THE TROUBLE WITH PAPER PLANES(87)

“How heavy was she?” Bridget asked, wiping tears of joy from her cheek.

“I have no idea,” Vinnie said proudly. “But she’s tiny!”

Bridget laughed and Vinnie wiped his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. I’d never seen him look so happy, or so relieved. My heart was pounding. The drama of the night seemed to hit me all at once, and now that I knew everything was going to be alright, I could finally allow myself to breathe.

Vinnie pulled me into a hug and I held on tight to him. My big brother was a father. It still seemed weird. Everything was going to change.

He pulled away from me, oblivious, but wearing the biggest smile I’d ever seen. “Come and see her. I want her to meet Uncle Heath.”

I couldn’t help it. I grinned like an idiot and we all followed him down the hallway into Jas’s room. She was sitting up in bed, cradling a small, tightly-wrapped bundle.

“Congratulations, love!” Bridget crooned, heading straight for her and giving her kiss on the forehead. “I’m so proud of you! You did so well.”

Jas looked exhausted. Her face was covered with a sheen of sweat, and her hair stuck to her forehead. Her usually perfectly-groomed blonde mane was tied up in a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck, and her cheeks glowed red. I’d never seen her so happy.

“She’s beautiful,” Bridget whispered, reaching into the bundle in Jas’s arms to touch the tiny red face.

I felt myself gravitating closer, and Bridget moved aside. Jas smiled up at me as I leaned over to kiss her cheek.

“Meet your niece,” she said. “She’s got a healthy set of lungs on her.”

I gazed down into the face of this little girl who was going to change everyone’s lives. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, she had kicked my hand from the inside of Jas’s belly. Now, she was here, with us, and Vinnie was right – she was so perfect.

I ran my fingertip across her cheek. Her skin was so soft and her eyes were closed tight, as if she was trying to sleep. I didn’t blame her. It must’ve been one hell of a ride, if the yelling was anything to go by. My fingertip looked huge compared to her tiny nose. Her hair was downy blonde, and there wasn’t much of it. I wondered what colour eyes she would have.

“Hi little one,” I said, a lump forming in my throat. I wished Henry was here to meet her, too.

Jas’s expression softened, as Vinnie came up behind me. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I insisted. “You did all the hard work.”

She smiled over at Vinnie as he reached over me to gently lay his hand on his daughter’s head. He was completely smitten with her already.

“You kept him calm,” she said, looking back at me. “And you made sure we got here safely. And you all waited. Thank you.”

I shrugged. “As if we would leave.”

“Where’s Maia?” Vinnie asked, looking behind me.

I looked around. I’d assumed she’d followed us in here, but I realised now that she wasn’t in the room. Nor was Alex.

“I don’t know,” I said. “She must be out in the waiting room with Alex. Can I go bring them in?”

“Absolutely! I want them to meet Emily, too.”

Emily.

I faltered, but only for a moment. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“We’ll be right here,” Jas said, staring down at the face of her sleeping daughter in awe. I don’t think she could quite believe she was finally here, either.

I reluctantly left Bridget cooing over the three of them, and headed back down the hall to the waiting room. I felt lighter than I had in a long time. Things had begun to fall together, in the same way they had fallen apart. Suddenly, without warning. I actually felt like I was walking on air.

But the waiting room was empty. Maybe they’d gone downstairs to buy flowers, or a gift or something? The joy I’d felt moments before began to trickle away. I wanted to share it with her. I wanted her to be part of this moment, part of us, all of us. Slightly deflated, I turned around and began walking back to Jas’s room.

That’s when I saw it.

A light, bright and the palest shade of blue, coming out of a small glass window set into the door of the room right beside me. It wasn’t fluorescent, and it didn’t belong here, that much I knew almost instantly. I glanced up and down the hall, but there was no one around. The maternity ward was quiet at last.