“Starr it’s me. It’s time.”
“Ooh. . .okay girl. What you want me to do? You need me to come get you?”
Summer couldn’t help but to giggle at Starr’s excitement. “No, I think it’ll be faster if we meet at the hospital.”
“Hey, should I call Ava?”
Summer quickly contemplated calling her. Ava hadn’t been on vacation in almost two years. She didn’t want Starr to call Ava because she would drop everything and come back home. Her friend was living it up in Arizona being pampered at a five star spa. A vacation well deserved. No, she would not call disrupting her vacation. Ava would be mad, but Summer didn’t care. She’ll get over it. Besides, she was due back home in two days.
“No, Starr. I don’t want to bother her while she’s having the time of her life.”
“You’re sure? You know she’s going to be mad at you?”
“Yes I am. I’ll call her after the baby’s born, then that way if she wants to come home she’ll only miss one day of her vacation.”
“Okay, but I warned you.”
“Starr, get off the phone and get your butt to the hospital before I have this baby at home fooling with you and Ava, and whether she’s going to be mad at me or not!”
“Ooh, my bad. I’m on my way.”
Summer called down the hall, “Joan… Joan… come here for a minute please.”
Joan hustled into the room in a hurry. She heard the urgency in Summer’s voice. “What’s wrong sweetie?”
Summer weakly smiled. “I think I’m in labor for real this time.”
“Oh, I better call Nick,” Joan said as she hurried to the nearest phone.
“Joan, no, please don’t bother him. What if I’m not really in labor and they send me home?”
“Summer, sweetie, I think we should call him anyway.” “Please, Joan, can’t we wait until I get situated at the hospital? That way we’ll know if this is the real thing or not,” she reasoned with the older woman.
Summer winced as another contraction hit her petite body. Joan rushed to her side.
“All right, come on sweetie let’s get you dressed and out of here.”
The cab ride to the hospital was disastrous. An accident three blocks from the hospital had traffic moving at a snail’s pace.
Summer groaned, “Only me. Only something like this would happen to me. I must have a black cloud over my head.”
Joan affectionately patted Summer’s arm. “Everything’s gonna be okay sweetie. You just hold on.” Leaning forward, Joan banged on the plexus-glass partition. “Hurry up unless you want a baby born back here!” Damn cabdrivers always trying to run the meter. If he’d gone the way I told him we’d be there by now. I bet he’s gonna have a nerve to expect a tip!
♥♥♥
Checked into the birthing suite on the maternity floor, Summer waited for Starr to show up. Just as promised, she blew in like a whirlwind.
“Girl, are you ready for this?” Starr asked with excitement.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
As promised, Joan waited until Summer was checked in and settled before calling Nick. He wasn’t pleased to say the least Joan waited to call him.
“What do you mean she’s been having contractions all day? Why didn’t you say something when I talked to you earlier?”
Joan bristled from the curtness Nick’s voice held. “Calm down boy and watch your tone with me. I ain’t one of your little gal friends. Summer wanted to be sure the contractions were the real thing before I called you.”
Nick rolled his eyes as he listened to Joan rant. Sometimes she thought she was his boss and not the other way around. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Summer’s and Starr’s gaze went to the door when Joan came back into the room. Neither missed the aggravated expression on her face.
“Joan, what’s wrong?” Summer asked.
“Nick isn’t pleased at all. Said we should’ve called him sooner. He’s on his way.”
“Joan, don’t worry. I’ll let Nick know it was my fault.
Flagging one hand while the other rested on a robust hip, Joan let it be known, “Chile I ain’t stetting’ Nicholas Stiles with his ‘ole grumpy tail. And don’t you get yourself all worked up worrying ‘bout him either. You trying’ to have a baby…his baby. Can you believe he was talking all rough to me like he done lost his mind? Humph! He don’t know me! Get me wrong and I’ll put my foot in his behind!”
Summer and Starr both looked at each other wide eyed then back at Joan before they cracked up laughing. Joan was a mess! She didn’t take anything off anybody. Not even the benevolent Nick Stiles.