It抯 dark out by the time she gets discharged and we head up in the main elevator to the maternity level.
揇o you think she抯 had the baby yet??Salem looks up at me, eyes wide with excitement.
揑 don抰 know. I guess we抮e about to find out.?
The elevator opens and we step out onto the maternity floor. Salem strides up to the desk, giving her sister抯 name.
揇own that hall. Room 216.?
Salem books it in that direction. With my long legs I抦 able to keep up with her easily, but I am more than a tad amused at her enthusiasm.
She reaches the door and gives a soft knock. We wait a minute and then Michael eases the door open.
揌i.?His eyes are lit up with happiness and I already know before he says it that the baby is here. 揇o you want to meet the baby??
Salem jumps up and down excitedly. 揧es!?
揌ow抯 your arm??He eyes her cast.
揑t抯 fine, now let me see the baby.?
He chuckles, stepping aside. 揧ou can come in too, man. Everyone抯 decent.?
I follow Salem inside, watching her light up when she sees her sister lying in the bed. Tired, but glowing as she holds her sleeping newborn.
揙h my God.?Salem抯 hands go to her chest, her mouth turning down in a frown when she smacks her boob with the fiberglass cast. Undeterred, she goes on, 揕ook at him and that sweet little face.?
揌er.?
揌er??Salem reels back, stunned. 揥hat do you mean her??
Georgia smiles from ear to ear, perhaps the happiest I抳e ever seen her. Michael moves to her side, his chest puffed out with pride. 揂pparently the doctors got it wrong. We have a little girl. A daughter.?She smiles up at her husband and he leans down to kiss her.
There抯 a pang in my chest. Not exactly jealousy, but I want that. I want this with Salem.
One day, I remind myself. In due time.
揙h my God.?Salem moves closer to the bed, peering down at the squished face of the newborn, her head covered with a pink and blue hat. 揥hat抯 her name??she asks softly so as not to disturb the sleeping baby.
揤ictoria Allison.?
揙h.?I settle my hand on her back, her eyes filling with tears when she looks up at me. Focusing back on her sister, she whispers, 揑t抯 beautiful. Perfect.?
揇o you want to hold her??
Salem抯 eyes widen with excitement. 揅an I??
Her sister doesn抰 say anything more. She lifts the baby up for her to take. Salem cradles baby Victoria carefully in her arms. I don抰 think she even realizes it, but she immediately starts rocking her.
揕ook at you, precious one. So little. Your brothers are going to adore you.?She lifts her gaze to her sister and brother-in-law. 揇o the boys know yet??
Georgia smiles, shaking her head. 揘o, we thought we抎 surprise them tomorrow when they come to visit.?
揟hey抮e going to be so excited.?Salem turns to me. 揟hey wanted a sister and were a tad disappointed it was another boy.?
Georgia laughs, rolling her eyes. 揇isappointed? Jackson, our oldest, fell to the ground crying when we told him.?
Michael rubs her shoulder. 揟hey抮e going to think we lied to them.?
揥e all got played with this one.?She points at the baby. 揙nly a few hours old and she抯 already giving us a run for our money.?
揌ow are you feeling??Salem asks her. 揌ow was labor??
揙nce I got my epidural it was fine and dandy.?
Salem shakes her head in amusement, still rocking the baby. 揇o you want to hold her??
揗e??I ask shocked.
揋o ahead,?Georgia encourages.
Salem passes the baby to me. She looks so tiny in my arms. Like a little potato or something. Her small pink lips are parted in sleep, her eyelids a light shade of blue. One little fist is curled up by her face, having escaped the swaddle she抯 in.
There抯 a loud sniffle, drawing my attention to Salem. She sobs openly watching me hold the baby. I don抰 ask her what抯 wrong. I can see it written all over her face. She抯 thinking of Seda and what could have been. I want to tell her not to cry, that it抯 in the past, but I think she needs to feel this. I want her to let her pain go.
I hold the baby a little longer, until she starts to stir. She抯 probably hungry so I hand her to Georgia.
揥e better be going.?Salem hugs her sister, kissing her cheek. 揑t抯 late and you need to rest and love on your new baby. Let me know if you need anything. Especially now that this sweetie is a girl, not a boy.?She lightly taps the baby抯 nose.
Georgia beams at the newborn in her arms. 揑 wouldn抰 mind a few new outfits. All I have is boy stuff and I抎 like something cute to bring her home in.?
揧ou got it. I抣l bring a few options.?She hugs her sister again and then we抮e headed out of the hospital.
We exit through the emergency room since that抯 where I parked.
She sighs when she sees my truck, a frown marring her lips. 揑抣l have to get a new car.?
揧ours was totaled??
揟he whole right side was really messed up. I doubt it抯 going to be worth fixing.?She rubs at her forehead, and I grab her hand so she doesn抰 mess up the bandage. 揑 need to call Caleb and let him know what happened. He probably wonders why I haven抰 called to say goodnight to Seda.?
揅all him on the way home.?
揧eah,?she says sleepily, 揑 will.?
The day has clearly caught up with her. She speaks with Caleb for a while, he抯 clearly worried桰 can抰 hear what he says, just the rapid speed at which he shoots questions at her. She assures him she抯 all right while I swing by a drive-thru and pick up something for us to eat.
揑抦 okay, I promise. Seriously. It抯 just some scrapes and bruises.?There抯 a pause on her end of the conversation. 揧es, I realize a broken arm is more than a scrape, but棓 Caleb抯 voice gets a bit louder, more animated. 揘o, we抮e not suing the other driver. Caleb, I swear I抦 fine. The car isn抰， but I am.?She shakes her head, trying not to smile. 揑 know you don抰 care about the car, but I抦 telling you I抦 okay. I wouldn抰 be talking to you if I wasn抰。？
I pull up to the speaker and order a bunch of random things. Pulling around, I sit up to pull my wallet out. Salem is already waving her card at me, and I push her hand gently away.
She sticks her tongue out at me, but slips her card away.
揗hmm, I抣l call you in the morning. All right. Bye.?She ends the call. 揅aleb worries too much.?
揌e cares about you.?
揧ou actually don抰 sound jealous saying that. I抦 surprised.?
I shrug, handing cash over at the window. 揑抦 not. Not anymore at least.?
She grins, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 揝o, you admit it? You were jealous of him at one time??
I grunt, taking my change and driving up to the next window. They hand over the bag of food and I pull out of the lot.
揢se your words, caveman,?she bosses.
揝tupidly so, yes. At the time I didn抰 even realize that抯 what it was. I rationalized that I was only looking out for you. Someone had to.?
She shakes her head, her lips twisted in amusement. 揕umberjack caveman,?she mutters softly.
揥hat was that??I try not to smile, rubbing my hand over my mouth to hide any hint of one.
揧ou抮e such a lumberjack. The beard. The plaid shirts. The muscles. And you act like a hulking caveman sometimes. So, you抮e a lumberjack caveman.?
揥ell,?I turn onto the street and pull into my driveway a moment later, 搕hat抯 a new one.?
揌ey, if the shoe fits wear it.?
I抦 not even touching that one.
Grabbing the bags of food, we head inside to immediately be greeted by Winnie and Binx. I let Winnie out back and set out the food on the counter.