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I shook my head, too overcome with the adrenaline crash and rush of hormones to make words from my emotions. The tears spilled over and streaked down my cheeks. They poured out, out, out while Will whispered things I couldn't process but didn't think I'd everforget.
Judy squeezed my hand and brought my head to her shoulder. "I know, sweetheart," she said. "Iknow."
I believed that. She knew, even though I couldn't put any of it into words. It didn't matter that Judy had only been in my life a few short years. She was the adult in the room when I needed one, the woman who answered every one of my crazy pregnancy questions and loved me like one of her own. She was the one who held me while I gave birth to my babies, who was the strength when I ran out of myown.
There was a quick knock at the door and Stremmel stepped in. "You have a small mob waiting outside," he said. "They're getting a littlerowdy."
"Is Riley mixing drinks?" I asked. I was trying to laugh but only ended up cryingharder.
Stremmel glanced over his shoulder and then back at us. "I don't know," he said, his impatience obvious. "I can send them in or send them home, but I'm not letting them hang out in my ER muchlonger."
I sniffled and asked, "Is my sisterhere?"
"Which one is that?" Stremmelasked.
Will sighed. "The other redhead," hesaid.
Judy kissed my temple and squeezed my hand again. "I'll go get her," she said. "We'll give the others a few minutes to simmer down,okay?"
"Can you check on Abby, too?" I asked. Goddamn these tears. They didn't stop. "I just want to make sure she's asleep and she's not too confused, and tell her we'll be hometomorrow—"
"No, Peanut," Will said. "That's notaccurate."
"Are you sure?" Stremmel interrupted, swiping at his tablet. "Vaginal births areusually—"
"Don't sayvaginalaround my wife," Will snapped. "Just fuckin' don't. Thank you for delivering this perfect little girl and taking great care of my wife, but I haven't reconciled the fact you hit on her last night and then, youknow—"
Stremmel cut him off with an irritable wave. "Yeah, all right," he murmured. "Anyway, I'd like you to stay at least twenty-fourhours."
"I am going home whenever the fuck I'm ready to go home, and neither of you will bossy-penis me," I whisper-yelled over Annabelle's head. "I've had enough bossy-penis today, thankyou."
Stremmel tucked his tablet under his arm, nodding. "Understood," he replied. He ducked his head and stared at his sneakers for a long beat. "Sorry about lastnight."
"Mmhmm," Will growled besideme.
"You're fine," I said. Still crying. "It was incredibly flattering." "My husband had quite a bit to say about it afterward. We had an extensiveconversation."
I shot a smile in Will's direction, a quiet reminder of the hour he spent between my legs while he made damn sure I knew how he felt about Stremmel'scomments.
"For fuck's sake, Shannon," Willsaid.
"You did most of the talking," I said to Will, chuckling through mytears.
Judy cleared her throat. "Oh, my," she said. "I'll just go grab Erin and then I'll check on Miss Abigael. I'm sure she's doing well. I know Sam and Tiel are holding down the fort. She's probably tickled to have a sleepover with hercousin."
Stremmel glowered at his tablet. "Doctor Zellers will be taking over your case from here. We'll get you into a patient room, and she'll drop in as soon as she's available," he said. He checked the IV line on my hand and glanced down at Annabelle. "She's a cutekid."
"That's the only way we make them," Isaid.
He stared at Annabelle and I noticed the glimmers of a smile pulling at his lips. It was gone as quickly as it appeared. "I have patients to see," he said. "Press the call button if you needanything."
Stremmel left the room, and Will wrapped me and Annabelle up in his arms. He held me tight while tears continued rolling down mycheeks.
The last time I had a baby, I cried because my sister came home. I didn't understand why I was crying now—other than being buried under a landslide of hormones—or how to make it stop. I had every emotion hitting me atonce.
Joy for my healthy babygirl.
Love for her, and Will andAbby.
