Epilogue
One year later
Jesse
“Breathe! Focus on your breathing, sweetie. In through your nose and out through your mouth.”
I pursed my lips to demonstrate, trying to ignore the fact that Sue was crushing my hand. I prayed I would be able to use it again after she had this baby.
Dressed in a hospital gown, her huge belly dominated the hospital bed. I was holding her left hand, while Cam held her right.
“Shit! I forgot to count.” I panicked.
I had one job, and I’d lost track of the time between contractions. The moment Sue had called to say that her water had broken, everything I’d learned in the prenatal classes she’d dragged me to had gone from my mind.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” Lily, calm as ever, sat on a chair next to the bed, her phone in her hand, timing Sue’s contractions.
Ange and Nikki poked their heads into the room at the same time.
The hospital didn’t allow more than three people in the room with the soon-to-be mother, so the girls and I were taking turns supporting Sue.
Three hours had passed already, and I was starting to worry.
Having her first child at thirty-two wasn’t as easy as if she’d been in her early twenties.
“How is she doing?” A frown creased Ange’s forehead. Her eyes were clouded with worry.
“She’s doing great,” I said cheerfully.
Truth be told, I had no idea what any of us were doing, but I knew labor could take a lot longer. The doctor had said she was doing well, so we had to take her word for it.
“Sometimes a first birth takes longer,” Nikki put in calmly. “Do you guys need anything? Drinks, food, a change of shift?”
I hesitated, looking down at Sue. The contraction she’d been struggling with had eased and she relaxed against the pillow. Cam wiped the sweat on her forehead with a cool, damp cloth.
“Honey, would you be okay if I let Ange take my place for a bit?” I asked. “I need the bathroom.”
Sue opened her eyes. She’d grown silent and introspective, focusing all her energy on the process of bringing her child into the world. I was as awed by her strength as I was terrified by this whole ordeal.
“Go,” she whispered, releasing my hand.
I stifled the need to rub my numb fingers. “I won’t be long. You’re doing great.”
I kissed her forehead, and let Ange take my place next to the bed.
Outside, I grabbed Nikki’s arm and ushered her into a corner. “Is this really normal? She’s in agony.”
Nikki patted my hand reassuringly. “Sue wanted a natural birth. I spoke to the doctor, and she’s doing well. I know it seems scary, but this is how nature works.”
“Shit. If I ever have to go through this, I want to be knocked the hell out. Give me every drug available. I wasn’t born into the twenty-first century to suffer through childbirth like they did in the beginning of time.”
Sebastian laughed softly as he approached, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He’d been sitting quietly, knowing he couldn’t do anything for Sue and Cam directly, just be there for support.
“I agree,” he whispered in my ear. “I don’t want you to go through this either, when there are so many ways of making childbirth more comfortable.”
“Some studies claim that, if the mother and child are healthy, it’s better for the baby to be born naturally,” Nikki said, her medical geek coming to the forefront.
“Healthy or not, I’m not going to—”
At that moment, Sue let out a scream that made my skin crawl.
“Holy Christmas, that’s normal? I can’t imagine something like that being better for a baby and its mom.”
“Don’t think about it.” Sebastian turned me to face him and guided my head into the hollow of his neck. “We’re not there yet. Robin’s a handful.”
“We’re absolutely not there yet. I’m just getting used to us. I want to enjoy you before I can face the thought of a mini-you or mini-me.”
Nikki chuckled. “You two haven’t even set a wedding date. I don’t think you need to worry about kids yet. You need balance in your lives first.”
She was right. It had been a tough year.
There had been times when I’d worried that Sebastian might not make a full recovery, but fortunately my man was as strong as he was stubborn.
Now, he was perfectly capable of lifting me up in his arms with ease, enjoying vigorous sex, and going through his normal program at the gym three or four times a week.
Robin had grown into a gorgeous golden fluffball.
It had taken him a week or so to forgive us after we had him neutered, but once the cone was off, the love for canned tuna and Sebastian’s fried chicken surpassed that of his balls.
After all, as a house cat, he didn’t need them.
All he did was sit in front of the AC all summer long, or next to the heater during the winter months.
Sebastian and I had moved into his apartment together after he’d proposed. It had been a natural decision. Several months later, we decided we needed more space, so we’d rented a house in Midwood, near Janine. If our financial situation remained stable, we planned to buy it soon.
I hadn’t expected any referrals from Ben, but after his much publicized housewarming party, several people contacted me about my services.
They had asked Ben who had done the outstanding job of decorating his house.
To his credit, he hadn’t lied; he’d simply given my name.
That had been enough to attract the steady business that had kept me busy all year.
I’d never told Sebastian about Ben’s attempt to kiss me.
It was the one and only secret I kept from him, and I had asked Janine to keep it, too.
She’d agreed. Sebastian would want to beat the guy to a pulp.
Since it was for his own good and I was never going to deal with Ben McFarlane the Third ever again, it was something I could live with.
At the risk of biting off more than we could chew, Lucy and I opened an interior design studio in the space above the hardware store.
I’d hired someone else to manage the store below us, and Lucy dedicated herself to the new venture, all the while keeping an eye on the hardware business.
I brought in the clients, she took care of the financial side of things, and we worked together side by side, creating art. I was happier than I’d ever been.
Another wail from Sue jolted me out of my reverie. The doctor entered the room. Sebastian, Nikki, and I exchanged glances.
“I’m going in there,” I said.
“I’m coming with you.” Nikki was already heading toward the closed door.
“The doctor isn’t going to like this.” I gave Sebastian a quick kiss. “Go back to the waiting room. There’s not much you can do here.”
“I’m here for you, as much as for Sue and Cam.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Calm down, she’s going to be okay. Go in there and keep me posted.”
