Page 37 of Home Is Where the Witch Is
“No, only his voicemail. But Declan said he was gonna drive over to the seminary.”
“What an angel,” Tammy sighed, relaxing back against her pillows.
“Don’t tell him that,” Rosie teased. She paused, watching Tammy for a sec. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” Tammy said, smoothing her blankets over her belly before stroking it soothingly. “I’ve only had one contraction, and it felt more like a period cramp than anything else.”
“That’s the sucker,” Rosie nodded. “They feel like really bad period cramps that get progressively worse the closer to having the baby you actually get.”
“Can’t wait,” Tammy said sarcastically, making Rosie break out into a wide grin.
“You know, you’ve had more sass in these last nine months than in all the time I’ve known you combined.” She reached for a few magazines stacked on the bedside table between her bed and the empty one to her right. “I hope you’re not gonna lose it when the baby’s born.”
“Oh no, the sass is here to stay.”
“Good,” Rosie smirked, holding up two magazines. “You want ‘Royals Gone Wild: The Photos They Didn’t Want the World to See’,” she asked, brandishing one very dated magazine in the air enticingly, “or ‘Her Hollywood Secrets Exposed’?”
“Royals,” Tammy said eagerly. “Thanks.”
“Excellent choice,” Rosie said, passing the historical artifact over to her friend as they settled in for the long haul.
A little overhalf an hour later, Rosie’s mom-sense started tingling to the point where she was sure she could hear Maggie in the corridor outside of the maternity ward.
“They’re here,” Rosie told Tammy with a relieved smile, sitting up a little straighter seconds before the double doors opened to reveal both families en-masse.
“We’re here!” Maggie announced excitedly, skipping ahead of the men-folk to join her mom and Aunt Tammy.
Rosie winked at Tammy before taking her daughter’s hand. “Told you.”
“Yay, babies!” Maggie beamed. She was so excited that she was practically squirming, and if Rosie wasn’t on the edge of expecting a contraction she might have giggled at the cuteness.
“Yay, babies!” she echoed, giving Maggie’s hand a little squeeze to show her own enthusiasm.
Myles and Matthew had rushed over to Tammy’s bedside in the meantime and were covering her in the hugs she’d been needing. She was visibly less stressed now that she had her little fam with her, and Rosie was pleased to see her smiling.
The kids settled on the end of Rosie’s bed as Declan swooped down to kiss her. “I called Ma ’n' Da. They’re on their way. Then I called Ben but looks like you got there first. I also called Hella—who’ll have told the rest of the Council, and anyone else within a ten-mile radius.” He took Rosie’s hand in both of his, warming her fingers. It might have been hotter than hell outside, but this hospital AC would give even Emperia’s ice-magic a run for its money.
“Thanks babe.” Rosie sighed, feeling herself starting to relax a little more too.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Okay,” she shrugged. “Contractions are actually coming pretty quickly, and the midwife seems to think it won’t be too long on account of having given birth before.”
“So like, an hour?” Maggie asked, her ears pricking up for baby-arrival news.
“Probably a while longer than that,” Rosie said, secretly hoping she was wrong. It’d be lovely to have it all over and done with, so she could get some honest to goodness rest. The last few weeks the baby just had not stopped moving, and having to play host to a jungle gym inside her belly was starting to take its toll.
Declan turned to the kids as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket. “Would you guys like to go get some breakfast?”
“Please,” Gabe said, perking up. He had the distinct look of a teenager who’d stayed up too late playing video games and who’d been woken before noon. “I’m starving.”
“Anything else you couldn’t tell me in front of the kids?” Declan asked the moment they left.
“Nope. I’m honestly in good shape at this stage. The doctor’ll be by shortly to do my epidural, and then it should be relatively smooth sailing from there on out.”
During the pregnancy, Rosie had needed to remind herself several times that even though she’d been through all this before, Declan hadn’t. Gemma had never even told him she was pregnant with Gabe, so her husband was experiencing the miracle of parenthood for the first time.
“Okay,” Declan sighed, finally seeming to relax a little. “So there’s nothing to do but wait?”
