by Cora Kenborn
I looked up from my slouched position. An older man sat beside me, his hair graying and in a crisp black business suit complete with a red power tie. He appeared polished, and by the way he looked at me, I had my doubts he recognized me.
“No kidding,” I huffed. “My battery died, and I left in such a hurry, I forgot my phone charger. Apparently, no airport in America sells compatible T6 accessories.”
“From the look on your face, you needed it bad, huh?”
Pursing my lips, I nodded as I flipped the phone in my hands. “My wife’s in labor. I’ve tried all day to get there, but the damn flight keeps getting delayed.”
The man’s face softened with sympathy. “That’s horrible. Well, there you go. Murphy’s Law strikes again. I remember when my daughter was born; I think I drove a hundred miles per hour down the freeway. It seems like yesterday, but it was seventeen years ago. Been married long?”
I shook my head. “A few days.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to explain myself to a perfect stranger. “It obviously wasn’t a planned pregnancy.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean anything, son. Sometimes unexpected gifts are the ones that mean the most.” With a small pause, he extended his hand. “I’m Chris Alexander.”
Turning my eyes back to him, I finally shrugged and shook his hand. “Julian.”
“Well, Julian-with-no-last-name, it’s nice to meet you.”
I laughed despite of myself. “Are you on your way to see your family?”
“It’s my daughter Catherine’s birthday. I’ve been on business in Portland. I tried to get home last night, but, well…you know.” With exaggerated hand movements, he gestured around us.
“Yeah, too well.”
After a momentary break in conversation, the man glanced at his pocket, reached in, and pulled out his phone. Within seconds, he’d disassembled the back and removed his battery. He held it out across the armrest of our adjoined seat.
“Julian, my battery is fully charged. I’ve talked to Catie, and all is fine with my family. Why don’t you switch with me and talk to yours?”
My heart stopped as I looked down at the rectangular battery in his hand. As much I itched to take it, my conscience wouldn’t allow it.
“No, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask me. I asked you.” Chris shoved the battery closer to me. “Now, please, take it so I can tell Catie I saved the day for her favorite singer. I could use a few cool points with her these days.”
I dropped my chin and smiled. “So you do know.”
He lifted both eyebrows. “Of course I know. Your picture is plastered all over Catie’s walls. I know your face better than my own son’s.”
A chuckle rumbled from my chest. “Look, Chris, it’d mean a lot to me if you didn’t…”
Chris held up a hand and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Julian. You were stuck with me in PAX, nothing more. I did my good deed and sent you off to parts unknown.”
“Thank you. I like to keep my wife’s privacy as much as I can.”
He nodded. “The reason I gave you my battery is a mystery to me, and that’s the way it’ll stay.”
“You’re a good man, Chris.” Taking the battery out of his hand, I removed the dead one from my own and passed it over.
Chris shook his head and laughed. “I wish you’d tell Catie that. She seems to think the old man is a little out of touch these days.”
My spirits lifted for the first time in hours. Reaching into my pocket, my fingers closed around a piece of paper. Opening it up, I realized it was the set list Zane and I had been working on before the radio show. “Do you have a pen?”
Fishing around in his suit jacket, Chris pulled one out and handed it to me. Placing the paper on my knee, I quickly scribbled a note on the back and handed it to him. As Chris read the words aloud, his eyes crinkled with appreciation.
Dear Catie,
Your dad is a good man. Probably one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. You’re lucky to have him as your father. You owe him one.
All the best,
Julian Bale
P.S. Buy him a new phone battery. He deserves it.
“Hey, thanks, Julian! That’s really nice of you.”
I slapped him on the back. “You’ve saved my ass, Chris. I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“Just call your wife,” he said with a tight smile. “I’m getting old. I’m banking on this whole pay it forward thing.”
I let out an honest laugh. “Karma will come back around to you, man. Count on it.”
As I locked the fully charged battery into place, I replaced the back of the phone just as the attendant called us to board the flight home.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Phoebe
I tried to stay calm. Even in my erratic state, I remembered a nugget of wisdom from my therapy days. The mind controlled the body. Peacefulness enlightened compliance.
Then it hit again.
Screw enlightenment.
Ryker’s eyes raised in shock as he pushed the door open. I held onto the bedrails, beads of sweat rolling down my face. As it slowly subsided, I begged him for the answer I needed to hear.
“Is he coming?”
Nervously turning his eyes away from my heated stare, he closed the door behind him. “Yeah, Pheebs. He should be here real soon.”
I exhaled in relief. “Oh, thank god. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off.”
He crossed his arms. “It’s Julian. He’s a superhero. I’m sure he can press a button on his jeans and a rocket will shoot out of his ass, propelling him here in ten minutes or less.”
I started laughing hysterically. I didn’t know if I was truly that amused at his lame joke or if I’d crossed over the line into boiling bunnies and ice pick homicide. “Now I know why female fans take pictures of his ass. They’re trying to get a shot of his rocket booster.” One look between us and we burst out laughing.
Ryker raised a hand up in protest. “God, shut up. I don’t want to hear about my brother’s rocket.” A lazy smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush before.”
