my sisters, the nurse comes in and checks the printout from the machine that shows when I’m contracting. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” I say, grabbing the cup of ice chips.
“Right now. You don’t feel anything?”
I shake my head. “Should I be?”
“No. It just means you’re one of the lucky ones. I’m going to grab the doctor to examine you.”
Phoenix stands. “And that’s our cue to leave.”
Sedona and Phoenix kiss me on the cheek, wish me luck, and leave the room.
The doctor comes in, still looking like he just took his medical school exam. “Sorry, it’s been crazy tonight.”
They position me in the stirrups again, Wyatt grabbing my hand and staying close to my head.
“Well, I’d say you’re ready,” he says.
“Really? This was easy,” I say to Wyatt.
The doctor and nurse laugh. “You haven’t pushed yet.”
“After nine months of hell, we deserve a break,” Wyatt says.
As the doctor and nurse prep me to push, I take Wyatt’s face in my hands. “I’m sorry. You’ve been so patient and kind when I’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass.”
He smiles. “Thank you, but I get it. You’re growing a baby. I’m glad to see my Brooklyn back these last few hours.”
“I love you.”
He kisses me. “I love you.”
“Ready?” the doctor asks, interrupting our m
oment together.
My eyes remain on Wyatt. “Ready to be a daddy?”
He smiles. “Yeah. You ready to be a mommy?”
“I’m scared.”
“Me too. But we have each other. That’s all we need.”
He’s right. So after one more kiss, he grabs my hand and the nurse stands on my other side. I spend the next forty-five minutes pushing until our beautiful baby boy arrives into this world just after two in the morning.
“No!” Grandma Dori yells, coming into the room as the nurse hands me the baby. “I missed this one too.”
“Sorry,” I say, beaming with a smile I feel deep down to my soul.
Our baby is here.
Grandma comes over and looks at him, kisses his forehead, and leaves. “I’m going to sit in Savannah’s room until that baby comes out. I’m not missing another one.”
Lance Bailey Whitmore weighs in at eight pounds and three ounces. Ten toes, ten fingers, and a cone-shaped head covered by a hat. Perfection.
Fifteen
Liam
Savannah is growing more impatient as the news reaches us that Brooklyn had her baby.
“I don’t understand,” she says.
She’s beside herself and I wish I could give her a definitive answer, but the doctor says that everyone is different.
“Knock, knock,” Austin says from the doorway.
“Congratulations, Daddy,” I say, hugging him. “I heard you had a surprise?”
He runs a hand through his hair. “We did. Turns out Elizabeth is all yours.”
“If she ever comes out. I can’t be that pleasant to stay inside of.” Savannah’s hands run over her stomach. “Why doesn’t she want to come out?”
Austin laughs and sits in the chair on the other side of her. “You have been pretty nice during the pregnancy. I’m sure Brooklyn’s boy wanted out the minute he saw light.”
We all laugh.
“How is she now that the baby is out?” I ask.
He nods. “She’s good. Back to herself. Lance Bailey Whitmore is the name they chose.”
Savannah’s chin crinkles like she’s going to cry. “She honored them in her own way, huh?”
“Without fighting me about Dad’s name. Yeah.”
