Page 135 of Family Bonds: Carson & Laine

“Thank you,” he said. He pulled Laine aside. “I know what it’s like in an ER. But that should get him over here faster than if I didn’t do it. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be in five minutes.”

“At this point anything is good,” she said.

“It’s past lunch,” he said. “You need to eat.”

“I can’t eat at a time like this,” she said.

“Laine,” he said leaning in. “The babies. Please. Some crackers if you want. You haven’t eaten since breakfast, I’m sure.”

She nodded her head at him. “I haven’t,” she said. “I’ll see if my mother wants anything. There has to be a vending machine somewhere.”

They left the nurse’s station and she returned to her mother. Carson stayed back in case the doctor came out.

“Laine, try to think positive,” her mother said. “Your father was alert and talking. He seemed fine.”

“That helps,” she said. “I just remember the last time.”

“This isn’t the last time,” her mother said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have called you. I guess that was wrong on my part.”

“No,” she argued. “I would have been mad if I didn’t know.”

“Your father always waited until everything was fine to let me know what was going on.”

“I remember,” she said. “Even in Chicago. I guess ignorance is bliss, but I want to know.”

“There is never telling your father anything. He does what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Mario had to argue to get him here. I think the only reason I know is because Mario called me.”

She snorted. She was kind of doing the same thing not telling them about the pregnancy but then told herself this was different.

“Why do you still have the ability to talk to Dad’s doctors?” she asked. She just added Carson to her list of contacts a few hours ago.

Which just went to show once again how life could change so quickly. Hours ago she wanted to get up and boogie that she was having Carson’s twins. Now...no, she didn’t want to think about now.

“You’re his next of kin, but you’re not always around. He needs someone close by to make decisions if needed. It’s always been me.”

To her that just proved her father made the wrong decision in his life but would never acknowledge it.

She wouldn’t make the same mistakes he did. Never.

Some might think she rushed with the whole baby decision with Carson, but not her.

Carson was who she wanted and nothing would happen between them because she wouldn’t let it. They’d work anything out, she knew it beyond a doubt.

“I’m glad he has you in his life.”

She looked at the vending machine. Instead of crackers, she went for the big chocolate chip cookie, then chased it with king-sized peanut butter cups. The Twix looked good too. Nah, two things were enough for now.

But Carson hadn’t eaten either. She added crackers and Twix to the purchase on her credit card.

“That’s a lot of junk food,” her mother said.

“We haven’t eaten since this morning. Just options. Not sure what Carson wants,” she said. It sounded good to her even if it was the truth.

When they returned to the waiting room with her stash, he took one look at it in her hands and smiled. “All for you or can’t you decide?”

“I thought we could share.”

“You first,” he said. Yeah, he was a keeper. Letting her take what she wanted.

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