5. Chapter 5

5

Chapter 5

Pops

I make sure to time my visit to the clubhouse at the exact moment that Debs and the other women went to visit Nat and the baby. We’re on a tight deadline. I have four days to get Debs’ surprise ready and I need these boys to do their part.

Stomping into the clubhouse I’m met with an empty room, not a brother in sight, not even Takoda, who is always behind the bar.

“Where in the fuck are they?” I mumble to myself.

I came here expressly to see how they were getting on with their performance. Well, that and to feed Chomper. Dayz was a little put out that the hospital wouldn’t allow him to visit Nat and her baby. Nat’s little girl was being stubborn with her breastfeeding, so they stayed an extra night. Everyone is hoping that they’ll be discharged sometime this afternoon. In the meantime the women were rallying around to raise Nat’s spirits and I’m going to feed my gator grandson and crack the whip on these boys. I’m not having some subpar performance for my woman.

Moving down the hall to Dayz’s room I let myself in and check on Chomper. “Hey there little guy. Hungry?”

I head for the mini fridge and pull out the container with Chomper’s food. I take out a single piece, then figure that he deserves two, I mean, he’s being a good boy and all. Placing them in his little bowl, I watch him sniff them out. When he first arrived here Dayz would hand feed him, but he’s put on weight and length and he’s thriving under Dayz’s attention. He gives me a lazy look and then turns back toward the dog bed that Dayz uses for him. I sit on the floor and mentally check off the things I need to do. So far they seem to be under control. I’ll check in on the boys, then I’ll head to the hospital and act as further security for all my girls. And they are. Tuesday may be my biological granddaughter, but Ana, Remy, Blanche, Nat, and Lovely, all of them, are my girls. Debs, well, she’s my woman.

Dusting my hands off I give Chomper a quick pat and leave, pulling the door closed behind me. Turning, I walk directly into a huge, hard body. Most normal people would flinch and jump back. Thanks to my history I lash out and end up getting a handful of Pres’ nuts.

“Let. Go. Now. Old. Man.” Marx grunts, glaring down at me, but not moving.

“Fuck, you are a tough bastard huh? That grip has brought many a man to his knees,” I muse and then realize I still have his junk in my hand. “Shit, sorry there Pres.”

Marx takes a deep breath, then shakes his whole body like a dog. “PTSD?”

“Something like that,” I mumble back.

He nods his giant head once, “Look, I wanted to find you to talk about this Debs surprise thing. I got her something you can give her.”

Intrigued, I follow him to his office. He walks directly to his chair, rests his bulk and points at a large, flat box on the coffee table. Taking off the lid and placing it carefully on the leather couch, I lean forward and peel back the tissue paper, uncovering a leather cut, with “Mama Debs” on the front.

“Shit, son, she’s going to fucking love this,” I tell him earnestly, stroking the buttery soft leather.

“We voted in church to give her a cut. She’s a special lady, Pops.”

“Yip, son. She sure fucking is.” I look at him, holding his hard gaze for God knows how long.

He nods once, seeing what he was looking for. “Good. Take care of her and treat her like the queen she is. If you don’t you’ll have every brother here out for your blood.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m shaking in my boots,” I say, dismissively.

Marx shakes his head slowly, but I see the twitch in his beard where he’s trying to control his smile.

“Thank you, Marx. For everything,” I hold his gaze, so he knows how much I appreciate him and the MC, even if I give them shit every moment of the day.

“Anytime, old man. Anytime.”

Lovely

“You know, she’s a pretty normal looking baby. I thought she’d look way more mangled,” Chewy says as she looks at Nat’s baby from over Mama Debs’ shoulder.

“Gee, thanks Chewy. It makes my heart swell with pride when you say such nice things about my child,” Nat says as she rolls her eyes.

“You’re welcome.”

