Second Chance Baby

by Natasha L. Black

  “Are you doing okay?” I asked. “Do you need anything?”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just tired. But I will be doing much better tonight since I will be able to run trivia night right here from my throne.”

  She waved her hands over the chair, and I laughed.

  “Well, you do look positively regal,” I said. “Maybe we should get you a trivia night princess crown as well.”

  “I would not object to that,” she said.

  “Let me get you a drink to have up here with you,” I said. “It’s important that you stay hydrated.”

  “I know,” she said. “I was there at the doctor, too. I heard everything she told you.”

  “I’m just reminding you,” I said.

  I went behind the bar and filled one glass with iced tea and the other with ice water. I brought them over to her and sat them on a stool beside her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You know, maybe some fries would be good. The salt sounds really amazing right now.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I told her.

  I was waiting on her hand and foot, but there wasn’t a single bit of me that minded. I would do absolutely anything for Ava. Especially now. She was signed up to a share her body for almost a year in order to grow my baby. The least I could do was make sure she had enough to eat and drink while she was also managing the bar.

  She gave a satisfied groan of appreciation when she bit down into one of the crispy golden French fries. I had added extra salt, knowing that was her biggest craving right then. For the most part, Ava’s pregnancy had been simple and uneventful. She had her morning sickness for the first several weeks, but those symptoms subsided even before she expected them to, leaving only tiredness.

  She was dealing with some food aversions, but much stronger than the aversions, was her draw to salt. She had to be careful not to overdo it, but sometimes I didn’t mind indulging her. I snatched one of the fries from the basket just as my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked down.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  “Tom,” I said. “I guess he’s calling to check in on us.”

  His calls had become fewer and further between in the time since I’d left San Francisco. I took that as a sign he was finally trusting me more and was really giving his blessing to Ava and me. I still didn’t need it, but I had to admit, it was nice knowing I had all of my brothers behind me.

  “Hello?” I said, stepping down off the platform and heading over to the bar to get my own drink.

  “Hey, Mason,” Tom said, sounding strained and worried. “I’m on my way. I’m getting on a plane right now.”

  “You’re coming here?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

  “Mom didn’t call you?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. “I haven’t heard from Mom all day. Why?”

  “Dad’s in the hospital. He took a turn for the worse. You need to get up there now. I’ll get a car from the airport.”

  I didn’t even know if I said anything to him before I hung up and ran back to the platform. I explained what was going on to Ava, and her eyes widened with worry.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” she asked.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You don’t need that kind of stress right now. And we’re about to have a lot of people come in here. We don’t want to let them down. I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything.”

  “Take Tyler, Matt, and Jesse,” she said. “And don’t worry about the bar for a second. The rest of us have got this handled.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Absolutely. It’s just trivia night. There aren’t going to be anywhere near as many people as there usually are. Miranda will be behind the bar. Damien will be in the kitchen. And I’ll be here. Everything will be fine. You just be with your dad. Give your mom a hug for me.”

  I gave her another kiss and squeezed her close. “Thank you.”

  We got to the hospital as fast as we could, and a nurse directed us to a private waiting room. Mom wasn’t there, but within seconds of us walking in, a doctor came to join us. The next few minutes were a blur. I could hear what the doctor was saying, but it felt like I was outside of my body. I couldn’t bear to hear the news that my father only had a few more days to live.

  After the doctor broke the news, he brought us back into my father’s room. Seeing him there in the bed, hooked up to various machines, made my breath catch in my throat. Mom sat beside him, holding his hand and staring into his face. She barely moved when she walked into the room.

  “Mom?” I said gently.

  She looked up at me and wiped tears from her face. “Hey, baby,” she said. “I’m glad to see you four.”

  We each took a turn hugging and kissing her. Then we pulled up chairs and sat around the edge of the bed. His eyes were closed, but he seemed to be breathing comfortably.

  “Is he just sleeping? Tyler asked.

  “Yes,” Mom said. “They gave him a sedative so he could get some rest tonight.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “He was doing better. He said he was having more energy, and I was feeling so hopeful. I thought that…”

  The word cracked in her throat, and she stopped, closing her eyes and looking down at her lap. I moved over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

  It was around three in the morning when I left the room to go get some coffee. As I was walking through the main area of the floor, I saw Ava coming toward me. I rushed over to her and scooped her into a tight hug. I was so glad she was there, but I was also upset she was up so late.

  “You should be resting,” I told her.

  She shook her head. “No, I should be here with you. How is everything?”

  I gave her the same updates we had gotten and told her Mom was now asleep on the couch in my father’s room. None of us were planning on leaving the hospital that night. Possibly not at all until the end.

  “You all need to get some rest,” she said.

  “We are,” I said. “There’s a family room just down the hall. It has beds and a refrigerator with drinks and snacks. It’s been assigned to our family, so we can use it as much as we need to. Tyler and Matt are asleep in there right now.”

