Wiser (20 page)

“Blue? Baby?”

I slowly came back to myself, feeling like I was swimming through syrup.

“I think I’m on some serious shit,” I slurred. “Gimme a second. Jesus.”

A low chuckle sent shivers down my spine. I knew that laugh from anywhere.

“Hey, beautiful.”

My eyes focused on the handsome face in front of me.

“Thanks for coming, Dan,” I said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to call.”

His hurt look cut me to the core.

“You can always call me,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. I called Jake. To let him know what was happening. He’s here. He said you got upset with him. You don’t have to see him, if you don’t want to. I can go, too.”

“Don’t go,” I said, grabbing the sleeve of his jacket. “Please. I’m sorry, Dan.”

We were spared from saying anything else as a nurse entered the room.

“There she is!” the nurse chirped. “There’s Mommy!”

It took me a few seconds to realize that I was Mommy. It hit me like a sledge hammer—the pain, the pushing, the wailing, and Dan being there the whole time, urging me on, telling me to be strong, promising me that I was doing so well and that it’d be over soon.

“Oh, Dan,” I sobbed. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I love you. I’m so sorry for leaving.”

My perfect little daughter sobbed with me as I cradled her in my arms for the first time, looking at her precious blue eyes and dark hair.

“I’m sorry for everything, too,” Dan said, his voice cracking as he kissed my forehead, first, and then my daughter’s forehead. “You’re going to hate me, but as soon as you left the condo that morning, I called Jake.”

“I figured you did,” I said. “There was no reason for him to call me out of the blue like that. You told him to man up, didn’t you?”

“I wanted you to have a father for that baby, even if it wasn’t me,” Dan said. “You deserved someone to support you. I wanted my brother to do the right thing. It’s my fault if he didn’t treat you right.”

“He’s kind of a child himself,” I said, touching my baby’s face, letting her suckle on a finger, then doing what seemed the most natural. I bared my breast, guided her tiny mouth to my nipple, and gave her sustenance. It was a beautiful, beautiful moment, Dan stroking my hair as my daughter drank from me.

“What are you going to name her?” Dan asked softly.

“I’m going to name her after her mommy and her daddy,” I said. “Sandra Danielle.”

When Dan sobbed, I broke down, too. We held each other, letting little Sandra nurse. A light knock on the door made us part.

It was Jake, looking stricken. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But would it be okay if I just—if I just saw her? Just once?”

I sniffed, holding my hand out. “I hope it’s not just once,” I said. “You can come visit her at the condo as often as you like, as long as it’s okay with Dan.”

“It’s more than okay,” Dan said, patting his brother’s shoulder as Jake approached. “You did good, little brother.”

“No, you did good,” Jake said, rubbing Sandra’s head gently. “God, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“As beautiful as her mother,” Dan said, his eyes drinking me in.

“As beautiful as her mother,” Jake agreed.

What a strange family we made, watching that little baby, all of us together after everything, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. This was how it was supposed to be. It was as simple as that because it had to be.

Epilogue

“Oh my God, is that baby going to stop growing anytime soon?” Cocoa hollered, screaming with delighted laughter as Sandra toddled over to her, holding her chubby little arms out. Cocoa swooped downward and swept my chortling daughter into her arms, blowing a raspberry on the baby’s belly.

Dan and I laughed as we got closer, having let Sandra go ahead. Cocoa delighted Sandra.

“Baby, don’t slobber all over Aunt Cocoa,” I scolded as Sandra popped Cocoa’s dangling earring into her mouth.

“You know I love it,” Cocoa said, beaming before she planted a big kiss on my cheek. “It’s good to see you, Blue. But we’ve gotta get together more often. I’m afraid the next time I see this baby, she’s going to be dating already.”

“Oh, God,” Dan groaned. “Please don’t put that thought into my head. I can’t handle it.”

“You going to meet them at the door with a shotgun, Dan?” Liam, Cocoa’s husband, asked, pumping Dan’s hand up and down.

