by M. A. Foster
I shake my head, unable to speak as tears stream down the sides of my face.
She picks up my phone and brings it to her ear. “Hello, this is Jessica Mackenzie. Who am I speaking with? I understand that, but Cole is sixteen and…. What?” Her mouth drops open and her eyes immediately well with tears. “Of course. We’ll be right there,” she chokes out before ending the call.
Slowly, my mom lowers the phone from her ear and drops her chin to her chest. Her shoulders jerk up and down as she silently cries.
Reaching out, I wrap my arms around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Dad?” I hear Aiden say, voice panicked. “You need to come home. Something’s happened.”
THE DOORS OF the Heritage University Hospital emergency room open with a swoosh, and I rush up to the information desk.
“My name is Harper Murphy,” I blurt out in a panic. “My sister, Jaden Price, was in an accident. I was told to come here.”
“Harper!” I look over my shoulder to see my sister’s friend Mia.
“Mia!” I throw my arms around her. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know, honey. Holly called and said Jade had been in an accident and for me to get in touch with you.” Holly is my sister’s friend and coworker.
“Did she say anything about Willow? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.”
A moment later, Dr. Graham comes out from behind the double doors marked ‘Authorized Personnel Only.’ “Harper.” She waves me over.
“I’ll wait here,” Mia says, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before I turn to follow Dr. Graham through the double doors and to an empty office. She gestures to one of the leather chairs as she closes the door and then eases into the seat beside me. “Harper, I’m so sorry,” she says with a shaky breath.
“Where’s Jade?” I choke out, not recognizing my own voice.
“She—” Dr. Graham shakes her head and swipes at the tears on her cheeks. “She’s gone, Harper. I’m so sorry.”
A moment passes as I process her words before a loud, painful cry rips from my chest and echoes throughout the room. I double over in my seat and drop my head into my hands.
Jade was my big sister, my best friend, my guardian, and my only family.
I have no one. Except—
I lift my head and look over at Dr. Graham. “Willow?” I squeak through a sob.
Dr. Graham inhales sharply through her nose. “Willow is in the ICU, but she’s doing well. The father has been notified and is on his way.”
“The father?” I frown, confused.
A couple of weeks ago, Jade came home from work and told me she’d run into Willow’s father. But she never said that she spoke to him or told him about Willow. She was upset, so I didn’t ask questions.
Now I wish I had.
Dr. Graham nods. “Yes. Jade listed him as the emergency contact for Willow.”
“Who is he?”
She gives a slight shake of her head. “I can’t tell you, Harper. That information is confidential.”
“Can I see her—Willow?”
“Of course you can.” She stands and holds her hand out to me. “Come on.”
Wrapping her arm around my shoulders, she leads me to the elevators and together we make our way to the ICU nursery.
“Wait here,” she instructs before she enters the nursery. I move over to the window but the blinds are closed. A few seconds later, the blinds are raised, and right there, front and center, is the most beautiful baby girl wrapped in a pink and white blanket. Her dark hair is peeking out of the matching pink and white hat. The card attached to the clear plastic bassinet reads ‘Baby Girl Price.’
My niece.
She looks like Jade.
Dropping my head against the window, I press both palms on the glass as my heart shatters into a million pieces.
And I cry.
I cry for the little girl who will never know how beautiful and amazing her mother was.
I cry for my sister, who fell in love with her baby from the moment those two pink lines appeared on the stick. The little girl she never got to meet and all the things she’ll never get to experience as a mother.
And I cry for myself.
Because on the other side of this glass is the only family I have left.
And I’ve lost her, too.
I don’t know how much time has passed or how I ended up crouched on the floor before a delicate arm curls around my shoulders and helps me stand upright.
“Harper,” Jade’s coworker, Holly, says. “I’m so sorry, honey.” She’s crying, too. “Dr. Graham asked me to come take you to her office. I promise we’ll take care of you.”
I take one last glance at Willow, silently promising her that one day we’ll see each other again.
