Page 92 of Lady Sings the Blues

“What if…” The pain in her voice slices through me. I know where she’s about to go.

“This baby’s gonna be fine, darlin’. We’ll make sure you get to all your doctor’s appointments, I’ll keep you fed healthy. We got this.”

“You can’t guarantee that. You can’t promise we’ll have a healthy baby at the end of it all.”

“Nobody can make that promise, Elise. I won’t even try. But I know it has to work out for us this time.”

“Why?”

“Because I have faith. It’s our second chance to get it right. In what? Thirty-three short weeks, we’re gonna be holdin’ a sweeter than anything you’ve seen in your life baby girl who looks just like her mama.”

“Or a baby boy the spitting image of his daddy.”

“Speaking of gettin’ my girl fed properly.” I ignore her wishful thinking. “Throw some pants on so your man can cook for you.”

“Food? I don’t know… I’ll just end up puking it back into the toilet.”

“Which is why I gotta get you fed again. Please don’t argue. Your stomach feel queasy now?” She shakes her head in the negative. “Then you need to make up for what you just got rid of.” And that, as they say, is that.

Me in my jeans I’d slipped back on and her in my shirt and a tight pair of yoga pants, I lead her by the hand down the hall through the entry into the main common. ‘Course I don’t expect it, but damn does it feel good when my brothers begin slapping my back and hugging Elise, giving us both their sincere congratulations.

Then Duke clomps in the room from his office, boots hitting hard against the wood flooring, he keeps coming on a direct trajectory until he stops in front of us. “So you’re giving us a legacy.”

“Yes?” Elise hesitantly answers.

With a headshake, he lights the cigarette hangin’ from between his lips and talks around it. “A second generation Lord.” Then he turns his head to blow the smoke away from Elise’s face, and offers me one. I want one too, but wave it away because I should probably quit, what with the baby on the way.

“Oh, well then, yes.”

Duke’s next words belie the badass mountain of a man speakin’ them and reiterates the reason I joined the club. “Can’t tell you how special…my Dawna, she couldn’t have babies. Radiation killed her eggs as a kid. Married her knowing we’d never have that. Don’t regret it, but still, yours’ll be the first legacy to be born to this club in years. Pleased as punch it’s you and Boss giving it to us.”

“Must admit, I’m pleased as punch to be givin’ it,” I tell him.

“Too right, know you are, brother.” He pulls me with one hand to the back of my neck into a big hug and pats my back usin’ his other. And he tells me in his unusually low, gravelly drawl, “Congratulation. Dawna would be so happy.” Then back to his normally booming gravelly drawl, he claps his hands together. “Little prince or princess of the Brimstone Lords. God help ya, brother, you get a girl. Might need a deal with the devil if she looks anything like her mama. Beauty like that…when it’s good to have your brothers. The pricks you can’t get, we’ll have your back.”

“Forgetlookslike her mama, heaven help you sheactslike her.” Chaos comes out of the kitchen carrying a tray of food. Haven’t seen him look this light in ages.

“Was thinking it, just didn’t want to spoil the moment for ‘em,” Duke tells him, which makes me laugh. Elise says nothing.

“Ah, Elise doesn’t mind, do you sweetheart? Just good natured ribbing. She knows I think the world of her.”

“You’re lucky I like you,” she replies with her own light-hearted dig. “Speaking of people I like, how’s Liv? Where’s Liv?”

“She’s good, hospital only kept her a few hours. Told her to rest. Resting now. Made us some food. She’s just not ready to see everyone yet.” Then he shifts the tray to get a better hold. “Blood won’t talk to me.”

“Did you expect anything less?” Duke asks.

“Not really, but it’s, well, Liv’ll need his support. He wouldn’t talk to her at the hospital. Just stayed long enough to see her alright and took off. He wants to get shitty with me, I can take it like a man. But I can’t let his stink touch Livvy. And she wants to see him, she’s been asking.”

“Give it time.” I offer. It ain’t much, but it’s somethin’. “He’ll come around. Your sister and one of your best friends? Then to find out it started years ago. He’ll be lickin’ those wounds for a while. You just stick to carin’ for her, get her mind healthy.”

“Plan on it.”

“If she wants to talk, even just about stupid girl stuff, I’m here.” Elise throws her two cents in.

“I’ll remind her.”

“I mean it, any time.” Elise then sinks back against me. “What about Crass?”

---