Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Xmas Eve
CONNOR
Trick sends the birth announcement via text.
Trick: Sean Reilly Patrick 7 pounds 2 ounces.
We’ve been waiting for word, so we roll into the hospital within minutes of seeing it.
When Trick meets us in the hall, his eyes are red, and, for a second, I worry there was some kind of complication.
I’ve only seen tears on his face once. It was right after the doctor we brought in to look at ‘Vil’s gunshot wound said surgery was the only thing that could save him, and Frank shut down every one of our ideas to get ‘Vil a life-saving operation in secret.
Trick always acts like he left Frank’s organization over a dispute over an injured kid, and that was the tipping point. But I think the seeds of rebellion were planted in Trick on the day Frank showed no remorse about locking ‘Vil down to die.
“How’s it look?” I ask Trick now, hoping everything’s all right and that the kid’s healthy.
Trick flashes us an easy smile, and I know things are fine. Apparently, like a lot of fathers before him, sentiment got the best of him when he saw his son for the first time.
“Yeah, good,” Trick says. “Like all babies, he’s that got that ugly-cute thing going on.
He looks like one of those mean little mandrake roots in Harry Potter, one that’s not happy about being transplanted into the world.
” He chuckles, then sobers and holds up a hand. “Don’t tell Laurel I said that.”
“How is Laurelyn?” I ask.
“Tough. Maybe tougher than anyone I know, including me. No epidural. No drugs. No screaming. She just gritted it out for eleven hard hours. They don’t call it labor for nothing.
” He shakes his head. “On the days leading up to this, I was like, ‘You sure you want to pretend it’s 1950?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, I think I can do it naturally.’ I thought she might cave in once things got rough, but my wife was not playing. ”
‘Vil nods. “You’re right. She’s tougher than you.”
Trick laughs. “As usual, I can count on you to take my side, brother.” Trick glances over his shoulder at the closed door to their hospital room. “Wanna see him?”
“We’re not here to see you,” Anvil murmurs.
“Sasha,” Rachel admonishes.
Trick just grins. “Let me see if she’ll give him up for a second.” Then he disappears back into the room.
Irina’s walking these days, and she tries to make a break for the hallway. Rachel gives chase, but it takes Anvil stepping into the baby’s path to stop her. She collides with his leg, grabbing on to it to steady herself. ‘Vil reaches down and picks her up.
When Trick emerges, he’s got the sleeping baby, and we form a huddle around them.
“Yay,” Zoe whispers, touching the kid’s little head gently with her fingertips. “Congratulations, Trick. He’s beautiful.”
The baby opens his eyes, and I expect his face to scrunch up, but there’s no wailing. He just looks around.
“Such pretty eyes,” Rachel says.
“Yeah,” Trick says with a smile. “I was hoping they’d be exactly like Laurelyn’s. Hers are that perfect clear green, but I think maybe his are aqua…some green from her and some blue from me. That’s pretty cool.”
Without warning, Irina bends forward from ‘Vil’s arms and touches the baby’s cheek. It’s not quite a poke, but it’s close.
The baby’s face scrunches unhappily, and he cries out.
“Careful,” Rachel says, immediately enclosing the little girl’s hands in hers. “See how little the baby is? We have to be careful with him because he just got here.”
Whether the little girl understands or not isn’t clear, but she goes with the flow as Anvil steps back so her hands can’t reach the baby’s face again.
“We’ve got gifts,” I say.
“You’d better,” Trick says with a wink.
The baby starts to fuss, and Trick smiles down at him. “I have to take him back to her. I promised.”
“Go. We’ll see you later.”
“Thanks for coming,” Trick says.
“Like we’d miss this,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Course not. Never hear the end of it if we did,” ‘Vil deadpans.
Trick’s smile is wide and genuine. “You’re right about that, ‘Vil. I’ll see ya later.” Then he disappears back into the room.
Irina babbles something to ‘Vil.
“Yeah, that’s Dada’s friend and his son. You like that baby?”
She makes a sound that’s unintelligible.
“Yeah, he’s good so far,” ‘Vil says and thens adds something in Russian. I’m not sure she actually understands what he’s saying or vice versa, but they definitely have a rapport.
Irina waves at us.
“Aw, so pretty,” Zoe coos. “Can I have a kiss?” she asks, leaning in and puckering her lips.
The little girl mimics her, and they kiss.
“You’re her favorite, Zoe,” Rachel says with a smile.
“Well, not her favorite, but her favorite aunt.” Zoe slides an arm through mine and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Rach, Sasha, wanna come to the house for breakfast? I feel like cooking.”
Rachel looks at ‘Vil who nods.
“We’ll stay the day,” Anvil says as we start toward the elevator bank. “And then we’ll see how things look about which house for tomorrow. Trick still thinks they're gonna make it for Christmas.”
Rachel tilts her head. “Well, whatever they want to do…”
Anvil’s standard scowl is in place. It’s surprising his little girl isn’t troubled by it. Apparently she takes after Rachel.
“Even if they let him take Laurelyn and the baby home tonight, do you really think she’s gonna want to go out tomorrow?” Anvil says.
“Well, let’s see. Maybe he’ll want us to go there for a little bit.”
“Do I care what he wants?” Anvil shakes his head. “It’s his wife that should decide, not him.”
I smile and wrap an arm around Zoe’s shoulders, pulling her into me as we step onto the elevator.
“That’s true,” Rachel says. “But I think Trick’s mom and sisters are already at his house, so it’s not like it’ll be just the three of them having a quiet Christmas alone.”
Anvil rolls his eyes. “A thousand bucks says that was Trick’s idea, not hers.”
“We could check to see if Ash and Kathleen want to stay over at our house? Laurelyn might want her own mom or Trick’s mom there, but probably not everyone, huh? And I don’t think the Reillys’ house is big enough for all of the Patricks to stay. Ours is though.”
My gaze flicks to ‘Vil’s face, and I try not to smirk at his dark expression.
After a pause, ‘Vil says, “Ask.”
“You want me to text Trick?” she asks, surprised.
“No. I already said I don’t care what he says.
Text Laurelyn. No…actually, Raven, text Baby G instead.
Irina will want to see her anyway and give her the present for babysitting.
When she’s at our house, you suggest she stay and lure the other sister over, too.
Say it’s to give Trick and his wife some time to rest and settle in with the new baby. She’ll want to do that.”
Rachel nods and then catches my eye and chuckles. “C Crue Operations 2.0, huh, C?”
“Seems like,” I say, amused.
“Kathleen drinks whiskey and is a good pool player,” ‘Vil says. “On a holiday, she’s not a bad trade for Trick. You can tell him I said that.”
Everyone laughs.
Then I shake my head. “You really think this is a workable plan, ‘Vil, to get Trick to settle in for a quiet Christmas at home? You start talking whiskey and playing pool, it’s a party. One that includes all of us and his sisters, but not him? And you expect to gloat about it?”
“Yeah, you’re right, C. Better to keep it low.”
I smile. There have been days when I thought I wasn’t ready to be a family man.
Today I realize I already am, and have been for a while.