“Hey, that’s exactly what you wanted to happen.” Meredith took Chadwick’s place. “This is good, it means the labor will go faster.”
“I know, but it got all over them!” Sam’s bottom lip trembled.
“They don’t care,” Meredith assured her. “Do you?”
“Nope,” I agreed.
“Not at all. I even wore shoes that could get dirty just in case.” Chadwick lifted his foot.
“Should we get the nurse?” Alex asked.
“Yes.”
“On it!” Cathy hollered as she ran out of the room. David rocked back and forth on his feet, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
“Let’s get you back in the bed. They’re going to need to check you.” Meredith steered Sam toward the hospital bed but glanced in my direction. “Would you go out with Marty? He’s in the waiting room with Charles.”
“I’ll join you,” David announced. “I think I’m just in the way here.”
“Of course.” I went to the bed and kissed Sam’s head. “Don’t kill anyone while I’m gone, okay?”
“Okay.” She smiled at me briefly. “Thanks for letting me take it out on you.”
“I’ll find a way to pay you back.” I winked at her as I left the room and made my way down the hall. The waiting room was full of other families waiting on their newest addition. Some of them watched me as I walked out, but for the most part they were more interested in what was happening with their own loved ones.
“We’re over here.” Marty waved at me. He was sitting with Charles next to a vending machine.
“What are you playing?” I looked down at his handheld game.
“Day of Doom Two.”
“I thought your mom said you couldn’t have that one.” I frowned.
“Charles got it for me.” The boy shrugged, never taking his eyes from the zombies he was killing.
I looked at my bodyguard and raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t know.” His mouth twitched to one side in a half smile.
“Right.” I looked for Marty’s bag. “What else did you bring with you?”
“Racing games, a couple of space games. I grabbed whatever was on my dresser.”
“Switch it out.” I picked up the bag from the floor.
“Ah, man.”
“Come on. I’m so not taking a beating for letting you play that.” I narrowed my gaze at him. “You know better than to break your mom’s rules.”
“Are you going to tell?” He looked up at me with puppy dog eyes.
David snorted from where he was sitting, but managed to not laugh out loud.
“You better believe it.”
“Are you going to take my system?” He held up his handheld device.
“I’m not that cruel. You can play while we’re at the hospital, but then it’s gone for a week.” I leaned back in my chair. Being the bad cop did not come easily to me. Even with a few months of practice. But I was getting better at it.
The waiting room cleared of families as the hours passed. Marty was tucked against my side, his head rolling forward. Charles got up to stretch, walking around the open space and reading the plaques on the wall. David was dozing off, his arms crossed over his chest.
I’d had no idea it took so long to have a baby. Poor Sam.
“Are you and Mom going to have babies?” Marty’s tiny voice made me jump.
“I thought you were asleep.” I looked down at him.
“I’m not.” He yawned. “Are you and Mom going to have babies? Zach, at school, said his mom and new dad are having a baby.”
“That might be something you need to talk to your mom about.” I shifted in my chair. There was not enough caffeine in the world to help me with this conversation.
“Don’t you like babies?” He sat back and pulled his feet up into his seat.
“Erm.” I looked around the room as if there was an easy answer waiting for me to find. “Sure, babies are great. But they are a lot of work. It’s a big commitment.”
“I think it would be cool.” He moved my arm so it was draped over his shoulders again. “When you and Mom get married, you should have lots of babies.”
I swallowed against my suddenly dry throat. “Maybe not lots.”
“One would be fine.” He said it as if he was giving me permission.
I’d always said I’d never have children. That it would be unfair to bring them into our lifestyle.
But now as I sat here with Marty under my arm, his soft snore reaching my ears, I wasn’t so sure. Having one more might not be so bad. A little brother for Marty.
What if it was a girl? A sister for Marty.