I slapped his arm in embarrassment. “I’m not blushing. I’m in labor. Big difference.”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, rosy cheeks.”
Reaching over to the side table, I picked up a water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and pointed it at him. “I don’t get embarrassed. I’m not blushing. I’m pissed at you.”
Ryker held up his hand to my face. “You wouldn’t dare.” On impulse, he grabbed the small pitcher of water that a nurse had brought into the room. Cocking one eyebrow, he held the pitcher high up over my head. “Game on, rosy, hit me with your best shot.”
Poised and ready, our eyes narrowed as if we were in a wild west duel. With the tip of the water bottle aimed at his face, my lips curled into a devious smile. “I have to warn you, Ry, I’m fantastic at paint ball. My accuracy is legendary.”
“Yeah? Well, I can outrun you, because you’re hooked up to jumper cables and a car battery.” He emphasized his point by motioning with his other hand to the fetal and blood pressure monitors. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, I shot the cold water directly in his eye. With a yelp, he jumped backward, trying unsuccessfully to block the stream of water with his palm. “That was a sneak attack! I win by default.”
“You lose by having the attention span of a five-year-old.” I smirked.
“Oh, five-year-old? Well, since I’m so childish, then I can’t be held responsible for doing this.” Flipping the lid of the water pitcher, he lifted it over my head and dumped its entire contents. The frigid water ran down my face and soaked my hospital gown.
“You little shit!” I screamed through dripping hair. “You’re so dead.”
He sneered indignantly. “Right. By the time you get out of bed, I’ll be in Mexico drinking tequila shots out of some chick’s bra.”
“I’m sure she’ll ask fo
r it back after you’re done wearing it.”
He clutched his heart in mock pain. “Ouch, that’s cold.”
“So is the ice chunk that just slid down the front of my gown.” Grabbing a wad of napkins, I dabbed the water snaking down my neck. I watched him fail miserably at hiding a satisfactory smile.
Then it hit me.
Julian’s name hadn’t been mentioned in ten minutes. It was the first time that’d happened since arriving. The whole argument had been carefully orchestrated to occupy my mind.
“Well played, Bale.” He faced me and stared as water dripped down his nose. Something had to be behind that blank stare. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I forgot to tell you something.” He scratched the bottom of his chin where his light beard grew. “He told me to tell you that he loves you and he’s on his way.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet.
“Thanks, Ry. I needed to hear that.”
“He’d have told you himself, but he was stuck at the airport.” Immediately his face paled.
“I thought you said he was on his way hours ago?”
“I did. What I meant was that he couldn’t…” He palmed the back of his neck. “He couldn’t talk because they were about to take off.”
Lies.
“I still feel like there’s something you’re not telling me,” I prodded.
“Nope. Nothing.” He held firm to his story.
“I guess I have no choice but to believe you.”
“Guess you don’t.”
***
Three hours later, Ryker wiped the exhaustion off my forehead with a damp washcloth. “Why don’t you get one of those epidermis things?”
My lips curled slightly as I continued to breathe heavily. “Epidural, Ry.”
“Whatever. Doesn’t it make it stop hurting?”
“Yeah, but it also makes me not know what’s coming. I’ve never wanted to do this thing naturally, but I can’t not know what’s happening until he gets here.”
Dropping the washcloth, he glanced at me with uncertain eyes. “Are you going be okay for a few minutes?”
My face scrunched as my voice grew tired and hoarse. “I guess so. Where are you going?”
“I’m hungry. I’m going to hit the vending machine. I won’t be long, all right?”
Lies. Again.
I simply nodded and stared at him.
Hungry, my ass.
The minute he closed my door, he’d call Julian—wherever the hell he was right now. There had to be a reason behind his silence. He forced a convincing smile as he slipped out the door and down the hallway.
***
“You must obtain a long-distance code from a patient services representative before placing this call.”
I didn’t realize I held my breath until the high-pitched automated tone of the voice sent my heart into a free-fall through my chest.
“Shit!”
Long distance code. Of course I’d need one. Julian never changed his New York cell number. I breathed a long, drawn out sigh and hung up the hospital phone that sat next to my bed.
I needed Julian. I needed something real.
Soon, the realness grabbed ahold of me again, this time pushing downward as if a pair of hands reached inside of me and gave a strong, hard shove. I squeaked out two words. “Ry, help!”
As if on cue, the metal door opened. “Shit, what’s happening?”
“Get someone!” My own body had betrayed me for hours, and it apparently had no intentions of stopping.
I blinked, and he’d burst back in with the doctor and two young nurses in tow. He furrowed his brow and scanned the fetal monitor printout. Snapping on a glove, he placed a hand on my knee.
“Let’s look at what’s going on here.”
Breathe, in…out. Slow and steady.
After the examination, the doctor moved closer to my bedside and placed a hand on the side table in front of Ryker. “You’re already dilated to seven centimeters. Obviously, all attempts to stop your labor haven’t worked.”
“Meaning?” Ryker asked slowly.
