Coalescence

by J. C. Hannigan

  “Who’s this?” Cheryl’s voice was tight, and I tilted my head, encouraging Gwen forward with my eyes. She backed up, closing the door, and approached warily. “Cheryl, this is Gwen. Gwen, this is Cheryl.”

  “Hi, Cheryl, it’s nice to meet you,” Gwen said smoothly, reaching out to shake Cheryl’s hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Cheryl replied, her eyes going from Gwen to me. She drew in a pained breath, pulling her hand abruptly from Gwen’s and reaching around to press both of her palms on her back.

  I stepped toward her, my brow creasing. “Are you okay?”

  “There’re just Braxton hicks, Alaric,” Cheryl replied, her breathing still labored. She glanced at Gwen again, her brow still furrowed as if she was in pain. “I just need to go home and rest. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you Friday.”

  She straightened, smiling tightly at Gwen before she passed and walked to her van.

  While she backed from my driveway, Gwen turned to look at me, her brow crinkled with uncertainty. “Alaric, if I’d known she was here—“

  “Don’t worry about it,” I told her as Cheryl’s taillights disappeared down the lane. “Now she’s met you.” I shrugged, not bothering to contain my smile as my hands slipped around Gwen’s waist.

  “She didn’t look too happy about it.” Her brow furrowed, and she worried her lip.

  “She’ll adjust,” I said.

  Tig finally gave up waiting for me to release him and ambled over, knocking his nose against Gwen’s hip. She pulled away, looking down at him, and stroked the top of his head.

  “What are you working on?” she asked, peering into the garage and catching sight of the bookshelf. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

  “Yeah, someone mentioned that my house lacks bookshelves,” I teased.

  “Someone must be very smart,” Gwen retorted, turning and slipping her hands around my waist.

  I wrapped my arm around the small of her back and reached over to flick out the garage light. Opening the connecting door, I whistled, calling Tig in. He ran in ahead of us, and once he’d cleared the foyer, I swept Gwen up in my arms, carrying her inside.

  She laughed until I pressed my lips to hers, my tongue sweeping across her bottom lip. Looping her arms around my neck, her lips parted, and she sighed.

  20

  Pre-Term

  Gwen

  “Look, Kelsey, you don’t need to figure this all out right now,” I said gently, pausing to look over an email that I needed to send out before noon. My sister’s meltdown was a little unprecedented, but as her maid of honor, it was my duty to reassure her.

  My head was pulsing, and I could feel a stress headache coming on.

  “That’s the thing, Gwen. I do need to figure this all out right now,” Kelsey snipped, affronted.

  “You have to figure out exactly what table your guests need to sit at right now? It can’t wait until we’re done at work?”

  “You’ll probably be banging the welder,” she sniffled.

  “Kels,” I sighed, closing my eyes. She wasn’t wrong; Alaric and I had been spending every spare moment with one another. The only thing we hadn’t done was to tell my parents. I planned on broaching the subject soon—just not yet.

  “I need help,” she pleaded.

  I opened my mouth, about to speak when the phone on my desk rang shrilly. “Come over tonight, and we’ll make the guest list. Bring the binder. I have to get back to work,” I said, speaking over the ringing.

  “Fine,” Kelsey exhaled audibly. “Call me later.” She hung up, and I lifted the telephone receiver on my desk.

  “Good afternoon. This is Gwen from Williams Tech. How can I help you?” I recited, massaging my temples.

  “I need to get a hold of Alaric Petersen.” A woman said, her voice familiar. She let out a pained grunt before continuing. “It’s Cheryl Evans.”

  Instantly recognizing her name, my spine stiffened with alarm, and I straightened. “Alaric is out on a job site right now. I can try and reach him through the on-site foreman. Can I relay a message?”

  “Yes, please—“ She gasped, and I could hear the hysteria in her voice. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. “I need him—“ She trailed off again, letting out a groan that made the hairs on the nape of my neck stand up. “I’m on my way to Mount Sinai. Tell him that I’m—I’m in labour, and I need him to pick Sawyer up from my neighbours. I need him to pick her up and take her to his house,” she added urgently.

