Chapter 20
Felicity ran for the door and pulled it open. The ice-cold metal steps down from her apartment bit into her feet as she ran. Every window of the Powell house glowed like every single light inside was on, despite the late hour.
She flung open the heavy garden gate, and it clanged and reverberated against the rest of the fence.
Her feet pounded across the empty lot, scraped over root-rippled sidewalks and street, and didn’t stop until they hit the worn stone porch steps of the house Samantha and Abbott shared with her grandfather, Dr. Powell.
Felicity nearly sobbed in relief when she saw Samantha pacing inside, wearing that old dove-gray bathrobe that had been her mother’s over the prickly cactus butts nightgown from New Year’s.
Her hands were braced against her back. Several paramedics were leaning against the wall, wearing gloves and holding bags of all different sizes.
Dr. Powell’s ancient eyes followed his granddaughter’s every move.
Abbott was sitting on the coffee table with his head in his hands.
Felicity knocked on the storm door as softly as possible. It must have been silent inside because even the small sound drew the attention from everyone in the room.
Samantha’s head snapped toward the door. “Abbott?! Did you call everyone we know to try to drag me out of my own home? Just come in, Felicity.”
“I saw the ambulance.”
Courtney and Thea both stood a little behind the door. Courtney offered Felicity a weak smile. She was still in what she’d been wearing at the Valentine’s Day event. It was after one in the morning, if the old grandfather clock in the corner was correct.
Everyone in the room looked like kids lined up outside the principal’s office, waiting to see where the blame would land.
“I do not need to go to the hospital. What I need is for everyone to stop looking at me like my head’s going to fall off.”
Abbott stood up and flung out his hand. “When I came in, you were on the floor. I panicked.”
“I was sleeping. I’d been having some reflux, and I kept feeling sick. That’s all.”
“Sorry for just showing up,” Felicity said.
She slid along the living room wall, and Courtney, Thea, and the three EMS medics gave her the half-smile, half-grimace greeting.
They all slid over to make room as if they were playing a very slow, upright game of “there were ten in the bed and the little one said ‘roll over.’”
Dr. Powell gave Felicity a prodding head twitch.
Felicity blinked twice before taking the hint. “So … how’re—um—your sugars?”
“They’re fine. My Dexcom is fine. Everything is goddamn fine.” She made a sound halfway between a growl and a scream. “I want to go back to bed. I would be goddamn fine too if my stupid back would stop spasming.”
Thea took a tentative step forward. “Wait—when did your back start spasming?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s probably from sleeping on the floor. It’s hurt for months, it’s just a little worse tonight. Probably why my stomach is so crampy.”
Oh shit.
The bravest of the medics cleared his throat. “Ma’am, not sure the best way to tell you this—”
The storm door sprang open. “Is she here?” Nic stood there carrying Felicity’s heaviest coat and her boots.
“I fucking hate this town.” Sam kept muttering and grimacing. “Gang’s all here because a pregnant woman dared to fall asleep on a tile floor after having a stomach bug.”
“Everything all right here?” Nic stepped next to Felicity, and again, the row of attendees all scooted down to make room.
Courtney, Thea, Dr. Powell, and Abbott were having a very loud conversation using only their eyes.
Sam glared at Nic. “It’s just a little stomach pain, and for some reason, I can’t get any of them to leave.”
“Right, so about that stomach pain, kiddo.” Dr. Powell appeared as gobsmacked as the rest of them that they had to spell out the obvious to Samantha Powell, who got a perfect score on her SAT.
Summa cum laude Yale graduate. Rhodes Scholar.
He took off his glasses and folded them into the top pocket of his pajama shirt.
Everyone waited for Dr. Powell to continue.
He didn’t.
Nic scanned the room. He gave Felicity a look that very clearly asked if she was okay. She smiled and nodded. He followed it with a slight widening of the eyes with a flick of the gaze toward the woman everyone was orbiting around. Felicity nodded again.
Nic swept a pointed hand around the room. “I’m sorry, so which of you was planning on telling the poor woman she’s in labor?”
Samantha’s phone clattered to the floor. “What?”
“How often has she been flinching like that, Felicity?” Nic handed Felicity her boots and then held the coat up behind her.
Felicity slipped her arms into the sleeves. “About every three minutes or so. If that clock’s right.”
“It is.” Dr. Powell pointed at the medics. “Boys, take a quick set of vitals, wouldja? And you, kid.”
Felicity wasn’t sure who Dr. Powell was speaking to, but Abbott’s head snapped up.
“Go get her bags, son.”
Abbott nodded, looking relieved to have a task.
“I’ll get them.” Courtney patted Abbott’s shoulder. “Should he warm up the car maybe?”
All eyes turned to the pacing woman at whom the question was directed.
“Nope. Nope. Nope. I am not having a baby today. I had three more weeks. Do you know how much I could have done in those three weeks.” She doubled over, reached for Abbott, who was at her side holding on to her, letting her dig her nails into his arm without the smallest complaint.
“I had inventory scheduled.” She grimaced.
“Baby, it’ll be okay.”
“How about I warm up the car.” Dr. Powell took the keys from Abbott. “You stay with your woman, son.”
Abbott gave his wife’s grandfather a single glassy-eyed blink before returning his attention to Samantha.
“I can’t have her today.”
“Okay, baby, okay.” Abbott kissed her once on the forehead.
Exactly fifty-eight minutes later, in the lobby of the labor and delivery department while waiting for the receptionist to scan their insurance cards, Annabelle Lilith Powell-Carmichael was born.
Felicity smiled at the most recent text from Courtney, which had Ani’s weight and length.
Nic had laughed in relief when they got the news, but then he’d fallen silent for the last few steps up to Felicity’s apartment.
He hadn’t asked her if she wanted him to come back in.
Once they were on her balcony, he paused outside.
He was so tall, he filled the doorway. He braced a hand on the door and rubbed the other over the few days of stubble on his face.
“Can I come in?”
Something hitched in Felicity’s chest.