“Is there anything bigger than a shotgun?” Dan asked, grinning. I beamed at him. Dan was so protective of our little girl, following her everywhere throughout the house or on the playground, pushing on long after I was exhausted from doing the exact same thing. We hated even to see her fall down when she was learning how to walk.

“Here they are!” Cocoa exclaimed, pointing excitedly. The big diamond that Liam had proposed to her with glinted in the sun, catching Sandra’s big blue eyes.

“Watch it, Cocoa,” I said. “That kid has a thing for shiny stuff.”

“Every little girl should love shiny stuff,” Cocoa crooned, handing me my daughter. I hugged Sandra to me, burying my nose into her neck. Nothing smelled better than my little girl. Dan slipped his hand around my waist as we watched the other couple approach.

When I’d last seen Jazz, she was a ball of hurt, just barely holding it together at Mama’s nightclub.

Now, she was healthy, fit, and laughing on the arm of her husband, Nate.

“Look at all this,” Jazz said, her eyes shining. “Look at all these pretty girls!” She tickled Sandra’s tummy before giving me a peck on the cheek.

“You look great,” I said, returning the peck. “You and your writer make a handsome couple.”

“She’s the hot one in the relationship,” Nate said glumly before laughing. Cocoa had told me that he’d had cancer, but was doing much better—a miracle, the doctors had called it. He had apparently been all but certain that he wasn’t going to make it.

“We’ve got some exciting news,” Jazz said, glancing up at Nate. They were so cute together, always looking for cues from each other. As petite as she was and as tall as he was, they moved as one—in the way old, married couples do after they’d known each other through and through. I’d read the book he’d written for her. Their love belonged in a fairy tale.

“Spill it,” Cocoa said.

“The cancer’s in remission.” I thought Jazz’s smile was going to split her face in two.

“That’s great news,” Cocoa gushed, hugging them both.

We got an outdoor table, enjoying the fragile warmth of spring and the people walking by on the sidewalk. Dan bounced our daughter on his knee even as she reached out for Jazz.

“Has anyone heard anything else about the nightclub?” Cocoa asked us. The entire lurid trial had been all over television.

“I’ve heard from some of the girls,” I said, holding up my phone. “Not all of them, but maybe they’ll keep coming forward.”

“I hope everyone’s okay,” Jazz said, her face pensive as she let Sandra snag one of her fingers and squeal. Jazz grinned at my baby, making a silly face to make Sandra laugh.

“They’ll need help,” Cocoa remarked.

“And they’ll get it,” Jazz said. “Blue, send them my way. They can stay at the shelter for as long as they need to get back on their feet.”

“Done and done,” I said. “Cocoa gave me your number weeks ago.”

“So we’ve got some news, too,” Cocoa said, snagging Liam’s hand. They looked so good together, both of them dressed incredibly well. He nodded at her, encouraging her by putting his hand over her stomach.

“We’re pregnant!” Cocoa cried.

“It’s about time!” I exclaimed. “My baby needs somebody to play with!”

We continued talking about everything we’d been doing lately. I’d been hired for a permanent position at Dan’s firm. They were so good about letting me bring Sandra and everyone loved having her around. Her little giggles brightened the office and lifted everyone’s moods.

In a lull in the conversation, Cocoa leaned forward conspiratorially. “Dan? When are you going to make an honest woman out of my Blue?”

I spluttered on my champagne, laughing as I wiped my mouth. Trying to imitate me, Sandra blew bubbles into her own drink.

Dan took my hand in his. “Whenever she’ll have me, I guess,” he said, kissing me.

“I’m yours, baby,” I said, wriggling my eyebrows suggestively. It wasn’t until he let go of my hand and Sandra seized it, attracted by the glint, that I realized there was a ring on my finger.

Cocoa and Jazz hooted and hollered as Liam and Nate slapped Dan on the shoulder.

“I was waiting for the right time to ask you, but there’s no time like the present,” he said, grinning sheepishly at me. “Will you?”

“Of course I will, you idiot,” I said. “You’re the father of my child.”

We kissed to the clinking of knives against glasses. There wasn’t a more perfect day than this one.

~ END ~

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