“How many more—” I don’t finish my question because the double doors push open and Marty is standing there, looking like he’s just been dropped off by aliens. He looks at us with wide eyes and a slightly parted mouth. I study every centimetre of his face looking for a hint that everything is okay, looking for a sign that the baby’s okay. That Jenna is okay.
And finally, it comes. He meets my eyes and he smiles. Broad, bright and unapologetic. It’s a classic Marty smile and for the first time in my life, I think it’s the most brilliant grin in the universe.
I’m not the first to stand. Mam is up on her feet and halfway to Marty before I’m out of my chair and my dad is not long after her.
“Oh, my boy,” I hear Ma say before Marty pulls her into a hug. “Are you okay?”
“I’m grand, Ma,” he says into her hair. “Everything is grand.”
“They’re both okay?” Dad says and I’ve never heard more hope in his voice.
“They’re both okay,” Marty confirms and my heart, my stomach, my whole body feels like it leaps a mile in the air. “Our little girl… she’s perfect. And Jenna… she’s fucking perfect too.”
Mam steps back from Marty and Dad is quick to shake his hand, pulling him into an embrace. I feel Loncey’s arm curl around my shoulders as we both watch.
“Do you want to come meet her properly?” Marty asks.
We all chorus in the affirmative but then I hear another squeaky voice.
“Oh, shit, Jake!” I bring the phone back to my ear.
“What the fuck, Maeve!”
“Sorry, Jake, Marty just stepped out and well, Jenna’s okay.” I look at Marty and he nods confirmation again. “Both the baby and Jenna are doing fine.”
“Thank fuck for that.” Jake’s exhale reverberates down the phone. “Can we switch to a video call so I can see her too?”
“Sure, I mean, yeah,” I lower the phone and ask Marty, “Is it okay for Jake to be on FaceTime as we come in?”
“I think it would make Jenna very happy.” Marty nods.
I hold my phone out, the screen and front camera facing forward and after I tap a button, Jake’s face pops up on the screen. His cheeks are a little red with sunburn and his hair is lighter than when I last saw it.
“Look at you, Uncle Jake,” I say.“Good to see you too, Aunty Maeve.” He grins back.
“Let’s go.” I keep the phone up as I follow Marty back through the double doors. He’s holding Mam’s hand and Dad looks at me before wrapping his arm over my shoulder. Turning back, I catch a quick glimpse of Loncey standing still back near our chairs.
“Well, come on with you!” I call out.
“No, Maeve, I should stay here. This is for family.”
I step out of Dad’s embrace and walk back to Loncey, the phone still held out probably as much out of habit than anything else.
“But you are…” I pause as the next word suddenly feels too heavy to speak. I try again. “I feel like you are my family. Is that wrong?”
Loncey’s face breaks into a big smile and they don’t look like I’ve said anything wrong at all. “That’s not wrong. That’s… awesome. But really, Maeve, this is your family’s first time meeting me. I don’t want to intrude and—”
“Are they coming or what?” Da calls out to me from the double doors and I watch Loncey lose their trail of thought.
“See, we want you here, with us,” I say.
“And I want to meet my niece!” Another squawk erupts out of my phone.
“Okay, well,” Loncey shifts their weight from one foot to another, “let’s go.”
“Hi, I’m Jake, by the way. You’re very attractive,” Jake says, a lot less angry now.
“Loncey. A pleasure to meet you. You’re also very attractive.”
