MacKenzie Fire(30)

Chapter Eleven





NURSE RATCHED PUTS HER HEAD in waiting room. “You can come to Andie’s room now if you want.”

I leap up out of my chair, leaving Ian in my dust.

“Is she pushing yet? Is the baby almost here?” I scoot past the evil woman without waiting for a response.

She doesn’t answer me, but I catch her rolling her eyes at my back when I look over my shoulder, so I know she heard me. Bitch.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to report her to the administration when this is all over, but for now I have to focus on Andie. Maybe they’ll let me cut the umbilical cord, if Mack’s too squeamish to do it.

I push open Andie’s door and burst through the opening, determined not to miss a single second of the event. Maeve is going to be so sad she wasn’t here for it. I can’t believe she left the hospital when the baby was almost here.

Andie’s in bed, sitting up, holding a bundle of blankets in her arms.

I stop short and stare at her and Mack. He’s leaning over her, looking into the blankets, smiling as goofy as I’ve ever seen him. Andie’s smiling too but she looks exhausted. Maeve is sitting quietly in the corner in an armchair. My brain starts short-circuiting.

“Did I miss something?” I ask, walking over slowly. I’m trying not to sound hurt. Why is Maeve here and I wasn’t?

“Nope. You’re here just in time.” Andie moves the edge of the blanket over to the side. “Candice, I want you to meet your goddaughter, Sarah Jayne MacKenzie.” She looks down at the pink coconut-looking head in the blankets. “Sarah, this is Candice.”

And just like that, I’m not quite as hurt anymore. Godmother? Note to self: Read Bible tomorrow but skip the part about Adam’s sons.

I’m close enough now that I can see Sarah’s little scrunched-up face. “Wow. She looks like she just did a couple rounds with Mohammed Ali.”

Mack chuckles, his eyes never leaving her face.

“She was pretty squished in there, I guess,” explains Andie. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

I decide lying is the best plan of action in this situation. “She is the most beautiful baby that ever came out of a vagina, that’s for sure.” I look up at my friend and try to force a full smile out past the remaining hurt I’m suffering over being left out. “You did really well, Mommy. How does it feel to know you brought a human being into the world?”

“It feels like a miracle.” She looks over at Mack and starts to cry. “I’m the luckiest girl in the entire world.”

Mack leans in and gives her a very sexy kiss. “You make me really happy, you know that Mrs. MacKenzie?”

“Yes, I do know that, Mr. MacKenzie.”

“Can I hold her?” I ask, a little nervous about the whole idea, but not letting it stop me. I have to get this baby imprinted on me asap so she knows I’m her second-in-line-momma. And before Kelly, Andie’s second-best friend, gets here. Sarah J is going to love me best, I’m going to make sure of that.

“Sure. Just watch her head. You have to support it.”

“I know, I know. Hand over the goods.” I reach out and take the baby gently from her mom. Sarah is so light it feels like I’m just holding blankets. I move the edges away to be sure she’s still in there.

The delicate golden fuzz on her face makes me kind of melt inside. “Well, hello, pookie poo, wookie woo, mookie moo.”

The door opens but I don’t bother looking up to see who it is.

“Do you know who I am?” I ask the baby, waiting for some sign of recognition that I’m here. Her eyes are closed and her mouth is making some sucking motions, but I keep on talking. Maybe hearing it subliminally would be better anyway. “I’m your number two momma and future BFF. Yeah, that’s right. You’re the luckiest girl in the world. I’m going to read to you, I’m going to do your hair, I’ll teach you all the things you need to know about men, and I’ll make sure you get into a good college. And when you want to run away from mommy and daddy, you’ll come to my house and we’ll do our nails together and talk about how unfair they are.”

There’s a sound next to me and I look up. Ian’s standing there, looking over my shoulder at the baby.

“She’s little,” he says.

“Six pounds even,” says Mack. “Eighteen inches long.”

I smile because he sounds like he’s bragging about the length of his dick or something. Mack usually isn’t so animated.

“Wow. Ain’t nothin’ but a little bit,” says Ian. He pokes his finger into her cheek. “Whattya think, L’il Bit? You big enough for a nickname yet?”

I turn so he can’t touch her anymore. “Keep your dirty fingers off her face.”

“I’m pretty sure she hasn’t even had a bath yet. Her face is dirtier than my hands are.”

“Her name is Sarah Jayne, not her.”

Ian smiles. “That’s a real pretty name, Andie. Suits her perfectly.”

It warms my heart to see Andie’s response to Ian’s kindnesses. He really is a good guy underneath all that awfulness, I guess.

I walk over and give the baby to Mack. “I’m afraid I’m going to drop her,” I say as an excuse. Actually, I know I would never do that, but staring down into her pretty pink face and watching her little lips and that nose while Ian stands behind me and says all those nice things makes me sad for some reason. Today is the first day of my life that I’ve felt old. And alone. I’m really not prepared to deal with those kind of emotions.