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“You’re about to get another family member,” I tell him. “I bet you’re going to absolutely lose it when they bring her home.”
He licks my hand.
I grab a set of his things. Leash, his favorite bowl, crate for the car, a bag of dog food, and his treats. I’m gathering it all up by the door when Ziggy comes zooming into the kitchen, tail wagging, holding old tennis ball in his mouth. He drops it between his paws and looks at me expectantly.
“We can’t play fetch now,” I say and reach for it. He darts away, tail wagging even faster. “I promise we’ll play when we get to my house, okay?”
I drop his ball into my bag of stuff, and he cocks his head, looking at me with dismay.You’re supposed tothrowit,his gaze says.
We’ve just made it to my car when my phone rings again. I see Becky’s number, and my heart goes haywire.
“Is everything all right?”
“We forgot my go-bag!” Becky yells. Her voice is strained, and I can hear the stress in it. “It has all my stuff in it. Could you—”
“Yes, I’ll drive up to the hospital with it right away,” I say. “Don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” she says. “You’re the best.”
“No, in this situation, you are. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m being split in half, and not in a nice way.”
Beside her, I hear Patrick’s amused snort.
I chuckle. “Sounds like you’re keeping your spirits high.”
“I gotta,” she says. “It’s the only thing I have left to work with.”
We hang up, and I grab the bag from where it sits, packed and prepared, on the bench in their hallway. Patrick must have been going out of his mind to miss such a key detail.
Ziggy is quiet in the backseat during our drive to the hospital. Between all of us, he seems to be handling this situation the best.
My heart is pounding like I’m actually racing to the hospital with the pregnant Becky instead of her go-bag in the passenger seat.
Phillip reached out.
Becky is giving birth.
I should call him.
Please let everything go smoothly.
I make it to the hospital parking lot and give Ziggy a bowl of water and crack a window. He rests his head on his paws and gives a doggy sigh.Okay, I’ll wait here.
I’m walking toward the entrance of the hospital when I see her. Standing outside, drinking a can of soda in the warm sunlight.
Of course this is happening. She’s a nurse, and she works at this hospital. Nature’s timing is impeccable. Cindy looks up. Our eyes meet, and her mouth opens in surprise.
I don’t slow down, Becky’s bag in my hand. There are many more important things going on right now than our non-friendship.
“Eden,” she says.
“Hey, Cindy,” I say with a nod.
We haven’t spoken, not really, since everything exploded. Those days had been some of the ugliest in my life. Fighting, first with Caleb and then with Cindy. Having her sob in front of me like I was the one hurting her; when it was she who’s been sleeping with my fiancé for months.
“How’ve you been?” she asks.
