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By the timeshe got to the hospital, and circled, and parked, and found the right waiting room, that adrenaline buzz was wearing thin.
Dom rose from a hard plastic chair and hugged her. "Hey, baby girl."
"Hey there, Nonno."
Dom teared up and pulled her closer. He was such a sentimental softy.
"Where's Ma?" Frankie pulled back from the hug, scanning the waiting room.
"She's staying in with Fi until Adrian gets here."
"He's not here?"
"No, he was out on a job and Jo and Fi were working at the new house on the nursery when things started happening." Dom waved a hand over his belly as if using actual words to describe labor was too difficult. "He's on his way though."
"And Enzo and Natalie?"
"They'll come once the baby arrives. It's no good having Nat sit up all night on these chairs eight months pregnant with twins." Dom lost his battle and a tear chased its way down his cheek. "All these babies. My heart is so full."
Frankie was grateful he didn't push the conversation toward her baby-making plans. Just because she could didn't mean she should. Having kids wasn't something she could see herself doing, at least not where her life was right now. But she was also too tired and emotional to defend her choice eloquently.
Luckily, Adrian derailed that train of thought by bursting through the doors.
"Sofia? Sofia?Mi vida?" His eyes searched the room frantically, landing on Dom once he'd determined Sofia wasn't actually there. "Dom! Where is she?"
Dom clapped a hand on his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. "She's fine. Everything's fine. Room 326." Frankie couldn't tell if Dom was reassuring Adrian or himself.
"Dad, let him go."
"Oh, right, of course."
Dom dropped his hug, and Frankie slapped Adrian on the shoulder. "Batter up,papi. Go catch that baby."
Adrian grinned and took off down the hallway with such speed that Frankie was nervous for the nurses in his path. She didn't think he even saw them.
A minute later, Jo joined them out at the chairs.
"Everything is good. She is in active labor, but it's early yet. It will likely be hours before anything really picks up. But she's as comfortable as can be expected. Now that Adrian is here, she has calmed down. The good news is we put all of her nesting energy to good use. The nursery is completely finished, and it's gorgeous. Wait until you see it, Frankie." Her mother rattled out her update, nervous energy pushing her words quickly out of her mouth.
"I'd expect nothing less from Fi. How's the rest of the house looking?"
Her mother had been around enough build sites to give her an accurate assessment. "It's coming along. They really only have to finish the tiling and paint the walls. Then it's just punch out."
Adrian and Sofia had been sharing the efficiency apartment over Adrian's mother's house so they could be close for Graciela in case she needed them. Her therapy for agoraphobia had been going well, but some days were better than others. They were planning to move back into the main house for the first month with the baby, so Graciela could help out. But Sofia had wanted their own place, so they'd bought a fixer-upper on the same block and Adrian had spent every minute he wasn't at work renovating it. He'd hoped to be done before the baby came, but the wee one apparently hadn't checked the work schedule before deciding to arrive.
"That close, huh?" Frankie pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Jake. "I'll be right back," she told her parents and slipped out into the elevator lobby. If Jake was game, she might be able to pull off the best baby shower gift ever.
"Frankie. What's up?" Jake answered, his tone brusque and distracted. He probably hadn't even looked away from whatever clip he was editing.
"I'm at the hospital."
That got his attention.
"What? Are you okay? Who's hurt? Tell me where you are. Did you contact the network's insurance?" The questions flew rapid-fire from his mouth, and she could hear a door close behind him, his keys jangling and his feet crunching on the gravel drive. Two beeps announced his car door unlocking.
"Jake, wait. I'm fine. Everyone's fine. Sofia is in labor. We're having a baby!" Frankie crowed.
"Oh! Oh. Wonderful." He exhaled heavily and his voice dropped a whole octave.
