Page 60 of The Wish List
“I do want him.”
“Then you’ll figure it out. Parenting is a great equalizer. Even moms and dads who think they’re prepared are thrown for a loop multiple times a day.”
Trinity wasn’t sure if it was the words Angi spoke or the conviction in her tone, but she trusted the restaurant owner. “I need to get to the hospital.”
Angi nodded. “Ash will get you there. You can trust him.”
Trinity bit down on her lower lip. “You don’t know how much I want to believe that.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THREEHOURSLATER,Thomas Michael Carlyle entered the world.
“He’s perfect,” Freya told Trinity. She and Beth stood on either side of Trinity’s hospital bed. Their younger sister looked tired and terrified and so beautiful it made the backs of Freya’s eyes sting.
How was it possible that her baby sister was now a mother? The baby was tiny but perfect with a nearly full head of dark hair the color of his mother’s. It made him look like an adorable grumpy old man.
Freya would never have expected Trinity to be the first of the three of them to have a child. Somehow even knowing Trinity was pregnant, seeing her belly and feeling the baby move hadn’t changed that thought.
Beth picked up a washcloth from the table next to the bed, dipped it in warm water and pressed it to Trinity’s forehead. “They’re doing a few more tests, but he’s good, Trin. His vitals are strong. His oxygen is within the normal range. You should have him back here with us in just a short time.”
“Why did he come so early? Was it something I did? Was it because of the drive or... I took all my prenatal vitamins and I went to the doctor and—”
Beth frowned. “It’s nothing you did, sweetheart.”
“You were perfect and brave,” Freya confirmed.
“That can’t be right,” Trinity insisted. “I had a birth plan.” She lifted the sheet and held her hand over her stomach, where the C-section incision stood out, red and angry under the sutures. “They had to take him from me. That has to be my fault.”
Beth shook her head. “Is it my fault I couldn’t carry a baby to term? Were the miscarriages or months when IVF didn’t work my fault, Trinity? Would you blame me for not being able to have a baby?”
Trinity gasped then shook her head. Freya swallowed at the raw emotion she heard in her older sister’s tone. Beth did not do that kind of emotion.
“You have a healthy baby, Trin,” Freya said, wanting to remind all of them about what was important right now. “That’s the grand prize. It doesn’t get any better. You did it.”
Beth sniffed. “Next time, I’d prefer you didn’t scare the holy heck out of all of us, but that little boy is worth it.”
“Worth everything. But is it weird that I want Mom here?” Trinity asked as she nodded.
Freya patted Trinity’s hand. “It wasn’t all bad growing up. We had good times, too.”
“She’s going to be a fun grandmother,” Beth said with a laugh. “Do you remember when we used to do dress-up tea parties in the backyard catching fireflies and drinking apple juice out of Grandma’s chipped china? Those were some of my favorite nights. Mom could turn even the most boring activity into an adventure.”
Freya nodded. “We’re going to have more adventures.” She felt the conviction of it all the way to her toes. “No matter how far apart we’ve been, we’re back together at this moment.” She didn’t dare bring up how long it might last. One day at a time worked better for the sisters.
“We’re going to make all kinds of adventures for your boy,” Beth said.
Trinity gave them a wobbly smile. “I just want to hold him.”
“I’ll see if I can’t hasten that along,” Beth said. “And tomorrow we’ll bring Mom over to meet him.”
“Thank you,” Trinity whispered, leaning back against the pillows as Beth exited the hospital room.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Freya asked. “I’ve seen you finishing off Mom’s pudding at the center. I’ll find whatever flavor you want. What about more water? You need to keep up your strength. I don’t know much about babies, but it feels like the advice I should be giving to a new mother.”
Trinity’s smile quivered. “Why do I feel like it’s my fault that he needs extra attention? I didn’t want him at first,” she said in a hushed tone. “When I first found out I was pregnant, my initial reaction was that I didn’t want a baby, a boy especially. Women like Beth try so hard, and they get nothing. For me, it came out of nowhere, and I wanted to wish it away. What kind of person makes that sort of wish?”
Freya’s heart hurt for the emotion in her sister’s voice. “You were scared, honey, and in a tough situation. Nobody is going to fault you for that.”
