by A. K. Evans
Addy didn’t even wait for me to respond. She hung up on me, effectively ending our call. Well, that was that.
I let go of my phone, allowing it to fall back into my purse, and brought my hand to my belly while I dropped my head back against the pillow behind me.
Then I did what I’d been doing all morning and took another deep breath.
Roscoe
Today was the day.
For the last two weeks, I’d been waiting for this day.
My sister was finally home from her honeymoon, and as happy as I was that she’d gotten that time away with her husband, I was relieved she was now back.
I’d been doing what I could over the last couple of weeks to prepare for what I wanted to do, but the most important part was something I could only do with her help. Or, more specifically, I could only do this part effectively with her help.
After the way things had gone down between Sienna and me the last two times that we’d been around each other, I decided the best thing I could do was wait. I didn’t want to cause Sienna any more undo stress.
Addy was supposed to be here within the hour, and while I was certain she’d want to tell me all about her honeymoon—something I wanted to hear about—I was hoping I’d be able to get her advice.
She was Sienna’s best friend. She’d have to know how I could get Sienna to give me a chance.
And I couldn’t imagine how Addy was going to react once she learned that I’d gotten her best friend pregnant. That was a whole other thing I had to do. I needed to tell my family. They all needed to know that there was going to be a new member in the family on… I paused as I realized I had no idea when the baby was due.
Damn it.
I was such a dick.
On that thought, I figured it was best to get my ass out of bed, grab some coffee, and get a shower before Addy got here. I had a feeling that once the two of us talked, she’d drag me straight to my parents’ house so I could share the news with them.
I pulled on a pair of sweats and barely got them up and resting on my hips when there was furious banging at the door.
That had to be her. Only my sister would do that. As I raced down the stairs, I wondered why she was here so early. She probably just couldn’t wait since it had been so long since we last saw each other.
I made it to the door, unlocked it, and flung it open.
“Addy,” I said with a smile on my face.
Something strange washed over her face before she flung herself forward into my arms and hugged me. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too,” I returned as I closed the door and held onto her. “Did you have a good time?”
My sister loosened her hold on me, stepped back, and shared, “The best. And I can’t thank you enough for that. Which is why it makes what I’m about to say very difficult.”
Without waiting for me to respond, Addy walked away from me and into the living room. I followed her there, and once I sat down on the couch across from the one that she was sitting on, she said, “I love you, Roscoe. You know that, and you know I always will.”
“I love you, too. What’s going on?”
Frustration washed over her. “I saw Sienna yesterday,” she started. “And I—”
“Addy, wait,” I cut her off.
She shook her head and held her hand up in front of her. “No, Roscoe. I need you to listen to me. I understand that what happened wasn’t something either of you intended to have happen, but it did. And now my best friend is about to become a single mother because my brother is stuck on believing that this baby is going to ruin his life.”
“Addy,” I said, hoping I could get her to stop and listen.
She kept going. “This baby, boy or girl, is not the complication you think it is. And I have to tell you that I couldn’t be more disappointed that you’re taking the easy way out instead of finding a way to step up to the plate and be, if nothing else, the father that this child will need and deserve.”
The second she got those words out, essentially piercing my heart in the delivery of them, her phone started to ring.
“Sorry. Hang on one second,” she said as she dug through her purse for her phone.
She pulled it out, looked at the display, and answered, “Hey, Sienna. Can I give you a call back in a little bit? I’m kind of in the middle of something right now. Actually, I’m really at the beginning of something.”
My body tensed, knowing it was Sienna on the other end of the line. It tensed further when I saw the change in Addy’s body.
“What?” she shrieked. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”
I stood up immediately, feeling like my heart was in my throat, all while keeping my eyes pinned on my sister.
What happened?
God, I thought I was going to be sick.
I knew something was very, very wrong when Addy spoke again. Her voice was ragged. “Oh, God. I’m on my way. I’ll meet you there.”
I’m not sure if Sienna had a chance to respond to her before Addy disconnected the call.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded.
“You need to go get yourself dressed and follow me to the hospital,” she ordered.
“What happened?”
Her eyes got wet, and I knew it wasn’t going to be good. “Sienna fell at work,” she started. Shaking her head slowly, as though in disbelief, she added, “She said something about her hand or her wrist or something. I don’t know. I can’t remember because all I can hear is her telling me that her belly took part of the impact. She’s in an ambulance right now on her way to Steel Ridge General.”
“Jesus,” I whispered.
Fighting back the tears, Addy said, “I don’t know why you would ever let her be in this position, Roscoe. She’s the mother of your child, regardless of whether you want a romantic relationship with her.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. If Sienna or the baby wasn’t okay, I wasn’t sure I’d forgive myself.
Addy started moving toward the front door. “I think you need to get yourself to the hospital,” she said. “If you don’t show up… Roscoe, I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you.”
