“Can you not?” I cut him off, especially as Lily descends from her cloud. Her lips down-turning. I liked it better when she was flattered for making smart choices.
“Hey,” he says, “I’m goddamn happy right now.” This is my dad, happy. And I do see it, beneath his dark eyes and his severe face. “I’m getting a grandson.” The pride in his voice takes me aback for a second.
He pats Lily’s feet that are beneath a blanket. “How are you holding up?”
She nods. “Good.”
Greg chimes in with a smile, “That’s what I like to hear.”
I watch my dad walk further into the suite towards his friend.
“Updates?” Samantha asks the room as she hawk-eyes the streets below. They’ve been jammed with camera crews for the past two hours, hoping to snap a photo of any of us leaving the building. I’d like to say they’re not important, but Lily perks up in interest.
“I have one,” Daisy says. She’s sprawled out on the white couch, her feet on Ryke’s lap. She reads an online article from her phone. “According to an inside source, Lily Calloway is in labor and has been admitted to the hospital. We’ll have more information in the coming hours.”
“The main thing is to keep Maximoff away from the paparazzi,” Greg tells Lily and me. “No child needs that stress.”
Lily blows out a breath, and I squeeze her hand. Having a kid is anxiety enough. I brush her hair back and whisper, “We’ve got this.”
She nods a couple times like she’s trying to believe it too.
My dad sidles next to Samantha to peek out of the blinds with her. “I’m going to call more security for when we leave. This is ridiculous.” He points at the window. “That chubby one is eating a goddamn happy meal while he waits.”
On a shorter couch, Connor wraps his arm around Rose and says, “The cameramen are allowed to eat, as all human beings are.”
My dad gives him a surly look and then snaps, “Whose side are you on?”
“The logical side,” Connor says easily. “You’re probably not familiar with it, but it’s the side that wins ten times out of ten.”
My dad’s eyes flash hot, and it’s pretty apparent that his beef with my best friend is still ongoing. This isn’t the time for that shit.
“Hey, this isn’t the fucking time,” Ryke cuts in. I nod to my older brother in thanks.
I’m almost regretting making the birth of my son a family event, but I can tell Lily appreciates everyone’s company. Even if it’s stressing me out.
My dad grips his coffee a little tighter, but his voice has less edge. “I’m just making conversation.” He sips his drink, and Samantha finally pries herself off the window.
Her gaze surprisingly lands on Lily and me. “Are you two really set on his name?” she asks, sitting stiffly in a chair next to Greg. “There’s still time to change your minds.”
Lily shakes her head repeatedly, and before I accidentally say something nasty to her mom, Rose begins to defend our choices.
“Leave them alone,” Rose says. “You shouldn’t be adding to Lily’s stress. This is a calm, zen environment.” She inhales a deep breath to demonstrate how zen-fucking-like it is in here. Only her collarbones protrude like she has trouble exhaling.
“You were saying?” I tease Rose.
Her yellow-green eyes narrow to pinpoints at me.
It’s tense in here, though it could be a hundred times worse. It feels like how it should be, probably. The unease from unexpected outcomes.
Ryke rests an arm along the back of the couch and holds his girlfriend’s ankles with the other hand. “Maximoff is a good fucking name. It’s strong.”
My dad butts in, “It’s strong until a kid calls him Maxi Pad.”
“Says the man who named me Loren,” I retort.
My dad faces me and counters, “It’s about rising above your name. I’m not complaining about Maximoff. I think it’ll be a testament to his character how he reacts to it.”
I don’t want his name to be a fucking test.
But I’m not letting our parents talk us out of something we chose together. Something we truly love. I hate that they have to taint it with their opinions anyway. But there’s a place inside of me that’s grateful for having people who care. For better or for worse, that’s what family is for, right?
Lily’s grip tightens on my hand, and she lets out a staggered breath before sinking back into the pillows. A couple nurses push through the doors and check her vitals. “I think she’s about ready.” One of the nurses leaves to retrieve the doctor. “We should clear out the room, a two-person limit during delivery.”