I didn’t feel like talking, so I texted Dylan, Harlow, Mom, and Dad to let them know what was happening. Cooper spoke quietly on the phone with Farah who was on her way with Tawny.
First, Dick and Maryann arrived then Raven not long afterwards with Bailey.
“We were shopping when you called,” Bailey announced as Raven hurried to Lark’s room.
Joining her brother, Bailey tapped her foot and stared at the door.
“How long will it take?”
“Patience,” Cooper muttered then returned to talking with Farah.
Bailey changed seats, so she was next to me. “Don’t be scared. Pixies are powerful creatures.”
Smiling softly, I took Bailey’s hand and waited. Others arrived. The Smith sisters arrived, followed by Vaughn, Judd, and Tucker then Maddy after she dropped off Scarlet with the Johanssons. Finally, Dylan and Nick walked into the waiting room.
Diving for Dylan’s arms, I focused on his heartbeat, rather than the hospital noises around us.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered.
Even nodding, I had a bad feeling that happy words wouldn’t fix.
The door to the room opened and Raven emerged followed by Aaron who followed a nurse down the hall. A gurney with little Lark exited next. I heard her tell Raven everyone would be okay. Raven said the same thing back to her. Once Lark was around the corner, Raven yanked Vaughn out of the waiting room and away from prying eyes. I know she didn’t like for people to see her cry.
The next hour felt like ten. Sitting with a Kindle each, Bailey and Nick worked on reading assignments. Maddy and Tucker watched something on his phone. Tawny and Judd walked the halls then sat outside in the courtyard with Vaughn and Raven. I didn’t know what to say or do, so I stared at the floor. Dylan watched the news on the overhead TV. Cooper consoled a crying Farah.
“Ignore me,” Farah said when Dylan glanced at her. “I cry easily and the hormones aren’t helping either.”
Dylan nodded then returned to watching TV. All the while, he held my hand snugly in his.
The moment Aaron appeared, we all prepared for good news. The babies were here. Lark was fine. Congratulations all around.
Instead, the clearly freaked out Aaron walked to his parents.
“Something went wrong,” he said, his voice uneven. “After the babies were out, the machine tracking Lark’s heart rate made alarm noises. The doctor said she was bleeding too much and I needed to get out so they could work.”
Maryann hugged a shaking Aaron while Dick went to get answers. I didn’t know what to do for him. All I could think of was Lark surrounded by strangers. Even knowing she was likely under anesthesia if things were really that bad, I still hated her being without Aaron.
Dylan pulled me into a hug. “Lark will be okay. Don’t let her size fool you. She’s a fighter.”
I knew Dylan was scared too. Lark believed in his ability to be more than Larry. She inspired him and those changes led him to me. Lark had so much light in her little body, so I closed my eyes and imagined her back home. Picturing her next to Aaron on the couch she wanted to torch, I saw her holding one baby while he held the other. In my mind, the crew surrounded the new family. We were together and everyone was safe.
Cooper threw his weight around and Dick charmed the nurses, but no one gave us any info for another hour. We didn’t even know if the babies were healthy. Through it all, I leaned against Dylan and focused on the image of us all packed into the Craftsman house. I prayed hard for the picture in my head to become reality. Lark and Aaron deserved a long happy life together with their babies.
When the doctor walked out to the waiting room, I refused to look at him. I wasn’t giving up the dream until reality tore it away. Dylan tensed while waiting for the news, but I kept my eyes closed and imagined Lark healthy.
Dylan spoke to me, but I didn’t want to hear bad news. Finally, his persistence forced me to listen.
“She’s out of surgery and going to be okay.”
Opening my eyes, I glanced around and saw everyone smiling with relief. Aaron and Raven were desperate to see Lark, but she wasn’t in her room yet. Instead, they were taken to see the babies who were also okay.
Dylan lifted my chin so my lips could meet his. I kissed him hard, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion I’d held tight inside me.
“Good things happen,” I said, crying now. “Sometimes I forget that even when I have a blessing right in front of me.”
Dylan wrapped me tighter in his arms and smiled against my lips. “Me too, but I never lost faith in little Lark. If anyone could kick death in the ass, it would be her.”
I laughed at the thought of Lark versus the Grim Reaper. When my laughter drew the attention of the others, they laughed too, even without knowing why. All the tension faded as our fears turned to celebration.
“Shit, I’m gonna get teary-eyed,” Vaughn announced, looking at his phone.
We all received the same message from Raven with pictures of the babies.
“Which one’s the girl?” Judd asked, squinting at Tawny’s phone.
“The one with the pink hat,” his wife said.