It's Only Love(69)

“I do, too,” Charley said with a smile for her sister. They were eight and nine years older than Max. “And here he is beating us to parenthood.”

“He always was an overachiever,” Elmer said. “And he’s going to be a great dad to that little one.”

“Yes,” Ella said, “he is.” A fierce pang of yearning overtook her. She wanted to be a mom. For so long, when it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen with Gavin, she’d managed to contain the yearning. But now . . . Now the yearning was like a live wire burning inside her.

After a delightful lunch full of laughs with their grandfather, Ella and Charley set out for Burlington to meet their new niece or nephew. They arrived at the hospital shortly after three to hear that Chloe and Max were in the delivery room, and the baby was coming soon.

The waiting room was full of Abbotts, eager to meet their new family member.

“Where’s her family?” Charley asked Ella.

“I don’t know that she has much family. Does she?”

“No idea.”

Molly, who’d been pacing from one end of the small room to the other, dropped into the chair on the other side of Ella’s. “I hope he’s holding up all right in there.”

“I’m sure he’s doing great, Mom,” Ella said. “Charley was just wondering where Chloe’s family is.”

“I’ve had no success whatsoever in getting your brother to tell me what the deal is with her family. Apparently, they were less than thrilled to hear about the baby and haven’t had much to do with her since she got pregnant.”

“Can you imagine being that shitty to your own kid?” Charley asked. “It’s a baby, not a drug bust, for crying out loud.”

“That’s how Dad and I feel, too. Would we have chosen this for him at this point in his life? Probably not, but it’s his life, not ours. It wouldn’t occur to us not to support him.”

“That’s because you’re great parents,” Ella said.

“Don’t make me cry, sweetheart. I’m already a hot mess waiting to meet my grandbaby.”

Ella put her arm around her mother, who laid her head on Ella’s shoulder. “That’s going to be one lucky grandbaby.”

“You’re making me cry.”

Hannah and Nolan arrived a short time later, followed by Wade and Elmer. And with their arrival, the entire family was there when Max came bursting through the double doors an hour later wearing light blue scrubs, a cap on his head and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“It’s a boy,” he said with tears streaming down his face. “I have a son!”

Molly and Lincoln rushed to hug him while everyone else waited their turn to congratulate him.

“How’s Chloe?” Molly asked.

“She’s kind of out of it, but she did great. He’s a big boy. Almost nine pounds.”

Ella winced at that news. Ouch!

“What’s his name?” Colton asked.

“Caden,” Max said. “Caden Lincoln Abbott.”

“Oh hell,” Lincoln said, swiping at his tears. “Thank you, son.”

“Thank you. All of you. I can’t believe you’re all here.”

“Where else would we be?” Hannah asked, wrapping her arms around Max when he broke down again.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” Max said between sobs. “It’s all so screwed up.”

“You’ll go back in there and be with your son,” Lincoln said, rubbing Max’s back. “Just be there and you’ll figure out the rest.”

“Dad’s right,” Molly said. “Your place right now, today, is with him. You’ll work things out with Chloe as you go.”

Max nodded and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of the gown he’d worn in the delivery room. “I’ll bring him out as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be right here waiting to meet him.” Molly went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “We’ll be right here for as long as you need us.”

“Okay.” He smiled weakly at the gathered group before returning to his son.

“Lord,” Molly said when he was gone. “The poor guy. He’s so excited and so terrified at the same time.”

“Like any new parent,” Lincoln said, his arm around his wife.

What her father said was true, Ella thought, but they all knew this situation wasn’t typical, and she had a bad feeling it could get a whole lot worse before it got better for Max.


*

His heart pumping with adrenaline and joy and a healthy dose of anxiety over what lay ahead, Max returned to Chloe’s room. As usual, he had no idea whether he’d be welcome there, but bolstered by the support of his family, he didn’t really care if she wanted him around. The baby was his son, too, and he planned to be there for him in every way possible.

He took a fortifying deep breath and pushed open the door, surprised to find Chloe asleep and Caden crying pitifully. Rushing to the bassinet next to Chloe’s bed, Max bent over his son, trying to decide what he should do. He’d taken the class offered by the hospital on his own when Chloe had refused to go with him, so he knew the baby wanted one of three things—food, a diaper change or someone to hold him.