Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Wes
My meeting finally ended, so I pulled out my phone on the way back to my office and noticed I had three missed calls from Anna and a voicemail. I brought my phone up to my ear to listen to her message.
“Wes, just so we’re clear, I’m going to kill you when I see you for not answering your phone! I’m on my way to the hospital. I’m in labor. Get there as fast as you can.”
“SHIT!” I yelled as I ran out of the building and hailed a cab.
The driver pulled up to the entrance of the ER, and I threw some cash at him and told him to keep the change. Running through the doors, I saw Franco standing at the nurses’ station.
“Franco, where is she?”
“I just got here myself. I’m trying to find out.”
“Where is my wife? She came here in labor. Her name is Anna Carter.”
“Your wife has been taken up to the OB unit, Mr. Carter. Take the elevators up to the fifth floor, and the nurses will take you to her.”
“Thank you. Come on, Franco.”
We took the elevators up, and when we stepped off, I rang the buzzer on the door.
“May I help you?” a female voice spoke.
“My wife is up here in labor. Her name is Anna Carter.”
The door buzzed, and Franco and I went inside.
“Mr. Carter, I’m Casey, your wife’s nurse. Follow me, and I’ll take you to her.”
We followed the nurse down the hall and into Anna’s room. The moment I saw her, I ran to her bedside.
“Sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I was in a meeting.”
“I figured.” She squeezed my hand.
“How are you, Momma?” Franco smiled as he grabbed her other hand.
“I’m okay. But once a contraction hits, you might want to run.”
“Wes, there’s something?—”
“Anna, I brought you some ice chips,” a woman walked into the room.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God,” Franco said as he stared at her. “That’s Anna’s mother.”
“What?” I looked at Anna.
“It’s a long story.”
“Franco, isn’t it?” She smiled. “Look at you. You’ve grown up into a handsome man.”
“Hello, Anna’s mother. Long time no see.”
“I didn’t know you and Anna were still friends,” she said.
“Anna and I will be best friends until the day we die.”
“You must be Anna’s husband.” She extended her hand to me.
“Yes, I’m Wes Carter.” I lightly shook her hand. “May I ask why you’re here?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Franco spoke.
“My husband Paul and I were in the cupcake shop. I had no idea that Anna owned the place. We went to talk in Central Park, and she went into labor.”
“Are you living in New York?” Franco asked.
“No. Not yet, anyway. We’re here looking at places to live.”
“Oh,” Franco said as he looked over at Anna.
I looked at Franco and tilted my head towards the door, gesturing that he take Anna’s mother out of the room so the two of us could talk.
“Anna’s mom, why don’t you come with me? We’ll go get a nice cup of coffee. Tell me what you’ve been up all these years.” He smiled as he placed his hand on her arm.
“Sure. Okay. And please, call me Carla.”
They left the room, and I looked at Anna, leaned in, and kissed her lips.
“Are you okay? Is she the reason you went into labor? Did you get yourself all worked up?”
“No, Wes. She’s not the reason. I guess those weren’t Braxton Hicks I was having all morning. And I’m fine. We talked. When I went into labor, she had a security guard get me a wheelchair, and she wheeled me out of the park and got us a cab. She was yelling at the driver to step on it. She took care of me for the first time in my life.”
“That’s good, sweetheart.” I pressed my lips against her forehead. I still had my concerns.
After eight hours of labor, our daughter, Aubrey Paris Carter, was born at six pounds, ten ounces. She was beautiful and looked exactly like Anna. I was going to have my hands full with her and the boys. I could already tell.
I sat by Anna’s bedside as she breastfed her for the first time. I had a beautiful family who were my entire reason for breathing. I stepped out of the room and called Dr. Stark to tell him the news and also to tell him that Anna’s mother was in town.
“Dr. Stark,” he answered.
“Dr. Stark, it’s Wes Carter.”
“Wes, how are you?”
“I’m good. Anna had the baby.”
“Excellent. How is she doing?”
“She’s good, but there’s another reason I called. Her mother is here with us. They went to Central Park to talk, and Anna went into labor.”
“Hmm. Okay. I’ll come by the hospital and pay Anna a visit in case she wants to talk about it.”
“Thanks, Dr. Stark. I appreciate it.”