  “Okay. Of course. I’ll get the message to him.”

  “Thank you,” she exhaled, the relief palpable, and relayed her neighbour’s phone number to me. I wrote it down quickly, with trembling hands. She let out a pained cry, and the phone clanged to the ground.

  Shuffling ensued as someone picked it up, then the call was disconnected. I started dialing Mitch’s number on repeat, knowing the on-site foreman would have his cell phone on him. I had to call three times before he answered.

  “Hello?” he barked, clearly irritated.

  “Mitch—it’s Gwen. Is Alaric nearby?”

  “He’s working. Why?”

  “Put him on the phone, please. It’s an emergency.” My voice shook, and I was certain he could hear it.

  Mitch’s tone changed immediately. “Of course. Alaric, come here!”

  I waited a couple of minutes, worrying my lip. “Hello?”

  “Alaric,” I said, pausing at his intake of breath. “Cheryl just called—“

  “What? Why?”

  “She needs you to pick Sawyer up from her neighbour’s,” I began, looking down at the phone number on the post-it note.

  “What’s going on?” he sounded worried.

  “She’s in labour and on her way to Mount Sinai.” He exhaled harshly, the sound of it slicing through me. “I’m sure everything’s going to be okay, Alaric,” I added, my tone soft.

  I could hear him walking away, likely putting some distance between the other guys and him so that he could talk in private. “She’s not due for another three months.”

  “Oh,” I breathed, nibbling on my lip.

  “What’s the neighbour’s number?” Alaric asked.

  I relayed it, my fingers absently twirling the cord as I read it to him. He thanked me and hung up.

  Leaning back in my chair, I stared blankly at the computer screen, trying to process the last twenty minutes, and how I felt, all while my heart pulsed painfully in my chest.

  A few seconds later, my cell phone rang. I snatched it up quickly, answering when I saw Alaric’s name flash across the screen.

  “We’re loading up now, but I’m still going to be another three hours getting back.”

  I glanced at the clock, noting that it was four o’clock already. “You know, I used to pride myself on my babysitting skills. I could go get her and bring her back to my place for a bit.”

  He was quiet, save for the sound of his breath when he exhaled. “I’ll call you back in a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  I placed my cell phone on my desk and went back to staring blankly at the screen, my mind unable to focus. Ten minutes later, my phone rang again.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey,” he breathed, sounding a little less strained. “If you’re sure you want to…”

  “I’m sure,” I assured him. “I mean if you’re sure.”

  “I am,” he replied, the relief he felt easily detectable. “I called Cheryl’s neighbour back, and she’s expecting you. I’ll pick her up as soon as we get back.”

  “Okay. Text me the address?”

  “I will. Thanks again, Gwen. I…really appreciate it,” he said, clearing his throat.

  “I’ll see you later.” I smiled, hanging up.

  “Who was that?” My dad’s sudden appearance at my desk caught me by surprise—I hadn’t heard him come in.

  I straightened in my seat, trying to exude professional confidence. “That was Alaric. He had a family emergency come up and needs to go pick up
his daughter. They’re still on site in Barrie, so I offered to babysit.”

  My explanation didn’t seem to ease his suspicion. Avoiding his analytical gaze, I shut down the computer and gathered my things. “That was helpful of you.”

  I shrugged, not looking up. “It’s not a big deal, Dad.” In the corner of my eye, I saw him nodding. Finally lifting my head, I gave him a reassuring smile. “Can you lock up?”

  “Of course I can lock up.” Dad scowled.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I kissed him on the cheek. “See you tomorrow morning, okay?”

  Alaric

  “Gwen mentioned something about a family emergency. Is everything okay?” Russell asked, intercepting me on my dash to the truck. I paused, turning to address him.

  “Yes, sir. My ex went into labour. She’s a few months early, and needs me to take care of our daughter.” I explained.

  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Russell said after a moment.

  I hesitated, clearing my throat. “I might need to take tomorrow off. I’ll be setting up temporary daycare, but I’ll need the day to do that. I hate to ask, but—”

  “I understand,” he replied, clapping me on the shoulder. He opened his mouth, about to say something further. Then he thought the better of it and nodded instead. “Just keep me informed.”

