Unexpected Gifts

by Holly Jacobs

  “Keep Eli out of that room,” he said as he walked toward the front door.

  “I’ve been watching out for Eli for years.”

  Eli waved a hand at both of them. “Hey, you two, I’m here and I’m quite capable of watching out for myself.”

  “Right,” Tucker scoffed.

  “I know you are,” Zac said as they walked to the front door. “But I worry.”

  “You don’t have to worry, Zac. I’m a big girl.” She paused and added, “I’m older, remember? More years of experience.”

  That she was able to tease him about their age difference, which had once been a cause for concern with her, meant she was becoming more comfortable with the idea.

  “I’ll hurry,” he promised as he kissed her again.

  Kissing Eli.

  Making love to Eli.

  He put on his coat, leaned down for one more quick buss on the cheek, then opened the door to the raw wind.

  A car pulled up in front of Eli’s house and Arthur got out. It was as if the man had radar and could sense when Zac was happy.

  “You’re here again?” Arthur asked as he spotted him.

  “I was just about to ask you the same question,” Zac said.

  At the last minute, Arthur had called off going with Eli to her sonogram appointment, and neither Zac, nor Eli had seen or heard from him since. Zac lived in hope that the man had finally given up.

  Arthur didn’t respond. He continued walking up to Eli’s front door.

  It took all of Zac’s self-restraint not to follow him. But Eli was right. She was a big girl and had been taking care of herself for years. She could handle Arthur.

  Right?

  “WELL, YOU TWO ARE GETTING all hot and heavy,” Tucker said once Eli returned to the kitchen after seeing Zac off.

  “Maybe.” She could feel her cheeks burning as Tucker grinned in that knowing way of hers. “You know, your teasing us wasn’t very helpful.”

  “Oh, come on. If you walked in on me sucking face, you’d be teasing me relentlessly.”

  Anxious to turn the conversation away from herself and Zac, Eli asked, “Speaking of which. Whatever happened to that guy who kept asking you out?”

  “I kept saying no.”

  “And?”

  Tucker shrugged. “I haven’t seen him for a couple months. He told me he had business out of town and he’d call me when he came back. I told him not to bother.”

  Eli sat down on the stool next to her. “Oh, Tucker.”

  “You said ‘oh, Tucker, but I heard ‘poor Tucker’ in your voice.” Tucker stirred her cup of tea, concentrating on it rather than looking at Eli.

  “He sounded nice,” Eli prompted.

  She worried about Tucker. Worried that one day she’d chase away the right man for her.

  “Sure, nice if you like designer suits.”

  “And if he wore jeans? Would that have helped?”

  “Maybe. But he doesn’t. Zac does. He looked fairly perfect in his painting jeans today.” Tucker blatantly changed the topic back to Eli. “But.”

  “But he’s not perfect, either. I mean, if he were a few years older he would be—”

  “The age difference doesn’t seem to be stopping you,” Tucker interrupted.

  “—and if I weren’t pregnant, maybe we’d be perfect. Or maybe not. Maybe perfection doesn’t enter into love.”

  “Oh, are we tossing the L word around already?”

  Eli was saved from having to answer by a knock at the kitchen door. She glanced out the window and sighed, opening it. “Arthur?”

  “Talk about a lack of perfection,” Tucker muttered, then took a sip of her tea.

  Eli wasn’t sure if Arthur was glaring at Tucker because he’d heard her comment, or if he was just glaring at Eli because it was Saturday. The two of them had never needed much of a reason to do some glaring.

  “Arthur, what did you need?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  So much for him just handing her the papers nullifying his parental rights. “Fine.”

  He obviously detected her lack of enthusiasm and frowned. He nodded in Tucker’s direction. “Somewhere she isn’t.”

  Tucker didn’t even bother looking up from her tea. “I know that was a hint, pal, but I’m not leaving you alone with Eli. If you want privacy, try the living room, but I’ll be in the house.”

  “You think I’d hurt her?” Arthur sounded affronted to his very core.

