“And then they had to get Mom involved,” Clem chuckled. “That was the nail in that girl’s coffin even before she knew she had one. Summer and Willow played dirty and got Mama on your ass and made you look bad. Now you want revenge.”
“I’m going to give her just enough rope to hang herself,” I told him. “She’ll get bored and quit or break a nail and have to go home too often so I can fire her. You and I both know how this will go.”
“You’re a fucking caveman, Daughtry. Even I’m just a little ashamed of you,” Clem shook his head. “I hope she’s such a badass that she knocks your dick in the dirt. Would serve you right.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re pissed I won’t let you go after my new neighbor,” I laughed. “Quit pouting.”
◆◆◆
“Look at that,” I laughed softly as I elbowed my brother. “You’re already gonna have to have a chat with Sonny’s boy. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to hold Rain’s hand.”
“They keep putting them in that light box together every so often,” my brother Kale told me. “Says it’s like the sun and will help her with that yellow tinge she’s got.”
“They okay?”
“Yeah,” Kale explained. “Happens to lots of babies. Their body has to start filtering out its own shit once they get out and this helps that sort of kickstart it.”
“You guys going home soon?”
“This evening, actually,” Kale smiled. “Doc does rounds about five, then it will take a few hours to get her paperwork processed. We’ll head home as soon as we’re done.”
“I’ll keep Rolo and Leon for another few days if you want me to.”
“Nah, will you go ahead and take them home for me? I want them to be there when I walk in with the baby so they’ll know she’s mine and that she belongs to them, too,” Kale said seriously and then he laughed. “That sounds stupid.”
“Nah, that’s cool,” I reassured him. “Rolo scared the shit out of my neighbor.”
“What?” Kale looked upset. His dogs were important to him and he had spent all their lives training them to be companions and protectors. He didn’t like to think that they had fucked up somehow.
“These two boys were riding their bikes and he took off toward them, tail wagging and smiling wide. They jumped off their bikes and gave him their attention. He was in heaven,” I laughed. “Those boys’ mama though, she thought Rolo was going to make them a snack. Lost her shit and started yelling at me and poking me in the chest.”
“Did you get her calmed down and everything settled?”
“Oh, I settled it.” I frowned, remembering that bike in her driveway this morning.
“They’re about to take her back to the room,” Kale said as we watched a nurse pick up his daughter Rain and move her to the little clear box they pushed her and the other babies around in. “Fuck me, I’m a dad.”
“Just slaps you in the face at random moments, huh?”
“Yeah,” Kale chuckled. “It’s the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever done, man. I can’t fuck this up.”
“You won’t,” I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “That little girl is the luckiest princess in the world. She’s got you and if you need a breather, she’s got the rest of us. I, for one, am going to be her favorite uncle, so she’s set.”
“You’ve got quite a race,” Kale joked. “Clem already brought her a teddy bear that barely fit through the door. Terra has no fucking idea where we’re going to put the damn thing.”
“I got her a gift, but it’s a little different,” I told him. “And I don’t want you arguing with me about it.”
“What’s that?”
“I set aside some money for her.” When Kale started to argue, I put my hand up. “It’s my fucking money and I’ll do what I want with it. I set it aside for her, just like I did for Bird’s kids. While they’re growing up, I’m going to teach all of them about engines. She can pick hers out, same as Lark and the boys. Starting when she gets to be about fourteen, I’m going to need you to bring her up to the shop every day so she and I can build her a car or a truck. Whatever she picks out, but I want to build it with her, and have it ready before she gets her license.”
“You’re doing that for all the kids? Your garage is going to be full of Forresters for a few years at the rate we’re going. That’s awesome,” Kale smiled. “Thanks, Uncle Dot.”
I nodded, glad that Kale agreed with my planned gift. At first, Bird had been stunned that I was going to do that for each of his four children and the one on the way, but he appreciated it, too.
“Let’s follow our little Rain back to the room so I can get me some snuggles and then I need to go visit Lucky.”
“It’s funny how now you’re going to visit Lucky, not Sonny and Brenda.”
“Once people have a kid, that’s how it works, I think,” I told him. “You’re just rolling along and your family loves you and then BOOM, you’ve got a baby and now you’re only good for keeping her safe and healthy until the next time we come around to make her smile.”
“That’s good to know,” Kale laughed. “And when you find some woman who’s dumb enough to put up with your shit, I’ll probably think the same thing about your kid.”
“Oh, no, no,” I told him as I wagged my finger. “I’m going to leave the baby making shit to you. I like my sleep too much.”
“It’s fucking amazing,” Kale whispered. “You were there, you saw it.”
“Yeah,” I grimaced, remembering the frantic actions of our friend Cindy, the nurse that was in charge when we had rushed Terra into the emergency room. I flexed my fingers, realizing they were still sore from Terra’s grip when she held my hand while she pushed my niece into the world. “Your woman is stronger than all of us.”
Kale and I walked down the hall together, following the nurse who was pushing his baby girl to her mama. We walked into the room to see the nurse handing the baby to Terra and I smiled at the soft look on her face. Terra was a force of nature and one of the strongest women I knew and now she had a baby of her own to protect. That little girl was lucky to have my big brother and Terra at her back. I truly pitied the first person who did something that made her cry.
3.
JAMIE
“It’s here!” Heath yelled from the front door. I had asked him to bring in the mail because I knew that the newest build magazine would probably be in the mailbox. “Your bike made the cover!”
“No shit?” Adam whispered as he put his hand out to take the magazine from Heath. I didn’t admonish him for his language this time. I’d decided this morning to pick my battles and as long as his mouth wasn’t yelling at me or calling me names, I’d let his cussing slide a little bit. “Can I have this?”
“Sure,” I told him. “But there will be a box of them coming to us soon and they won't have any marks or postage on them. I figured I’d put one back for each of you and maybe frame one for the living room to put beside your dad’s flag.”