Page 123 of Thick as Thieves
Tarron, Kellen, and I stay with him, but we can see no change. Tarron has arranged for a long-time friend—a surgeon—to come check and reassure him, and he’s stepped out to meet him. I’m sitting reading a magazine when I feel the flutter in my stomach. I sit quietly and concentrate on the sensation. It happens again and I smile.
“What’s up? What was that smile about?” Kell comes and stands in front of me. “Remembering this morning and last night?” he says cockily.
I shake my head at him. “No, the baby is kicking. Feel.” I move my T-shirt and put his hand where I felt the kick. “It will be really faint at the minute, but you should?—”
He draws in a sharp breath. “Oh my. Yes, I felt it.” He gets on his knees, putting both hands on my tummy. “Hey, baby, it’s your daddy. Do you want your Papa to feel you?” Tears pool in his eyes, but he won’t blink or look away. “He needs to wake up, he has to, he?—.”
“He will.”
Taking Kell’s hand in mine, I stand and walk over to the bed. Xander’s hands are laid at his sides. “Hey Xan, your little girl is kicking. Do you want to feel her?”
I push my T-shirt up and tuck it into my bra, exposing my stomach. It's not large at present but certainly has popped out a bit these last few days. I take his hand and place it where I can feel the flutters. “There, can you feel her? She says hi, Papa,” I tell him as I feel them get stronger.
The door pushes open and Tarron and his surgeon friend walk in. Tarron stops dead, looking at my exposed flesh.
“The baby has started to kick more. I’m just letting Xan feel her.”
The smile cracks his face from ear to ear, and I nearly start to cry. He looks so happy.
“May I?” he asks, walking up to me, and tentatively places his hand on my stomach. I move it to where she’s kicking. “Wow, Xan. I can feel her,” he says reverently. “She’s waiting for you, son.”
He keeps one hand on me and with the other he takes Xander's hand in his. Kellen had moved to stand behind me, allowing Tarron space, but now he wraps his arms around me, cupping my tummy from below. His head rests lightly on my shoulder. And now, all four of us are connected to Xander, our very own life support system.
The surgeon friend adds, “All looks good, Tarron, no issues. Should be anytime now.” He smiles at us all. “I’ll just catch up with the doctor in charge, you come find me when you are ready.”
Tarron turns back and places Xander’s hand onto me. He feels warm, and I can feel his calluses on his fingers from playing guitar. I feel movement against my skin and I freeze, staring down at his hand. I’m sure I felt it move.
I place my hand on his. “Can you hear us? Can you feel her?” I feel it again—a movement in response to my question—and I look up at Tarron sharply.
“What is it?” he asks, staring from me to Xander.
“I felt his hand move, on its own.”
We’re all staring at his hands, then at his face. I see his little finger move, definitely not dreaming. His eyes move under his lids, and I feel Kell tighten his hold on my stomach.
“Xander,” he breathes out as we see his lids flutter and he opens his eyes.
58
Xander
London
I see them all standing together, the most important people in my life, then they disappear again. “No,” I groan. I need to see them. I dreamt I met my baby, talked to her. Dark hair, blue eyes, and a smile like Evie’s. I need to tell them.
59
Kellen
London
His lids flutter open and we call for the doctor, but he doesn’t fully come round. We have to wait another few hours for it to finally happen. When it does, he smiles at us all, and I can’t fucking breathe. He’s going to be alright.
I should have listened to him years ago about Isobel. He told me for years she was no friend, she was always being nasty. I just assumed she was jealous of him, but it wasn’t anything serious. Well it got serious real quick, and I nearly lost him. I wouldn’t have survived without him over the past twenty years. Losing Evie had been bad, but if Xan had gone as well? I would never have made it through. He dragged me around for years, keeping me alive and just this side of sane, and at times that was debatable.
He chose me again and again. Even when he didn’t agree with me, he wouldn’t leave me. I loved the man. Evie and him were the foundations of my world. Without them, it wouldn’t work. It didn’t work. Hell,Ididn’t work.
I don’t want to break down in front of everyone, so I walk out of the room, striding straight past the crowded waiting room, stuffed with family and bandmates. Xander and I didn’t shove our relationship down everyone’s throats. We’d agreed years ago, it was for us only.Was.Because now it’s for Evie, too. But no one else. We never needed public displays of affection to prove anything to anyone. But now, I’d shout it from the rooftops. I’d advertise it on buses around the country. Go global with a marketing campaign. Everything and anywhere.