  A little after eight in the morning, the medical team ushered Mom out of Dad’s room so they could do an examination. She came into the family room where Tyler, Jesse, and Ava were sleeping. A moment later, the door opened again, and Tom walked in. Just behind him was Jordan.

  I jumped up from my chair and grabbed Jordan in a big hug. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to get home until next month at the earliest.”

  “I explained about Mom and Dad’s health. Since my contract is coming to an end in the next month anyways, they gave me an early discharge. It was supposed to be a surprise,” Jordan said.

  “Thank God it came now,” I said.

  Ava moaned a little in the chair where she was sleeping. She had been struggling to rest all night, saying she was suffering from heartburn. It wasn’t until she sat down in one of the recliners and kept herself almost all the way upright that she was able to fall asleep. I walked over to her now and gently rubbed her hand until she opened her eyes.

  “You should go home and rest in your own bed,” I said. “You’ll get much better sleep there.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m not going anywhere. I want to stay here with you.”

  Tom smiled at her from where he was standing. “Congratulations, Ava.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  I saw Mom look at each of us. “Congratulations for what? What are you talking about?”

  Ava and I looked at each other and exchanged small smiles. We hadn’t told my parents the news yet. Now was as good a time as any.

  “Mom,” I said. “Ava is pregnant.”

  Mom’s face lit up even as she burst into tears. She came over to us and held us both in a warm hug. I knew the tears that fell came from a blend of emotions, but I
focused on the happiness and excitement so I didn’t fall apart.

  37

  Ava

  Four days later, I walked into the bar carrying a large fruit bouquet. Miranda looked at me from behind the bar as I approached, and I held it out to her.

  “This is for you,” I said. “To thank you for all the incredible work you’ve been doing. I appreciate you being here for us so much. All the extra hours that you’ve been working, and all the extra responsibilities. It means the world to me, and to Mason. And to the other guys, as well. Thank you so much. I was going to get you flowers, but I can’t bear to face them right now,” I said.

  Miranda took the container of shaped and arranged fruit from me and placed it on the counter behind the bar. She gathered me up into a hug and held me for a few quiet seconds.

  “You didn’t have to do anything,” she said. “I’m happy to help in any way I possibly can. And if there is anything else I can do, I want you to tell me.”

  I stepped back from her and nodded as I brushed tears away from my face.

  “Thank you so much. I will,” I said.

  “Are you doing okay? Have you had enough to eat today?”

  I nodded. “I was at the hospital with them all morning, but I grabbed a sandwich on the way here.”

  “Okay. You tell me if you need anything. You can’t wear yourself completely out. You’re sitting here thanking me for how much I’m doing, while you’re running this place, doing the job of at least three people, taking care of Mason and his entire family at the hospital, and growing a baby. You need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, too,” Miranda said.

  There was nothing I could say to her. I knew I was running myself ragged and pushing myself to the limit, but I didn’t have another choice. For the last five days, it had only been the three of us running the bar. I insisted the guys all stay at the hospital and not even think about coming into work. It was the right thing for them to do, but it did place a huge amount of work in my lap.

  Add to that constantly trying to be there for Mason and his family, still helping Mom with my father, and dealing with my own emotions about Mason’s dad, and I was wearing myself thin. But I wasn’t going to complain. And I wasn’t going to stop. They needed me, and I was going to do whatever I could.

  I went into the kitchen to check on Damian. We had dramatically streamlined the bar menu to make it easier for him to keep up.

  He was prepping quickly and efficiently, and I knew Jesse would be so proud of him.

  Even with as much as he was putting into keeping up with the orders, within a couple of hours of opening, things were starting to get backed up. Service was much slower than usual, but I refused to worry about it. With as much popularity as we had built up over the last few months, people would be willing to give us a little leeway. I just didn’t want Damien and Miranda to get overwhelmed and discouraged.

  Both of them were so new. They were suddenly thrown into the fire and were responding admirably. I hoped they would be able to keep it up and wouldn’t be totally burned out and not want to work at The Hollow anymore.

  I brought a burger out to one of our regular customers and set it in front of him. “I’m sorry it took a little while longer than usual,” I said. “We’re trying to keep up as best we can.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize, Ava,” he said. “There isn’t a single one of us in this bar who can’t wait a few minutes for our food. We’re not starving. With what you and the Anderson family are going through, we can all be a bit patient. And if there’s somebody in here who doesn’t want to be, they can answer to me. You are doing an amazing job. They are so lucky to have you. For all the reasons.”

  I choked up and swallowed down the emotion before I spoke.

  “I’m so lucky to have them,” I said.

  After that, we found our rhythm and managed to get caught up. The rest of the night went more smoothly, but I was still exhausted. It was a relief when the last customer left and the three of us could go to work doing the closing tasks.

