Page 101 of Manny's Surprise Baby

The gas Trina gave me had a faintly sweet scent, and I held Seth’s gaze until the doors swung closed. I wished I could have reassured him. He’d looked so scared it broke my heart. I wanted to be brave for him. I wanted to believe that I was going to be just fine.

But I didn’t feel lucky. I didn’t feel blessed. The way my life had always gone, it would be just about right for me to die, now that I’d found everything I’d ever wanted.

****

It was like floating up through layer after layer of cotton. My mouth was dry and had a sour taste, and my head pounded like a bongo drum. I couldn’t seem to open my eyes. My lids felt like little weights were attached.

“You’re doing fine, Pierce.” Trina’s gentle voice reached my ears. “But it’s time to wake up now.”

I groaned and forced my eyes open. The room was dark, and I seemed to be wrapped in warm blankets. I shivered, my teeth chattering. “Wha…?”

“The baby’s fine.”

The baby.

Everything came slamming back. The torturous contractions, Dr. Peters shouting orders and wheeling me into the operating room. Seth looking like he wanted to cry.

“Seth,” I whispered. “I want Seth.”

“I know, honey. And judging by the shit fit he threw earlier, he wants you too.” She chuckled.

I licked my lips, but it didn’t help because I had no moisture in my mouth.

“I can’t give you water yet. I’m sorry.” She put something cold against my lips. “Here’s an ice chip. It’s the best I can do.”

I sucked on the ice, wishing I had more because it melted almost instantly on my tongue. I was still so groggy. I knew she didn’t want me to sleep anymore, but it was hard not to give in to the haze.

“You need to wake up now so you can see your baby and Seth. You want that, right?”

I nodded weakly. “Yes.”

“Good.” She replaced the blankets on me with fresh, warm ones. “Just another ten minutes and I think we can take you to your room.”

“Okay.”

She kept talking to me, telling me how adorable the baby was without telling me the sex. She talked about how protective Seth was about the baby and how he kept asking her every five minutes if he could see me. Eventually I began to feel more alert, and she noticed. She had me transferred up to my room, and once she had me settled, she let Seth in.

He rushed in the room like he was afraid someone would try and stop him. He moved up to me and kissed me immediately. I felt self-conscious because I had little doubt I had dragon breath, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You scared me.” He stroked my cheek. “I’ve never been that scared in my life, Pierce. Please don’t ever do that to me again.”

I cleared my throat. “But it was so much fun.”

He laughed and touched my face again, as if he couldn’t believe I was really there and safe. “They’re going to bring the baby in now.”

“Is it a girl or a boy?”

A wide grin split his face. “Let’s just say Emily is going to be very happy.”

“A girl?” My voice was hoarse.

“Yep.”

I laughed. “Well, she made one hell of an entrance. Hope that doesn’t mean she’s a drama queen.”

A nurse pushed a baby basket on wheels into the room and parked it next to the bed. She lifted a wiggling bundle in a pink blanket and set the baby on my chest. All I could see were chubby rosy cheeks and a bald head. I pushed the blanket down and met her blue eyes. “There you are.” I grinned. “You have my eyes.”

“She does.” Seth smiled. “She’s beautiful.”