  “Will do,” I told him, turning and opening the door. I drove as quickly as I legally could, unsure of what state I’d find Sawyer in. I hadn’t been able to reach Cheryl or Mason, and I had no idea how much Sawyer knew about what was happening.

  Jogging up the walkway to Gwen’s building entrance, I opened the glass door and climbed the steps. I paused in the hallway, listening to the voices coming from inside her apartment. Hers and Sawyer’s. It felt natural, and my ears craved more of it.

  Raising my fist, I knocked lightly, and a few moments later the door opened. Gwen grinned at me, standing aside to let me in. “You got here quicker than we thought! We’re just finishing up a game of Go Fish. Sawyer’s kicking my behind, of course.”

  Walking through her door, I spotted Sawyer sitting on the couch, holding cards in her hands. “Hi, Daddy!”

  Although she was smiling, the slight indentation between her brows hinted that she was concerned. “Hey, munchkin. Ready to go home?”

  “Yes.” Sawyer nodded, setting her stack of cards down carefully on the coffee table. “Can we call Mommy?”

  “We can try.” My eyes flitted to Gwen’s. “Thank you,” I told her while Sawyer put on her shoes.

  She nodded, smilingly lightly at me. When Sawyer’s head was turned, I stole a kiss, a fleeting brush of my lips against hers. “Text me later?” she whispered.

  I nodded, stealing another lingering glance at her before taking Sawyer’s hand.

  The drive home was silent with Sawyer staring almost blankly out the window. My eyes kept going to her reflection in the rearview mirror. “Everything will be fine, Soy-bean.”

  “My sister’s not supposed to come until October,” Sawyer said hollowly, sniffling.

  “Maybe she’s just so excited to see you that she couldn’t wait,” I replied, my lips tugging up a little. This brought a small smile to Sawyer’s face. She was too young to worry about all the challenges preterm babies faced, and that realization made my throat tighten.

  Tig was waiting by the front door when we got home, and when Sawyer saw him, she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his fur.

  We tried calling Cheryl a couple of times—once when we got home, and once before bed. Both times, we got her voicemail, and Sawyer left messages about how much she loved her and missed her.

  She was so worried about her baby sister and her mom that it took her hours to fall asleep. I had to lay in her bed and rub her back until she finally drifted off, assuring her repeatedly that everything would be okay, and hoping like hell it would.

  When she was finally asleep, I walked downstairs to sit in the dark of the living room with my head in my hands.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I drew it out. I had a missed text message from Gwen, checking in. I replied to it, telling her I hadn’t heard anything lately, and that I wouldn’t be at work tomorrow.

  Gwen: Let me know how I can help, Alaric. I’m here for you both. Xo

  Before I could reply to her, my phone started to ring, the display showing an unknown number. Since it was after eleven, I took the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Alaric? It’s Mason.” I tensed. I had limited contact with Mason—always had. Cheryl made sure we wouldn’t cross paths too much, likely knowing I had a deep-set resentment toward the man. When it came to Sawyer, I did; I wanted to be the one tucking her in at night. He had her all the times I didn’t, and that was hard to stomach.

  “How’s the baby?”

  “Stable,” Mason said on exhale, the exhaustion he must have felt evident in his voice. “When we got to the hospital, they couldn’t stop the labour. The baby was breech and in distress, and Cheryl was losing amniotic fluid. She was born via caesarean section at eight o’clock this evening. She’s got fluid in the lungs, so she’s in an incubator in NICU on CPAP until that clears up. The doctor says anywhere from one to six weeks for that. They’re still running tests, but everything else seems good—her heart is strong.”

  “I’m glad to hear,” I said, relaxing back against the chair. “How’s Cheryl holding up?”

  “Good. She’s still numb and a little out of it from the surgery. She’s sleeping now, but she wants Sawyer to come to the hospital tomorrow.” Mason replied. I’m sure this conversation wasn’t easy for him, either.

  “What time works best?”

  “Any time,” Mason said. “Visiting hours go from eight to eight.”