  I would never again overlook the value of having the family here to help with all these tasks. Not only was it easier when there were for other people here to do the work, but the energy was so different. The bar was quiet and heavy. There was a stillness, an emptiness that almost felt like the building itself was sad. It didn’t have any of the energy and light it always had when we were all together.

  Finally, we finished getting the bar cleaned up and prepped for the next day. I sent the others along home and was locking up when my phone rang. My stomach sank. It was the middle of the night. There was no good reason anyone would be calling me. I climbed in my car and answered the phone.

  “He’s gone,” Mason said. “My dad is gone.”

  The pain in his voice was almost palpable, and my heart shattered.

  “I’ll be right there,” I said.

  Adrenaline burned away my exhaustion. All I could think about was getting to the hospital and to Mason. I ran inside and found him sitting alone in the waiting area. He wasn’t crying. Instead, he was just sitting and staring ahead of him, like he didn’t know what he was supposed to do next. Like the whole world had just completely changed and he no longer knew his place in it.

  I took him by the hand and helped him up to his feet. He didn’t argue when I told him I was going to bring him home. Of course, there were things that needed to be done. Decisions that needed to be made and plans that needed to be put in place.

  But for right then, all that mattered was getting him to a place where he felt safe and comfortable, and getting him some rest. As soon as we were back in his house, Mason fell apart.

  It was tragic and gut-wrenching seeing him so distraught. All I could do was sit there with him and comfort him. Eventually we crawled into bed, and I held him until both of us fell asleep.

  The next morning, I woke up and carefully got out of bed. Mason had woken up several times during the night but had finally settled down and was sleeping soundly. I didn’t want to disturb him. I made breakfast, then went to work cooking a few simple, basic meals I could tuck into Mason’s refrigerator and freezer.

  I knew he would probably order a lot of takeout food or I would bring him meals, but there was something reassuring about having homemade food ready and waiting in your own kitchen when going through something like this. I let him sleep for as long as I could, then went back into his bedroom and gently woke him up.

  “Hey, baby,” I said quietly. “You don’t need to get up. I just wanted to tell you I’m going to head home to get ready for work.”

  Mason took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Ava, you have no idea how thankful I am for you and for our little one. There’s no way I could possibly get through this without the two of you.”

  “You don’t even have to think about that,” I said. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. I love you. I’m going to pack a bag and bring it with me when I come back tonight to check on you, if that’s alright.”

  “Of course it is,” he said. “I like the idea of you having things here. But hold on. Wait. I’m going to come with you.”

  “To my place?” I asked.

  “No, I’m going to come into the bar with you,” Mason said.

  I shook my head. “No. You need to take more time off. After what you just went through, the last thing you need to be thinking about right now is going into work.”

  “I need to keep my mind busy,” he said. “I don’t want to have to think about it all the time right now. Besides, I don’t want you to be doing so much work anymore. You need to take care of yourself, and our baby.”

  There was no point in arguing with him. He had that look in his eyes that said he had made a decision, and that decision was final. He was the one who was grieving. If going into work would make him feel better, then that was what he should do. If it started to get too difficult for him, I would just bring him home.

  He got ready, and then I drove us both over to my house
so I could get ready as well. Miranda looked surprised when we walked into the bar, and she looked at Mason, but she didn’t say anything. I gave her a reassuring look as we walked by, hoping she could see the promise in my eyes that I would explain it all to her later.

  Throughout the night, Mason focused hard on his work, jumping from task to task as fast as he could so he didn’t have to think about anything else. I watched him as he did, trying to see any sign that he might be getting overwhelmed. I felt horrible for him. I wanted to take his pain away but knew I couldn’t. The only thing I could do was love him.

  38

  Mason

  As much of a blur as it was when the doctor told us that my father only had a few days to live, the funeral was just as intangible. It was like living through a nightmare I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around. This wasn’t one of those horrible dreams that seemed real with everything exaggerated and excessive.

  Instead, it was all hazy and distant, almost like it was happening in slow motion. Ava was there with me every single second. She stayed by my side, holding my hand and giving me strength to get through every step of it.

  My father had never gone to the effort of recording his last wishes. It was something every doctor talked to him about as soon as he was diagnosed with cancer. And then when my mother was also diagnosed, workers from the hospital came and spoke to both of them together, emphasizing how important it was to make sure their opinions and desires for the end of their lives were known.

  It didn’t occur to me then why they would put so much more emphasis on it once my mother was diagnosed. They realized how entwined with each other my parents were and could see that if one of them didn’t make it through their fight, the chances were very high the other one would go along very soon after.

  But my father wouldn’t do it. My mother was more open to the idea, and even started writing a few things down in the little notebook the hospital gave to them. But when it got to the painful, challenging day to plan my father’s funeral, we looked at his notebook and found it blank.