46. Maggie

CHAPTER 46

MAGGIE

“The troops are getting restless out there,” JT says, stepping back into our hospital room.

“But we have a nameless baby!” I whisper-yell, so as not to disturb the tiny, perfect angel in my arms. “They can’t come in until we pick a name for her.”

“Okay,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “Read me the list again.”

I clear my throat. “Possible Baby Names,” I say clearly.

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, we got nothing. Not one thing, unless you want to name our kid Possible.”

“That’s a hard no,” he says, pressing a kiss to our daughter’s forehead. “Remember last week when we were looking at the books again?

“I can’t make a decision. There are a million names. Right now, I’ve got to be honest. Mickayla has its appeal.”

JT shakes his head adamantly. “Oh, hell no. I love Mick like a brother, but we are not going there.”

As though we’ve summoned him, JT’s phone buzzes with another text from Mickey. I lean in close to read it .

Mickey: How’s Mickayla Olivia Willamena Petra DeAnna Rebecka Rose Norris doing? Her uncles want to see her.

He starts typing back a response, and his brow furrows.

JT : That’s not her name. And where the hell did Rebecka Rose come from?

Mickey : Uh… Beckett Vandaele and Ryan Roscowitz. They’re your friends and teammates. Maybe you’ve heard of them?

Mickey : I tried Mickayla Olivia Willomina DeAnna Vanna RyAnna, but that just sounded dumb.

JT : Right, right. My bad.

I laugh. “You’re right. Mickayla is out of the question. So, have you got any better ideas?”

“Maybe. You know how Ollie calls me Brick and it used to drive me crazy?”

“I’m not sure I like where this is headed,” I say.

“Stick with me. So, he calls me a brick wall and I always thought it was kinda dumb, but it isn’t. It means I protect what’s mine.”

“That’s totally accurate, but I’m still not hearing any baby girl names.”

JT sits next to me on the bed. “I checked that book we were looking at. There’s a section in the back where they have a whole list of words and the names that go with them. Like, did you know that the name Mel means fearless?”

“That tracks,” I say, thinking of our ballsy, brave friend.

“So, I found a name that might be perfect. It means fortress or protector. But it’s also the name of a flower.” His gaze drifts to where our daughter rests on my chest.

I kiss my handsome boyfriend. “I was in labor for seventeen hours. Are you seriously going to make me guess the name?”

“My bad. I got distracted.”

“By the sight of the world’s most beautiful baby?” I ask, still unable to believe how we created something this perfect .

JT’s cheeks turn pink. “Yes, absolutely. Of course. I was admiring our baby and definitely not staring at your tits. Anyway…are you ready for the name?”

“She’s almost ready to graduate high school. Yes, I’m ready,” I tease.

He smoothes his hand over her small soft cheek. “What do you think of Calla?”

Calla. Like the lilies Pop planted in Gam’s garden.

It takes me a minute to find my voice. “I think it’s perfect. Calla Baylor Norris.”

JT presses a kiss to my lips, then dials Mickey’s number. “Dude, what are you waiting for? Don’t you want to meet your niece?”

Mickey must have been as close to the door as the nurses would let him, because he walks into our room about two seconds after JT hangs up.

He slathers his hands with sanitizer before taking the baby from JT. He cradles her so gently, so securely that I want to cry. He’s not bouncing right now. He’s totally chill and completely present.

“Meet Calla,” JT says with pride.

“Kayla?” his best friend asks.

“Calla,” JT corrects.

Mickey just shrugs. “Close enough. I get it. You don’t want the other guys to get jealous.

I’m in that sleepy, hazy state where my eyes are closed, but I’m vaguely aware of the outside world. Blinking rapidly, I yawn and look down at the sweet bundle in JT’s arms.

Our baby girl is perfect and she’s not even a day old.

The door creaks and I look up to see what must have roused me from sleep. My Uncle Hudson stands tentatively in the doorway, a bouquet of pink lilies in one hand and a gift bag in the other.

I feel JT stiffen beside me, but his smile is genuine. There’s a tentative truce between these two men, and I know they’re both trying for my sake. I can’t ask for more than that, but if I could, I’d want them to get back the closeness they once shared. Maybe it’s a tall order, but I’m an optimist.

“Ok if I come in?” Uncle Hudson asks, his feet practically glued to the floor.

“Of course,” I say.

“You’ve gotta come a little closer, Coach,” JT teases. “She’s not walking yet.”

My uncle laughs, and it sounds a little rusty, but good. He’s looking a little better, too, these days. His clothes are clean, his hair is close-cropped once more, and he’s clean-shaven.

“I come bearing gifts,” he says, walking into the room, and setting his things down. “And I have good news, too. But first, I have an apology that’s long overdue.” He looks at the ground for a minute before facing both of us head-on. “A year ago, I had everything-- every fucking thing. A wife I adore, who loved me back. A star freshman with more skill than he knew what to do with and the opportunity to shape him into a guy who just might become one of the greats. A niece who chose me when she needed a place to go. Maggie, you moved your whole life across the country because you trusted me to be there for you while you put it all back together. I’ve done a shit job of showing how much you all mean to me, but if you’ll let me, I promise to do better.”

His voice cracks on the last word, and I know there are tears streaming down my cheeks. JT kisses the top of my head before taking Calla over to meet her great-uncle. The prospect of holding an infant clearly terrifies him, but he slathers on hand sanitizer and puts on his game face.

“Meet Calla Baylor Norris,” JT says, placing our sweet girl in my uncle’s waiting arms. It’s a sight I never thought I’d see.

JT clears his throat. “That good news you mentioned, Coach, does it have anything to do with my family?”

My uncle gives his head an almost imperceptible shake. “It has to do with Curtis. As you know, he was picked up for speeding just before the tournament began. The car he was driving had already been reported stolen, so even though he claimed it belonged to a buddy of his, his lies bought him time in the county jail. That left plenty of time to uncover everything he’d been up to since his early release. He and Griggs picked up where they left off, breaking and entering, stealing and pawning.” Uncle Hudson pulls his gaze from Calla long enough to look at JT and me. “The cops up in Grand Plains have enough to put both of them away for a minimum of twenty years. I expect more charges will follow, and you can both breathe a little easier.”

The look of relief on JT’s face matches my own.

Calla starts in with her baby bird-like wail, and I know it’s time for me to try feeding her again. JT scoops her up like the expert he already is and places her on my chest.

Uncle Hudson takes that as his cue to leave, but not before waving the gift bag in my direction. “This is for you, Maggie,” he says, setting the bright pink bag on a hospital cart before ducking out.

I ignore the bag as I carefully help Calla latch onto my other breast. She sucks for a minute or two, then falls right back to sleep. I should probably do the same, but I can’t. The suspense is killing me.

“You ready for your gift?” JT says with a laugh as he hands the bag over. He knows how much I hate suspense.

Peeking inside, I pull out a slim envelope. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t it. There’s a letter inside and a few papers.

Dear Maggie ,

As you know, you won’t gain access to your trust for three more years. In the meantime, though, I think you may find this gift helpful. Gam and Pop’s house was sold, and I think it’s only right that the money goes to you. It was your house, too, after all. There are no strings attached to this gift, no waiting period. It’s yours. You can use it to buy a house or to pay your bills or to buy out the garden center on the highway. I trust you to do what’s best for your family. I should have trusted you all along.

Uncle Hudson

My heart is full and my mind is spinning. There’s a lot of damage to repair, but when I think about all Uncle Hudson has done since JT and I went to him for help, I realize we’ve taken the first steps toward making this right.