  “You proved you would when she told you about the baby, didn’t you?” Tucker asked. “Or how about last month, when you stood her up at the—”

  “Okay, you two, enough.” Eli thought about asking Tucker to leave, but that particular stubborn gleam in her friend’s eye told her there wasn’t much hope of that, so she said, “Come into the living room, Arthur, and say what you need to say.”

  Eli thought about sitting and offering him a seat, but she didn’t want to drag this visit out longer than necessary, so she stood in the middle of the room.

  “Now, what?” Her question came out sharper than she intended. “Sorry. What did you need, Arthur? Did you see the lawyer again?”

  “Yes, I saw him.”

  “And the papers?”

  “I have them, Eli, but I still haven’t signed them yet.”

  “Arthur—”

  “I can’t, Eli. I’ve tried. I’ve tried over and over, but I can’t. I miss you.”

  “Arthur…” She didn’t know what else to say. She’d pretty much said it all again and again.

  “How is the baby…?” He choked out the word baby.

  “Everything’s fine. The doctor’s keeping a close eye on the two of us because of my age.”

  “If your age is an issue, then what about mine?” He tried to play it off as a joke, but it fell flat. “I mean, I’m a member of AARP. That’s too old to be a first-time father.”

  Eli grabbed the notepad and pen out of the end table drawer and wrote. “Here’s my doctor’s name, the address and the appointment date and time. It’s up to you.” She didn’t want to give him another chance. She remembered how Zac had reacted last time, and didn’t want to start that up again.

  She didn’t have a choice, Arthur was the baby’s father.

  “I do miss you,” Arthur said.

  “Arthur, I’m sorry—”

  “Yeah.” He took the piece of paper from her outstretched hand. “I’ll see you there.”

  He retraced his steps toward the kitchen.

  Eli followed him. She felt bad for him, and yet, she could hardly remember the time when she thought she loved him.

  He turned before he reached the kitchen. “Maybe just a dinner?”

  She shook her head. “But I’ll see you at the sonogram.”

  He nodded.

  Tucker was washing dishes, and as soon as she spotted Arthur, she seemed ready to shoot out another zinger, but Eli shook her head, and Tucker’s lips clamped shut. Arthur slipped his boots on and went out the door.

  “So?” Tucker brought a mug of hot tea over and slid it in front of Eli.

  “He’s going to try another sonogram appointment. Maybe if he sees the baby, he’ll feel more connected.”

  “Why? Why do you keep giving him chances? Just tell him to back off.”

  “He has rights, Tucker.”

  “You’re a better woman than I am, Eli. If Bart’s father came back today and wanted to explore his rights, I’d…well, let’s just say, I wouldn’t be inviting him to a sonogram appointment for a second time.”

  “I’m no better. And I’m ashamed to admit that there’s a part of me that would like nothing more than to tell him to kiss off. But I’ve worked with girls in this situation for too many years. I’ve worked with some of the fathers, too. It’s not an easy position for any of them. I always encourage my girls to give the baby’s father a chance. How can I do any less? What kind of hypocrite would that make me?”

  “I don’t think I’d care. And that, my friend, is
the difference between us and why you are indeed a better woman than I am. So, what do you want to do now? We could go see a movie or something. Bart’s on a date—” Tucker stopped and looked as if she’d swallowed a bug. “I hate that my kid is old enough to date. Anyway, he’s out. I’m footloose and fancy-free, so a movie, or—”

  The phone rang and Eli held up a finger. “Hold on to that thought.” She picked up the receiver in the living room. “Hello?”

  “Eli, it’s Zac. I was at the store and Ariel was working.” He was all out of breath.

  “Is something wrong?” A sense of panic filled Eli. Things between her and Ariel had finally become normal.

  “I’m driving her to the hospital now. She’s in labor. Her aunt’s on a flight and is trying to get home, but she won’t be back until later tonight, and her parents still aren’t talking to her, so—”

  “Which hospital?” Eli asked.

  “St. Vincent’s,” Zac told her.

  “Got it. I’m on my way.”

  “We’re not that far ahead of you. I’d have just come to get you, but Ariel thought maybe her aunt would be home and able to come. So we stopped there, and I don’t want to backtrack.” He paused and added, “She shouldn’t be alone.”

