by Maggie Marr
Ilko shot Todd a look. He grinned. “A little different. Maybe even a bit racier than ACA. This one is called Afternoon Delight.”
Leo took a long breath. Yes, the app would probably make millions. But he didn’t want to be the poster boy for fast hookups for the rest of his life. He was finished being the poster boy for anything. “That sounds promising. TF might invest, but I’m not going to be the face of the product again.”
“Dude, no offense, but you’re way too old for our demographic. Nope, we got this. Already talking to some early twenty-somethings to be the face of the campaign. Couple of YouTube stars with outrageous numbers of views and followers. They’re perfect—got the skills that pay the bills. Right, Ilko?”
Ilko nodded. “But thanks for the offer. We’ll get you a write-up. Would love for you guys to be the backers on this. We dig how you guys r-o-l-l.” Ilko stood and so did Todd. Were those lederhosen he had on? And wooden clogs.
Leo didn’t dare open his mouth, since he wasn’t sure how he was still managing to keep a straight face, as his app developers exited his office. Sure, if they wanted to collaborate with Travati Financial, he’d always look at what they had. They did good work. But he was done being a part of the promo. He just wanted to be the guy who fronted the money.
“Got a minute?” Justin looked in through the office door. Walking in at Leo’s nod, he lowered his voice. “I know they made us a shitload of money, but dude, what are those two wearing?”
“Who knows? Creative types, I guess.”
“Creative? Come on. That guy is wearing wooden shoes.”
“And lederhosen.” Leo stood and walked to his desk. “What can I do for you?” He set his coffee mug on the nearly empty desk. Neat and clear of clutter, just as he liked it. “How’s it going at home? What are you, four days past the due date?”
“Five, but who’s counting?” To everyone’s surprise, even when Aubrey had gone off of bed rest with her doctor’s blessing, the baby still hadn’t shown any indication of wanting to come out. Justin rolled forward onto the balls of his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets.
Big brother was nervous. Leo hadn’t seen that move since Justin was once almost expelled from high school. Bottle rockets were not meant for gym class.
“So listen, we’ve got a bit of a…challenge.” Justin’s mouth thinned into a grimace. “And please keep in mind we are dealing with an amazing talented woman who is incredibly smart and loving but is currently in the throes of going on ten months of pregnancy hormones and is nearly a week past her due date.”
Leo lowered himself into his chair. So very pregnant. Wow. He hadn’t seen Aubrey since the launch party and she looked like an orca then. What was she now? A blue whale? A small smile curved over his lips. What would Gwen look like that big? How would she—
Stop.
Leo sighed. Where did these thoughts come from? And why? Unbidden thoughts popping into his mind of Gwen as a wife, a mother, undressed…
“Okay. What’s the challenge?”
Justin pursed his lips. “You know we want you to be the baby’s godfather.” Leo nodded. They’d discussed that months ago. Justin paused. What could be so bad that he didn’t want to tell Leo? “Well, Aubrey wants Gwen to be the baby’s godmother.”
Leo swallowed. His throat tightened.
So he and Gwen would be parents. Together. In a way.
“Is that supposed to be a hint? Aubrey knows that I don’t want children, right?”
Justin aimed a sardonic look at him. “My wife is well aware, considering that one of her best friends broke up with you for just that very reason—”
“I think broke up with me is a bit inaccurate.” Leo picked up a pen and tapped it against his desk. “The end of our relationship was a mutual decision. Gwen didn’t dump me, we just knew—”
“That you didn’t want to have kids and there was no compromise.”
“Correct.”
“So she said she couldn’t be with you.” Justin crossed his arms over his chest.
“Also correct.”
“Which is her breaking up with you.”
“Not correct.”
“Oh, so you didn’t want to continue seeing Gwen?”
“No, of course I wanted to continue seeing her. But she realized that I wouldn’t change my mind and that it would be unfair to ask me to and she—”
“Broke off the relationship.”
“Semantics.” He threw his brother an angry glance. “You’re telling me that Gwen and I are meant to take care of this child should something horrible and tragic happen to you and Aubrey?”
