Despite her protests, I had her get checked out once we had Holly checked into Labor and Delivery. Aside from some bumps and bruises, she’s fine, although her abdomen is tender. Thankfully, the internal stitches have pretty much healed, and whatever scans they ran showed no cause for concern. Now, we’re waiting, along with the rest of my brothers, Paul, and Mina and Ruby, as Holly, Rebel, and Esther work to bring the new baby into this world.
“Marnie?” Mina asks, coming to stand in front of my woman.
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“Did you know my baby brother is being born?” the little girl questions.
“I did! Are you and Ruby excited?” Marnie queries.
“Yes, even though Mommy says that the baby will be too little to play with us,” she replies. “Pappy! Can we get something to drink?”
I chuckle as she runs toward Paul who doesn’t miss a beat as he swings her up into his arms. He then leans down and scoops up Ruby, who’s been a little quiet since they arrived. It’s been a little while since we had an update, which concerns me given the fact that Holly was trying to push when we pulled into the hospital, but I’m going with the theory that no news is good news.
“They’re adorable,” Marnie murmurs.
“That they are and I’m pretty sure they’re well-aware of that fact by now,’ I reply, smirking. “Although none of the adults in their lives allow them to get away with bloody murder like some parents do these days.”
Marnie shudders then says, “Kids will be kids, but you can always tell when they’re overtired and acting out as opposed to being undisciplined little brats.”
“I agree, babe. Too many times we’ve been out as a club and I watch as Mina and Ruby quietly color on those little pages they give to kids, while other tables have children screaming and yelling or God forbid, running around like they’re at home or something. Holly and Rebel have tablets for the girls, which I’ve seen some parents use like a babysitter, but they only pull one of those out if we’re at a fancier restaurant. Since we rarely hit one of those, they don’t use them that often.”
“Some kids need those if they’ve got sensory issues, Ash,” she tells me. “I’ve seen little ones with what I presume are noise-canceling headphones on. I may not necessarily agree, but I don’t know the why’s behind what the parents are doing, so I try not to judge, you know? Because what if they only go out once a month or something and their child has ADHD or is autistic and they don’t have anyone they trust to watch their child? They deserve to be able to go out for a nice meal without worrying thattheir kid’s meltdown will ruin it for everyone else. Those are the parents who are heroes in my book. Now, the kids who are holy terrors because they've taken control of the household, that’s a different story. I kind of feel bad for them too, because they’re going to grow up and not learn the basic niceties of being out in public.”
I sit back and ponder what she said, and immediately realize that thereisa difference in behaviors. “You’re right, sweetheart. I’ll try to keep an open mind and not get aggravated as often.”
“What I detest is during the holidays when kids who are still used to having somewhat of a structured nap time are dragged all over the place. They’re tired and understandably cranky, yet their mothers have them going to twenty different stores in one day. They’ve got services available nowadays where you can find and hire a babysitter, you know? Because then the mom is frustrated, the kid is in full meltdown mode, and everyone around them pays the price.”
Since I prefernotto go to the store and choose to do most of my shopping online, I don’t have the first clue about what she means. If I’m forced to go to the store, I try to go early in the morning or later in the evening, so I guess I miss those times. From the sound of it, that’s probably a good thing, because I know myself and I’d likely say something. Don’t think Rebel would appreciate having to bail my ass out of jail because I chose to speak my piece.
“The girls and I are going to grab some drinks, do y’all want anything?” Paul asks, interrupting our discussion.
“Can I have a bottle of water please?” Marnie asks.
“Absolutely. Ash?” Paul questions, looking at me.
“I’ll take the same. Need any money, Paul?” I query, reaching for my wallet.
“I’ve got it. We’ll hurry since I can’t imagine it’s going to be much longer,” he says as he takes the two girls by their hand and turns to head out of the waiting room.
“What is taking so long?” Marnie asks several hours later. “Do you think there’s something wrong?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Let me go check, okay?” I reply, standing. We’ve been here for four hours now, and Hollywastelling Rebel she needed to push while we were speeding through town to get here. Seeing as she’s had two kids already, I’d think she’d know her own body.
I can tell Paul is worried as well because he’s had a frown on his face since coming back from grabbing snacks and drinks. He keeps watching the door then checking his watch. He’s honestly one of the only men I know who still wears one; it must be a generational thing. Samuel, Mina and Ruby’s paternal grandpa finally arrived, and he’s been helping Paul keep Mina and Ruby entertained.
I clued Marnie in on his relationship with everyone. He used to be married, but after his son, who was abusive to Holly, died, his ex-wife went off the rails and tried to kill Rebel. She’s now enjoying life behind bars for her crimes, and he’s been enfolded into the family. I remember Holly telling me that Samuel was one of the reasons she tried to stick it out for so long. It doesn’t hurt that he and Paul are long-time friends.
I finally return with the doctor by my side and hear him ask, “Family of Holly Sherman?”
Everyone stands as a united group as the doctor and I approach, and I glance down at Mina and Ruby to see they’re somewhat oblivious, watching a children’s show on a tablet.That’s good that they’re distracted,I think to myself.
“I’m her grandfather,” Paul states. “What’s going on? Is Holly alright? What about the baby?” he asks, peppering the doctor with questions before he can even say a word.
My years of bartending has given me the knowledge to read others’ body language rather well and I brace for what he’s about to say. “When Mrs. Sherman arrived, she was in active labor as I’m sure you’re all aware of,” he begins before taking a deep breath. “Labor seemed to be progressing until a problem arose.”
“My granddaughter’s okay, isn’t she?” Paul interrupts.
“The baby started showing signs of fetal distress and Mrs. Sherman’s blood pressure rose to a dangerous level. The decision was made to do an emergency cesarean in order to get the baby out as expeditiously as possible so we could tend to Mrs. Sherman. Unfortunately, once the baby was delivered, we were unable to stop Mrs. Sherman from hemorrhaging and we were forced to perform an emergency hysterectomy. The baby is in our NICU department as he’s having some breathing difficulties which we feel were caused by him swallowing some of the amniotic fluid. Mrs. Sherman is currently in ICU while we work to get her stabilized. Both of them are in critical condition, but we anticipate they’ll be okay. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours will tell the tale.”
