8. Jett
8
JETT
R iley and Jett spending a couple of hours together in the evening before going to bed had become a new normal for the two of them. They would have many late night conversations and sex before one of them drove the other home.
Jett was becoming comfortable with that arrangement, and part of it absolutely terrified her. She was being more open with Riley than she had been with anyone before her. Jett hadn’t even experienced this type of openness with her other relationships, not even Sky. And she had known Riley for a fraction of the time that she had been with her ex-girlfriend.
Jett also felt herself growing closer to Riley. She tried to maintain a semblance of a professional relationship with the other woman when the two of them worked in the Emergency Room together, but it rarely worked. They would often exchange looks and smiles, sometimes even ending up in an on-call room together.
Jett didn’t know what to do about that. She couldn’t lie: She did desire a relationship, like the other women who had amazing relationships in her life. She envied her aunt and cousin, who practically worshiped the ground their wives walked on and vice versa.
Even her brother managed to find happiness in another person, and Jett could tell that he deeply loved Hannah. It was clear every Sunday lunch that she saw them. The look of love in her brother’s eyes as he looked at his wife was something that Jett envied.
But something was keeping Jett and Riley from fully having that kind of relationship. Maybe it was just time. Then again, they had been spending lots of time together and had yet to put a label on what the two of them shared.
Jett definitely wanted something more, but at the same time she didn’t. Her past relationships had led to disaster, and she knew it was her fault. Her girlfriends would always want more emotional vulnerability than she was willing to give.
What she had with Riley was new territory. She had started to share things with Riley that she had never shared with anyone else, like the pressure she felt to be a hero. But she still struggled with other aspects. She couldn’t even tell Riley how she felt about her. Hell, Jett didn’t really know how she felt about Riley. She couldn’t deny the attraction between them and the joy that she found in their late night conversations, but she didn’t know how that translated into a relationship.
Jett was currently in Riley’s apartment. The two of them were watching some medical drama on TV and pointing out the inaccuracies.
“Oh boo,” Riley said, throwing a gummy worm at the TV. “Everyone knows that you don’t use a defibrillator if the patient is that far gone. Those things don’t bring people back from the dead. What the fuck?”
Jett laughed and stole a gummy worm from the bowl in front of Riley. The two continued to eat junk and talk.
“So,” Jett said, “what’s your worst patient story?”
“Oh gosh,” Riley said. “There was this one dementia patient when I was in residency. And like I kind of felt bad for her cause she didn’t really understand what was going on, but she was just so rude most of the time. Called me every name in the book.”
“Oh,” Jett said. “Dementia patients are the worst. Even if it isn’t their fault, still can be so hard to manage.”
“That woman made me cry so many times, and then on her good days she was the sweetest grandma on the planet, which made me cry more,” Riley said.
Jett nodded. “Unfortunately that’s usually how it goes.”
“Yeah, well it sucks, it scares me that I might end up like that one day,” Riley said.
“Agreed,” Jett said, but suddenly her phone rang.
Mom flashed up on the screen.
Jett immediately answered. Her mom called sometimes, sure, but never at this time of night unless something was wrong.
“Hello?” Jett asked, urgency in her voice. “What’s wrong?”
“Hannah is having her baby,” Jett’s mom said.
“Really?” Jett asked, trying not to curse in front of her mom, but she was definitely thinking, oh shit! “At Phoenix Ridge Hospital?”
“Yeah,” her mom said. “Brody just called me. I’m on my way over, but I thought you might want to know, too.”
“Absolutely, thank you,” Jett said. “I’ll be there in a few.”
The two said their goodbyes and Jett ended the call. She looked at Riley. Jett’s car was still parked at the fire station.
“My brother’s wife is having their baby,” Jett told Riley.
Riley immediately stood up in shock, dumping the bowl of gummy worms to the floor, but neither of them cared. “Oh shit,” Riley said.
“Yeah,” Jett said, and then the situation hit her. “Oh shit,” she repeated, “I’m going to be an aunt. Oh my God. I have to get to the hospital.”
“I got you,” Riley said. “Get it my car, let’s go.”
Jett gave her a grateful smile, and the two of them rushed to Riley’s car.
* * *
When they got to the hospital, both of them rushed to the labor and delivery section. Jett didn’t even question Riley coming with her to the hospital. It just felt natural for the two of them to be together.
When they got to the waiting area, Jett saw her mom pacing in front of the chairs.
“Mom!” Jett said, and her mom stopped pacing to look at her in relief.
“Jett, dear.” Jett’s mom rushed to her and gave her a crushing hug. Jett smiled and hugged her back.
“Is everything okay?” Jett asked.
“As far as I know, everything is going perfectly,” Jett’s mom said. “I’m just a worry wart. This is my first grandbaby after all.”
“I know,” Jett said. “I can’t believe I’m about to be an aunt.”
Jett’s mom laughed. “That’s how your dad felt when Ember was born. He couldn’t stop freaking out.”
“Well, I’m definitely freaking out,” Jett said.
Jett’s mom laughed again, and then her eyes landed on Riley. She looked at Riley in confusion but was still smiling.
“Hello,” she said. “Who are you, dear?” She kept looking between Jett and Riley, as if expecting either of them to answer.
“Oh,” Jett said. “Mom, this is Riley. Riley is my…” She wasn’t sure how to describe Riley to her mom. They hadn’t labeled anything, and Jett wasn’t about to claim Riley as a fuck buddy in front of her mom.
