The doorbell rang again, and I rolled my eyes. It was grand-fucking-central at our house all the time, and Winnie fluttered around the room relishing the chaos. Jade answered the door and Adam and Tory stepped inside with the twins, followed by Ari, Jace, and their little four-year-old hellion, Felix. Before she could shut the door, Sam and Cara pushed inside with their brood of four boys.
“Daddy, can we go now? I want to ring all the bells and get all the candy,” Winnie said, tugging on my hand.
“Okay, let’s move it out,” I shouted, and all the kids charged the door with their trick-or-treat bags in hand.
Winnie flapped her wings and Jack grabbed her hand, leading her outside.
“Hey, Winslow,” Jade said from the kitchen, as she stood behind the large island.
“Yeah? Come on, baby. We gotta go.”
“Can you ask my dad to stay with Winnie?” she said, her hands resting on the counter.
I moved toward my wife, alarm bells going off. Maybe she was trying too hard to make this day okay. I always worried about how hard she pushed herself. “Are you thinking about your mom?”
She smiled. “No, but my water just broke.”
I rushed over to her, patting her down like I was checking for weapons, for reasons I don’t know. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She broke out in a fit of laughter. “But we need to go to the hospital. Can you bring Winnie back inside so I can say goodbye to her?”
“Yes. Of course. Don’t move.”
I ran out the front door, shouting for Jack, and everyone turned around. “Jade’s water broke. Can you stay with Winnie?”
“Of course. What a day to be born, huh? I’ll bet Jaqueline is looking down smiling, making sure this day becomes better and better for this family,” Jack said, and I nodded.
“You gotta take care of Mama, right Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby. Can you come say goodbye, so she won’t be missing you too much?” I asked, scooping my baby girl in my arms, and jogging back in the house.
“Don’t be scared, Mama. Daddy’s gonna slay all the dragons for you, right?” Winnie asked, smiling at Jade.
“Yes, sweetie. He slays all the dragons. You stay with Grampy and Grammie, and they’ll bring you to the hospital tomorrow to meet your new baby sister, okay? And only two pieces of candy tonight and then brush those teeth real good.”
“’Cause the tooth fairy doesn’t want me to get those sugar bugs in my teeth, right?”
Jade laughed, and I clutched my chest. This kid was going to kill me with all her sweetness.
“And tomorrow I’ll meet my little baby, Presley?” she asked, patting my cheek with her little hand.
Presley Edington Winslow. Baby number two. Jade wanted each of our daughters to have a piece of her mother, so we’d chosen middle names that would honor Jaqueline.
“Tomorrow you’ll meet baby Presley,” I said.
Jack walked up and hugged his daughter, and I hurried to grab Jade’s suitcase from our room. Everyone huddled around the car as I buckled my wife in, and we waved goodbye.
I glanced over at Jade as I backed out of the driveway and tears streamed down her beautiful face. I stopped the car. “Should we call an ambulance? Are you in pain?”
She swiped at her cheeks and shook her head. The corners of her lips turned up. “No. I’m just happy.”
I pulled down the street and laughed. “Me too. We sure are lucky, huh?”
“We sure are. I love you, Cruz Winslow,” she said, squeezing my hand.
“Love you more.”
And I meant it.
I’d never get enough.
Because everything was good as long as I was with her.
More Jade.
THE END