Page 55 of Betsy
“She had a girl.”
My phone slid into my back pocket. A baby girl.
Marcus stood. “Can we see her?”
Betsy nodded and led us down a long hall to a private room.
We all tiptoed in, the moment feeling sacred. Tricia sat propped up with pillows in the hospital bed, a precious bundle with a pink cap nestled in her arms.
“I’d like you to meet Melody Grace Williams.”
“Aww. She’s so cute and tiny.” Jimmy spoke in baby talk.
“Do you want to hold her?” Tricia sat up straighter so she could safely transfer the newborn into Jimmy’s waiting arms.
I approached the other side of the bed. “I called your mom. She’s on her way.”
Tricia dragged her gaze away from her daughter to reluctantly give me her attention. She looked tired and sweaty but happier than I’d ever seen her.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” I awkwardly patted her shoulder. “I was just about to call and cancel the rest of the concerts.”
Her smile left her face. “Why would you do that?”
I glanced at Jimmy, Marcus, and Dave fussing over baby Melody. At Betsy hovering nearby like an avenging angel if any of them made a wrong move that would put Melody in jeopardy.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Tricia folded her arms, a stubborn jut coming to her chin. “You willnotblow this opportunity because of me, you hear me?”
“Wow. That mom tone is pretty instantaneous, huh?” I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Tricia’s glare didn’t waver. I sighed. “True North isn’t True North without you. We all play together or we don’t play at all.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You have two choices, Asher North. Either you go and sing your heart out tonight and impress the socks off that label rep without me, or you leave me no choice but to haul my sore and torn body out of this bed and sing beside you in a hospital gown while baring my backside to Dave at the drums.”
“Tricia.” I said her name, but what I really meant wasbe reasonable.
“Asher.”
She could speak in hidden inflections too. I understood herstop being stubborntone.
“Bottom line.” Her voice had reverted to normal. “We’re all here for you. Marcus, Jimmy, and I, we all see what you could become, and we were all willing to sacrifice for you to see it too. To reach your potential.”
She held her hand out palm up, and I took it like she wanted me to.
“You and Betsy aren’t all that different. She’s scared to even step up to the starting line, but you’re afraid of showing the world what you’re truly made of and crossing that finish line in a blaze of glory. I don’t know if it’s because of your mom or what, but you’ve been holding back, Asher. We agreed to do this tour with you because we wanted to see you finally shine.”
I shook my head. She was wrong. Wasn’t she?
“You don’t need me,” she pressed. “And don’t make any of our sacrifices be in vain.” She patted my hand. “We love you. Let the world love you too.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How was I supposed to respond to that?
Tricia turned from me and held out her arms to the quartet admiring Melody Grace. “Now give me my baby back and hit the road, Jacks.”
Jimmy walked slowly back to her bedside and transferred the sleeping bundle. We said our goodbyes and filed out the door.
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