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I can hide, he suggested.
No, Mason. Just hurry up before we both be in trouble.
Okay, Daddy.
I slid into the driver’s seat and pulled off the lot, prepared to make the thirty-minute drive.
On my way. I shot Nature a text as I pulled up to the red light that caught us right out of the parking lot.
Gray bubbles appeared and then disappeared. Shortly after, a reply surfaced.
Okay.
Est Gee flowed over the sickening beat, serving as background sounds as I bent the blocks of Berkeley. Bobbing my head, I joined after every few words. The bright sun shined against the front windshield, obscuring my vision from certain angles while serving as a source of vitamin D simultaneously. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, determined to cut the thirty-minute trip down by at least two so that I didn’t keep Nature waiting too long.
The camera positioned right across from Mason’s car seat convinced me of his comfort. He was still going to town on the sucker he’d stolen without a care in the world. Though he couldn’t hear a damn word Est was spitting, he bobbed his head to the rhythm, able to feel the vibrations and gauge the tone and pace of the song through his own method.
As I pulled into the space dedicated to Nature, she came wobbling out of her office. Her belly was so much bigger and so much rounder this pregnancy. Mila was a whopping eleven pounds and Nature had every intention of pushing her out in a natural home birth.
Our due date had come and gone, making us all anxious as we waited for her to make her debut. Though Nature was still making her rounds daily, I’d taken paternity leave and would be home for the next three months. Mistakes I’d made in the wake of Mason’s arrival prepared me for Mila’s birth. Not only did my wife need me, but so did my children, and I’d be damned if I was walking the hospital halls or sitting behind a desk while she struggled at home alone.
The look on my baby’s face spilled secrets she refused to. She was tired. With a shake of the head, I jumped out and ran around to the passenger side to open her door. Any day, our daughter would be here, yet she refused to rest. She was fully invested in the health and births of the mothers who’d entrusted her and refused to let any of them suffer through the practices of someone who knew nothing about them or their unborn children if she could help it.
“Any day now, Nature.”
“Until that day, I’ll be right here, Milo.”
“Stubborn,” I groaned, leaning over to kiss her lips before shutting the door.
“Umm hmmm. You love me, nonetheless,” she said as soon as I was within earshot.
“It’s true.”
“So then stop complaining. Guess who popped today?”
“Who?” I nearly broke my neck wondering who’d shown up to her establishment. Automatically, my mind began trekking through unstable territory.
“My father.” She released a stream of air, still partly surprised, herself.
“Bullshit, baby.”
I nearly was stunned speechless. My face mirrored hers, both in sheer disbelief.
“Dead ass? You serious right now?”
“I’m serious. I couldn’t believe my eyes when he walked through my office door mid-day –without my mom dragging him. According to my mother, he’s been plotting on his retirement since the wedding. Walking me down the aisle made him come to terms with how much of my life he’s truly missed. Do you that today is his first time at my practice?”
“No shit?”
“Yeah. He left in tears. I’m not sure what’s happening or what has gotten into him, but I can’t say that I don’t appreciate the change of heart. I just wish it wasn’t so late.”
“Better late than never, Nay. He has Mason and Mila to pour into now that he has so much time on his hands.”
Seeing my baby’s world come full circle was heartening. This, all of this, was all she’d ever wanted.
“You’re right. Have you guys eaten?” she asked, peeking at the camera to check on Mason. “Is tha—Is that candy?”
I stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear her as I maneuvered the whip out of the parking lot.
“Baby!” Her voice upped a few notches.
“What’s up, Nay?” Finally, I looked over at her, sensing the concern in her tone.
“My… my sack has ruptured.”
Fluid leaked from her vagina, staining her dress and spilling onto the floor. Remaining calm, I grabbed her hand and brought it to my mouth.
“Any day,” I repeated myself, ready for the moment my baby girl took her first breath.
The end.
