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“There are brownies, sliced apples, fresh veggies and dip, and a couple of sandwiches. I only had time to make a couple of ham and Swiss ones, some turkey and provolone, and some roast beef and pepper jack cheese.” Shrugging, Grace added, “It was a good excuse to clean out the refrigerator.”
“Mom!” both Garrett and Jackson said as they laughed, but they also each grabbed a sandwich before sitting down and immediately starting to eat.
“Boys,” Grace murmured as she came to sit beside Savannah. “What about you? Are you hungry?”
“It feels wrong to be eating in the middle of the night…”
“Oh, stop,” Grace told her with a grin. “Think of this more like a little party that is starting very late. What can I get you? A sandwich? Some veggies? A brownie?”
“Would it be wrong if I wanted all three?”
Reaching over, Grace gave her a big hug. “That’s my girl! You never have to be shy with family.” She stood and immediately began making up a plate for her and as much as Savannah wanted to tell her to stop, she had a feeling Grace wouldn’t listen.
Jackson came and sat on the other side of her. “Mom makes the best sandwiches.” Then he looked around. “Did anyone bring chips or drinks?”
“Did you bring anything at all?” Garrett countered.
“Um…”
Just then, Dominic walked over with an armload of beverages. “Vending machine,” he said as he carefully placed about a dozen drinks down. “I figured this was easier and more of a variety.”
“He thinks of everything I don’t,” Grace said before kissing him. “Thank you.”
Blushing, Dominic helped himself to a sandwich and quietly sat down.
“Um…I’m not trying to make anyone uncomfortable, but…should we call up to Dad’s floor and let him know what’s going on?” Jackson asked.
Garrett looked like he was about to respond when Grace beat him to it. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea to let the nurses know that you’re all down here, but they shouldn’t wake him up for this. After all, Mia can be in labor for hours.”
“Gosh, I hope not,” Emma said as she picked a sandwich and began putting some veggies on her plate. “I’m hoping it goes fast for her.”
“I do too, but that’s usually not the case with first babies. All we can do is wait,” Grace said as she handed Savannah a plate of food before making one for Dom and then one for herself.
For several minutes, everyone ate in silence, but when Jackson’s phone dinged with an incoming text, they all sat up a little straighter.
“She’s at eight centimeters,” he read. “And he asked if Mom made brownies.”
Grace preened. “See? Even during his first child being born, he still knows who makes the best brownies.”
When Garrett and Jackson both reached for the tray of brownies, she got up and smacked both their hands. “Don’t be a pack of wise guys. Let me put two aside for Austin first.” Then she picked up the plate and did just that. Then she handed one to Emma, one to Savannah, one to Dom, and took one for herself. When she put the tray down, there was one brownie left.
A small one.
“There. Now you can have the rest.”
“Mom…” they both whined, but it was all in good fun.
And as Savannah took a bite of her brownie, she realized being part of a family was actually pretty fun.
* * *
At six a.m.,Everly Cassandra Coleman entered the world.
Austin came stumbling down the hall to the waiting room with a goofy grin on his face and passed his phone around to show everyone pictures of his newborn daughter. Jackson had to admit that he was a little more overcome with emotions than he thought he’d be after seeing pictures of his new niece, and he was already looking forward to holding her.
Glancing over at Savannah, he saw her looking a little teary-eyed and moved close to put his arm around her.
“She’s seven pounds, eight ounces, and twenty-one inches long,” Austin said proudly. “Mia was an absolute rock star. I swear I’ll never complain about having to do anything ever again after watching what she went through.”
