Page 129 of Make the Play

“What do you think they’re gonna do? ID you in case you’re trying to steal a baby?”

Jake stops and turns to me. “Oh my god. Do people do that?!”

Chase chuckles from behind me. “You okay, man?”

Jake swivels to him, wide-eyed. “Do Ilookokay? I just packed a hairdryer and two dog biscuits in Charlie’s hospital bag. We don’t even have a dog—they’re leftover from when Logan visited with Dusty! And I can’t find the charger for the baby monitor. I lost the car keystwiceand somehow, Charlie is still sitting downthere like she’s not about to bring a whole damn human into the world.”

“She’s literally having contractions right now,” I point out.

“I KNOW.” He gestures dramatically down the hall. “And she’s just… sitting there! Drinking tea like she’s in a spa lounge.”

Chase leans toward me, breath warm on my neck. “Jake’s in his panic era.”

“Fully spiraling,” I whisper back.

When we make it past Jake losing his mind and into the living room, I understand, in part, why Jake is shocked. Charliedoeslook like an uncannily serene birthing goddess. She’s sitting on the couch in leggings and a zip hoodie, legs tucked to the side like she’s watching Netflix, not timing contractions on her watch.

Jake is pacing the hallway now. “We’re not ready. We’renot ready.I repacked the hospital bag four times, and somehow it still feels wrong.”

Charlie lifts a brow. “Because you put a banana in it, babe.”

“Bananas are high in potassium!”

“You also packed dog biscuits.”

“I think I’m dying,” Jake groans, walking in and clutching the back of the couch.

“You’re not,” Charlie says, voice terrifyingly calm. “But I might kill you if you don’t go get the bag and the keys.”

Then she turns to us, like nothing major is happening at all. “Hey, Chaz.”

I blink. “You’re in labor, andthat’swhat you open with?”

Charlie shrugs. “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.”

“I hate you.”

“You love me,” she says sweetly, ignoring the fact that she just weaponized our cursed ship name mid-contraction.

Chase just smirks. “I love that it’s catching on.”

Before I can reply, he bumps his shoulder into mine, a giant grin on his face. And somehow, even though it’s the dumbest thing ever, I feel my lips twitch.

Charlie knowingly smiles at us.

“You look incredible for someone about to eject a human,” I say, mostly to redirect before I combust.

She shrugs, rising from the couch with absurd grace. “I’ve done this before. Just need someone to keep the tiny humans alive while I do it again.”

It shouldn’t shake me, the way she says that. But it does. Because she’s so calm, so sure. Like there’s no version of the story where anything goes wrong.

“Done,” I say confidently.

“And I’ll keepheralive,” Chase adds behind me.

Jake squints at him. “You don’t have a lot of experience with kids…”

“And yet,” Chase says, throwing an arm out, “theyadoreme.”

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