But he needed to learn to handle this stuff if he was going to be the doctor here in Autre in a few years. Which he was.
“You’re going to be okay. Tori and the baby will do most of the work anyway,” Ellie said.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Zander strode across the bar to join them. “I’ll come too.”
“I suppose you’ve technically been trained in this too right?” Bailey asked him.
Ellie hadn’t thought of that, but it made sense that, as a cop, her grandson would have to know the basics of assisting a woman in labor.
“I’ve done this three times,” Zander told her.
“No way. Three?” Bailey asked, looking impressed as they all stepped out of the bar.
“The first was when I was still at the academy, and was doing a ride-along, once when I was on the force in New Orleans, and once after I moved down here. Well, it still happened in New Orleans though…” He thought about that. “And I wasn’t on duty.”
“Wow,” Bailey said.
“So, yeah, I’ve done it in the storeroom of the jazz club and on a fishing boat, so grandma’s living room will feel like a piece of cake.”
They made their way across the street and into Ellie and Leo’s house.
Josh was leaning against a pile of pillows and Tori was propped up against his chest. They’d spread towels and a huge bed sheet underneath them.
Michael was between her knees, checking on the estimated time of arrival for little Miss Ella.
“She’s crowning,” he said. He looked up at Tori. “Wow, you don’t mess around.”
She gave him a tight smile. “I’m sorry. I had no idea it would be this fast.”
"Just keep breathing." Michael glanced over his shoulder at Chase and Zander. "You okay here? I’ll run over and get the ambulance and have it ready in case we need anything or just to take these lovely ladies to New Orleans when it's over."
Chase took a deep breath and looked at Bailey.
"You've got this. You totally got this,” she assured him.
Zander propped a shoulder against the wall. “Yeah, get in there.”
Chase blew out the breath. “You sure you don’t want to do it?”
“I’m the back-up plan. And I’ll keep the rowdy mob outside from crashin’ the party,” Zander said with a grin.
Chase finally nodded. "Let me go wash my hands." He disappeared into the kitchen and they could hear the water running.
Ellie looked at Josh and Tori. “I love you both so much. Thank you for this.”
Tori gave a quick little laugh. “For having a baby in your living room and making a huge mess?”
“Well, yes. I mean mostly for bringing this sweetheart into the world in the first place, but having her here? I love the idea that her very first breath on earth is going to be in this room where I hope she will build blanket forts with her cousins and have Christmas mornings and will cuddle with me while we read stories.”
“God,” Tori’s hand went to her face and she gave a little hiccup, then a sob. “That’s so sweet.”
Josh squeezed her. “I guess bringing her into the world in the house that’s been the center of our family all these years makes sense. I’ve made some kickass blanket forts and had many amazing Christmases and story times right here myself.”
“Oh, my God.” Tori was now crying even harder.
“And this is where we’ll put my hospital bed so you can all come visit me before I pass. I plan to die in this very room,” Ellie said.
That made Tori drop her hands from her face and stare at her. Josh sighed. “This again? Now?”
Ellie grinned and shrugged. “Circle of life. That’s all I’m saying.”
“This isn’t The Lion King, Ellie,” Josh told her.
“The hell if it isn’t. It’s—”
“Okay, let’s do this.” Chase interrupted her as he brushed past on his way back into the room.
Chase and Michael switched positions between Tori’s knees, Michael ran out of the house to get the ambulance and Bailey stood off to the side chewing on her thumbnail and waiting for any instructions or assistance that Chase might need.
Ellie hovered in the doorway.
She didn’t want to leave. Maybe she should. They didn’t really need her here. That was what the energy had been about tonight. Something was definitely happening, but nothing they needed her for.
She started to turn away, but Josh and Tori both spoke at the same time.
“Wait.”
She turned back.
“Please stay,” Josh said. “We’d love it if you were the first Landry meet her.”
“And that’s gonna happen in just a few minutes.” Chase told him. He looked up at Tori. “You ready to push?”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, but nodded.
“Okay, here we go,” Chase told her.
Eleanor Coraline Landry was born ten minutes later.
Tori and Josh were the sweetest, happiest parents Ellie had ever seen.
And when they passed her the first Landry great-grandchild, Ellie definitely cried.
Ella was beautiful. Perfect. She had an angelic face and big blue eyes and sweet, chubby cheeks.
And the lungs of a Landry.
Michael and Chase loaded Tori and the baby onto a gurney and rolled them to the front door, then lifted the gurney down the front steps.
As soon as the wheels hit the front walk, the yard was swarmed with people. Everyone who had been inside Ellie’s, and several others who had come to the bar when they’d heard what was going on, were now gathered in front of Ellie’s house and in the parking area outside of the bar.
Michael and Chase rolled the new mom and baby through the crowd as if they were celebrities on a red carpet. Though Michael and Chase got plenty of accolades as well. Everyone was smiling and crying. There were lots of hugs and thumps on the back for Josh and much cooing over Tori and Ella. Paige handed Tori her phone where her family was on a video call. Josh got bear hugs from Sawyer and Owen and Kennedy who was crying as hard as anyone.
It took a little longer than it probably should have, but finally Michael and Chase got Tori and Ella loaded into the ambulance.
The crowd moved in behind the vehicle waving and blowing kisses as it pulled out onto Bayou Road and rumbled past the Boys the Bayou Swamp Boat Tours and the dock where Tori had first come to find Josh when she’d needed a date for her best friend’s wedding.
Leo found Ellie at the back of the crowd. He slipped his arm around her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“How you doin’, cher?”
She looked up at him then turned and took his face between her hands and pulled him in to press a kiss to his lips. Then she let him go and looked into his eyes. “Thank you, Leo Landry.”
“What for?”
“For making me a Landry.”
“Ah, darlin’, I gave you the last name, but you’ve made the Landrys what we are.”
She looked out over the crowd of people around them and then back into his eyes. “I had a lot of help.”
“Don’t we all?”
She smiled and nodded. “Exactly.”
If you love Autre and the Landrys…