I looked over at her, my heart racing. It’s not that I’d been worried about what she thought, because she’d been so great about everything, and she liked Maia. I guess I just needed to hear her say it.
“She’s brought you back to us,” she said, meeting my eyes. “Because I know how much you’ve been hurting all these years, and I know how much you miss Em. But you need to move on now, and Maia arriving when she did was more than just coincidence, I’m sure of it. Sometimes, signs are just people who turn up right when you need them most. You just have to open your heart and your mind, and the possibilities are there.”
I swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in my throat. She had no idea, but I agreed with her now. Wholeheartedly.
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and Alex appeared around the corner with a bag and a grin.
He waved the bag at us. “Score. Sandwiches, muffins and those big cookie things.”
Before we had a chance to respond, a yell erupted from the room down the hall, long and low. It didn’t even sound human. Then, seconds later, a baby wailed.
My heart felt like it was going to burst. I looked over at Maia, and she bolted upright. She stared at me, her eyes wide and frightened, as though she couldn’t remember where she was.
I started to pray silently.
Please let everything be okay. Please let everything be okay.
Minutes later, a door burst open down the hallway and I poked my head around the corner to see Vinnie lumbering slowly down the hall towards us. He was clearly exhausted, and he looked like he’d been crying.
“She’s here!” he cried, dissolving into my arms as he reached me. “She’s here and she’s perfect. She’s just perfect!”
“Is Jas alright?” I asked, refusing to be happy until I knew for sure everyone was going to be okay.
“She’s fine,” Vinnie sobbed, grabbing for my arm as I propped him up. “She’s sore, but she’s fine. She’s a fuckin’ superhero!”
“Oh darling!” Bridget cried, throwing herself into his arms as the three of us stood there in the hallway. “Congratulations!”
Alex clapped him on the back, grinning with relief. “Congrats, Daddy! That’s awesome!”
“How heavy was she?” Bridget asked, wiping tears of joy from her cheek.
“I have no idea,” Vinnie said proudly. “But she’s tiny!”
Bridget laughed and Vinnie wiped his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. I’d never seen him look so happy, or so relieved. My heart was pounding. The drama of the night seemed to hit me all at once, and now that I knew everything was going to be alright, I could finally allow myself to breathe.
Vinnie pulled me into a hug and I held on tight to him. My big brother was a father. It still seemed weird. Everything was going to change.
He pulled away from me, oblivious, but wearing the biggest smile I’d ever seen. “Come and see her. I want her to meet Uncle Heath.”
I couldn’t help it. I grinned like an idiot and we all followed him down the hallway into Jas’s room. She was sitting up in bed, cradling a small, tightly-wrapped bundle.
“Congratulations, love!” Bridget crooned, heading straight for her and giving her kiss on the forehead. “I’m so proud of you! You did so well.”
Jas looked exhausted. Her face was covered with a sheen of sweat, and her hair stuck to her forehead. Her usually perfectly-groomed blonde mane was tied up in a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck, and her cheeks glowed red. I’d never seen her so happy.
“She’s beautiful,” Bridget whispered, reaching into the bundle in Jas’s arms to touch the tiny red face.
I felt myself gravitating closer, and Bridget moved aside. Jas smiled up at me as I leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“Meet your niece,” she said. “She’s got a healthy set of lungs on her.”
I gazed down into the face of this little girl who was going to change everyone’s lives. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, she had kicked my hand from the inside of Jas’s belly. Now, she was here, with us, and Vinnie was right – she was so perfect.
I ran my fingertip across her cheek. Her skin was so soft and her eyes were closed tight, as if she was trying to sleep. I didn’t blame her. It must’ve been one hell of a ride, if the yelling was anything to go by. My fingertip looked huge compared to her tiny nose. Her hair was downy blonde, and there wasn’t much of it. I wondered what colour eyes she would have.
“Hi little one,” I said, a lump forming in my throat. I wished Henry was here to meet her, too.
Jas’s expression softened, as Vinnie came up behind me. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I insisted. “You did all the hard work.”
She smiled over at Vinnie as he reached over me to gently lay his hand on his daughter’s head. He was completely smitten with her already.
“You kept him calm,” she said, looking back at me. “And you made sure we got here safely. And you all waited. Thank you.”
I shrugged. “As if we would leave.”
“Where’s Maia?” Vinnie asked, looking behind me.