“In my experience, once you get past seven, things tend to snowball. It’s my assumption that within the hour, she’ll be pushing, and you two are going to have yourselves a baby.”
“No!” I screamed. “Make it go back.” Nausea gurgled in my throat.
Bringing a hand up, Ryker pressed his thumb to his temple and draped his fingers along his forehead. “Okay, I didn’t want to have to pull this card, but I have no choice.” Taking a deep breath, he hooked his thumb through the belt loop on his pants. “I’m Julian Bale’s brother.”
Shifting an unimpressed eyebrow, the doctor took the pen from his hand and dropped it into his white lab coat pocket. “Your point?” Before Ryker could offer a rebuttal, he’d disappeared down the hallway.
This is it.
“Pheebs, he’s just a person. He’s not god.”
“Ry, just stop. Let’s admit what we both already know. He’s not coming, is he?” Exhaustion had won the positivity race.
“He’s just running behind, and as soon as he—”
“Ry.” I pleaded for honesty. “He’s not coming, is he?”
He blew a long breath from rounded lips. “I don’t think so.”
“How long have you known?”
“C’mon, don’t do this to yourself.”
“How long?” My tone bit harder, and he bowed his head.
“For a while. There was some sort of mix-up with flights and mechanical difficulties so Kristina sent him off to Portland, and shit, I don’t know. He tried his best, but I don’t know where he is right now.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t call him inside the room.” Wiping a tear, I silently wondered how many could possibly be left. “Maybe you could call him right before the baby’s born? I could…maybe tell him what it is?”
He screwed his eyes shut. “I said the same thing.”
“And?”
“And in the middle of the conversation, the phone line went dead. I assume his battery died. I tried to call him back a few times, and it went straight to voice mail. I’m sorry.”
That severed it. My only form of communication with him had been taken from me.
“I need a minute.”
“I promised Julian I wouldn’t leave you.”
“Ryker, please.” Finally lifting my eyes, I hoped he could see my need to make peace with this. “Don’t make me do this in front of you.”
He ran his hand across the top of his hair. “Okay, five minutes. That’s all you get.”
The door gently closed behind him. Within seconds of the solitude, I brought both hands up to my face and dropped all defenses. As I grabbed a tissue from the side table, I caught the gleam from the corner of my eye.
My rings.
Mesmerized by the glint, I brought my hand closer to my chest and dusted my lips against the stone. With the simple ceremony, in an out-of-season strawberry patch, we’d become a family. At least I could hold to the fact that our baby would be born to a real family, present or not.
True to his word, in five minutes, the door opened. Ryker stood in the doorway with a soda in one hand and two bags of cheese puffs in the other. With a sheepish grin, he held up the bags.
“I thought you might be hungry too. I didn’t know what you liked, but I figured everybody loves cheese puffs. How could you not? They’re puffed air and powdered cheese.”
“Thanks, but they told me I couldn’t eat until after the birth.”
He’d already opened a bag and shoved a handful in his mouth before raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? What if it doesn’t come for another day? That’s going to really suck for you.”
With a grimace, I began inhaling and exhaling air as fast as I could. “I don’t think…it’s going to be…a problem.”
Ryker dropped the soda and snacks on the chair and grabbed my hand, the orange dust from his fingers trailing down my arm. A
s the last one finally came to an end, I threw my head against the pillow and collapsed in exhaustion.
“Ry, I can’t do this anymore. Make it stop.”
“C’mon, you’re a Bale now. We’re known for our thick skin and determination.”
“I don’t want to be determined,” I whined. “I want thin skin and drugs…lots of drugs!”
He glanced nervously at the door. “I don’t think that…”
As another contraction hit, I grabbed his ear and jerked it toward my mouth. “Ryker, get me some fucking drugs and get them now! I want an epidural, I want Demerol, I want to be comatose. I don’t care, but I swear to god, if you don’t get your skinny ass out there right now and find me something to shoot in this IV, I will kill you. I’ll fucking kill you right now.”
“Okay, Pheebs, you’re cutting off my circulation.” Ryker yelled from the doorway for a doctor. I closed my eyes as the tightness subsided. With one last breath, I opened my eyes to see Ryker, the doctor, and a nurse standing in front of me.
Once again, pulling off the rubber gloves, the doctor turned to the nurse and mumbled something to her that sent her scurrying off to the closet. She returned with a green gown and surgical mask, and he put them on as she returned to the closet, retrieving two more sets. Handing one to Ryker, she assembled her own.
I shifted a look to Ryker. “What’s going on?”
After affixing his surgical mask, the doctor patted my knee as the nurse removed the lower half of the bed and handed a pair of scrubs to Ryker. “We’re having a baby, Miss Ryan.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Okay, Miss Ryan, here comes another one. Big, deep breath and push!”
I stared at the doctor in shock. “Again? The other one just stopped.”
He managed a sympathetic look while motioning for me to lean forward. “That’s what’s supposed to happen.”
I started to panic. “It’s been an hour. I’ll sit this one out.” I’d just relaxed into the pillow when a searing pain shot my upper body into orbit. “What the hell is that?”