AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fifteen
Samantha
Emma’s father, our Uncle Jake, is losing his shit to an OB/GYN. “I don’t care if she said I can’t be in the room, I’m going in!”
Hannah rolls her eyes and whispers as we walk up, “This is not going to be fun. Cover for me while I disappear inside.”
Lexi runs over to the opposite side of the waiting room and starts dancing, hollering at the top of her lungs a song that our Uncle Jake would never know is popular. Unlike our music producer father, he works in construction, owning his own company with our Aunt Drew, his very patient wife who is nowhere to be seen. I’m sure she’s in the room with their daughter.
Jake looks over to Lexi in utter confusion. She is jamming it out like a total doofus. Behind him Hannah sneaks past, opens the double doors, and stealthily disappears.
Jake shouts at our dad, “Your daughter has lost her mind and she picks today??”
Uncle Jeremy walks into the room just in time to catch the end. Aunt Meagan is holding his hand and both are staring at Uncle Jake as he says, “Jeremy, my only daughter is having her first child and there is no fucking way I’m not going to be there holding her hand.”
Uncle Jeremy looks at Dad. “He wasn’t like this with Ethan.”
“It wasn’t Ethan having the baby.”
Jeremy mutters, “Right. That would make it different.”
“And if he was, Ethan would’ve been making jokes the whole time and nobody would’ve been worried about him. But Emma’s tiny.”
Uncle Jake shouts, “We can all hear you!”
Tobias is sitting in a chair watching the scene, holding one-year-old Clara. They must’ve sent home the babysitter before receiving the news. He rises up, all heavyweight champion mass of him, and strolls over to Uncle Jake. “Here.” He hands Clara over and she stares up with innocent eyes that can’t help but distract you from any kind of stress you might be feeling. She grabs Jake’s nose, which completely melts him.
He sighs, muttering under his breath, “I don’t see why Tanner gets to be in the room and I don’t.”
Nobody reminds him Tanner is the father since Uncle Jake and Tanner Hamilton have a history that pre-dates his union with Emma. Competition is kind of their thing now.
The room starts to overflow with our Cocker Family. Emma’s brother Eric, the Falcons quarterback, arrives with his very pregnant wife, Wren, at his side. Their other brother, Ethan, carries his daughter, Kaya, in while Charlie digs in her bag for snacks to tide their daughter over until she passes out after the fuss dies down.
They all go to their father and ask how Emma is doing. He grumbles about how he doesn’t know because nobody will let him inside. While they’re talking, Kaya touches Clara’s tinier hand — pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Uncle Jaxson, Aunt Rachel, our cousin Ben and his recently impregnated wife Shelby, aren’t here. But they live an hour north of Atlanta, so they may not make it with the late hour. Or other annoying reasons nobody wants to think about now. It seems Ben has been absent from a growing number of events. That doesn’t give Jaxon and Rachel a reason to miss this, so I’m sure they’ll arrive in the morning at the latest.
Grandma Nance and Grandpa Michael stroll in looking coiffed as usual. Their many years in politics have created a habit of maintaining attractive and composed appearances. But underneath the elegance, hearts of gold.
Dad asks them as they approach us, “Grams isn’t coming, huh?”
Grandpa Michael nods, “She’s got a lingering cough, so I didn’t wake her. I’ll drop by the Senior Living Center tomorrow, bring her here after her morning coffee to meet her new great-granddaughter.”
“Great-great-granddaughter, Dad.”
A white eyebrow cocks. “That’s what I said. Where is your other half?”
“Sarah’s over there talking to Caden on the phone.” We all look over at Mom tucked into an uncomfortable couch laden with the family’s coats and bags.
Grandpa dryly says, “By your better half, I meant your brother Justin.”
“You’re hilarious, you know that?”
Grandpa smirks as Grandma slaps his arm.
Our cousin Gabriel, rockstar and son of the absent ex-Senator overheard that as he walks up to say hi. “Dad’s in Washington with Elijah. Don’t ask me what they’re up to. That stuff bores the shit out of me. No offense Grandpa.”
“Offense taken.”
