Page 100 of Paternal Instincts
I touched his arm. “Start with Edwards. Tell him Ruiz and Frawley are taking care of things, and we’re out.”
He nodded, and while he made his phone calls, I made my own. “Hey, Ma.”
“Oh, Aslan. I was just talking to your sister. Why on earth are we having your baby shower at a restaurant? Is there something wrong with your mother’s cooking?”
“No, Ma, it’s—”
“There’s hardly going to be enough space for people to mingle.”
“She’s reserving a party room,and—”
“A party room.” Shepffed. “How cozy is that? Not very, if you ask me. And what’s this about no games? Baby showers are all about fun and celebration. You tell Quaid that we’re having the baby shower at my house. I’ll cook a proper feast. That way, if the little one gets overdone, and it’s likely since there’s going to be so many people there, then—”
“Ma—”
“Don’t you tell me no. People will want to see that baby and take turns holding him or her. It’s how these things work. Don’t you remember your sister’s baby shower? Your aunt Delliah made the cake with blue icing because she thought your father said Kylee was a boy. Good grief. Kylee’s not a boy’s name, and when all the people showed up with blue outfits, well—”
“Ma! Stop talking for five seconds. This isn’t about the shower. I called for another reason.”
“Aslan, don’t be rude. You’re shouting.”
“Because I have to, so you’ll hear me. Bryn’s in labor. We’re at the hospital.”
A pause ensued before she audibly gasped. “Oh. Oh my. Oh, dear me… Hold on. Don’t go anywhere. I gotta tell your father. Ronan! Ronan! Oh, he’s not listening…”
“He tuned you out years ago, Ma,” I mumbled.
She continued to shout so loudly I had to move the phone away from my ear.
“Ronan! Get in here. Aslan’s on the phone. Hurry up. No, it’s not about the baby shower… Yeah, I told him. Good grief, move your ass. It’s an emergency.”
“It’s not an emergency,” I cut in, to no avail. “Don’t tell him that, he’llthink—”
Dad must have arrived. The two bickered and yammered on, oblivious to me waiting on the other end of the line.
“I’m going to put it on speaker,” Mom said. “Hello? Hello? Is it working?”
The sound changed, and their voices came through differently. Dad’s no longer in the background.
“It’s working, Ma.”
“Oh good.”
“Hey, kiddo,” Dad said. “An emergency? Is it your appendix?”
“Not an emergency, Dad. Not my appendix, although I have no idea why that was the first thing you thought of.”
“You remember Father Graceland? He had his appendix out last week, so when your mother said—”
“It’s not an emergency. Mom’s…”on crack, I wanted to say but held my tongue. “She’s excited.”
“Excited? Why are you excited?” Dad asked her.
“Tell him,” Mom said, and I knew she was talking to me.
“Tell me what?”
“Bryn’s on her way to the hospital, Dad. Her water broke. She’s in labor. The baby’s coming.”
