37. Sarah

37

SARAH

Her smile lit up the waiting room, sending my heart straight into my throat.

But I turned to Jason, placing a delicate hand on his arm. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think anything would happen. I shouldn't have been out when the kids were at my place."

Laughing, Jason nudged me. "Sar, it's really okay. The kids can have time with their aunt without you." His face turned serious. "Now if we were spending money on actual babysitters, that would be different." With a wink, he patted my arm and was about to walk back to the kids.

But I grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry about Bri. I don't know why Robin and Zoey thought that was okay."

Jason shrugged, a nonchalant smirk on his face. "Your sister will always be an enigma to me. But," he turned my attention to Bri playing with the kids, "they just think it's more time with Aunt Bri so for now, it'll be fine."

I let the air I'd held hostage in my lungs be set free. Bri was coloring in a picture of a zebra, making each strip a different color. Even Derek was smirking as she worked on her art piece.

Biting my lip, I walked over and put my arm around my son's shoulder. "That thing looks weird."

Derek giggled. "That's what I said but Bri doesn't care."

"I like it just the way it's been made." Bri looked up and met my eyes. When the kids weren't looking, she whispered an I'm sorry

I waved her off. "Thank you for coming."

If my eyes weren't deceiving me, she was already blushing. Her face was gentle and soft, sleep playing at her eyelids as she entertained my kids. Her eyes wandered down my body, her eyebrows lifting at the extravagant outfit plastered to my body.

"Busy night?" Bri teased, one corner of her smile lifting.

I tucked a hair behind my ear. "Picking out art."

Before she could mess with me any further, the doors to the maternity ward swung open to Robin. I stood up, interrupting her line of sight.

"She wants to see you." Robin tilted her head toward the room my sister was in.

Petting my kids's heads, I walked toward Robin. "I'll be right back guys. Try not to torture Bri."

Robin put her arm around my back as we walked toward the room. Once the doors swung closed behind us, she winced. "Sorry for interrupting your date."

"Don't be ridiculous. Thanks for taking care of my kids and my sister." I smiled at my best friend.

"Well I'm always going to do that." Robin blushed, her lover for Zoey undeniable. I'm sure it had been a scary few hours for them. But everything was alright now.

She stopped in front of Zo's room and held out her arm for me to follow.

Walking inside, I sighed as I saw Zoey. "You doing okay?"

Zoey's face lit up when she saw me. "Damn, you got here fast."

"Helicopters will do that." With a wink, I leaned over the hospital bed and hugged her.

From behind me, Robin's jaw dropped as she took a seat. Zoey could only shake her head. "You've gotta be kidding me. She took you on a helicopter?"

I nodded. "Apparently, she owns one and has an ex-Air Force pilot on standby."

Zoey laughed. "Well okay then."

Pulling up a chair to the bedside, I rested my hand on Zoey's belly. "How's baby?"

"Safe. Just excited to freak us out." Zoey rolled her eyes as she looked down at her rounded baby bump. "It was just Braxton-Hicks but they want me to stay overnight just in case."

All of the tension in my body released as I leaned back in the chair. I was lucky not to have them, all of my kids were easy pregnancies and uncomplicated births. But Zoey was older than me and they had struggled with IVF for a while.

As I looked around the room, a knock came from the door. "Delivery," a nurse smiled.

In her hands, a huge bouquet of flowers was delicately arranged. My eyebrows lifted. "Who even knows you're here?"

The nurse lowered the flowers into Zoey's reach, letting her pluck the card from the foliage. On thick card stock, Zoey read the note aloud: "Zoey, hope you're recovering well and your baby is safe and sound. Thanks for letting me take your sister out. Here's to better luck next time. - V.B."

I sucked my lips into my mouth, letting my teeth rest on them.

"Well, that's thoughtful." Robin turned to look at me.

Tucking the card back into place, Zoey asked the nurse to set the flowers on the table across the room.

Once the nurse left, a heavy silence fell over the room.

After a second, I caved. "Sorry I wasn't here."

"Sar, don't apologize. You have a right to not be attached to the family by the hip." Zoey shook her head, taking a sip of the ice water by her bed.

"I know." I nodded. It was only partially true. My conscious brain knew I had every right to have a life outside of New Winford. But deep down, I doubted it. My kids were young and still needed their mom. Hell, in emergencies, there were still only a few people to call.

My eyes wandered to the flowers on the table behind me. They were incredible. For such short notice, it was hard to believe Victoria was able to get a bouquet like that at nearly midnight.

"What are you thinking?" Zoey pushed me.

Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. "I feel like I should want to be more detached. To have something outside of this."

Robin reached from her chair to mine. "But you don't."

"I'm starting to think I'm pretty happy where I am." I bite my lip.

The feeling had been bubbling in my mind for some time. Maybe I didn't need a helicopter to sweep me off of my feet. Maybe all I needed was what waited for me back in the lobby.

Zoey waggled her eyebrows as she giggled. "I think that might be your answer."