Holly guides me toward the elevators, the doors sliding open just before we reach them. A middle-aged man with dark hair steps out, holding hands with a petite blonde woman, both wearing grief-stricken expressions. The woman’s eyes are red and swollen. My gaze moves to the dark-haired boy trailing behind them with his head down and his hands shoved in his front pockets.
Time slows as we pass each other. The boy lifts his head and locks eyes with me. I know him. Cole Mackenzie. He’s in my class. But I don’t really know him, though. His normally bright green eyes are red rimmed and filled with sorrow, his blank stare looking through me. As if he doesn’t really see me.
The ding of the elevator brings me back to the present. Holly steps inside first and I follow, but not before taking one last look over my shoulder to see the three of them stopped outside the nursery, the man shaking hands with Dr. Graham.
DR. GRAHAM STEPS out of the ICU nursery. “Mr. Mackenzie, I’m Dr. Graham.”
“Call me Max,” my dad says, shaking the doctor’s hand. “This is my wife, Jessica.” He gestures to me. “And you know our son, Cole.”
“Yes.” She nods. “Come this way, please.” She leads us to a private room beside the nursery. “Please bear with me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Jade was part of my team for several years, and she meant a lot to everyone. Mr. Mackenzie, I spoke with your father, Dr. Mackenzie, earlier. I’m sure you understand there are HIPAA laws in place to protect patient confidentiality, but considering the delicate situation, I’ll do everything I can to assist your family through this. Cole.” She looks over at me. “I need to confirm paternity before we can move forward.”
I nod. “Okay.”
My dad turns and glares at me, fire blazing in his eyes. He hasn’t said a word to me since he came home and found my mother and me on the kitchen floor in tears. His immediate concern was for my mother.
“How is Willow?” I ask.
“Willow?” my mom asks, confused.
“Willow,” I repeat, staring down at the floor and avoiding eye contact with my parents. “That’s her name.” I feel the heat of my parents’ stare on the side of my face as I raise my head to look at Dr. Graham.
“Yes, well”—Dr. Graham clears her throat—“she’s ‘Baby Girl Price’ until her birth certificate is completed and signed by a parent or guardian.” She offers a sad smile before shifting her gaze to my mom. “She’s a strong little girl, Mrs. Mackenzie. We’re keeping an eye on her. In the meantime, since Cole is a minor, I’ll need your permission to take a blood sample from him, to confirm paternity.”
“I know she’s mine,” I admit.
“Cole,” my dad warns.
“Dad,” I say, straightening in my chair before I turn to face him. “I didn’t know Jade that well, or at all. But when she came to the house and told me the baby was mine, I believed her. Why would she go out of her way to track me down if it wasn’t the truth?”
Dr. Graham frowns, confused. “She came to your house?”
“Yes.”
She sighs and runs a finger over the top of her eyebrow, clearly frustrated.
“Did Jade have any other family?”
my mom asks, cutting through the tension.
“A younger sister,” Dr. Graham replies. “Jade was her guardian.”
“What’s going to happen to her?” I ask.
“She’ll be taken care of,” she promises. “Are you ready, Cole?”
I draw in a deep breath through my nose and blow it out as I stand from the chair. “Yes,” I lie.
IT’S OFFICIAL.
I’m the family fuckup.
While my family is out in the living room cooing over a baby I never knew I wanted, I’m holed up in my room, wondering what I did in all my sixteen years of life to deserve such a… responsibility.
Ignoring the knock on my door, I sink further into my self-pity.
I don’t feel like talking to anyone.
Another knock.
And another.
“Leave me the hell alone!”
“It’s me, Cole,” the familiar male voice calls from the other side of the door. My favorite person in the world. Uncle Marcus. What’s he doing here?
Rolling off my bed, I stumble to the door and unlock it before making my way back over to the bed. I drop down on the edge and wait for him to walk in.
The door opens slowly and Uncle Marcus pokes his head inside. “Is it safe to come in?” he teases.