Blanche snorts next to me. When I first met my sister I found her terrifying. She’s tough and no nonsense. The opposite of me. But, as we’ve gotten to know each other better, she’s more like a toasted marshmallow. Crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. I never knew what they were when I was in the Keep, but since I’ve been out the DRMC family have enlightened me to the joys of smores. And one thousand other wonderful things.

“Also,” Chewy continues, “What’s the baby’s name? We can’t keep calling her ‘The Baby’.”

“We have a name for her, we just wanted to tell everyone when we’re back home at the clubhouse,” Nat answers, sitting up a little straighter on the hospital bed, her legs crossed in front of her. She looks absolutely gorgeous for someone who birthed a baby two days ago.

Chewy nods at this information, but I can see by the look on her face that she doesn’t quite understand why the news is big enough for the clubhouse. She doesn’t say as much though. She’s a quirky woman, and I like that about her. She’s also super clever and has been teaching me to play chess so I can play with Elio.

“So, chickadee, when do you two blow this joint?” Ana asks. She’s sitting in a visitor’s chair, like me and Blanche, but Remy gave up her seat for Ana’s swollen feet.

“The lactation nurse said we’re good to go this afternoon. I just have to wait for another nurse to come check on me and sign my papers and I’m free!”

We all clap and cheer quietly while we celebrate. I beam as I look around at my new friends. At the Keep I had no visitors. I had no nurse or fancy hospital bed either, having given birth at home with one of the Keep matrons with me. This is much nicer.

“So, Lovely, how’s the new house?” Remy asks from where she’s sitting on the floor next to Ana.

I sigh as I try to find the words, but words just aren’t enough to describe how wonderful it is. “My new home is, it’s everything. It’s so pretty, thanks to you all gifting me cushions and throws. I have the best neighbors in the world, too.” Ana preens at this, while Chewy and Debs nod emphatically. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think my life could look like this, but I thank every day that it does.”

Nat tips her head, her brows pinched as she looks at me. “You don’t thank God?”

Blanche snorts and then covers it with a cough. We’ve had conversations about this. “I have faith in something bigger than us. But I won’t call him God just yet.” I shrug.

Many horrible things were done in His name at the Keep. I guess in my mind it’s easier to move on and be brave by not thinking about Him. When I do, I remember all the lessons from the Council and what my place is in the pecking order. The old Lovely wouldn’t be sitting here with friends, and laying her head in her own cabin next to her new family. The old Lovely would be keeping house and making babies with her old, cruel husband.

“That’s a good way of looking at it. Although I do invoke God’s name. Usually late at night when I’m with my man,” Blanche says, waggling her eyebrows.

“We know,” pops out of my mouth before I can stop it. I stare in horror at my sister who sits frozen next to me.

I open my mouth to apologize but my sister interrupts me with a loud snort before throwing her head back and cackling like a witch.

“Holy shit, Lovely, I didn’t think you had it in ya!” Ana says, giving me a long distance high five.

“Stick with us kid, we’ll teach you everything we know,” Nat grins with a twinkle in her eye.

The nurse comes bustling in, making moves to examine Nat once more before discharging her.

“How about we get out of here ladies, give Nat some space, ne ?” Debs says, handing the baby over to Nat.

“Good thinking. The kids will be home from school soon, and they’ll be ravenous if I’m not there to feed them all,” Blanche says, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder.

“Lovely, I’m on my way home. Want to ride with me?” Ana asks, slowly rising to her feet. I frown at her belly, it’s huge in front of her and I’m sure it’s looking a lot lower than it was.

“Yes please, if it’s no trouble?” I lift Bee in her carseat and hook it over my elbow. She’s such a good little girl. She slept through the whole visit, even when the ladies got rowdy with laughter.

“Puhlease. We’re going to the same place,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Follow the waddler ladies!” Ana says to me and Mama Debs, leading the charge out of the hospital very slowly.

Chewy and Remy follow behind us, and I can hear them discussing whose gifts they still have to buy and how they’re going to keep them secret from their Ol Men and the brothers. I smile to myself knowing that I have a little secret, too. I can’t wait until Christmas Day.