Just as she made it to the door, I called her name.
She turned around and replied, “What?”
“Where does she work?”
Disbelief moved through her. “You don’t even know?” she asked. My sister shook her head again and answered, “She’s a delivery driver.”
Now I was the one confused.
“Yeah, big brother,” she scoffed. “The mother of your unborn baby is lifting heavy packages, especially in this heat, every day so she can take care of the baby you two made together. I’ve got to go.”
With that, my sister was gone.
I stood there staring at the door for several long seconds. Here I was, sleeping in and living in the lap of luxury while Sienna was probably struggling to make ends meet. And she was doing it while putting herself and the baby in danger.
Not anymore.
This was going to stop today.
With my mind made up, I ran upstairs and got myself ready.
Then I took off and drove to the hospital.
With any luck, I wouldn’t be coming home alone.
Fourteen
Sienna
The good thing about being transported to a hospital in an ambulance was that I got to bypass the emergency room waiting period. Arriving in an ambulance apparently meant that I was a priority.
This was great news because once I was wheeled through the doors, my heart started racing with all the nerves I started to feel. What if my baby wasn’t okay?
I hoped my mom and Addy would get here soon because after having been asked a bunch of questions that made me feel like I was crazy for doing the job that I did while I was pregnant, I had to admit that I was petrified I was going to receive bad news.
As though on cue, they both managed to walk into the triage room I’d been put in.
“I’ve
never been so scared in all my life,” my mom announced. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know much yet,” I admitted. “My wrist is killing me. My palms hurt. I don’t have any abdominal pain, but I guess that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The baby could still be in distress.”
“What are they going to do? Has anyone checked the baby out yet?” Addy questioned me.
I shook my head. “They said they’re bringing in an ultrasound machine to check the baby first. Then they’re going to take care of my wrist.”
I didn’t know if the ultrasound technician knew that my mom and Addy were here and about to start burning the place down if someone didn’t come in at that moment to assess me, but she had perfect timing.
“Hi, Sienna?” the tech said.
“That’s me.”
“I’m Tara, and I’m going to do an ultrasound here for you to check on this baby,” she shared.
“Okay.”
“Now—”
That was all she got out before the sound outside the door startled all of us. A moment later, I sucked in air at the sight before me.
Roscoe was standing there, looking panicked and overly concerned. The look on his face broke my heart.
How did he even know I was here?
His eyes locked on me and never left once. Not even when Tara asked, “Hi, sir, is there something I can help you with?”
Roscoe ignored her and asked, “Is the baby okay? Are you okay?”
I didn’t get a chance to respond—not that I could find my voice anyway—because Tara replied, “Oh, are you dad?”
Dad.
At that word, his eyes flew to hers. “Yes.”
Yes.
My heart.
“Come on in,” she urged him. “I was just about to start the ultrasound.”
Roscoe returned his attention to me, and I could see the silent question in his eyes. He wanted to be sure I was okay with him being here.
I didn’t know what it was. It might have been the look on his face, it might have been the fact that he was here at all, or it might have been the way he asked if the baby and I were okay. Regardless of the reason, I couldn’t deny him the right to be here.
I patted the side of the bed, indicating he could come in. In an instant, the relief he felt was obvious as I watched it sweep through him. My mom and Addy shuffled backward from the side of the bed and allowed him to come toward me. While they sat down in the chairs along the wall, Roscoe sat on the edge of the bed beside me.
He didn’t touch me, but he did keep his eyes focused on my face. Or, that’s where they had been focused until Tara pulled the blanket down beneath my belly while lifting the hospital gown up. At that point, Roscoe dropped his gaze to the exposed skin. There was almost a look of wonder and amazement in his eyes.
“Okay, let’s take a look,” Tara said as she pressed the device to my stomach.
I tore my attention from Roscoe and looked over at the screen. As Tara moved it around my stomach, she captured several images. Then she declared, “Let’s take a listen to the heartbeat.”
The beautiful sound filled the room, and that’s when it happened. I could feel the change in Roscoe. It was so strong I had no choice but to focus on him.
He was staring at the screen, but I could see the emotions taking over. He hadn’t been prepared for this. Then again, I hadn’t been either when I heard it for the first time. And at that moment, I remembered what I wished I would have had when I heard it.
So, not knowing how he would respond but also not caring, I reached out and curled my fingers around the back of his hand. Roscoe looked at me, his eyes wet, and gently squeezed my hand.
I didn’t care that I had some scrapes on my palm that still burned. It was the sweetest encounter we’d had with one another in months. And I had a feeling it meant as much to him as it did to me.
A few minutes passed, and during that time, Roscoe never let go of my hand. Not only did he not let it go, but he stroked his thumb over the back of it while he continued to look at me.
The only thing I wanted other than to know that our baby was okay was to know what was going through his mind at that moment.