Sebastian was the only one who hadn’t gone into the labor room.
It would have been awkward to have him there while his best friend’s wife was giving birth.
But he’d been as supportive as he could, and I’d seen him slip a couple of minuscule tequila bottles to Cam. I wasn’t sure if he’d drunk them yet.
I was about to go into Sue’s room when the door opened, smacking me right in the face. Through stars of pain, I saw the doctor come out, as she told the nurse following her to move Sue into the delivery room.
Cam, Lily and Ange rushed out of the room.
“What’s going on?” I rubbed my tender nose.
“She’s dilated and ready to push.” Excitement glowed in Lily’s cheeks. “They’re moving her to a delivery room. Only Cam is allowed in there.”
Cam looked as dazed as I felt, even though he hadn’t been hit in the face by a door.
“Come on, put this on.” Ange helped him into a hospital gown, a hair net, and a mask. “Your wife needs you.”
A nurse hurried into Sue’s room, pushing an empty wheelchair. Minutes later, she pushed the chair back out with Sue in it. Sue looked exhausted, scared, and radiant at the same time. Her forehead was creased in pain. Cam rushed to her side.
“Let’s have this baby,” she panted. “I’d kill for some cold vodka.”
“I might have a treat for you later.” Cam patted his jeans pocket, where I suspected he’d stored the tiny tequila bottles.
We watched as Sue and Cam were ushered down the corridor, presumably to the delivery room.
I turned to Sebastian. “You don’t have any more tequila, do you?”
He shook his head, then squinted at me. “What happened to you? There’s a red mark on your forehead, and your nose is red.”
I hitched my chin toward the labor room. “I had a fight with that door. I’m okay.”
“How about we go to the cafeteria?” Lily suggested. “There’s not much we can do now but wait.”
We took the elevator two floors down to the cafeteria. It was past midnight, but everyone wanted coffee. We also got bagels and muffins. We needed energy. Sebastian checked his phone regularly for a message from Cam.
I yawned. How long had I been up today?
“It’s so hard to wait like this.” Ange took a sip of scalding coffee, wincing at its bitterness.
“Sue has excellent care. We have nothing to worry about.” Lily broke off a piece of muffin and placed it delicately into her mouth.
“Exactly,” Nikki added. “Her vital signs and those of the baby are well within normal parameters. She’s healthy and young; everything should go well.”
“Yeah.” I took a sip of coffee. God, it was bitter. I opened two packs of sugar and poured them inside. I looked over at Sebastian, sitting in the plastic chair next to mine. “How are you doing? You were up early this morning.”
He squeezed my thigh. “We both were. I’m okay. A bit shaken. The thought of being in Cam’s shoes is scary. Watching the woman you love in pain, knowing that you did that to her, and there’s basically nothing you can do for her now to help…”
The girls fell silent.
I shrugged. “She wanted him to do that to her. She was very vocal about it.”
Ange giggled. “When she decided to get pregnant, she turned the whole thing into a military operation. She made charts, monitored her ovulation, and had Cam perform like a trained monkey at any hour of the day and night.”
We laughed, the much needed relief turning us into a pack of hyenas.
Heads turned to look at us, some making signs that suggested we were a group of unhinged junkies.
We probably looked the part, since Cam had called at half past nine, and all of us were already in our pajamas.
No one had stopped to change. We’d rushed to the hospital looking like a bunch of homeless hippies.
Lily still had her hydrating gloves on. Nikki wore flip-flops and her favorite pair of mermaid socks, one with a pattern of mermaid fins and the other with mermaid scales.
Her socks were always mismatched, although each pair had a common theme.
She bought them from a store that advertised each sock as being unique.
It suited her, since Nikki was definitely unique.
Even Ange was a bit disheveled. She wore a black pajama with drawstring pants and a lacy top, over which she’d donned a beige cardigan. Damn, she still looked fashionable though.
As for me and Sebastian, we couldn’t very well have worn what we had on when Cam called, since we’d been having sex on the sofa. We did manage to untangle ourselves, put on T-shirts and sweatpants, and rush out the door to Sebastian’s car.
As we sat there together, I reflected on the beauty of friendship. Not a single one of us had hesitated to be here for Sue and Cam tonight. How many families were this united? I didn’t know of any. I felt incredibly blessed.
As the minutes trickled by, my eyelids grew heavy and I dozed with my head on Sebastian’s shoulder. My head snapped up when I felt him stir. As I opened my eyes, I realized he was gazing at his phone.
“What?”
“Cam just texted. We have a baby. Meet Aylin.”
He held up the phone so that we could all see the picture.
When I laid eyes on Sue’s daughter for the first time, it was an overwhelming moment of pure sweetness.
The tiny bundle of joy, swaddled in a soft pink blanket, was a perfect symbol of innocence and wonder.
Those little fingers, the delicate features, and the peaceful slumber—it was as if a small miracle had unfolded a couple of floors above us.
The photo had an undeniable aura of new life and pure love.
A fascinating blend between two people I loved, Sue’s daughter had her mom’s tiny nose and Cam’s long dark eyelashes.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the newborn, awed by the miracle of life.
As Sebastian passed his phone around, there wasn’t a dry eye at our table, including his.
The girls cooed and sniffled, squashing together as they had on the couch at Sue’s bachelorette party, staring not at a stripper but at the sweet, beautiful Aylin.
Sebastian pulled me closer. I felt the emotion in his chest echoing my own. There was something magical about tonight. As we stared into each other’s eyes, the world around us faded away.
“She’s so beautiful,” I whispered.
“She’s perfect.” Sebastian’s eyes were damp, as were mine.
“Sue will make an amazing mom,” I managed before hiccupping.
“Yeah, but so will you one day.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we should set a wedding date.”
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Wright Next Door!