“I love you, too, Jack. Forever and Always.”
Forever and Always.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hawk
I pace the hospital floor. What the fuck is happening to my family? First Brooke, then my mom. I only left Brooke after she told me she was okay, and to check on my mom because she could see how restless I was. I kissed her, and I told her, I wouldn't be long.
Brooke will be okay for a short while without me; she has Marnie by her side. She'll stay until I get back. There's also a couple of prospects outside her door. If anything happens, not that I think it will, but if it does, one of them will come to find me, and I'll be there in a flash.
I wasn't surprised to find Lynette, Shepard, CueBall, and a few of the other older members here with Wrench, Stryker, Coral, Roman, and Ace. They all moved from outside Brooke's room and followed my dad to my mom's. My Mom means a lot to everyone, and they're all worried about her.
We're all on our feet as soon as Dad comes out of Mom's room, and closes the door behind him. He drops his head back against it for a second. “Dad, how is she?”
He smiles at me while putting one hand on the side of my neck, and the other on Wrench's. “Where's Mark?”
Mark? Oh, shit, it's serious!
“I'm here.” Stryker is my parent's son, no matter the small age difference between them, and he always will be. Dad wouldn't tell Wrench and me anything without Stryker being there.
Dad pulls Stryker closer. “Your Mom wants to see the three of you.”
“What happened?”
“I'm too shocked to say the words, Wrench. Just come with me, the three of you.”
I look at my brother's; they're looking at me. Each one of us is scared.
“She's all right, isn't she?”
My Dad smiles at Lynette. “She's just fine, Lyn.” He has the strangest smile on his face for a man who was scared for his wife's life two hours ago. “They're just cleaning her up; then I can take the boys in.”
“Cleaning her up?” Wrench swallows hard.
My Dad sighs and moves past us. Roman and Ace come closer. “The thing is,” Dad breathes deeply.
“Spit it out, BlackJack, I ain't getting no younger.” We all chuckle at CueBall.
“Right. Well, when they called me into the room, I wasn't expecting what I found. Taylor was in real pain. Doctors and nurses everywhere.” He looks from Stryker to Wrench, to me. “Something happened. Something we were told never could again. Boys, you have a baby sister.”
Every person around us sucks in a deep breath. My mom had a baby? I think I'm in shock. Everyone else is laughing, hugging and congratulating my Dad. I hear Wrench excitedly say how he's no longer the baby of the family, and how he can't wait to meet our sister, but I can't move.
Jesus Christ, I have a sister!
“Hawk?” I must have spaced out for a moment. My dad is standing in front of me looking nervous.
“Mom had a baby?” I don't know why I need clarification, but I can't seem to fully believe this could be true, not after what my parents were told about never having another child. However, the look in my dad's eyes, the smile on his face, I know this is very real. I grab him and hug the shit out of him. If anyone deserves this, it's my parents.
“Mr. Anderson?” Every one of us with the name Anderson turns to face the nurse addressing us. “Okay. Let me see if I've remembered this correctly. I know you're the Daddy,” She points at my dad. “You three must be Taylor's sons. Stryker, Hawk, and Wrench, and I really hope those aren't your real names.” We all chuckle. “Your mother is ready to see you, and...” She closes her eyes for a second as if she's trying to remember something my mother has told her. “Coral?”
“That's me,” Coral smiles. The nurse smiles as Stryker wraps his arm around his wife. Mom wants us all in the room. She'd want Brooke there too if she were able. I know that.
“Taylor would like to see you too. Please follow me.”
The five of us follow her into Mom's room. Each one of us stops in his tracks and stares at the beautiful woman sitting up in her bed, gently rocking a swaddled baby in her arms. She speaks tenderly to the baby, so we listen for a moment.
“You are going to be so loved, little one. You have so many people who will love you. You have three big brothers, who will love and protect you with their lives. You have two beautiful sisters-in-law, who will help Mommy show you all the beautiful things in life.”
I look over at Coral, still wrapped in Stryker's arms, smiling at my Mom. She'll be the first one to show that baby girl the beautiful things in life. I also know it won't even need to be asked of Brooke.
“You have nephews, who may be older than you are, but they'll play with you, and teach you things. Probably to be one of the boys,” Mom laughs to herself. “But there's nothing wrong with that. You have lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins to love you. You have grandparents that will love you so hard, baby girl. However, no one could love and protect you as much as your Daddy will. Your Daddy would die for you in a heartbeat.” I know that to be true. He'd die for any one of us.
“Mommy and Daddy have loved each other for a very long time. Your Daddy is a special man, he's strong and smart, he's so powerful, and he's the best man in the whole world. You are our little miracle, Dana.”
Dana. Suits her.
I remember when Wrench was a kid. He had an imaginary friend named Dana. He was three, and Dana went everywhere with him. Wrench was thirteen when Mom lost Destiny, and he was heartbroken. In his childish mind, Dana became his imaginary sister. Stryker and I were worried about him, I mean, how many thirteen-year-olds have imaginary sisters? Pops told us that it was grief that made him think like that, and we weren't to make a big thing out of it. Mom sat with Wrench and talked things through with him, a few weeks later, he was ready to let his imaginary sister go. However, from the smirk on his face, none of us are ever going to live this down.
“Don't just stand there,” I smile as Mom looks right at us. She knew we were here the whole time. “Come meet Dana.”
I reach Mom first, and she hands Dana to me. Fuck, she's small. I don't remember Gabe being this small. I instantly kiss Dana's little head, and a different kind of love fills my heart. I never thought this day would come. “How heavy is she?”
“5 lb 8oz,” Mom tells me as Dad takes a seat beside her, and wraps his arms around her.
“So tiny,” Wrench comments while leaning over and stroking Dana's cheek. I smile and hand him the baby. I swear, as he kisses her head, I see a tear falls from his eye.
Wrench passes her to Stryker, who kisses the baby's head before handing her to Coral. “Hello, little one. You are the image of your Daddy and Wrench,”
“Poor thing,” Stryker grumbles, making Mom and me laugh.
I lean into my Mom and kiss her head. “Looks like you and Brooke have something in common." My mom laughs. It's crazy that they both gave birth to babies they didn't know they were pregnant with, but nobody could be more deserving of them. “You did good, Mom. She's beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Brooke sends her love.”
“How is she?” I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. All of the stress she's been under, caused her to go into labor. I don't know yet if she was due to give birth, or the baby is a little early, but I do know today's drama didn't help.
“She's fine, Mom.” I lean in and whisper in her ear. “She loves you and wants you to know that you did everything right. Don't blame yourself for what happened. Brooke is fine, the baby is fine,”
“Wait. Baby?”
I pull back to look at her as I chuckle and nod my head. “We were going to tell everyone soon. I let it slip when I asked the doctor if the baby was okay.”
“Oh, Hawk,” She hugs me, and I kiss her head. “I'm so happy for you.”
“I'm happy for you, too. Dana is beautiful, and I am so proud of you. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.”
“Geez