  “It’s fine, Zac. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hung up and forced herself to take a deep breath. She talked about moments like this with her girls. It was easy to get frazzled and just run, but it was better to take a moment, a breath and just think.

  What did she need? What might Ariel need?

  “Eli?”

  She’d forgotten all about Tucker.

  “Sorry, the movie will have to wait. That was Zac. Ariel’s in labor and her aunt’s out of town, so he’s driving her to the hospital in Erie.”

  “And you’re going, too.” There was no question, just a statement. “I’ll drive you.”

  “I can drive myself,” Eli insisted. “Besides, sitting around a waiting room would be less than exciting for you.”

  “I know, but hey, we’ll have chick bonding all the way there and back again.”

  “Chick bonding?” Eli laughed because to the best of her knowledge, Tucker worked mainly with men, and seemed to prefer their company. “You hate chick bonding.”

  “Well, maybe most of the time, but not with you. There’s a difference between spending time with women friends and spending it with guy friends. Women want to talk and be all feely about things. Guys just want you to pass the beer and pay attention to the game. They are simple creatures and easy to entertain.”

  Eli was grateful Tucker was giving her something to think about other than Ariel and she happily played along. “I thought this guy who wants to date you was giving you grief?”

  “He’s an anomaly. He’s all touchy-feely. Mr. Designer Suit is part girl. Not in any physical way or in his mannerisms—no, he’s all man there.”

  Tucker paused, and in any other woman, Eli would have been sure that the escaping hiss of air was a sigh of appreciation, but with Tucker she wasn’t. It could just as easily have been exasperation.

  “But emotionally? He’s the girl.” Tucker got a look in her eye that was definitely dreamy. And Eli was pretty sure the dreaminess had more to do with the all-man parts than the emotionally girly parts.

  “Tuck, for someone who swears she’s not interested, we do seem to talk about him a lot.”

  “Let’s go,” Tucker grumbled.

  It wasn’t a long ride from Whedon to Erie. It normally took Eli about twenty minutes on I-79. But with Tucker behind the wheel, they made it in fifteen. Still, it felt pretty close to forever to Eli. She was worried about Ariel.

  Tucker parked her four-wheel-drive pickup in record time, too, and Eli hurried into the hospital. She checked in at the front desk, got Ariel’s room number, then strode to the elevators. Tucker stuck close by until they passed by the waiting room. “This is where I stay.”

  “You don’t have to. I—”

  Tucker’s stubborn expression, which Eli knew so well, was firmly set in place. “I’ll wait, Eli. What else do I have to do other than sit around at home and wait for Bart? It annoys him when I wait up, so I’d rather wait here for you. And I’m going to confess, I really feel for the kid. I knew my dad would be pissed, but I never for a moment doubted he’d be there for me. Since her parents aren’t here, I’ll be.”

  Despite her cumbersome size, Eli hugged Tucker. As always, it seemed to catch her friend by surprise.

  “Fine, Tuck. I’ll come fill you in when I can.”

  She continued down the hall to find the birthing room, then softly knocked on the door. “Come in,” Ariel called.

  Ariel was in the bed with a very pale Zac standing by her side. “You’re here.” There was relief written all over his expression.

  Eli went directly to Ariel’s side. “I am,” she said to Zac, then turned her attention to Ariel. “How are you doing, honey?”

  “The doctor said I’m on the early side of things, but not to worry. Oh, and Mr. Keller is about to hyperventilate if he tries breathing with me one more time.”

  “Zac, Tucker’s in the waiting room if you’d like to join her there.”

  Instead of the gratitude she expected, he put on a brave face. “I can stay if you want. Ariel was exaggerating. I’m a great breather.”

  Suddenly, Ariel started to take long, deep breaths.

  “Oh, it’s another one. I recognize the signs by now,” Zac blurted. “I’ll let you handle it and just wait with Tucker.”

  “SO MUCH FOR MALE BRAVADO,” Zac heard Eli say as he beat a very hasty retreat.

  Zac didn’t care if running out of the birthing room was cowardly. He wasn’t ready for this.

  He all but sprinted the waiting room and found Tucker sitting there. She looked up and snorted. “Wimped out?”