“I’m Jett’s friend,” Riley said. “We were hanging out at my place when you called her, so I drove her to the hospital.”
“Oh, well isn’t that nice,” Jett’s mom said. “Thank you, Riley, and it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Thompson,” Riley said.
Jett’s mom immediately cringed. “Absolutely not,” she said. “You can just call me mom. As long as you’re a close friend of one of my kids, you’re my kid too.”
Riley smiled, and Jett could tell that she was a little uncomfortable, but Jett let it be. She knew that Riley didn’t have much experience being part of a family, and Jett was more than willing to share hers with Riley.
Hell, even if the two weren’t dating and later broke whatever thing they were doing off, Jett couldn’t help but feel care for Riley.
The stories from Riley’s childhood and foster care broke her heart. She couldn’t imagine how tough that would have been for her. All Jett had ever known was a loving family, even though the loss of her father had cut deeply, and she was so grateful for the love she had always known.
* * *
The three of them waited in the waiting room for a while before Aunt Becky and Ember showed up.
“Hey,” Jett’s mom said when the two arrived, giving each of them a hug.
“Hey,” Ember said. “Josephine said she wished she could come, but we both decided it was best for her to watch Natalie right now.”
“Of course,” Jett’s mom said. “A hospital waiting room is no place for a six-year-old.”
“And I would have brought Lucinda,” Becky said, “but she is actually working in the Emergency Room as the only trauma surgeon on call right now.” Becky looked at Riley when she said that, and Jett couldn’t help but flush.
Aunt Becky was super smart, and if anyone in the family was going to figure out what was going on between Jett and Riley, it would be her.
“But she did say she would come by when she gets the chance,” Becky said. “Check on everyone and all that.”
Jett’s mom smiled, and it looked like she was about to cry. “Thank you all,” she said. “It means a lot that you’re here for us.”
Becky scoffed. “You’re family,” she said as Ember went to hug Jett’s mom. “We’ll always be here for you.”
“Besides,” Ember said, “we’re here for us too. I definitely want to see that baby when she comes out.”
“Not before I do,” Jett said, competing with her cousin.
“Hey,” Ember said, ruffling Jett’s hair, “I’m older.”
“And the baby’s my niece,” Jett said, lightly elbowing Ember, who rolled her eyes with a laugh.
The rest of the family was kind of used to their interactions, and they all laughed. However, Jett noticed that Riley was looking at them a little awkwardly, and she remembered that Riley didn’t even know her own family.
All Riley had ever known was a revolving door of different people throughout her entire life. She never got the chance to make life long connections with other people.
Suddenly, Jett felt incredibly sad. Riley had never known what it was like to tease a family member and still feel loved during. She’d never had siblings or cousins to bicker with and trust. Jett hoped that one day Riley would be able to feel the love of a family. Maybe Jett’s family would be the one?
* * *
The group waited in the waiting room for hours. Eventually, Ember and Becky convinced Jett’s mom to sit down, something that Jett wasn’t able to do. And, after an hour, Hannah’s parents finally arrived. They lived out of town and had to travel a long way to get there.
When a nurse eventually came into the waiting room, it was early in the morning, but still dark outside.
“Hannah Thompson,” the nurse called into the waiting room, and the entire group, including Riley, stood up. “The baby has been born and they are both doing well! Immediate family only please. The rest of you will be able to come back in the morning during regular visiting hours.”
Ember and Becky groaned, and Jett gave Ember a quick hug and she nodded to Riley, before she followed her mom, Hannah’s parents, and the nurse.
The nurse led the five of them to a hospital room, and when she opened the door to reveal Hannah and Brody, Jett couldn’t help the gasp that left her lips when she saw the little bundle in Hannah’s arms.
Brody looked up and smiled at Jett. “She’s beautiful, bro,” he said and Jett nodded, walking closer with everyone else.
The five of them took turns holding the baby, which Brody and Hannah decided to name Emma, and stayed for a little bit to chat and look at Emma. However, Hannah was exhausted, and they decided to leave after about an hour with the promise to visit tomorrow.
“Don’t come before noon,” Brody said. “Hannah needs her beauty rest.”
Hannah laughed. “I don’t know how much rest I’m going to be able to get,” she said.
“Still,” Brody said. “Tell everyone after noon.”
“Of course,” Jett and Brody’s mom said before she gave Brody a kiss on the forehead. “I love you.”
The five of them left the hospital room and when Jett walked back to the waiting area with her mom, she fully expected for Riley to be gone and for her to have to ask her mom for a ride to her car.
However, when she got to the waiting area, Riley was still there, looking around, and she smiled when her eyes met Jett’s.
“How was it?” Riley asked.
“She was beautiful, it is honestly so amazing. That tiny little baby in her first moments of life,” Jett said. “They named her Emma.”
Riley smiled and then stood up, walking toward Jett. “So, I was wondering, would you want to go back to my place?” she asked. “Or would you rather me drop you off at your car?”
Jett had never stayed the night with Riley before, and if she had been thinking more clearly, she would have talked herself out of it. Staying the night together was something girlfriends did, and the two of them weren’t dating. But Jett was tired, and while her brain wanted to keep her distance, her heart really liked Riley and the idea of waking up next to her.
“Your place sounds good,” Jett said, and the two walked out together.
When they got to the parking lot, Riley reached for Jett’s hand in the dark and Jett let her.