He’s got it to me in half a second and I do my best to get clean. “Liz, sweetie? Time to push.”
Liz gives only three massive pushes and the baby is out and in my arms.
“Oh my god, you have a baby girl!”
I wrap the baby up as best I can and make sure her tiny air pathways are clear. She squeaks, and it’s just a precursor leading up to a huge squall. As quickly as possible I hand the baby off to Liz and Jacob. Bear hands a water bottle over to Violet and I do my best to ruin more of my things than any of Violet’s fabulous things as I’m dealing with the aftermath.
I look up and Violet is sobbing, Liz is sobbing with happiness and Bear is shaking Jacob’s hand.
“Congrats, man.”
Chapter 10
Bear
Mercifully, the wind lets up briefly so we can move Liz, the baby and Jacob into the back seat of my truck. Violet joins us in the front seat and that means my weather girl has to squeeze in extra close to me.
This being a manual transmission, the closeness gets real interesting.
I have to reach between Mary’s knees to shift gears.
“I can’t believe what just happened,” she says, looking so dazed that my hand between her knees doesn’t seem to register.
“I can,” I say. “You delivered a baby. You’re amazing.”
As I concentrate on the road I see her shaking her head. “I barely did anything.”
Violet scoffs. “Girl, you were large and in charge, I ain’t buying this false modesty.”
I hear her sniffle. “Liz did all the real work.”
I think maybe she’s getting emotional and I want so bad to put my arms around her. Damn this gear shift.
Day after Christmas I’m selling this hunk of junk and getting an automatic.
“You were great. You all were great,” Liz says.
I can hear the baby nursing at her mother’s breast and it makes my heart clench in my chest.
This is what I want. Not to have a baby by the side of the road in a snowstorm, of course. A family. With Mary Reed. My weather girl.
“I’m gonna
get us to the hospital, Liz,” I say.
“Thank you,” says Jacob.
That’s it. I can’t take it anymore. My heart is so full, I just can’t not kiss this woman. I let go of the gear shift and cup her face. I pull her close. I murmur in her ear, “I have a secret.”
She breathes and waits.
“You’re coming home with me,” I say.
I feel her cheek heat up between my fingers. “Yes, I think we already figure out that I’m coming home with you tonight,” she whispers.
“That’s not exactly what I meant. I mean every night.”
“Oh,” she whispers. “Oh my god, look out!”