“Not quite. We’ll probably appoint Anthony and Shelly as the baby’s guardians since they’re already—”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Shelly’s pregnant?”
“Fuck. Not my news to tell. Don’t breathe a word, are we clear?”
“Why’d he tell you first?”
“Because I’m a father. I want to be a father. He wants to be a father. Even Devon wants to be a father.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Oh yes, he does. Ask him.”
“So I’m the only asshole?”
“Your words, not mine. But it does seem you’re the only Travati who doesn’t want offspring. So listen, you and Gwen, godparents together…you can do this, right?”
Leo nodded. “In my sleep.”
“Excellent.” Justin clapped his hands together and turned toward the office door.
Leo gazed out the window across the New York skyline. All of them wanted to be fathers except for him? Hmmm. A year ago, he wouldn’t have ever guessed his brothers would give up the carefree single lifestyle so willingly. But they were, and for good reasons, actually. Aubrey was a great wife for Justin and Shelly had been Anthony’s first love, so of course it made sense. And Devon? Well, it seemed Devon wanted to follow his brothers into marital bliss someday, once his legal woes were in the past.
Leo could understand marriage now, he really could. Since Gwen, he got why people paired up and loved each other for a lifetime. “You know, nobody thinks so, but I actually enjoy children.”
Justin, nearly out the door, turned back with a pained look on his face, obviously regretting he hadn’t made his escape faster. “I’m aware. You’re a big promoter of our Teddy Bear Luncheon.”
“Exactly. It’s not like I’m a complete child-hater.”
“I don’t think any one of us would use that name to describe you.”
“I’m good with Max.”
Justin inhaled and nodded. “A wonderful uncle to him.”
“Exactly.” Leo put a hand to his chin. “So what the hell is my problem?”
“Perhaps a therapist could better answer—”
“No, I’m asking you. Seriously—what is my problem? I think it was Dad.”
“Dad?” Justin stopped eyeing the exit and focused on his younger brother. He walked back into Leo’s office. “What does Dad have to do with you not wanting kids?”
“We wore him out. He hated it.”
Justin tilted his head, incredulity on his face. “You’re kidding, right? Dad loved being with us. Spent all his free time with us—”
“Worked three jobs,” Leo interrupted, “did some highly questionable things to keep food on the table, was constantly tired and worried and stressed. Completely overworked and underpaid.”
“And yet he always had time for us.”
Leo opened his mouth to continue, to perhaps argue with his brother, to disagree…but Justin was correct. Completely and totally correct.
“Seemed to love it when we all went to the shore or played ball in the street out front or got in those water fights. Remember when the two of you got all of us wet from the roof of the house?” A giant smile spread over Justin’s face. “Yeah, he was tired and overworked, but he was really happy.”
Leo’s brow furrowed. He nodded. Yeah, now that he really thought about it, his dad had always been happiest when the big loud Travati fami
ly were all together and underfoot. He might be sleeping in his lounger while they all ran through the house, but he’d wake up with a smile.
“You remember, right? All the fun?”
Leo nodded. There’d been fun. More fun than he could even recall. There’d also been love. Lots and lots of love.
“Okay. I have a meeting, so I have to—” The ring of Justin’s phone interrupted him. “It’s Aubrey.” He swiped the screen to answer and put the phone to his ear.
Leo watched the emotions cross Justin’s face: happiness, then concern, and finally a furrowed brow. His skin grew ashen. “Right. Got it. Meet you there.” He hung up and looked at Leo. “That was Nina on Aubrey’s phone. They’re on the way to the hospital. Water’s broken. Something…something isn’t right.”
Leo’s belly curled in on itself. He followed Justin out the office door and they ran down the hall. My God, Aubrey and…the baby. Leo had to get Justin to the hospital now, because that was exactly where a father needed to be.
*
Gwen bolted through the hospital doors. The antiseptic smell slammed into her face. The last time she’d been in a hospital…well, the last time…if she could make those tear-filled memories disappear, she would. The last time had been her mother’s final days, when her father had refused to visit. Years since that memory, but there it was, fresh and sharp in her mind.
