Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
He loves Jackie, but sometimes he forgets even me. Since she’s been in California so long, I’m not sure how much he will remember of her. I’m grateful she’s willing to come here instead of her choosing to be with Josie. They are sisters and close, but not like me and Josie. I appreciate that Jackie isn’t jealous, but instead she’s supportive and stepping in for me to have this time away.
Once I have everything verified and my bags packed, it’s then I move into morning routines to get going. I go to his room. Our living room that has become his space since his hospital bed fits better out here. He’s awake, sitting up in his bed, hands folded in his lap like he sensed the shift in the house.
“Hey,” I greet gently.
He looks up at me, eyes clearer than they’ve been all week. “You’re dressed.”
“I have to go out of town,” I tell him, crouching in front of him. “Just for a little while.”
He nods slowly. “The baby.” He remembers and my heart fills with happiness.
I blink, surprised. “Yes. Josie’s baby.”
“She’ll be beautiful,” he states with quiet certainty.
“I think so too.” I take his hands in mine. They feel thinner than they used to. “I’ll call you every day. Jackie is coming. And there will be someone here with you from the care team, just like we talked about.”
He studies my face, then lifts one hand and cups my cheek. “You go. You don’t worry about me.”
My throat tightens. “I love you.”
“I know,” he says. “That’s why you should go. You give up too much for this old man. Go see our Josie and come back with lots of pictures.”
I hug him carefully, breathing him in, committing the moment to memory just in case. One thing about my line of work, where there is life, there is also death. You can’t have one without the other. Once the aide arrives, I grab my bag, lock the door behind me, and don’t let myself look back.
The airport is a blur of fluorescent lights and rolling suitcases. It’s a matter of hours before I have Jackie and her wife picked up, returned to the house, a brief reminder of the things I have shown them over and over on video calls for the last few weeks, and then I took off again to catch my own flight.
I bought the first ticket I could and didn’t even look at the cost. It doesn’t matter. Money comes and goes, but being with Josie to support her is priceless. I text Josie updates she probably won’t read for hours.
Boarding. Taxiing. Takeoff.
Only once we’re in the air do I finally sit back and let the adrenaline begin to ease. I stare out the window at the clouds, hands folded over my lap, and think about how strange it is that my life can pivot this fast. One phone call and everything rearranges itself around something new being born.
When I land in North Carolina, the air feels warmer. Unfamiliar but still comfortable. I rent a car and drive straight to Josie’s house, following the GPS and hoping like crazy it’s not going to get me lost.
The house is quiet when I arrive. Too quiet for a place that’s about to gain a new human. Justice answers the door in socked feet, eyes wide with Josie’s friend Sara beside him. She smiles brightly at me as we have chatted before on video calls.
“Aunt Danae!” Justice yells, throwing himself at me.
I drop my bag and scoop him up. “Hey, buddy.”
“Mom’s having the baby,” he shares, like it’s breaking news and a secret all at once.
“I know,” I reply. “You excited?”
He nods hard. “Dad said I get to meet her today.”
“You’re gonna be the best big brother,” I promise.
Inside, the house looks exactly like Josie left it—half-finished nesting energy everywhere. A folded blanket on the couch. Bottles drying on the counter. A faint smell of lavender cleaner lingering in the air. We have talked almost daily as she’s been planning and preparing. Obviously, this little princess decided to make an entrance her way instead of according to our schedule.
Justice tugs my hand. “Can we watch a movie?”
“Absolutely.” I kick off my shoes. “Popcorn?”
“Yes!”
We settle on the couch with a cartoon movie he’s already seen a dozen times. He narrates it anyway, leaning into my side, warm and buzzing with excitement. Every few minutes he asks if his mom is okay.
“She’s great,” I tell him every time. “She’s strong.”
A knock sounds at the door not long after. Justice springs up. “That’s Daddy Dean!”
I open the door and step aside. Dean “RiffRaff” O’Neal stands there, eyes tired but bright, keys still in his hand. “Hey,” he greets. “Thanks for coming so fast, Danae.”
“Of course,” I reply. “You ready, Justice?”
Justice grabs his backpack, already bouncing on his toes. “I get to be a big brother!”