Chapter 59 Nora
NORA
The curtain rustles. Nate appears, slightly out of breath, an overnight bag slung over one shoulder. “You good?”
“You look like you battled to get back here.”
“I nearly did. Some twat in an Audi cut me off on the bypass. I considered violence, but he looked like Dom so I reconsidered my options.” He leans down and kisses my forehead. “Getting back to you was my priority.”
I smile. “Very mature.”
He drops the bag beside the chair and leans in, kissing my lips, then my cheek, then my jaw, like he needs proof I’m still here. “You good?” he murmurs.
“I’m starving.”
“I thought Ev would’ve been back by now. He wouldn’t bail, would he?”
“You think he’s on one of his spirals?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “I mean, he’s been on a full core meltdown for the last four weeks. This might have just tipped him over the edge.”
I take Nate’s hands in mine. “He won’t bail. He might not show it, but he needs you.”
Right on cue, the curtain opens. Evan steps through, carrying an alarming number of McDonald’s brown paper bags.
The familiar smell of salty fries and grease fills the space, and my stomach growls loud enough that the whole ward probably heard.
Evan raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like I made it just in time.”
“Yeah, we can’t have the pregnant woman hangry.”
“I’m not hangry.” I swat Nate’s arm. “Not yet, anyway. Gimme my food.”
Ev hands me a bag. “I got you sweet-and-sour sauce too.” He hands Nate a bag. “I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten or not. But figured you wouldn’t turn down a McD’s even if you had.” He clears his throat. “Eaten already, I mean. But I got your favourite.” Ev’s cheeks flush, and he pushes his glasses up.
Nate reaches over the bed. I don’t miss how his fingers brush Ev’s when he takes the bag from him. “Thanks,” he says. “I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
Ev dives into his own bag and unloads like a magician pulling endless food from a hat.
Fries. Nuggets. Cheeseburgers. Sauces in every colour.
Nate blinks. “Did you buy the entire restaurant?”
“I panicked,” Evan says.
I grab fries first, practically inhaling them. “Oh my. Hospital food could never compare.”
Nate bites into his Double Quarter Pounder and Ev chews on a nugget. We eat in silence.
“You scared the life out of me today,” Nate says with an exhale.
“Me too.” Ev sucks through his straw. His chair closer than he has been in weeks.
I nudge the nuggets towards him. “You haven’t eaten today. I saw you work through dinner.”
Nate snorts. “She’s right. You look like you’ve survived solely on anxiety and coffee.”
Evan exhales a quiet laugh despite himself and takes another nugget. “I’ve been surviving on anxiety and coffee for weeks now. I’m used to it.”
“You didn’t need to.” Nate sneers, biting into more of his Quarter Pounder.
I still don’t understand Ev’s reasons for stepping back. Nate says it’s because he’s afraid to tell people about us, but Cal said it’s because he really believes we’re better off without him.
Despite everything that’s happened today, it’s the first time in weeks I feel whole. Both men in the same room somehow fill the open wounds, and with Pip’s heartbeat softly sounding on the monitor, it’s as if he’s reassuring us all that everything will be well.
After a few minutes, Nate stands and gathers the rubbish from the bed. “I’ll go find a bin before we get complaints of making the ward smell like a fast-food joint.” He gathers more wrappers and disappears through the curtain.
I lower my voice and reach for Evan’s hand. “Don’t leave him alone tonight.”
His brow furrows. “Nora—”
“I mean it.” My hand finds his wrist. “He won’t say it, but he’s barely holding it together. He lost his parents and you at the same time.”
Guilt flickers across his face. “I thought you’d have all made up by now.”
I shake my head. “He won’t talk to them. He needs you, Ev.”
Evan swallows, eyes dropping to my belly. “I never wanted to hurt him.”
“I know.”
Nate returns, dropping back into the chair. “Crisis contained. Now you’re fed and watered.” He checks his watch. “I think they’ll kick us out soon. You sure you don’t want me to stay?”
I shake my head. “No, you two go home. Get some sleep. You both look like you need it.”
Nate leans over and presses a kiss to my stomach. “Listen, Pip,” he whispers against the fabric of my dress. “No more scaring your mum and dads like that, yeah? We’re too old for this stress.”
I smile. Whenever he talks like Pip can already hear him, my chest fills with warmth.
Ev leans forward and places his hand beside Nate’s. “Listen to your daddy,” he whispers. “You hang in there, kiddo.”
I thought I was all cried out after today, but tears blur my vision. It’s the first time Ev’s spoken to my belly, his fingers touch Nate’s just ever so slightly and their eyes lock as if Ev’s silently asking Nate’s permission if this is okay.
Nate’s brows lift, but he doesn’t move his hand away. Instead, he moves his thumb, brushing Evan’s knuckles. “You hear that, Pip?” Nate’s eyes stay locked on Ev. “You have two daddies here who can’t wait to meet you.”
Ev nods and wipes his eyes under his glasses. “We love you so much, kid.”
Nate reaches his other hand across the bed and curls his fingers around Ev’s neck, his thumb stroking circles on his skin.
I place my hand over theirs on my stomach. The monitor continues its steady rhythm around us, and low in my belly, a flutter makes me suck in a breath as if Pip’s moving around and telling us he’s okay.
A midwife pops her head in behind the curtain. “I’m going to be taking your blood pressure, then we can get you settled for bed. I’ll give you a minute,” she says, as if gently reminding us of the time.
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” Nate kisses me again. “I love you.”
“I love you. Bring food.”
“I’ll bring grapes,” Evan says. “Cheese and crackers too.”
“Are you going to hand feed them to me as well?”
“Are you kidding?” Evan huffs. “Nate’s got that job covered along with wrapping you in cotton wool.”
Their laughter fills the tiny cracks in my heart.
Ev leans down and kisses my forehead. His eyes linger on mine, and I reach up, cradling his weary face. “I love you, Ev.” I hold my breath, hoping he knows just how much I care for him.
He rests his forehead against mine, his breath fanning my cheek as he whispers, “I love you, doodles. You and Pip.” He swallows and tilts his head towards Nate at the bottom of the bed as if he wants to say his name too, but it’s too painful right now.
I pull his face back to mine and whisper. “Talk to him. Promise me.”
He nods. “I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
They leave together in silence. The ward grows quiet.
I settle back against the pillows, one hand resting over my stomach, listening to Pip’s steady heartbeat.
I may have a tear behind my placenta, but it will heal. Just like the fracture between the three of us. They’ll be back tomorrow, and things won’t be perfect, but in time maybe we can heal too.
Maybe we’ll even be stronger for it. For Pip.