AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ally ran out of the kitchen and over to where they were sitting, being careful to avoid the puddle. “I spoke to Lucas, he’s on his way. He sounded as panicked as you are.”
“You told him to drive safely, right?” Ember asked.
“Of course.” Ally grinned. “And this is Lucas we’re talking about. Safety is his middle name.” Behind her, Nate put a big yellow sign on the floor and began to mop up the mess.
Ember sucked in a mouthful of air. “Distract me,” she pleaded. “Before I go crazy.”
“Um, did I tell you Nate bought a new car?” Ally asked her.
“Yeah, you did. Tell me something else.”
“Um…” Ally shook her head. “I’ve got nothing. I’m such a big mouth I always tell you everything when it happens.” She looked over at Harper with a pleading expression. “How about you, Harper? You got anything good? Some juicy gossip that will take Ember’s mind off things?”
Harper looked from Ally and back to Ember. They were both staring at her, their eyes wide with expectation. She frowned, wracking her brain for something about her work or the baby, but failed miserably.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve got nothing either. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Ember said, leaning forward with a groan. “Please, Harper, I’ll take anything.”
“I’ve been sleeping with James Tanner for the past three weeks,” Harper blurted out. Her face heated up as she realized they were both staring at her with open mouths. Nate had stopped mopping, too. “Um… is that what you were looking for?”
For the first time since her water broke, Ember smiled. “Oh yeah, that’ll do it. Now tell us more.”
* * *
The following day Harper walked through the main entrance of the hospital carrying a gift bag in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. She couldn’t stop grinning at the thought of seeing Ember and Lucas’s baby boy. It was strange how little attention she used to pay to new babies. But now that she was carrying a child of her own she couldn’t wait to see baby Arthur Russell.
When she reached the maternity ward she pressed on the buzzer, giving her name when the nurse answered. A second later, the door unlocked and she walked in, the nurse behind the desk directing her to the private room at the far end of the hallway.
“I guess we’ll be seeing you here soon, too,” the nurse said, smiling. “How long do you have to go?”
“Seventeen more weeks,” Harper told her. “It feels like forever.”
“You’ll be surprised how quickly it flies by,” the nurse said. “In no time at all you’ll be walking through that door to have your own little one.”
Harper tried to imagine how she would feel stepping inside the maternity ward knowing she was about to give birth. Afraid, of course, because she had n
o idea what she was getting herself into. Excited, too, because she was already imagining seeing this little baby, and holding her tightly. But it was so hard to picture what their baby was going to look like, and how it would really feel knowing she was responsible for such a tiny life. It was easy keeping her safe while she was curled up in the womb, but a whole other matter when it came to doing it in the outside world.
She swallowed, thinking of James and his loss. Automatically her hand went to her bump, caressing it. She felt the baby squirm and then a little jab to the side of her stomach, before a feeling of warmth washed over her.
It was going to be okay. She’d make sure it was.
A smile curled at her lips as she looked into the hospital room. Ember was laying in the bed, her dark hair pulled into a coil at the back of her neck, her face glowing as she looked at the chair next to her. Lucas was sitting there, their baby cradled in his muscled arms, his eyes warm with pride as he stared down at his son.
Harper stood in the doorway, watching their brand new family. It was almost magical, as though there was an invisible shield cocooning the three of them, protecting them with love. She put her hand to her chest, feeling her heart flutter against her ribcage. With Lucas’s rugged good looks and Ember’s glowing beauty the three of them looked as though they belonged in the pages of a catalogue, not the maternity ward.
“Harper! You made it,” Ember said with a smile when she rapped on the door. “Come in.”
“These are for you,” Harper said, passing the gift bag and the champagne to Ember.
Ember pulled the bag open and lifted out the gift wrapped in tissue paper. “You didn’t need to bring us anything. You already got us a gift at the shower.”
“I know.” Harper shrugged. “But this is more of a keepsake. I figure after pushing a baby out for hours on end you deserve something to commemorate it.”
Ember carefully unwrapped it, putting the thin paper to one side. The large ivory blanket was hand-embroidered with Arthur’s name and date of birth, along with his weight. Next to the details were intricately sewn animals. Elephants, giraffes, and monkeys hand stitched with precision.
“Did you make this?” Ember asked, looking at Harper with shining eyes. “Lucas, have you seen this?”
