Loan Shark Love

There’s a knock at the door, and Natalie steps in on quiet feet, making sure her sneakers don’t squeak on the freshly waxed hospital floor tiles. I put up a finger to my lips, and she nods, keeping her voice low but where I can still hear what she has to say.

She makes grabby fingers at me, mouthing, “Can I hold him?”

I’m reluctant to let my son go from my arms, but this is Natalie, and I would trust my sister with his life if it came to that.

I shift the dozing newborn into her waiting arms, and she looks overly delighted to have him there for the moment. Earlier, various friends and family filled the room to witness our little man’s glorious arrival. Natalie and Anderson left to get food, and the others have just gone home, leaving Rose and me happy wishes on their way.

Sam is downstairs in the cafeteria, getting what must be his tenth cup of coffee of the day or night. Midnight is quickly approaching, and the stress of the birth is finally starting to weigh on me. I want to sleep curled up next to my wife, but I don’t want to leave our son in the hands of the nurses. It just doesn’t feel right. I want him to be in the arms of someone who loves him.

I’m as fiercely protective of him as I am of his mother. They are one and the same in my mind, safe and sound here.

“I can stay with him for a while if you want to get some sleep,” Natalie says in a quiet whisper, nodding toward where Rose is sleeping on the bed.

“Are you sure?” I ask her softly, though I’m relieved to have someone to care for our child that I trust so deeply. “I can hold him if you want to sit down.”

She nods, looking down at my son in awe, and I can understand the feeling well enough. “Anderson is working online now, so he’s down in the cafeteria with his laptop. I want to be here with you, Rose, and my little nephew.”

“Thank you, Nat,” I tell her, reaching forward to kiss her cheek. “Thank you for being here for this. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

She shrugs, and there’s pink in her cheeks. “I’ll need the practice anyway.”

I stare at her in surprise. “Do you mean to say that you’re….”

She nods, and I put a hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her into a half-hug with my son tucked between us. My sister looks radiantly happy, and she appears to be almost glowing in the poorly lit hospital room.

It’s a really good look for her.

“Soon, little Ryder will have a best friend,” she whispers, beaming with teary eyes.

“Nat, I’m so happy for you,” I whisper. “A baby? I can hardly believe it.”

“We’ve been trying for a little while now, and we finally have what we wanted,” Natalie says, letting out a happy little laugh at the admission.

“You’re pregnant?” Rose’s sleepy voice comes from the bed, and we both turn to see her trying to sit up. “Natalie, is that what you just said? You’re pregnant?”

I stride over to her, tucking myself behind her to hold her up gently. She leans against me, putting her weight on me, and I kiss her temple.

“I’m three months along,” Nat whispers with a nod, still holding Ryder in her arms.

“Nat, that’s amazing,” Rose tells her softly, bleary-eyed from sleep.

The door to the hospital room opens once again with one quick knock, and Sam shuffles in slowly. He looks at all of us, surprised, holding his coffee in hand.

“What?” he asks, looking in confusion at all of us. “What happened?”

Rose lets out a tired laugh, and I wrap an arm around her, careful of where I hold her. She tips her head back, still clearly exhausted.

Sam comes over and kisses his daughter on the top of the head.

“Sam, why don’t we step out and let these two rest for a little while?” Natalie asks Rose’s father, nodding her head toward the door.

“Right,” Sam nods, taking a long sip of his hot coffee.

He smiles at Rose, and he shakes my hand, following my sister out into the hallway of the hospital.

The room is silent, and the only sound is the bed’s beeps and soft clicks. Rose lets me help her to lay back down and I crawl in beside her, being extra careful of the IV in her hand.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” I whisper, breathing in the scent of her soft hair. “I love you.”

“I love you, Grey,” Rose tells me, curling into me. “I love our life.”

“This is where I want to be forever,” I tell my wife. “Right here with you.”

“God, I love you so much, Grey,” Rose admits, moving even closer.