Page 110 of Forever Fickle

“Hey…” Firefly said quietly. “We are here now in the waiting area and getting ready to head to the house with Betsy. Glory went into labor about four hours ago.”

“How’s Alpo?”

“He’s so excited.”

“I bet he is…” she laughed easily, thinking of the man who’d hovered protectively around his wife each time she saw them together.

Glory was an absolute doll and so full of energy, she could only imagine what their children, the twins, would be like.

“Yep…” Firefly laughed. “Thumper is staying, and Harley. Valkyrie and Marisol are babysitting Samantha and Romeo is waiting here in the delivery area. Dixie’s got a huge order she has to finish tonight for a wedding tomorrow and then she’s joining him.”

“I’m on my way,” Karen said easily.

“You can come tomorrow…”

“I can’t sleep, Firefly…” she said brokenly, feeling tears threatening.

“Heyyyy Kare-bear, I get it,” Firefly uttered, his voice kind. “That’s why I called you instead. Mel said a phone call would be better than texting. Are you alright?”

“No…?” she whispered painfully. “How do other women do this?”

“I can’t answer that one…” Firefly joked. “I’m a dude.”

“You know what I meant,” she sighed, rolling her eyes and wiping her face. “How do active-duty people say ‘goodbye’ and go on without them?”

“It’s hard,” he began. “It hurts a lot and I’m sure Hot Cakes is just as tore up as you are right now… but… WHOA…WHAT?Harley, quit crying, what’s wrong? Karen, I gotta go…”

The phone call ended abruptly – and she shot out of her seat in alarm.

Something was wrong and she felt a lancing spike of fear in her chest that was almost overwhelming. She couldn’t stay here, waiting to find out what was going on… and there was no way she was waiting until the morning.

Karen grabbed her keys and ran.

* * *

Gettingto the hospital in record time, Karen burst into the doorway to see Harley standing there, waiting in her husband’s arms, sobbing painfully. Everyone looked up in that moment and she saw their pale faces, pinched expressions, and stunned demeanor as she drew to a stop, dead in her tracks.

“What’s happening?”

“There’s a complication with the delivery and they are in surgery right now,” Romeo said quietly. He looked like he was the only one that was able to manage a sentence in that moment.

Thumper was staring at the ceiling, blinking back tears as he held Harley, who was inconsolable. Melody was holding Betsy, who was fast asleep on her shoulder.

Armadillo had arrived, leaving Delilah and the two children at home, as well as Valkyrie, who stood there leaning against a wall, looking almost as still as a statue, glaring at the door as if willing it to open with some sort of news.

“Is she going to be alright?” Karen asked bluntly. “Are the babies okay?”

“We don’t know anything yet,” Armadillo said, putting his head down in his hands. “I know Alpo is a mess right now and this will break him, if something happens. He loves that woman so much and…”

“She’snotdying,” Harley snarled tearfully. “Don’t you even say it, Armadillo!”

“Shhh baby,” Thumper urged, pulling her farther away from the others as Harley began crying again, in earnest.

Valkyrie surged off the wall in a smooth movement – and took off… causing Karen to go after him. Armadillo and Romeo shot off their chairs, right behind her… seeing Alpo emerge from the doors.

He looked almost shell-shocked… but was smiling proudly. There was a massive wet spot on his shirt, but it wasn’t blood.

“Glory’s going to be okay,” Alpo said bluntly, and a round of relief rose up loudly, just as Harley tackled her twin brother in a hug.

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