Bossman(67)
“Don’t you even want to see who it is?”
His dexterous fingers unhooked my bra. “Don’t care.”
But when his phone stopped and started a third time, even Chase couldn’t ignore it any more. He groaned and reached into his pocket to dig his cell out.
“Shit. It’s my brother-in-law. He never calls. I need to take it.”
I leaned back and gave him room.
“What’s up?”
I heard a man’s voice, but couldn’t make out the words.
“Isn’t it too early?” And then, “Yeah. Okay. I’m on my way.”
He swiped to end the call.
“What’s going on?”
“My sister’s in labor. She’s a month early, but her water broke, and they said the baby is far enough along that it’s safe to deliver. Sounds like she’s going to have him really soon.”
“Wow. That’s exciting.”
Even though it had sounded like he was going to leave right away, Chase made no immediate attempt to move. So I prodded him.
“Go. I’ll take a rain check on tonight. Besides…” I teased. “I didn’t have any rope anyway.”
“Will you come with me? Keep me company. Meet my new nephew?”
“Sure. I’d like that. Let me quick clean up so Ugly Kitty doesn’t polish off the rest of the Chinese food, and we’ll go.”
***
Evan, Chase’s brother-in-law, had just given us an update and gone back in to his wife. He’d been dressed in blue scrubs and a hat with matching blue paper booties over his shoes.
“How is what he was wearing any different than street clothes?” Chase asked. “He just walked through the hospital and out into the waiting room wearing that outfit. It’s not like it’s any more sterile than what I’m wearing now.”
“You have a point,” I said. “Maybe they just make the father wear it so he feels like he’s part of the team.”
“Maybe. But if I know my sister, Evan’s the only teammate she’s berating right now while she’s in labor.”
I shrugged. “That seems fair, if you ask me. He didn’t have to walk around carrying a bowling ball for nine months, and doesn’t have to suffer through labor. The least he can do is take some abuse.”#p#分页标题#e#
Chase smiled at me. “Is that so?”
“It is.”
We were the only two in the waiting room, so I pulled my legs up and snuggled into him. Chase pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around me.
“You want to berate your husband some day?”
That was a strange question. “Not on a daily basis, I hope.”
He chuckled. “I meant in the delivery room. I was asking you if you wanted to have kids some day?”
“Oh.” I laughed. “I totally missed that.”
“Kinda figured that from your answer.”
I thought for a minute before responding. “I never really thought I’d get married, much less have kids. I guess my parents didn’t give us the best example. Even before everything happened with Owen, all they did was fight all the time. I remember playing house with my friend Allison when we were in elementary school. She’d pretend to be the mom and be baking a cake in the fake oven, and I’d be the dad and come home and pick a fight. Her mom overheard us play-arguing one day and thought we’d gotten into a real fight. When we told her we were playing house, she asked why we were yelling, and I said because the daddy came home. I remember her just staring at me, not knowing what to say.”
Chase squeezed me.
“I started to see things a little clearer as I grew older, realizing not all families were as dysfunctional as mine. But by then, I was already checking under the bed two and three times when I walked in the door. I guess I just couldn’t imagine having a family of my own when I was afraid of imaginary things that lurked in my apartment.”
“Sounds like what you really need is someone to make you feel safe. The rest will just fall into place.”
I pulled my head out from its comfy place in the crook of his shoulder and looked up at him. “You might be right.”
If only it were that easy.
***
It was after five in the morning when a booming voice woke us. Evan looked exhausted, stunned, and out-of-his-mind happy when he announced he had a son. He and Chase exchanged hugs and talked for a few minutes before Evan said he’d better go check on his wife.
“Room 210. I have to get back before she convinces the doctor to give me a vasectomy without anesthesia. But they said she’ll probably be in her room within the hour.”
Chase headed to the lobby to get us some coffees while I went to the bathroom to wash up. I had some dried drool on my cheek, and my hair looked like a giant rat’s nest, even though I’d slept sitting up in one position. Splashing some water on my face, I realized I was about to meet Chase’s sister for the first time.