Page 121 of Play the Game
I laugh, wiping under my eyes. “You sure are.”
“Thank you for loving my boy,” Rob says quietly, bending to hug me when Pam lets me go and turns her attention to Cooper, who hasn’t yet strayed an inch from my side. “And for making him so happy.”
“He makes me happy too. The happiest,” I whisper, soaking in his hug too.
“Okay, enough of this emotion,” Jo says, elbowing her way to the bed and throwing her arms around me with a wide grin on her face. “You had a baby,” she squeals, bouncing as she hugs me, and I grin at her infectious enthusiasm. “She’s gorgeous and so are you, and I get to be an aunt again and I love this day so much.”
Hannah and Amelia park themselves on the edge of the bed, each taking one of my hands. And for a minute with them and Jo, Pam to my right, and Cece to my left with my daughter still in her arms, we all look at each other, and we’re tethered together by an understanding and a kind of knowing that flows between us without a single word spoken. It’s love and trust and friendship and sisterhood and everything I’ve always wanted but never knew I could have. It’s big and special and important and more powerful than any magic could ever be.
“Okay, whatever is going on here right now is spooky and I need to see my niece, stat,” Chris says, coming to stand next to me, leaning down and kissing me on the head. “You had a whole entire baby, Ev. Why do you look so damn pretty?”
Rio backhands him across the stomach. “Mi amor, that was not on the approved list I gave you of appropriate things to say to your sister five hours after she gave birth.”
Cooper snorts out a laugh, hugging Chris and then Rio. “None of us are ever appropriate. Welcome to the family.”
Pam rolls her eyes as Chris turns to study the baby still in Cece’s arms. “You’re a little late to the party, Coop. I alreadywelcomed them to this family months ago. I trade recipes with Rio, and I’ve sat behind home plate for three baseball games since opening day.”
“You go to baseball games without me?” Noah asks, practically pouting.
“Dude, you’re not the only person who can get tickets to a baseball game,” Elliot says, tossing an arm over Noah’s shoulders. “You’re a dentist. Chris over there is a whole entire baseball player.”
“Oral surgeon,” Noah mutters, shoving Elliot’s arm off his shoulders. “I’m an oral fucking surgeon.”
“You sure are, baby,” Hannah says, patting his hand. “You’re the greatest oral surgeon to ever pull a tooth.”
Jordan hoots out a laugh, hooking an arm around Noah’s neck. “Spicy Hannah is my favorite Hannah.”
Noah shoves him off too, sitting on the end of the bed behind Hannah and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, tugging her back against him. “Every Hannah is my favorite Hannah.”
Cooper sits down next to me again, sliding an arm around my waist. “How you doing, Rhodes?” he asks, kissing the side of my head.
I lean my head against his, surveying the room. Chris and Rio peering at the baby Cece is still holding hostage, Rob and Pam watching them with a smile, the girls still perched on the end of the bed with their guys behind them. “I’m great. I’m really, really great.”
“You sure are,” he murmurs, turning my face to his and kissing me, long and slow. I could live a thousand lifetimes, and I will never forget how it feels for Cooper to kiss me like this in my hospital room on the day our baby was born, his whole family around us.
Our family.
It feels perfect. It feels like everything.
“Excuse me, but visiting hours are long over.” Everyone’sattention swings to the door where a nurse stands, her eyes sweeping over the crowd in the room.
“Hey, Mary!” Jordan ambles over to the door, hisYou’re going to give me whatever I want and like itgrin stretched across his face.
“Dr. Wyles,” she says, smiling back at him. “It’s been a while since you graced us with your presence. Are you here for a consult?”
It never occurred to me that, as a pediatric surgeon, Jordan would do consults here on the maternity floor, but I guess it should have. Newborns sometimes need surgery too. At that thought, panic curls in my stomach and my head whips around, relief gusting through me when I see the baby happily asleep, still in Cece’s arms, decidedly not in need of surgery.
I take a long, slow breath, and Jesus, is this what it feels like to be a mom?
Jordan starts talking before I can contemplate whether the next eighteen or so years of my life are going to be one long string of me catastrophizing over all the terrible things that could befall my child. “Nah, no consult today, Mary. That’s my sister-in-law.” He points to me, and I don’t bother to tell him that I am not, in fact, his sister-in-law because I can practically feel the glee pouring off Cooper at Jordan’s words, and honestly, the idea of being part of this family officially? I don’t hate that at all.
“She and my brother had a baby today,” Jordan continues. “I know visiting hours are over, but it’s our first baby, and my grandma is being really territorial over her, so we haven’t all gotten a chance to hold her, and we don’t even know her name yet. If we’re really quiet, do you think we can hang for a while?” He gives the nurse his brightest smile.
“She’ll fold,” Jo murmurs quietly. “Even I can’t resist Jordan in full sunshine mode.”
“You can’t resist Jordan in any mode.” Hannah laughs, her chuckle low.
Jo shrugs with a grin. “True story. I just fucking love that guy.”
