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Emily stands up to engulf me in a hug and it stuns me to see how much she looks just like our mother. Mahogany eyes that sit behind square frames stare at me and I feel like we are transported back to a time where we could have a whole conversation with just our eyes.
“Hey,” she says and I see the exhaustion all over her face. She’d ditched our natural curls and color in our teen years, opting to straighten her hair and dye it a jet black.
“Hey, Em.” While I’m staring at her, something seems off, and on their own accord, my eyes drift to her stomach before moving back to her eyes curiously.Her eyes widen before she nods once and tears flood my eyes. “Oh my God, Emily,” I whisper as I hug her again and she chuckles in my ear.
“I hate how well you can still read me.” She puts a hand over her eyes. “Ten weeks,” she confirms.
“Auntie El!” My niece comes to sit in my lap the second I sit down and I squeeze her tight. She’s almost seven now and I suddenly have a vision of her and Isla being the best of friends.
Remembering that I told Rowan I would text him when I got to the hospital, I pull out my phone and shoot him a text telling him I will call him in a bit.
“Hi, honey.”
“We are still waiting for them to let us see him, but new guy?” Emily asks with a quirked eyebrow. That’s the thing about Emily; she only allows vulnerability to show for a moment before she’s back to having her tough exterior. “So, where’d you meet him?”
“Ummm…” I sigh, knowing there’s no sense beating around the bush. “He’s the dad I nanny for.”
Emily’s husband, Trent, who’d been quiet since I got here because he’s not a big talker, looks up from his phone and stares at me with wide eyes. “Okay, Ellie.”
Figuring he’s thinking something salacious; I clarify. “He’s not married, you fool. Their mom is not alive.”
“Aren’t you living there?” Emily asks, with her eyebrows raised to the ceiling, and I glare at her for bringing that factoid up in front of our grandma.
“Can you not?” I ask her. I’m annoyed that even at a time like this and after the moment we just had, my sister can still successfully irritate me.
“Emily, don’t be a prude. You were barely out of diapers before you started shacking up.”Our grandma interrupts. I bite my lip to hide the grin because I should have known my grandma would come to my defense.Being the favorite grandchild does have its perks.
“It just happened…he’s amazing though. I think I may actually be in love.” I look at my grandma who’s looking at me over the top of her glasses as if to sayI knew that.
“How many kids does he have? Three, right? That’s a lot,” Emily says, and I hear what sounds more like support than judgment.
“Yes, three amazing kids, and I am crazy about them.”
“Are they crazy about you and their dad?” Emily asks while itching her nose ring.
I tilt my head. “His oldest daughter is warming up to the idea. His youngest daughter is too young to really grasp it; I think? And the middle is a boy and he is fine with it.”
“Wow, the oldest daughter being difficult? Where have I heard that before?” Emily says and while a smile pulls at her lips, I know it was meant to be a dig.
“Not today, Emily Nicole,” my grandmother warns.
She sighs and turns back to me. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy,” she says with a noncommittal shrug.
The doctor walks into the waiting room and spots us before coming to sit in a nearby chair.
“So, your father and son-in-law are doing fine.” He turns to look at me. “Hi, I’m Dr. Johnson. Are you Elianna?”
“Yes, that’s me.” I nod immediately.
“Great, your father wanted me to check to see if you were here. I’m supposed to bring you back first.”
“Heaven forbid, not the daughter that’s been here,” Emily grumbles.
I wince and look at the doctor who looks old enough to be my grandfather with kind eyes and a sweet smile. “Emily can go first.”
“He requested you,” he says as he stands up.
I sigh, knowing this is going to be a problem. “I’ll be quick,” I tell Emily and she rolls her eyes.