Page 11 of The Solstice Additions (A Laurel Holidays Summer Romance)

I laid on the horn and yelled at the backup of cars.

To no avail, of course, but it made me feel better.

After what seemed like years, I managed to wiggle out of the crush and fly to the birthing center.

Parking was excruciating. I had to park ten miles away, or so it seemed, and then jog to the main doors.

I was texting Kenan as I found the signs pointing me to labor and delivery.

Made it. Nerves are jangling. Should have only stopped at one Tim Hortons and not three. I’m so weak. Love you. ~ B

Hey, give her my love. Lay off the coffee. No signs of goslings yet. Love you. ~ K

Thanks to a very kind nurse—who did not look like a prince—I was briskly led to the delivery suite at breakneck speed.

“This is her first baby. I thought those took days,” I said to the nurse midwife who was now escorting me to my sister. Guess she must have alerted the entire staff that her birthing brother was on his way.

“Not always.”

Ah cool. Shows what I know. “What am I supposed to do when I get in there?”

She gave me a kind smile. “Hold her hand, tell her she’s strong, and show brotherly support just like you normally do.”

I gave her a thumbs up and entered the pretty lilac and yellow room. Mom and Antoine looked haggard but not nearly as wiped out as the tiny woman in the bed. Nora glanced at me, grunted, and started crying.

“Oh hey, no tears,” I said as I hurried to her side, keeping my eyes firmly above the waist.

“I thought…you would…miss it,” she ground out through gritted teeth as she grabbed my left hand in a death grip.

“No way would I miss it. Have I ever missed an important day in your life?” I asked and got a shaky little snort. Antoine wiped the sweat from her brow as Mom freshened up the bouquet of flowers on the windowsill.

“Never,” she panted, face red from strain.

“That’s right. Even when you were in ballet recitals. Who always showed up even when he could have been playing basketball or hanging out with Ken under the bleachers smoking dope while we fondled each other’s—”

“Brann, for heaven’s sake. This is not the time or place to be discussing your high school hookups with Kenneth while you two were high as kites.” Mom plucked a petal off a daisy that needed no plucking at all that I could see. “And isn’t Ken a sheriff now?”

Nora was snickering madly. I gave her a wink as Mom went off about my hoodlum ways back in high school.

“I love that you’re…here and letting her rag…on you. Best…brother ever.”

Yeah, I was that for sure.

***

And four hours later, after a lot of sweat, bad language, and having my fingers crushed, I was officially the best uncle ever as well.

My new nephew, Mathias Thèo, surely thought so as he slept peacefully in my arms. An army of people had arrived just as the baby was being born, Antoine’s family as well as my father.

I’d been there at Nora’s side, me on her left and Antoine on her right, throughout it all.

Now that it was dark and late, Nora and Antoine were dozing and it was just me and Matty.

He was a huge baby, close to ten pounds, with a shock of dark hair and the tiniest little fingers I had ever seen.

Mom and Dad had gone back to Nora’s place to get some sleep after we were assured that even though Matty was a week early, he was fine, healthy, and could go home tomorrow.

He was a strapping young man who was just in a hurry to see his uncle. Who could blame him?

I yawned widely as we rocked back and forth. The room was muted with soft little lights while night enveloped the city. A nurse arrived. The one that Mom said looked like a prince. He was a cute guy with red hair, so she meant a royal sort of prince and not a rock legend sort of prince.

“Do you want to go home now?” he asked, and I nodded. I was done in. I handed Matty off to the ginger and then rose. My back popped as did my neck and one elbow. “We’ll leave him sleep here with his parents.” He carried the baby over to a little bassinet.

That sounded good. Antoine was passed out on a small cot while Nora snored like a chainsaw in her bed. I liked the colors and the softness of this birthing center. It was calmer here, softer, and not as sterile as a hospital.

“She fed him a little bit ago,” I whispered as I gimped stiffly to the door.

“Excellent. I’m sure we’ll see you tomorrow,” Ginger Nurse said as he expertly rolled Matty into what could only be called a burrito. The baby barely moved. Being born was tiring work.

“Oh for sure.” I gave him a wave, slipped out of the room, and made my way to a small lobby with tables, chairs, and vending machines. My stomach rumbled. I bought some candy and a bottle of lemon-lime soda and fell into one of the cushioned seats to phone home.

Kenan answered on the second ring, looking very sleepy. “Hey there,” I said to the little image of my guy in the bottom right-hand corner of my phone. “Sorry to wake you up.”

“It’s fine. How is everyone?” He sat up, the phone jiggling as he righted himself in my bed.

“They’re all great. Kenan, he is the cutest baby on the planet. And I’m not saying that because I’m his uncle. He looks just like Nora.”

“I could see that in the fifty-five photos you sent me an hour ago.”

Yeah, I might have flooded him with pics. Sue me. I was a proud uncle. “I’m exhausted. Feels like this was the longest day of the year, but I know the solstice isn’t until tomorrow.”

“It’s been a long one for everyone up there, for sure. When I tucked the geese in, there was no sign of anything taking place. Maybe we counted wrong?”

I rubbed at my weary eyes with the tips of my fingers. “Maybe. Could be they just needed longer.”

“Could be, babe. Babies arrive when they want as we all know firsthand now.”

Amen to that.

