“I’ve not heard anything about her not being okay. Don’t worry about her; she knows you’re busy.”
“I’ll give her a call one day.” Amanda made a mental note she would hopefully remember. Lately, mental notes were the first ones she lost.
“How much longer will you be here?” Tess asked.
“Another three weeks if there are no complications, but he has been perfect so far, so I don’t see any issues,” Amanda said as their food was dropped off.
“Perfect, huh? Is that the nurse or the mom talking?” Tess started to cut her chicken sandwich into tiny pieces.
Laughing at her friend both for her odd eating habits and for her comment, she answered, “Both, thankfully.”
“He looked perfect, though not much like Zia,” Tess admitted.
“He’s getting there. I can see it, but I’m used to premies. By Zia’s first birthday, you’ll not be able to tell them apart.” Amanda looked over at her niece, who was awake and looking around. Reaching over, she picked up the baby for almost the first time since she was born. The girl was heavy compared to her cousin and Amanda analyzed her face. She was definitely her brother’s baby.
“Her eyes are turning,” Tess said from across the table, her gray eyes looking at her baby.
“How did you get a gene into a Nordskov?” Amanda demanded.
“I have some pretty powerful genes, too.” Tess grinned.
“Can you imagine a Nordskov with gray eyes?” Amanda hugged the baby to her.
“I am thinking she won’t be the only one forever,” Tess said as she ate her chicken.
“Are you having another one?” Amanda demanded, loving the idea of her brother with five kids, maybe six.
“No, no babies. I’m thinking of changing my name.” Tess smiled at her answer, because all she had to do was say yes to Math, and they would be married in a heartbeat. The man was dying to marry her.
“Really? Why? I mean, you’ve never been too keen on the idea,” Amanda said. Tess had said no so many times over the last few months—what changed?
“It’s time. I want to share her name. Mathias’s name. Mathias’s life.”
“You can get married and keep your name.”
“I could, but I want to change it. I want to share my husband’s name. Belong to him.”
“I want you to change it, too,” Mandy said. “Does my brother know?”
“No. I’m going to ask him this weekend. He’s asked me so many times I don’t think he would believe me if I said yes. But if I asked, he will know I want to marry him.”
“He will be so excited,” Mandy said.
“I think so.”
“So, how is the town taking the baby news?” she asked.
“Okay, I think. I haven’t heard too much. But then again, I’m not someone everybody gossips with. Mia has been deflecting a lot, though,” Tess said about her cousin.
“I will have to thank her.”
As their conversation turned to local gossip, Amanda let her mind slip back to the bedroom she and Hue shared and wondered what it was going to be like when he was gone. As of right now, it looked like Noah would be spending another three weeks in the hospital. So, three weeks before he would be with her full time—both of her boys.
As they paid their bill, Amanda followed Tess around the rest of the afternoon, picking out things she would not use for another three weeks or more. Realizing as they had a cart full of stuff, all she wanted was her baby and Hue and to be home. Then she could think about all the stuff they would need to make Noah happy.
Hugging Tess goodbye at the hospital when Math came to pick her up, Amanda knew she had missed her friend these last few months. Now that her emotions were more on an even keel, she could get back to having friends. Back to just being with people. Back to being herself.
As she approached the NICU, she saw Hue through the window and just stopped and watched him. He was sitting in a chair shirtless, holding the baby on his chest. If she had ever doubted that Hue loved the baby, she forgot it now. Noah was as much his as he was hers, she could see that. Hue saw her in the window and waved at her, so she smiled and waved back. Quickly, she went to get washed up to see her son and his father.