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“He will, tesoro. He’ll come back.”
“I just have this feeling in the back of my mind that something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Griffin is always so meticulous with everything. If a plan doesn’t work, he takes his time figuring out what to do next. He doesn’t just change course without thinking it through. He’s not careless.”
“You may be overthinking it. Maybe he saw a good opportunity to do something else.”
“And what if he didn’t…?”
He moved his arm around my shoulders and lowered his voice. “This is my advice. Don’t worry about something until there’s something to worry about. If Max says he’s fine, then let it go. If you get a phone call that says otherwise, then start to panic.”
It was another life lesson my father taught. “Alright.”
He rubbed my back before he released me. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know…what did you want when you had Conway?”
“A boy,” he said immediately.
I raised an eyebrow, offended by the answer. “You said that pretty fast.”
He grinned and placed his hands in his pockets. “I wanted a boy because I was so protective of your mother. Imagine having a young, beautiful version of her running around. It was a scary thought. But then you came…and you were stronger and smarter than your brother. I raised you to be tough and fearless, and that’s what I got. I never had to worry about you, tesoro. I thought having a daughter would kill me, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. You have good instincts…and make good decisions.”
My father’s approval meant the world to me. His words made me feel warm inside, made my confidence grow even more. I always wanted to be strong like my mother and wise like my father. It seemed like I’d accomplished those things.
We moved back to the chairs, and I sat beside my mom.
“Everything alright?” she asked, her hand moving to my thigh.
“Yeah, just worried about Griffin,” I said.
“You don’t need to worry about him,” Mama said. “He’s a capable young man.”
“Yeah, that’s what Father said.”
“And you should listen to him.” Mama pulled her hand away and looked at the TV in the waiting room. “He knows a thing or two.” She glanced at her watch then sighed. “She’s been in labor a long time…hope everything is alright.”
“Everything is fine,” Father said. “Sapphire is a Barsetti. She’s got this.”
I smiled, loving the way my father accepted Sapphire so easily. She’d become a member of our family before she took the Barsetti name. I wished he’d been as accepting toward Griffin, but I’d made my peace with the past.
The nurse finally came into the waiting room.
All the Barsettis stood up, taking up half the waiting room with our numbers alone.
My father moved forward. “Everything went alright? Is Sapphire okay?”
“She’s more than okay,” the nurse said. “She gave birth to a son about twenty minutes ago. They’ve been spending some time with him, but they would like to see the rest of you. Just a few people at a time.”
“A boy?” my father blurted.
Mama moved into Father and hugged him tightly, her face against his chest. “We have a grandson…”
My father hugged her back, his chin resting on her head. “We do, Button. Can’t wait to see him.”
I watched my parents, my eyes getting slightly teary. My parents still loved each other after all these years, and I knew Bones and I would be that way too. He hadn’t wanted children until I told him it was a requirement if he wanted to be with me, but I had no doubt he would be a good father…just like my father. “I have a nephew.”
Father kissed Mama on the forehead before he released her. “Let’s meet him.”
Uncle Cane and Aunt Adelina remained behind with Carter and Carmen so we could go inside first. We walked into the hospital room, seeing Sapphire sit up in her bed with the baby in her arms. She didn’t look like she’d just given birth. There wasn’t any sweat on her forehead, and her hair was done. And she smiled brighter than the sun as she looked down at her son.
“Oh my god…” I approached the bed, unable to believe that the new Barsetti was really there. I moved into my brother’s side and hugged him hard, sharing a rare moment of affection with the man I usually teased.
He hugged me back. “Sis, I’d like you meet your nephew.”
I stared at the little baby in her arms, seeing the slightly tanned skin and the beautiful features of a baby boy. When he opened his eyes, I saw the startling green color I possessed. “He has your eyes.”
Mama and Father moved to the other side of the bed to get a good look. Mama immediately sniffled as the tears watered in her gaze. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling the emotion that took over her body.