“Right, this is me hauling my ass to my car. I’ll call in the morning. I love you. Thank you for taking care of everything.”

“It’s my pleasure. Tell Nora and Antoine I plan to spoil Matty just as much as you do.”

That made me grin. “I’m sure they’re expecting that. Love you. Sleep well.”

“You too.” He blew me a kiss, then the square went black.

I sighed even though I glowed internally from all the love for the world snuggled in my chest. I smiled at the passing nurse, pushed to my feet, and snuck back into Nora’s room to say goodnight.

No one was awake, but Matty was snoozing so cutely that I sat down just for a second to admire him.

I opened my candy bar but fell asleep before I could even take a bite.

Becoming the best uncle ever was exhausting.

Next thing I knew, someone was poking me in the chest with a very pointy finger. I cracked open one bleary eye. Nora was grinning at me. She looked kind of pale, but she was just gorgeous. Freshly showered, wearing some soft joggers and an oversized tee.

“Damn you look rough,” she informed me as I slowly sat up to blink at the sun pouring through the windows.

“You should talk,” I replied, then spied Matty sleeping in his little bassinet. “He’s too cute to be yours.”

She poked me again, harder, and I winced. “You literally saw him exiting my body.” She sat on the edge of her bed with a tender grimace.

“I saw nothing come out of anything. I focused on your face. It reminded me of when you were six and Mom forced you to eat one Brussels sprout.”

That made her giggle. “Only it was a twelve-hour Brussels sprout face,” she joked. I nodded and took a bite of my slightly melted candy bar. “It’s really nice to have you here.”

“It’s nice to be here. Matty is incredibly cute. You two did good. Where is your husband?” I asked around a bite of creamy nougat and chocolate. Breakfast of true champions for sure.

“He went home to shower and change. Mom and Dad will be here soon. His family is gathering at some huge restaurant for breakfast before descending on us like a swarm of incredibly polite French-speaking locusts if you’d like to join them.

” My phone buzzed in my back pocket. “It’s been doing that for the past five minutes. That’s why I poked you.”

“Oh? I figured you poked me for the sheer sisterly joy of poking me.”

“Well, that too.” She playfully shrugged. I gave her a look and checked the texts. Five in less than four minutes…all from Kenan.

I saw a head! ~ K

One minute later…

I saw two heads! ~ K

One minute later…

Are you alive?! We have baby gooses! ~ K

One minute after the previous text…

OMG they’re yellow and fluffy. I am dying of cuteness! ~ K

I looked at my sister. “We’re hatching!” I shouted, which startled the sleeping baby. Nora gave me a withering look as Matty began to cry. “Sorry. Sorry, I was just excited.”

“Meh, it’s okay, he’s due for a feeding and a diaper change. I think you should do it.” She might be tired and sore, but her torment-the-brother game was on point.

“All I have to offer the kid is half a Mars bar.”

“No, not feeding him. The diaper change.”

I gave the squirming babe a long, serious study.

“I mean, is that part of uncle work? I thought we only did the fun, cool shit like tossing a baseball back and forth, teaching the child how to fart and belch at ear—or pant—splitting levels, and drawing mustaches on magazine covers while waiting at the barbershop for a haircut.”

“Since you’ll be racing home—” I started to argue, but she knew I was only here for a day or two. I couldn’t make Kenan carry the weight of all the work at the alehouse and we were having goslings as I spoke. “No, don’t tell me I’m wrong. And I get it. I wish we were all closer.”

“Me too, sprite, but you’ll be coming to my place for the Fourth. We’ll have a whole week to bond and change shitty diapers. You never know, when you come down next month, I might have someone living with me.”

My phone buzzed again. Nora gaped at me for a moment, then squealed so loudly her son shit his pants. The sound was incredibly loud and very wet. Nope. Nope. Nopeity nope. That one was all hers. She flew from the bed to hug me and cover my face with kisses.

“I knew it. I knew it . I knew you two were forever! Oh my God. I am so happy for you, Brann.” She squeezed me so tightly I could barely breathe.

“Okay, shit. Damn.” She drew back, her cheeks wet, to give my face a pat.

“I have a dirty boy to clean up and you need to reply to Kenan before he sends the Mounties to come look for you.”

“That would be incredibly epic,” I whispered, kissed her brow, and thumbed a quick reply to my man back home.

Mounties were so cool…“Just do me a solid and don’t say anything to Mom.

We’re still in a really tender place with all of this moving in stuff.

I don’t want her calling Kenan to discuss China patterns and good Italian surrogate mother picks. ”

“God, that is so something she would do. I won’t tell her, I promise, but you shouldn’t put her off for too long. She’ll be hurt if she finds out secondhand.”

I bobbed my head. Yeah, I knew that. And I would tell her as soon as I had something concrete to pass along. Hell, Kenan might have changed his mind already. Speaking of my man…

Send me pics. I am going to hug Matty then head home. I love you. Kiss Fred and Wilma for me. ~ B

Take your time. They’re not even out of the coop yet. I am not kissing either goose. I WILL kiss you though. Give Nora, Antoine, and Matty kisses. Love you too. ~ K

When I glanced from my phone, my sister was staring at me all googly-eyed as she lifted her son from the bassinet. Matty let a nasty toot—or maybe more—rip. Nora gagged. I snorted. The baby gurgled in delight.

Yeah, me and that boy were going to get along just fine.