Page 22 of Inked Heart

Just as we sit down to eat, my cell phone rings. I answer it without looking.

“El?”

“No, it’s Ava. Can you watch Abby for me? Rosy has gone into labor and I need to get down to the hospital.”

“Of course, I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Thanks Kitty. You are a lifesaver. El already picked Ezra up.”

“Ok. I am on my way.”

“I got to go guys, enjoy your dinner. I cannot wait to meet your mystery woman Miles.” I say with a wink and walk out the door.

Ava is ready to walk out the door when I get there. I tell her to tell Max and Rosy congrats for me and I go check on the little darling kicking her legs on the floor. Abby is like the best baby ever, which makes this the easiest job I have ever done. We basically sit on the floor the whole time playing, cooing, and laughing. I am legitly having so much fun I didn’t realize how much time had passed, until she begins to yawn and gets fussy.

I pick her up, feed her, change her, and put her down for bedtime.

I just put Abby to sleep when my phone rings.

It’s Ava. I can tell something has happened because she sounds like she has been crying and her voice is panicked. She begins telling me something terrible happened to Rosy and there was nothing more they could do tonight. My poor friend.

Pacing the house after the phone call, my mind starts going crazy. I am hit by all the memories I have been suppressing of my childhood and most of them are filled with laughter and love. It’s true. My parents loved each other. Maybe even too much, but the important thing is my brothers and I were created in love; and my parents loved us and each other in their own way. To the bitter end. Somehow, I forgot that. With those thoughts fresh in my mind, I am gripped by the sudden realization that life is too short to let things in my past stop me from finding my own happiness.

I must see El. Right now. I pick Abby up from her crib, do a quick diaper change, make sure I have anything she may need including formula, and I head out the door.

I head home.

Home.

That is the first time I’ve referred to his house as home.

I take the back roads and get there in about ten minutes. I quickly text Ava and tell her Abby is with me. They have enough to worry about right now. I pull Abby’s carrier out of the base and head into the house. I don’t bother knocking or ringing the doorbell, because damn it, this is my house too. I just temporarily forgot where my heart lies.

I work on getting Abby out of the carrier. Holding her close, I turn and gasp. El is standing there shirtless, with his back to me. I am immediately drawn to the back piece he has. The thunderclouds connect his graveyard scene. Damn, he is so fucking sexy. I love this man.

“Baby?” He asks. The look on his face makes me think he thought he was never going to see me again.

“Where is Ezra?” I ask.

“In the crib. I put it together this morning.” He says.

“I’ll just put Abby down with him, then we should talk.”

He looks so forlorn, but hopefully I will be able to assure him that this is it for me. I shimmy past him into the nursery.

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