Today, she’d been in Brooklyn when she got Nina’s text. Traffic was jammed, so Gwen finally jumped out of her cab and grabbed a train. She turned the corner into the maternity waiting room. Max filled one chair, hunched forward, his elbows on his knees. Nina stood in front of the double door under the “Operating Room” sign, peering through the small glass windows into the long “no visitors allowed” hallway beyond. Shelly and Anthony, hand in hand, sat beside Max. Devon paced and scrolled down his phone. Leo leaned against the wall.
Her stomach knotted, heat coiling in her abdomen. A thrill trembled through her. Two weeks since she’d seen Leo. That night Mischa had been draped around his body for the perfect effect as he launched his new app into the world. His gaze caught hers. In that unguarded moment his eyes lit with an emotion she felt certain was still love. She fought hard not to reflect back to Leo what she saw in his eyes. No, she wouldn’t make herself vulnerable again. She would be polite, nice, even kind when the situation called for those behaviors, but she wouldn’t again let herself be in love with Leo. Until she truly fell out of love with him, she would hold him at arm’s length.
“Gwen—” Leo started to walk toward her.
“Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re here.” Nina rushed over and put her arms around Gwen. Tears filled Nina’s eyes and her bottom lip trembled. Gwen hugged her back, feeling a rush of compassion. She’d never seen her brave strong friend like this, nearly undone by her fear for her sister and her soon-to-be-born baby.
“Not here,” Gwen whispered. “Not in front of Max.”
Nina nodded and swallowed hard. Gwen led the way out of the waiting room. They turned the corner and walked down the hall. As they walked away, Gwen’s skin prickled, feeling Leo’s gaze on her back.
“How much longer? Do you know?”
Nina brushed her hand over her head and took a chest-shuddering breath. “They won’t say much. It’s been over an hour. Oh my…it wasn’t good—” Nina’s fingers covered her lips. “Her water broke. You know, I was there when Max was born and I thought wow, she’s ready to go. But then she started having these big contractions right away, so fast, and her legs…they just—” Nina closed her eyes. “She nearly fell. I called 911—I thought she was going to pass out. The ambulance got there so quickly, and by then I had her laying down and she seemed okay again, just the contractions were bad. But then the paramedics, they…” Shook her head and swallowed. She rubbed the corners of her eyes. “They said the baby’s heartbeat was too slow, and they rushed us here.” Nina’s final words came out on a hushed breath, as though every hope and dream and bit of brilliant future everyone had wanted for the child in Aubrey’s belly had suddenly ended.
“Hey, don’t, okay? We don’t know anything until they tell us.” Gwen put her arm around Nina’s shoulder and pulled her in for another hug. Nina was courageous and tough, the person Gwen turned to for strength. It was hard to believe things could all turn out okay if Nina was crumbling. “Do you want coffee? Some fresh air? Can I run out and get anyone anything?”
Nina shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. “No, Shelly asked. I…no one wants to leave until we hear something.” They walked back toward the waiting room. “Part of me wishes Max wasn’t here,” Nina whispered. “Devon picked him up from school.”
Gwen understood her concern for Max, but he was nearly grown, and this was his mom. He wasn’t much younger than Gwen had been when she lost her own mother, and she wouldn’t have left the hospital for any reason when her mom was ill.
“I’m going to sit with Max.” Nina walked across the waiting room and sat in the chair across from Max. He lifted his head and the two of them started quietly talking.
Leo angled toward her. Deep breath. Really, she couldn’t avoid Leo. She was much too close to Aubrey and Nina and, by extension, Leo’s family. They would always bump into each other, although, God willing, she prayed that the next time would be at a happier event.
“Hey.” His smooth, warm voice still felt like a caress. Damn, she wished he didn’t have that effect on her still. His eyes reflected the worry she felt for Aubrey and the baby.
“Nina said it’s been more than an hour?”