“Alright, we’re all done in here,” Tara said. “I’m going to take these scans and give them to the doctor. He’ll be in shortly to talk to you about them.”
I gave her a nod.
“Thank you,” my mother said as she walked out.
“Are you okay?” Roscoe asked me, his voice hushed.
“Just worried about the baby,” I told him. “And something is wrong with my wrist. How did you know I was here?”
“Addy was at my house when you called her,” he explained.
I lifted my chin in understanding. I hadn’t realized she was planning to go and see him this early.
A knock came on the wall at the entrance to the room. “Sienna?”
“Yes,” I answered as a doctor walked in.
“I’m Dr. Ward,” he introduced himself. “I just took a look at the scans Tara did, and everything looks great with the baby. I don’t see any issues or problems. Your blood pressure was a little higher than I saw it had been at your routine visits with Dr. Langley. It’s not so elevated that I’m concerned there’s a problem. It’s likely due to the all the anxiety and stress of the situation.”
“The baby is fine?”
“The baby is fine,” he confirmed.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Well, I’d like to just make sure your blood pressure comes down before we send you on your way, but I think you’ve got to get your wrist looked at, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. So, we’ll let you get that squared away, and then I’ll have one of the nurses come in and check your blood pressure again before we discharge you,” he explained.
I nodded and replied, “That works.”
“Do you have any questions for me?” he asked.
I thought a moment before I answered, “Just one. Um, is there any reason I wouldn’t be able to go back to work?”
At my question, I could have sworn I felt Roscoe’s thumb press into the back of my hand. He didn’t say anything, though, so I might have made it all up in my head.
Dr. Ward glanced back down at the chart in his hands. “What is it that you do?” he asked.
“I work for a shipping company as a delivery driver,” I told him.
“I assume you’ve talked to Dr. Langley about precautions you should be taking in that position,” he guessed.
Nodding, I confirmed, “Yes. My deliveries were modified so that I’m not lifting any packages heavier than twenty-five pounds.”
“Alright, well, we’re going to have to see what happens with that wrist first,” he started. “If there’s a serious problem with that where you end up in a cast, this conversation might not even matter. I’m going to recommend that you speak with Dr. Langley anyway before you make a decision, but assuming the wrist is okay, you might want to give yourself a day or two before returning to work.”
That was a relief. At least I wouldn’t need to take extended time off. There was no doubt I couldn’t afford to do that.
“Thank you, Dr. Ward.”
“No problem. I’ll be back to see you before you head out, but I’ll let them know you’re ready to get that wrist looked at.”
“Okay.”
Once he walked out, I felt so much of the tension that had been in the air dissipate. All four of us had obviously been on edge, waiting for confirmation that the baby was okay.
I dropped my head back against the pillow for the second time that day and let out a sigh.
“Well, now that I know that my niece or nephew is okay, I’m going to just run and grab something out of the vending machine,” Addy announced. “I ran out of the house this morning without eating anything. Debbie, do you want to join me? We can talk about the baby shower.”
Addy.
She was so obvious about what she was doing.
My mom must have picked up on it because she said, “Oh, yeah. That’s a great idea, Addison. Sienna, we’ll be back shortly.”
I smiled at her and returned, “That’s okay, Mom. Take your time.”
As soon as my mom and Addy walked out, it was just Roscoe and me left in the room. And for the first time since I’d told him about the pregnancy, I didn’t feel any uneasiness being around him.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“For what?”
“For being here. I realize you didn’t have to come, but it means a lot to me that you did,” I told him.
“Sienna, I… I’m really sorry about everything that’s happened between us,” he apologized. When my body tensed, he clarified, “I’m not sorry about what happened the night of Addy’s wedding.”
I hadn’t been expecting that. “You’re not?”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to lie and act like I’ve been anything but a dick to you since you told me you were pregnant, but I’ve had time to think. I really want the chance to make it up to you.”
I didn’t exactly know what to say to him, and luckily, I didn’t have to figure it out because a man in scrubs walked in with a wheelchair and said, “Hi, Sienna. I’m here to take you to get a picture of that wrist. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Roscoe stood up from the bed and shifted his body so he could help me out. When his eyes landed on mine, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Getting out of my clothes earlier was difficult enough,” I started. “I have this gown on, but it’s not tied in the back. Would you help me with it?”
He dipped his chin and moved to the head of the bed. I sat up a little straighter and leaned as far forward as I could go.
Then I did my best not to react to the gentle brush of his knuckles on the bare skin of my back, but I couldn’t exactly prevent the goosebumps from forming all down my arms and legs.
When he finished, he held his hand out to me. I placed mine in his and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Roscoe brought his free hand to the small of my back and kept it there as he guided me to the wheelchair.
“She’ll be back in a few minutes,” the worker told Roscoe.
