Before I Die - Page 113
“Okay!” Angelica cheers. “Can we get her a chocolate donut? She’s probably hungry.”
I chuckle, taking their tiny hands in mine. “She’s hungry or you are?”
“Both.” She shrugs.
After a quick stop to the donut shop, we head home. When we walk inside, the girls run straight to their mom first, give her a hug and a kiss, and then run to the table to eat their donuts. Nevaeh is sitting on the couch with Blaire. They’re talking and laughing and both holding a glass of chocolate milk. Nevaeh glances at me and smiles, and fuck if my world isn’t that much brighter.
“I’m sorry you had to go alone,” she says.
“I wasn’t alone. I had the best company.” I sit across from her and hand her a bag with a couple donuts in it. “You’re thirty-five weeks pregnant and on bed rest. You heard the doctor. No going out unless it’s necessary.”
“I know, but I wanted to go. Did you see my mom there?” she asks, opening the bag and taking a bite.
Turns out, Susan goes to visit her daughter every year on the day she died, which is the same day my daughter died.
“No, but we left flowers there as well.”
“She’ll love that,” she says through a mouthful of food.
Over the last few years, Nevaeh and her mom have come a long way with their relationship. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than it was when I first met her. Her parents even go to my parents’ place on Sundays for brunch after church.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I see who it is, I tell her I’ll be right back before I answer the call.
“Dan Wade.”
“Ethan Romero.”
“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” I haven’t heard from the U.S. Attorney since he called to notify me that Felix was found dead in the Atlantic.
“Logan Ortiz was up for early parole,” he says, something I already knew. “He was found dead in his bunk last night.”
“I wish I could say I’m sorry to hear that.”
“About as sorry as I am to say it.”
We hang up and I text my father: thank you
I don’t need to specify what I’m thanking him for, he already knows.
After pocketing my phone, I head back into the living room to join the women who are sipping their milk and munching on donuts.
“So, what’s with the chocolate milk?” I learned early on in our relationship, Blaire and Nevaeh use chocolate milk to deal with life. Whether it’s to celebrate or to drown their sorrows, chocolate milk is their go-to. If they’re drinking it, there’s a reason why.
“Blaire’s pregnant,” Nevaeh gushes.
“Congratulations.” I reach over and give Blaire a hug. She and Victor decided to wait a while before having kids, so this baby will be their first.
“Our babies will only be seven months apart,” Nevaeh says. “I can’t wait for all the play dates.”
“Does this mean you’re going to stick around for a while?” Blaire asks, her voice filled with hope.
The last few years we’ve spent more time traveling than being home. My dad opened a hotel and casino in Tennessee, and Nevaeh helped me open another club in L.A. It was good to get away, but now that the girls are about to start school and we’re about to add two more babies to the mix, I imagine we’ll be here for a while.
I glance at Nevaeh, waiting for her to answer her friend, when her eyes meet mine. She drops her donut onto the ground and clutches her belly. “Um, Ethan,” she says, her voice trembling.
“What’s the matter?”
“I think it’s time.”
She glances down and I follow, noticing a large wet spot between her legs. “Are you ready, Angel?” I ask, suddenly freaking the hell out. I thought I was nervous the day we adopted our daughters, but now… holy shit, she’s about to give birth… to two more fucking babies. I’m about to be a dad to four girls.
“I think it’s a little too late to ask me that,” she says through a laugh that somewhat calms me. “You should’ve asked me that before you knocked me up.”
“Hey, now,” I say, glancing around, unsure of what I’m supposed to be doing. “As much as I’d like to take the credit, the baster did that, not me.” After three years of trying and failing to get pregnant, the doctors felt IVF was our best option. The first try and she was pregnant with twins. And just like that, our family of four is about to become a family of six.
“It’s baby time,” Blaire yells to the girls.
“Baby time?” the girls yell back. “Yay!”
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