Leo nodded. “I brought Justin. They took him in to be with Aubrey as soon as we got here. We’ve been waiting for word since then. Let’s sit down. It might be a while yet.” She nodded. He reached out and clasped her elbow.
Heat shot through her body with his touch. He steered her to a chair close to Shelly and Nina. She started to sit when the doors that led to the operating suites opened and Justin emerged, still wearing a loose set of white paper coveralls and elasticized booties over his shoes. Everyone rose and rushed toward him, the mood of apprehension vanishing as they saw his face. His eyes, his wide smile, said everything.
“They’re both fine. The doctors said that because of the way the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s body, when Aubrey’s water broke and she went into labor so fast, the cord was compressed. That slowed the baby’s heart rate down. But there won’t be any lasting harm. Aubrey is tired but fine.” Justin grinned. “And my daughter, Adrianna Natalia Travati, definitely has a very healthy set of lungs.”
“I have a sister?” Max asked, his voice shaking with relief.
“You have a sister.” Justin clasped his hand around the back of Max’s neck and pulled him close. “And everyone is good. Very good.” He pressed his forehead to Max’s. Tears started to stream down both their faces.
Gwen pressed her hand to her mouth. My God, thank God. A new baby, and Aubrey was fine. Nina walked over and put her arms around Max and Justin. After a moment Justin straightened.
“I have to get back to Aubrey in post-op. As soon as they move her to a room then she’ll be able to have visitors.” He put his arm around Max’s shoulder.
Max nodded and watched Justin disappear back through the doors. His uncles surrounded him, slapping his back and congratulating him on becoming a big brother. Another Travati had entered the world.
Chapter 20
Aubrey and the baby had been home from the hospital for over a week before Leo managed to get over to the apartment to see them. He told himself that he was waiting until their initial mob of visitors had thinned out, but really, he admitted to himself, he hesitated because Gwen might be there. And he wasn’t sure if that would be good or bad. The nanny Justin had hired to help Aubrey until she had fully recovered let Leo in and led him to the living room, where Aubrey sat with the baby in her arms.
“Leo, I’m glad you came by. Do you want to hold her?”
Leo did, but he didn’t. Adrianna look
ed so fragile, so breakable, as though one false move and she’d crack like an egg.
“You won’t break her, don’t worry,” Aubrey said, as though reading his mind. “Sit right there, I’ll give her to you. Just be sure to support her head.”
He sat on the couch, and she got up from her chair to hand the precious bundle over to him. The baby had a definite heft, and yet was light as glass. Her grey-blue eyes opened and a tiny furrow appeared between her brows. But she didn’t cry. No, she simply stared up at him, as though examining her uncle’s face.
Had he ever held a baby before now? He must have, he had two younger brothers, but he didn’t remember either of them coming home small and fragile like this. He remembered them yelling and kicking and tearing through the house with him. How funny, he had no recollection of any babies in his life. Ever.
“Comfortable?”
He nodded. He settled back into the squishy couch cushion with Adrianna in his arms, her featherweight body cradled against his chest. He leaned forward and put his lips on her forehead. Was that the famous baby smell? He inhaled. The scent that women swooned over? Sweet and warm and a little like sleep. He sniffed again. Adrianna’s eyes closed, as though she’d had quite enough of being sniffed by her strange new uncle and was ready for another nap.
“She’s such a good sleeper,” Aubrey said. “Just falls asleep whenever and wherever. Doesn’t even need to nurse sometimes. Takes these little snoozes. So different than Max.”
Leo nodded. As looked up at his sister-in-law he caught his reflection in the mirror across the room. He wore a dopey blissed-out smile, as if holding a baby in his arms had drugged him. Maybe it had. Adrianna was sweet and warm and just so incredibly fragile and vulnerable. A compelling need to protect this tiny bundle of life unfurled in his chest.
“Sometimes Justin naps right there with her. Says there’s something about the weight of her on his chest that makes him want to sleep.”
Leo could see it. Feel it. That and this unfamiliar protective instinct that had kicked into overdrive.