Page 142 of A Very Merry Enemy
Jake brings us coffee from the vending machine and settles in on Lucas’s other side. I lean into Lucas without thinking about it, and his arm comes around me naturally. Mawmaw is definitely watching but I don’t care anymore. I’m in the family group chat. They all know at this point.
When he thinks no one is looking, he presses a kiss to my damp hair.
We wait for what feels like forever. People doze in their chairs. Someone orders pizza that arrives around midnight. Mawmaw tells stories about when her own children were born, making everyone laugh. Lucas’s dad paces, and each time he walks, his shoes jingle.
Lucas traces circles on my palm. Every so often, I catch his mawmaw watching us with a soft smile on herface.
Around one in the morning, Hudson finally bursts through the doors with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on his face.
“They’re here!” he announces. “One healthy baby boy and one healthy baby girl!”
The waiting room erupts in cheers and congratulations. Hudson’s eyes are wet with tears, but he’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Emma’s incredible. The babies are perfect. They’re so tiny and beautiful and—” His voice cracks. “Colby is in there holding them before anyone else. He’s going to be such a good big brother.”
Jake pulls Hudson into a hug and they’re both crying and laughing at the same time. Hudson’s parents rush to embrace him. Everyone is talking at once, asking questions, and congratulating him.
“How much do they weigh?” Mawmaw asks.
“Five pounds, three ounces for Evan and five pounds even for Ella,” Hudson says. “They’re small but strong.”
“And Emma?” his mom asks.
“She’s tired but wants everyone to meet them before she goes to sleep.”
We wait another thirty minutes while the nurses get Emma and the babies settled. The energy in the room is completely different now. It’s joyful and full of anticipation.
Finally, a nurse comes out and says we can go in to see them in small groups. Lucas’s parents go first, then Mawmaw. After her, Mr. Manchester, Claire, and Jake go. When it’s finally our turn, Lucas takes my hand and we walk into Emma’s room together. He smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back, feeling that electric pull between us. This is a very close family thing, and I’m his plus-one. The significance of that isn’t lost on me.
Emma looks exhausted but absolutely gorgeous, and she sits up in bed. Hudson holds a swaddled baby and so does Colby, who’s looking prouder than I’ve ever seen anyone look in my life.
“Holiday! Lucas!” Emma smiles when she sees us. “Come meet your niece and nephew.”
There’s no question in her voice when she says it.
Lucas goes to Hudson first, and he carefully transfers one of the tiny bundles into his arms. I watch as he cradles the baby against his chest. The baby is so impossibly small in his big hands, wrapped in a blue blanket with a little knit hat on his head.
The look on Lucas’s face has my blood pumping much faster. Wonder and tenderness and something that looks almost like fear—like he can’t believe he’s being trusted to hold something so precious.
“This is Evan,” Hudson says. “Evan, meet your uncle Lucas, who’s absolutely not going to be a bad influence on you.”
Lucas chuckles. “Yes, I will.”
“Colby, give Holiday your sister, okay, buddy?” He nods as Hudson does a successful transfer.
“You make a good dad,” I tell him.
“Thanks, Holiday,” he says, putting her in my arms.
I cradle Ella carefully, surprised by how impossibly small she is. She weighs almost nothing in my arms. Her face is red and scrunched up, her tiny fists curled near her chin. Not to mention she has the tiniest fingernails I’ve ever seen.
“She’s beautiful, Emma,” I whisper, afraid to speak too loudly.
“How did these two miracles come out of you demons?” Lucas asks with a soft laugh.
“Oh, just you wait,” Hudson warns him. “Both of you. But still, even I can’t believe we made perfect little humans.”
“Am I perfect, Daddy?” Colby asks.