  “They didn’t need me there. No teen mom wants her boss around while she’s in labor.” The argument sounded plausible. Logical even.

  “Wimped out, huh?” Tucker repeated.

  Zac flopped onto the rather hard sofa and made an actual thwapping noise. “Yeah.”

  “Hey, you drove the kid to the hospital. I’d have called an ambulance for her.” She gave a little shudder. “Laboring moms? Ick. The thought gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

  “You had a baby,” Zac felt obliged to point out.

  Tucker nodded her agreement. “Yeah, and since I’ve been there, done that, I can categorically say that I wouldn’t recommend the experience to anyone. They talk about a rush of mother’s love the second you hold your baby. My first thought was, ‘ew, someone clean him off.’

  Zac laughed and felt more centered.

  “But the love did kick in.”

  He’d seen Tucker with her son and he knew it hadn’t just kicked in, it went into overdrive.

  She quickly grew more serious. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure,” he said hesitantly. He was the first to admit as Eli’s best friend, Tucker had the right to ask him questions, but that didn’t mean he’d want to answer.

  She didn’t look any happier about asking them. “Since Eli’s father is still in Florida, I’m going to fill in for him and ask, just what are your intentions toward Eli?”

  “Pardon?” He wasn’t sure what he thought she’d ask, but this wasn’t it.

  “I mean, you’re there so often that you’ve become a fixture. You take her out on dates, but you also are just as comfortable hanging out with her. You’re helping her get ready for a baby…for a baby that’s not yours. I just want to know where you see this going.”

  “Where do I see it going? I see me and Eli, sitting in rockers on our front porch, grey-haired and wrinkled.” As he said the words, he could indeed picture it. The two of them after a lifetime together. “Does that answer your question?”

  Tucker shrugged. “Yes, I think it does. But does Eli know that’s where you see this heading?” Before he could answer, she added, “When Arthur bailed, she recovered
quickly. But since there’s already more between the two of you than she ever had with him…I just don’t want to see her hurt.”

  “I don’t plan on hurting her.”

  “That I believe, but you have the power to. So be careful.”

  Zac didn’t say anything after that, and neither did Tucker, for which he was grateful. He thought about her words. He had the power to hurt Eli.

  What Tucker hadn’t mentioned was that Eli had the power to hurt him.

  HOURS LATER, ELI WASN’T sure just how many—the only time that mattered was the time between contractions, and that was growing shorter and shorter for Ariel—and there was still no baby.

  “Come on, Ariel, you’re doing great.” Eli changed, “Hee hee hoo. Hee hee hoo. Long, slow breaths. You can do this.”

  The contraction ended and Ariel sank back against the pillow. “I don’t want to do this, Ms. Cartwright. I want Charlie back. I want my mother here. I want my aunt. I don’t want to do this.”

  Eli’s heart broke for Ariel. She was a special girl who deserved to have her parents at her side. “Concentrate, sweetie.”

  “I called my mom. She just hung up on me.”

  Another contraction caught Ariel. Eli could recognize the signs now. “Breathe,” she commanded again.

  They fell into a rhythm.

  Contraction. Rest a moment.

  Contraction. Rest.

  The doctor came in. “Let’s see how we’re doing.” She positioned Ariel’s feet in the stirrups and preformed a quick examination. “Ariel, you’re one hundred percent effaced. You can push whenever you feel the urge.”

  Two contractions later, Ariel started pushing. The next forty minutes were a blur. Eli might not have been the one giving birth, but when the doctor held a baby aloft and cried, “It’s a girl,” she felt as exhausted and elated as Ariel.

  “You have a daughter, Ariel,” she whispered as she brushed the girl’s sweat-sopped hair off her forehead.

  “A girl,” Ariel murmured as the nurse covered the baby up and handed her to Ariel. “Isn’t she the most beautiful thing ever, Ms. Cartwright?”

  “She is, Ariel. She is.”

  Ariel held the baby close and without looking up from her daughter asked, “Do you think you’d call Charlie and tell him. I mean, I’m not asking him to come over, or anything, but he should know he has a daughter.”