  “We’ll be there at nine,” I told him.

  “All right, thanks.”

  “Congratulations, Mason. I’m glad they’re both okay.”

  “Me too,” he choked out, emotion clogging his throat. “See you guys tomorrow.”

  We stopped at the hospital gift store so that Sawyer could get a present for her new baby sister. She picked out a soft pink giraffe baby rattle with a Harley Davidson patch and hugged it to her chest. “My sister will like this one.”

  I smiled. “Okay. Let’s go pick out some flowers too, for your mom.” We moved toward the refrigerator wall. “What about that? It has a balloon.” I pointed at a white basket with assorted pink and white flowers, with a balloon that read ‘It’s a Girl!’

  “Yes! Mommy will love that!” Sawyer nodded eagerly, and I lifted it down. We made our way to the counter to pay before we took the elevator to the neonatal intensive care unit.

  “Remember, be gentle with your mom. She’s just had surgery, so she’s going to be a little sore.”

  “Okay,” Sawyer nodded seriously, her brow creased with worry. I squeezed her hand gently, and she looked up.

  “It’ll be all right. Everybody’s going to be fine,” I told her, smiling.

  Knocking lightly against Cheryl’s door, I waited until they’d granted us permission to come in.

  “Hi, baby,” Cheryl said to our daughter. She looked pale and exhausted, but she was sitting up with a tray of food nearby.

  I lingered by the door, watching while Sawyer went to the side of Cheryl’s bed and gave her a gentle hug and kiss. “Hi, Mommy. Where’s my sister? I got her a present.” Sawyer said, showing her the rattle.

  “Oh, that’s so sweet. She’s going to love it.” Cheryl smiled, taking it from her and patting the bed beside her. “I’m going to go and visit her in a little bit. Did you want to come with me?”

  “Yes!” Sawyer nodded eagerly. “Can Daddy come too?”

  “Only direct family can visit the baby right now,” Cheryl replied, looking to me with an apology.

  “Daddy’s direct family,” Sawyer pointed out.

  “I know sweetie, but direct family to the baby. The doctors and nurses have to limit the number of people allowed in the N
ICU ward because some of the other babies are very sick.” Cheryl explained.

  “Is my sister very sick?” She frowned, her brow pinching together.

  Cheryl smiled softly. “No, she’s just having some trouble breathing right now. The doctor says she has fluid in her lungs. She’ll be okay in a couple of weeks.”

  Sawyer turned to me, frowning a little. “But I wanted Daddy to meet my baby sister.”

  “I’ll meet her when she’s home,” I promised, smiling at her. “Today is your day.”

  Sawyer’s frown lines smoothed out, and she nodded. “Okay.”

  I moved closer to the bed, setting the flower arrangement down on the bedside table. “Where’s Mason?”

  “He went down to grab a coffee,” Cheryl replied. “He should be back—oh, speak of the devil. There he is.”

  Mason strolled into the room carrying a tray from Tim Hortons and a brown paper bag. He lifted his chin at me in greeting as he passed by, setting his purchases down on the hospital tray.

  His jeans and t-shirt were rumpled, and he looked exhausted. Running a hand through his short dark hair, he cast a grateful look at me. “Thanks for yesterday, man. We were so unprepared for this, it isn’t funny.” He chuckled, shaking his head

  “Well, you both thought you still had three months,” I replied, surprised to find all the old resentment and anger I’d harbored for him had dissipated overnight.

  “Daddy said my sister was excited to see me!” Sawyer piped up, her eyes sparkling with infinite happiness.

  Cheryl laughed a little, her green eyes misting.

  “I’ll be down in the cafeteria,” I said, deciding that I’d intruded on their moment long enough. Mason nodded, and I strolled down the hall to the elevators.

  I took the elevator to the cafeteria, stood in line for a stale coffee, and found a relatively private spot and sat down, bringing out my phone, thoughts rolling through my head.

  I hadn’t been to a hospital since Sawyer’s birth, and it brought back a lot of memories, like the first time I held her in my arms. While overcome with nostalgia, my thoughts drifted to Gwen, to how she’d stepped up to help me the night before.