Page 13 of Love Like This

“Any bets on time?” Kate asked the room, once the doctor took herleave.

“Five dollars says 2:34 in the morning,” Autumn predicted, leavingher only another forty-five minutes to deliver. “Do you have five dollars?” sheasked Kate quietly.

“I can spot you,” Kate said, and placed a kiss on Autumn’sforehead.

“No way,” Gia said. “Too early. Going with 4:05.”

Isabel looked over at her. “Going with 4:06 just because I’vealways wanted to be onThePrice Is Rightand kick your ass.” Gia blew her the sweetest ofkisses.

Kate typed their guesses into her phone. “Hadley?”

“Five minutes before five,” she said calmly. Everyone nodded theirapproval and forked over their cash to Kate, who registered her own guess at5:32 a.m.

Just then there was a commotion in the hallway and a loud clickingof high heels. “Wait, is it through here, sweetheart? What was your name?Kendra? Just point for me. This way? Great. I’m here! I didn’t miss it, right?”Vicki yelled, rounding the corner into Autumn’s room. “There’s my baby girl!”Vicki yelled and kissed Autumn’s cheek, leaving a noticeable fuchsia lip print.Kate handed a grateful Autumn a tissue. “Where are they?” Vicki asked, turningin a circle. Hadley and Gia exchanged a knowing look. Vicki, who lived aleisurely lifestyle with no job except the capturing of men, had clearly beendrinking.

“I’ll handle her,” Hadley said under her breath to her friends.

“Vicki, why don’t we walk down to the cafeteria and see if they havesome water and something to eat?”

“I love you, Hadley,” Vicki said, laying on the affection prettythick. Yep, Vicki had slammed back at least three glasses of wine that night.Two prompted her to criticize. Three made her affectionate. She pulled Hadleyinto a lasting hug. Vicki’s long acrylic nails scratched across the back ofHadley’s neck while they embraced. “I could use a snack. Do they haveChardonnay?”

“Nope. Thehospitalwe’re in is fresh out.” She did her best to keep her tone light and playful.This wasn’t the time to make any kind of point to Vicki, though Hadley had beenknown to stand up to her on Autumn’s behalf in the past and wouldn’t hesitateif it came to that again.

“Damn. Oh, well. I guess the fun part of the evening is over,right?”

“Well, we are here for something pretty fun, if you think aboutit. Life changing, even.”

“Well, yes. That, too.”

Aghast at the afterthought status of her grandchildren, Hadleyremembered her purpose, to keep Vicki in check. “All right, Vicki. Let’s go. Backin a few, everybody. Don’t go having any babies without us. I have my phone ifanything happens.”

“On it,” Gia said with a grateful nod.

Hadley wrapped her arm around Vicki and passed Autumn an “I’ve gotyou” wink as they exited her hospital room. Autumn made the shape of a heartwith her hands and passed it silently to Hadley.

She kept Vicki occupied for the next thirty minutes in the smallportion of the cafeteria that was still open at such a late hour, listeningintently to her detailed stories of how wonderful Taggart was. Taggart, whosename she’d heard about eight times already, was apparently Vicki’s man du jour.Hadley didn’t spend too much time memorizing the details Vicki dished out, asthere’d be another guy next month. She could set her watch by it.

“He has the best shoulders, Hadley Bear, you should really seethem,” Vicki said, as she scarfed down a strawberry Pop-Tart.

“He sounds fabulous. He has shoulders,” Hadley said, bored. “Veryimportant.”

Vicki closed her eyes, placed a hand on her heart, and swayed.“And the sex! The sex is simply delicious. Do you know that he can easily putmy leg behind—”

“Is that Leonardo DiCaprio?” Hadley practically screamed. Anythingto end that terrifying, impending sentence. Some things one cannot unhear.

Vicki squinted. “I think that’s just a custodian, sweetheart. Seehis broom? Do you wear glasses?”

Hadley laughed it off, feigning a double take. “Oh, you’re right!Might need to get my eyes checked. Not at all a Leo sighting. One day, though.”

“No problem. I know a guy. Very handsome optometrist with the besthands. Trust me, he’d love you.” Hadley closed her eyes at Vicki’s hundredthattempt to set her up with a man, ignoring her sexuality yet again. For Vicki,the idea that everyone wasn’t man crazy was incomprehensible.

On the slow and even walk back to Autumn’s room, Hadley learnedthat Taggart took Vicki to all the best restaurants, and had multiple Swissbank accounts, and leather shoes in both brown and black. Maybe even charcoal.Vicki wasn’t sure but she could check. She’d not once mentioned her arrivinggrandchildren, however, which was really all Hadley could think about, butTaggart apparently loathed bleu cheese and demanded it be taken off his salad,so that was something to take note of.

“How are we doing in here?” Hadley asked, as they arrived back inthe room.

“The doctor was just here. Getting ready to push in just a fewminutes,” Kate said, with a grin on her face. It wasn’t her typical lazy smile,or even the reserved one Hadley had become so familiar with. No, Kate wasglowing full on, which only tripled Hadley’s excitement level. Autumn, however,looked nervous. She smiled up at Hadley briefly, faltered, and then smiledagain. Yep, no doubt about it. She was scared, Hadley could tell, and Isabeland Gia must have sensed it, too, as they’d gathered around her bed. The threeof them would be sidelined in the community waiting room when the pushingbegan, and this was their last chance to say goodbye to Autumn and leave herwords of encouragement.

Isabel leaned close to Autumn’s face and spoke quietly to her likea coach would to her team. “You’re gonna fucking go out there and kick somedelivery ass,” Isabel said, with an intense smile on her face. “You will slayevery step of the way. You are Ms. Pac-Man. You got me?”

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