I lean forward, my elbows resting on my knees, head in my hands, and huff out a humorless laugh. “Please tell me you didn’t fly all the way here just to tell me what a fuckup I am.”
“Now why would I do something like that?” he asks, sitting beside me. “We’re here because your dad called a family meeting. We’re your family, we love you, and we’re here to support you.” He pauses a beat. “And you know your aunt was dying to get her hands on that beautiful little girl.”
Marcus is married to my dad’s younger sister, Emerson, who hasn’t been back in Heritage Bay since she graduated from high school and moved to California twenty years ago.
From what I’ve heard from my parents and grandparents, Emerson and her best friend at the time, Elizabeth Parker—now Elizabeth Easton, Zach’s mom—had a huge blowout of a fight right after they graduated high school. A few days after the fight, Emerson packed her shit and moved to California. She left her best friends and longtime boyfriend behind without even a goodbye. A week later, she eloped with Marcus. As in, the Marcus King, rock star and front man for Royal Mayhem, one of the most famous rock bands on the planet and the CEO of his own record label, King Records. He’s also a long-standing guest judge on the reality TV show America’s Voice.
Fucking epic.
If our family had a black sheep, it would be Emerson Mackenzie-King.
Marcus and Emerson have been married for over twenty years, and are the parents of my cousin, Jayla “Jay” who is just a few months younger than me.
Speaking of….
“Is Jay here?” I ask, jerking my head up.
He grimaces and shakes his head. “No, it’s just Em, Bass, and me. Jay is spending the weekend with Liam and Cam.”
I widen my eyes, giving him an ‘are you nuts’ look. Marcus is like crazy protective of Jay. He doesn’t allow interviews or photos to be taken of her. Which is where Bass comes into the picture. Bass is Marcus’s right-hand man and Jay’s bodyguard.
“Are you sure leaving her with those two was a good idea?” I laugh.
He shrugs but I can tell by his expression that he didn’t have much of a choice. It must’ve been Emerson’s call. “She keeps them out of trouble.”
Uncle Liam is the baby of the family, born twelve years after Emerson. Cameron “Cam” Parker is Liam’s roommate, teammate, and Zach’s uncle.
See where I’m going with this? Mimi and Zach’s grandma have known each other since they were little girls. They planned everything together, from their weddings down to the births of their kids.
Weird, I know. But maybe that’s what women did back in the old days.
Despite Emerson and Elizabeth’s fallout, Liam and Cam’s friendship remained untainted all through grade school, high school, college and into their baseball careers. How they both ended up on the same team, I have no clue. I’m guessing it’s a fluke or a soul mate thing. And just recently, both were named in Sports Illustrated’s “Top 30 Under 30” most eligible bachelors.
“So why do you think you’re a fuckup?” Uncle Marcus asks.
I roll my eyes. “Because I’m sixteen and I have a kid.” I fall back on my bed. “My life—my football career—is over before it even begins. MTV will probably be knocking on my door any day now.” I blow out a breath. “And my dad hates me.”
“Your life isn’t over.” He chuckles. “It’s just moving a little faster than most kids your age. And your dad does not hate you. He loves you and only wants what’s best for you.”
“My parents want to adopt her.”
“They’re not trying to take her away from you, if that’s what you think. They’re supporting you, giving you a choice. So now I have to ask, what do you want?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I don’t think I can hand my kid over to my parents with a clear conscience, but I don’t know anything about babies or being a dad.”
“The best kind of parenting comes from following your instincts. If she’s hungry, feed her. If she’s thirsty, give her a drink. If she’s sad, make her smile. If she’s mad, make her happy. If she cries, make her laugh.” He shrugs as if it’s just that easy. I realize he’s teasing when he snorts a laugh. “All those things I said are true,” he adds. “Just love her with every beat of your heart, every breath in your lungs, and protect her with every bone in your body. Be her everything. And when you kiss her goodnight, be thankful you were the one chosen to be her daddy.”
