Page 60 of Make Your Play

“She’s in surgery right now. I’ve been waiting for someone to come back and give me an update.”

My eyes are wild as I spin back to the woman at the front desk. “Why hasn’t the doctor come out? I need to speak to whomever is in charge of her care.”

Her eyes widen, filling with concern as she glances at her two colleagues who are now standing behind her, most likely because of the chaos I’m causing out here.

“Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to calm down or we will have to have you escorted out of here.”

“I’ll calm down when someone tells me where the hell my wife is and what’s going on with her and the baby.”

The double doors behind Nova are pushed open and a man walks out dressed in surgical scrubs and gown. The top of his head is covered using a cap and a mask is pulled down beneath his chin. “Are you Riley Harris’s husband?”

“Yes.”

Nova gasps and murmurs erupt from the guys behind me. “What?”

I glance at my sister. “I will explain later.”

“Are all of you family too?” he asks my sister and the guys.

“Yes,” they all say in unison without a second thought.

“Very well,” he says, nodding as he motions for us to follow him. “We have a private family waiting room you can all come to.” He looks at me as we reach the door. I go to step inside, but his hand darts out to stop me. “Not you. You can come with me.”

Dread rolls in the pit of my stomach and I fold my lips between my teeth, nodding at him before looking at my sister. Her teary eyes are filled with fear. I pull her in for a quick hug, releasing her as Lincoln steps up behind her. “I’ll update you as soon as I know what’s going on.”

Nova gives me a quick nod, and I leave them all behind as I follow the doctor through the double doors. We walk throughthe hallway, and he leads me into a separate waiting room outside of the surgical unit.

He motions for me to take a seat, but I shake my head, insisting on standing. He gives me a knowing look. “You can sit down. They’re both okay.”

Relief floods me and I instantly feel like I can breathe. I’m reluctant to sit but I do.

He takes a seat across from me. “Surgery went well. We were able to deliver the baby without any issues. He was a little sluggish initially at birth due to the medications Riley received, but with a little support with his breathing, he quickly rebounded, and is happy and healthy.”

“Thank God,” I breathe the words, my throat constricting as my eyes begin to burn. “What about Riley? Is she okay?”

“They’re moving her to the recovery unit where she will wake up from the anesthesia.” He pauses, his facial expression stoic. “Her blood pressure is still high, which we are hoping will come down over the next few days. Her kidneys were severely affected by the condition but that is another thing that should resolve since we delivered the baby.”

“What happens now?”

“I will take you to the nursery so you can see the baby. Since we will be transferring your wife soon, one of the nurses can take you and the baby to her room.”

None of this feels real. “Okay,” I tell him, nodding as I pull my phone out to text Nova. The doctor rises to his feet and I follow him out of the room as he leads me away from the surgical unit. I give Nova an update on everything, tucking my phone back into my pocket as I follow him through the postpartum unit.

We round a corner and there’s a nursery in the center, surrounded by three glass walls so you can see inside. Fromwhat I read, babies go directly to the rooms with their mothers unless there are issues preventing that from happening.

I follow him into the room, looking at the nurses who are moving about, although I don’t really see them. The past hour has been a blur, I’m not sure what my brain has really registered because I don’t have a single memory of the panic and chaos that has ensued.

The doctor stops as we reach the only bassinet that is occupied in the room. I look down, my heart stumbling over itself as my breath catches in my throat. He’s wrapped tightly in a pastel blue blanket with a pink-and-blue striped hat covering his head. My eyes burn as my gaze travels over his perfect little face, his plump lips, and little round nose. His dark lashes rest against the tops of his full cheeks.

“Here’s your little guy,” the doctor says, the smile evident in his voice as he looks up at me with his eyes shining from the fluorescent lights above. “Congrats, Dad.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ROWAN

This shit is absolutely insane.

And terrifying.

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