Page 89 of Beyond Oblivion

“Uh, I’m due in December.”

“December!” she said, clapping her hands together. “Wait. Sagg December? Or Capricorn December? Because that’s going to determine if I like your kid or not.” She shook her head. “I don’t care, I’ll get over it. Yay!” she screamed, pulling us all into a group hug.

“That’s more like it,” I said.

“But,” she said, releasing us and catching her breath. “Madison’s missing? Really?”

“Yeah,” Trenton said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re handling it. Just be aware.”

Hazel’s face softened, her playful demeanor shifting into something warm, protective. “You two holding up okay?”

“Yes,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “We’ve got more exciting things to distract us.”

“Yes!” she said. “Yes. Baby names?” She snapped her fingers. “Wait,” she said, pointing at me. “Are we bringing this kid to the shop? You’re not going to pay for a sitter when we can all take turns here, right?”

One of a million things I hadn’t thought about. Trenton and I exchanged a look.

“Uh, well…” Trenton started, scratching his head. “I don’t know that Calvin would approve.”

Hazel’s face scrunched. “Since when do we care what Calvin thinks? He’s just the owner. He can’t tell us what to do.”

“Pretty sure that’s exactly what being the owner means,” Trenton said, staring at her in confusion.

She looked at each of us. “So? Do we get a shop baby?”

I shrugged at my husband, and he mirrored the gesture. “I guess so, yeah.”

“Good!” Hazel clapped her hands, her whole face smiling. “Shop baby! I bet we’ll be the only tattoo shop in the world with one. Some places have shop cats; we’ve got a kid! I’ll help. Just tell me what you need.”

A warmth settled in my chest, a calm reassurance that things were finally coming together, another piece of the puzzle sliding into place. Keeping the baby close, knowing he or she would be safe and loved—there was real comfort in that. Not missing a moment, being there for every part of his day, gave me a deep sense of reassurance I didn’t know I needed. And with Hazel already stepping up, it all seemed a little more doable. It wasn’t about big words or promises; it was just that, in her lighthearted way, she’d reminded me that when things got hard, we had our village.

Calvin emerged from the hall, his expression blank as usual. I opened my mouth to inform him of the upcoming, somewhat life-altering changes coming up for all of us, but Hazel beat me to it.

“Hey, Cal!” she shouted, waving him over with a mischievous grin. “Guess what? You’re gonna be a grandpa!” She gave him a quick, judgmental scan, from his tousled, graying hair to his scuffed-up Vans. “A cranky, complaining, permanently annoyed grandpa.”

“I heard. Pretty sure the nail salon next door heard. The rats in the alley heard,” he deadpanned.

“Then you know we’re getting a shop baby,” Hazel said. Sometimes I wondered if all her ideas were merely to torture Calvin.

He looked to Trenton, then me. “You think you can work with the baby here all day? The same as before?”

“Of course I can,” I said.

“And,” he said, thinking, “you’re okay with a newborn being around the public? Germs and all that.”

Only Trenton’s eyes moved in my direction. We were both surprised that Calvin would think to even ask.

“I’ll adjust some things so the baby can be behind the counter away from dirty hands and coughing, if that’s what you mean,” Trenton said.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean,” Calvin said. He seemed annoyed, as if it should’ve been obvious. “I don’t care if you bring it, just don’t expect me to change diapers… or pick it up. Or look at it.”

We both nodded, and for a moment, Calvin just stared, his expression unreadable. Then, he gave a single shrug before turning for his office.

Hazel cringed, showing most of her teeth. “Oops. I got a little excited. That was your news to share.”

Trenton laughed under his breath. “Guess that’s one way to do it.”

Hazel gave my shoulder a playful nudge. “Well, guess that’s settled. So, what do you need? A crib? Diapers? Play area in the break room?”

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