I can do that. “What about football?”
“Sure, your priorities have changed, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up your dreams or your future. Just include her in them. We’ll support you and protect you, because that’s what family does. We all make mistakes, Cole, but sometimes even our biggest mistakes turn out to be the most beautiful blessings.”
“I assume you’re speaking from experience,” I prompt.
He nods. “Actually, I am. I—”
There’s a short knock on my door before it swings open and Emerson pokes her head inside. “Hey, can I come in?”
I sit up. “Hey, Em.”
“Come here, babe,” Marcus says, patting the bed beside him.
My aunt walks in cradling Willow in her arms. “She’s so beautiful, Cole.” She lowers her head to press a kiss to Willow’s forehead. “I miss when Jay was a baby. You wanna hold her, Marcus?”
“How come you guys didn’t have more kids?” I ask out of curiosity as Em settles Willow into Marcus’s arms.
They shoot each other a look. “It’s not as though we didn’t try. Marcus wanted a big family but, believe it or not, it’s not easy to get pregnant,” Em admits with a small laugh. “I got lucky with Jay. She’s my miracle baby.”
“She’s our miracle baby,” he interjects. “And my Jaybird is as perfect as they come.” Marcus leans over and kisses Em on the temple. “I have everything I need,” he says before he looks down at Willow. “This little girl is your miracle. She could’ve died with her mother, and you would’ve never had the chance to know her. But she’s here. She’s a precious gift, Cole.” He presses a kiss to Willow’s forehead. “We’ll help you along the way as long as you promise to give her what she needs.”
“I’ll do my best.” I blow out a breath. “Can I ask for a favor?”
“Whatever you need.”
“Don’t tell Jay. I want to be the one to tell her, when I’m ready.”
THE BED DIPS behind me while I stare down at Willow all bundled up as she sleeps. She’s really cute and not much bigger than a football. And I love her new baby smell. She reminds me of a puppy—all she does is eat, sleep, and poop. I think I can handle this.
“You wanna talk about it?” my dad’s voice cuts through the quiet room.
<
br /> Turns out our family meeting wasn’t just about Willow. After my dad finished ripping my brother, Dylan, a new asshole for taking Zach and me to a college party, Uncle Marcus shared some news of his own.
The first being that he has a son, Alex, whom he and Emerson had met several months ago. And as if the world couldn’t be any smaller, Alex is one of Dylan’s fraternity brothers. Apparently, Marcus and Alex’s mother were involved—hooked up—before he met Emerson. I’m not sure if he’d planned on sharing the information with the family before he’d even had a chance to tell Jay, but I think based on my epic screw up, he stepped up.
Before I could ask him why he hadn’t told Jay yet, Marcus hit us with the soul-crushing news that he’s terminally ill. He has an inoperable brain tumor and, according to his most recent doctor’s visit, he’s never going to get better. His time with us is limited, and while the entire family was in tears, he asked us all to please accept it, as he had, so we can focus on what’s important.
His family.
Most importantly, Jay.
All I could think about was Jay and how her world was about to be flipped upside down.
Uncle Marcus said that Jay knows he’s sick, but she doesn’t know the severity of his illness or that he’s never going to get better.
He asked me not to tell Jay and I won’t. Because the pain I’m feeling right now, is nothing compared to what she’s going to feel when she finds out, or worse, when he’s gone.
“What’s there to talk about?” I reply to my dad. “He’s dying.”
“UM… YOUR WHAT?” Zach jerks his gaze from me down to Willow, who’s sleeping peacefully in her swing, and then back to me.
“My daughter,” I say, now facing my two best friends. I have plenty of friends, but Zach Easton and Carter Nixon are the only two people outside my family who I trust with my personal shit.
Of course Zach because he’s practically family. And Carter because he’s been my best friend and neighbor since kindergarten. He’s been through his fair share of heartbreak and bullshit. I’ve had his back through it all, and I know he’ll do the same for me. Zach, too.
