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Chapter Twenty-One
Friday morning started earlierthan Agatha wanted it to. Just after 3 a.m., her day started with a phone call. Sera was in labor, and the girls were coming over to Agatha’s. Leaving Chris sleeping, she climbed out of his warm arms and went to let the still-sleeping Emma and Violet into the house.
Since her sleep had been disturbed, she decided to draw instead of trying to sleep again. Over the last two weeks, she hadn’t drawn as much as she usually did. Chris was usually there until late morning and back just after Violet left for the day. Her best time for work wasn’t during the day, but her nights were now filled with Chris.
By 6 a.m., she got the call she had been waiting for, though she wouldn’t admit it. Over the months, she hadn’t let herself get too excited over Sera’s new baby; she knew this birth wouldn’t be like the other two. This baby wasn’t going to be a large part of her life. Sera had Harrison, and that had changed everything. He would be there for the baby, not Agatha.
Baby boy Dean had arrived and was ready to see his sisters. Sera had wanted the girls to be a part of their new brother’s life, and that including being present for the birth, but Harrison had said no. He had missed his daughter’s births and was not going to share his son with anyone—even his kids, which Emma was very thankful for. Violet had been disappointed, so the baby being born as she slept was a good thing.
Agatha returned to her room to change into clothes for the day. Chris was still sleeping. He was gorgeous even in sleep. After putting on jeans and her “Pin” T-shirt, she sat down on the bed and ran her fingers through his curly hair, the strands reminded her of the eight-year-old she fell in love with.
Chris opened his eyes and squinted at her. “Morning.”
“Morning. I have to get the kids ready and take them to see the new baby this morning. Sleep as long as you want.” She ran her fingers through the curls one more time.
“What? Baby?” he asked in confusion.
“Harrison dropped the girls off around three. It’s six now. Just sleep.” Getting up, she kissed his forehead and left him to sleep the rest of the morning.
She had managed to put both girls to sleep in the same bedroom the night before—usually, Emma was against that. Being in the same room made it easier for her to wake them both with the news of their brother. Both showed more excitement than they had previously let on.
Once the kids were dressed and clean, she stopped at a fast food restaurant to get them breakfast on the way to the hospital. Once there, the little girls ran to their mom, hugged her, and took turns holding their brother. As Sera pointed out the similarities and differences the black-haired baby had with his sisters, Agatha congratulated Harrison on the boy.
“I am more excited to see the baby than anyone. All of you got to see the girls arrive. This one is my first. Thanks for being there for Sera when Violet was born. She told me you were her rock during that time.” Harrison gave her a side hug.
Looking at the man, she wondered how much Sera had told him. Had she told him what happened that morning? Or just about how she took to the baby? “I didn’t do anything.”
“Do you want to hold the baby, Agatha?” Sera asked, looking at her closely, too closely. She was looking for weakness, something Agatha wasn’t going to show.
“Not today. Later.” She looked at the baby in Sera’s arms, so much like Violet. The image brought that day back into sharp focus. Harrison hugged her again as if sensing her emotions, and she realized that he must know.
“Okay, we named him,” Sera said, sniffing back a tear.
“Harry?” Agatha nudged Harrison away, whose arm was still around her.
“No, silly. Benjamin Lovely Dean.”
“Harrison, did you let her name your kid after her ex? Didn’t you just spend months changing the girls’ names to Dean?” Agatha turned to the proud father, who was grinning.
Violet and Emma still maintained the Lovely last name as a second middle name. It was something that Sera had insisted, that her kids would always be Lovelys. They were a family.
“She named him after his sisters, not the ex.” Harrison pointed out, refusing to let Agatha get him riled up.
“She shouldn’t. Most of us aren’t even Lovelys anymore.”
Sera’s eyes were shining with tears. “You five will always be Lovelys, even when you get married.”
“You’re weird.” Agatha laughed at her and wiped her own tear away, but she stepped over to Sera and hugged her. Her new baby looked just like another carbon copy of his sisters.
“I’ll take the girls to school since I assume more Lovelys will be here soon. You can go back home, Agatha. I hear you might have someone waiting,” Harrison said not so subtly.
“Nice, Harrison. He’s still sleeping.”
“So not missing you?”
“Who wouldn’t miss me, Harrison?” Agatha joked, not wanting to say too much, not with Sera listening and disapproving.
Without waiting for an answer, she headed out, leaving the family behind. They needed time to bond with the new arrival, and Agatha was sure Harrison wasn’t in a hurry to take the girls to school.
