Punk Rock-A-Bye Baby(57)
“Meet your Aunt Alyssa, Lucas.” Jessi stood and offered the baby for Alyssa to hold, but Alyssa backed up with panic in her eyes.
“I don’t hold babies.”
Jessi chuckled. “I never thought I’d see someone as tough as you be scared of a little baby.”
“I’m not scared!” Alyssa pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and let it cascade down her back and opened her arms. “Give him to me.”
Jessi gently placed Lucas in her friend’s arms, careful that Alyssa was comfortable before fully letting go of the baby. Alyssa was rigid at first and nervous, but there was a transformation that passed over her face as she looked down at Lucas. The apprehension in her eyes and the shaky half-smile turned into a warm glow and a relaxed tilt of her head.
“You are absolutely adorable. I’d kiss you, but I’d leave a big, red lipstick smear on your forehead. I’m gonna teach you to do so many bad things.”
Jessi laughed. “Thank you for reminding me not to ask you to baby-sit.”
Damien came up behind Alyssa and put his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, little dude. Welcome to the world.”
Alyssa placed the baby in Damien’s arms before he realized what had happened. He held Lucas stiff as a board, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
“What are you doing? I never held a baby before. I don’t know how to do this.”
Tommy rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You’re doin’ great. Look, he likes you.”
“He does?”
Jessi peeked over to take a look at the baby in Damien’s arms. Lucas had his eyes wide open. She knew he couldn’t see clearly yet, but he seemed to be staring at Damien’s mohawk. She laughed. “I think he likes your hair!”
A smile spread across Damien’s cheeks and it lit up his face. It was rare to see him so genuinely happy, and Jessi never realized exactly how handsome he was. And was that a glisten of a tear in his eye? What a big softie. He continued to stare at the baby for a few more seconds, and then handed him back to Jessi. “I love this kid already. We got you flowers, but the nurse wouldn’t let us bring ‘em in. She said you had too many already. They’re lined up at the nurse’s station with a bunch more. Fans are sending them up by the truckload.”
Jessi strolled over to the nurse’s station to see the flowers that were delivered. Her jaw fell open as soon as she reached the end of the corridor. There must have been two dozen assorted bouquets, vases, balloons, and stuffed animals behind the desk and along the ledge. They overflowed into the corridor.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Blade,” the nurse began, “we can’t have any more flowers in your room with the baby, and we have no more room behind our station. The rest are being held in the lobby if you’d like to have someone bring them home.”
Jessi was overwhelmed at the support from the fans and friends. “Thank you. This is unbelievable.”
The nurse fanned her hand across the row of flower arrangements. “In the twenty years that I’ve been a nurse, I’ve never seen so many flowers delivered to one person.”
“Please give them to the people who could use some cheering up. Maybe some elderly people who don’t get visitors. But collect the cards for me. I want to acknowledge and thank everyone.”
Jessi tilted her arms to show Lucas. “This is all for you. Everyone loves you, Lucas.” One arrangement stood out from the rest. It was an enormous bouquet of exotic flowers with a blue balloon on a stick spiked in the center that read, “New Baby.” There was a blue envelope that contained a card stuck to the base of the arrangement. She motioned to it with her chin. “Who’s that one from? It’s beautiful. We should squeeze it into the room or bring it home.”
Tommy retrieved the card and read it aloud. “Congratulations on the newest rock star. Best wishes from the Falcon Records family.” Underneath was the Immortal Angel logo.
Chapter Sixteen
Tommy rocked his son in his arms and stared out the back window. The nursery overlooked the newly-constructed playroom below. In the distance, the in-ground pool glowed from the purple lights beneath the water. It was a 50-foot long in-ground pool in the shape of a guitar. Tommy had only stated that he wanted an ordinary pool, but Angel had surprised him with the customized shape that struck a personal connection. He was so flabbergasted when he had finally seen it completed that he didn’t even contemplate the cost.
Jessi tip-toed into the baby’s room. “Is he asleep yet?”
“No.” Tommy stared down at Lucas, who was content to watch the world around him, even at three o’clock in the morning.