“Mine, too,” Elmer said.
Gavin called his parents at home in Butler to share the happy news with them.
Leaving the new family to rest, Linc, Molly and Elmer took an Uber back to the hotel, where the others were spending a second, unexpected night.
“What a day—or two days, I should say—this has been,” Linc said.
“Indeed.” Elmer shook his head in disbelief. “You just never know what’s going to happen next in this family.”
“Thank God Gavin came on the trip,” Molly said.
“That was a good call,” Linc agreed.
They dropped Elmer off at the room he was again sharing with Charley and headed for their own room, using new keys that Hunter had brought to them at the hospital earlier. The delay in departure would get them home on Christmas Eve. They were hoping Ella and Gavin could come with them, but that hadn’t been decided yet.
Linc hadn’t been this exhausted in a very long time, and as Molly curled up to him in bed, he tried to come down from the emotionally charged day and night.
“How’re you feeling?” Molly asked.
“Tired, wound up, drained…”
“We hardly got a chance to talk about the things your father said.”
“It was nice to hear him say he was sorry it’d happened.”
“I’m sure.”
“And to see Char and the boys, who aren’t boys anymore, and to hear I have nine nieces and nephews.”
“It’s all so painfully sad.”
“It is,” he said with a sigh. “And so unnecessary.”
“Are you able to forgive him?” Molly asked.
“That’s a complicated question. I can forgive him for being human, grieving his lost son and making mistakes that harmed a lot of people. However, I never saw my mother again, and he took actual steps to prevent me from contacting my siblings… Those are tougher things to forgive.”
“You’d be a bigger person than I am if you could forgive him for either of those things.”
“I’m glad I had the chance to see him one last time and to hear him express regret. That helps me cope with the rest of it.”
“I hope so. We’ll come back to see Char, Max and Will and meet their families after the holidays. And we’ll invite them to visit us, too.”
“That’d be nice. I’d like that.”
“Char said her daughter has an infant car seat they don’t need any more that she’s going to give Ella to get baby Sarah home to Vermont.”
“Poor Ella, having to ride on a bus for seven hours after giving birth.”
“If they decide to come with us, we can make her comfortable, and at least she’ll have lots of help with the baby.”
“True.”
Lincoln yawned, and the next thing he knew, sunlight was streaming into the room. He glanced at the bedside clock and saw that it was eight thirty. “Hey, Mol.”
She moaned.
“The kids are going to want to get going home.”
She moaned again.
Laughing, he said, “Wake up, Granny. It’s time to go home for Christmas.”
“Christmas is canceled this year.”
“No way. You’ll have a riot on your hands.”
They dragged themselves out of bed, showered, got dressed and joined the others for breakfast.
“How’s Ella?” Charley asked after they shared the news of the delivery.
“Doing wonderfully,” Molly replied. “Baby Sarah was eight pounds, six ounces, and twenty inches. Baby and Mom were resting comfortably when we left them early this morning.”
“That’s a relief,” Charley said. “Will they be coming home with us?”
“We’re going to check in with them this morning to see what they want to do,” Molly said. “How’s everyone at home?”
“All good,” Hunter said. “But I’m anxious to get home to Megan.”
“Same,” Colton said. “Lucy.”
Having Ella go into labor early had the other expectant fathers on edge.
“We’ll get you there as soon as we can,” Linc said.
Chapter Eighteen
“Count your age by friends, not years.
Count your life by smiles, not tears.”
—John Lennon
After breakfast, they called the hospital to speak to Ella, who was also eager to get home. She and the baby were due to be released around eleven. “We’ll be there,” Linc told her.
“One of the nurses said Sarah is their first baby to go home on a bus full of relatives,” Ella said.
“That’s funny. Are you feeling up to the trip, honey?”
“I’ll be fine. I just want to be home.”
“We’ll see you soon.”
Linc ended the call and reported to the others about the timeline. Then he called Char to let her know they’d take her up on the offer of a car seat.
“I’ll be there at eleven,” Char said. “And congratulations on the new granddaughter, Linc.”
“Thank you so much. We’re thrilled for them.”
Ella and Gavin couldn’t stop staring at their tiny princess, who had a light dusting of the dark hair she shared with both her parents.
“Do all new parents stare at their babies like crazy stalkers?” Ella asked him.
“I hope so, otherwise we’re extra-crazy stalkers. I can’t believe how pretty she is, although I should’ve known she would be. Check out her mom.”
“And her dad. Handsomest guy in the whole wide world.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so.”
“Is it super weird to say I see a hint of Caleb in her? Or is that just wishful thinking?”
“No, I see it, too. It’s that little twisty thing she does with her lips. That’s all him.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
Ella glanced at him and watched as he swiped at a tear.
“I hate that he’ll never know her, that she’ll never know him.”
“She’ll know him, Gav. She’ll know him through us and through Hannah and your parents. He’ll be part of her life. I promise.”
He nodded and ran a finger over the baby’s cheek. “She’s so freaking perfect. Thank you for her.”
“Thank you for her.”
“You did all the hard work.”
Ella leaned into him. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” She continued to gaze at the sleeping baby. “I’ve dreamed of her for years, and you made my dream come true. All my dreams have come true because of you. As long as I have you and Sarah, I have everything I need.”
He held her close and kissed the top of her head. “You’ve got us, love.”
The bus full of Abbotts pulled up to the hospital’s main entrance shortly before eleven. Linc and Molly got off the bus to go inside to help Ella and Gavin. Char was there with the car seat, and the baby was loaded up. Linc took the base of the seat to the bus and asked Lucas to install it for his sister. As firefighters, he and Landon were car seat experts.