He wasn’t far off with that look.
She rounded on him, eyes wide and teeth gritted. “By God I will be married before this child comes out of my vagina, Jackson Beckett Matthews!”
Holy shit!
Daisy, Allie’s mom, gasped. “Allison Anne McCormick, don’t you yell at him like that! I don’t care if you are giving birth, you will be nice to the father of your child or you’ll answer to me. Now I may be an old hippie, but girlfriend, I brought you into this world and I WILL take you out!”
Jackson, my mom, and I all gaped at Allie’s mom. Maybe I’m wrong, but isn’t there an unwritten rule that you keep the woman in labor happy and let her be a raging bitch? Apparently not according to Daisy…
But instead of getting pissed, Allie grinned at her mom, all traces of anger melting away like they’d never even been there. “Ehhh, I guess giving birth to your child before you’re married is overrated anyway, right Mom?” she asked.
Daisy just grinned back, her eyes sparkling with love and humor. Jackson just looked scared. I didn’t blame him; Allie was switching emotions faster than a hooker drops her panties for a bill.
I spent a few more minutes in the room, watching my family with a sense of pride and satisfaction. Sure, there was an ache deep in my heart that I would never get to be the one in that bed, giving birth to my child. But I’d come to terms with that, for the most part. It was seriously bittersweet, though, to imagine what my child would have been like…
A commotion at the door drew our attention.
“MA’AM! You can’t go in there! Especially not with that!” a strident voice said sternly.
Nanny’s crackly, gravelly voice cut her off, getting louder as she pushed through the door into the room. “Oh, piss off. This is my granddaughter’s room and by God, I can go in if I want. And don’t you pay no mind to my flask, you nosy rosy. It ain’t for my girl. It’s for that pasty-looking thing standing by her bed. Seems like he might be one ‘a those that falls over when it gets down to the dirty stuff in here.”
She cackled and Allie waved off the stout, gray-haired nurse trailing behind her grandma, shooting scandalized looks at Allie. “She’s fine, I promise,” Allie said.
The nurse gave a curt nod and said, primly, “You really should be resting, Ms. McCormick. You’re doctor won’t want all these people in here.”
“Thank you, nurse, but I can speak for myself, and Allie can have as many people in here as she wants, as long as she’s comfortable.”
An imposing woman with striking features stood behind the nurse, her trim figure covered in a white lab coat over bright, cheery scrubs. The nurse turned and stammered, “Dr. Merrick, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were on the floor already. I was merely-”
The doctor nodded. “I know, Clarice. You’re free to go.”
The nurse scrambled out into the hall, cheeks flaming, but I’m guessing it was more in anger than remorse or embarrassment.
“Well, Allie,” the doctor said, smiling widely at her patient. “Let’s see where we’re at, shall we?”
I excused myself, patting Allie on her shoulder and smiling at everyone else, before heading out into the waiting room with everyone else. More time passed and people started leaving to go home. Jenna went first, but only because she got a phone call from home, something about a Barbie, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and the dishwasher. Then Ben, Emma’s dad left, followed by Calland and Leah. Jan, Emma’s mom, left around midnight, taking Nanny and Poppy with her, but not before making us promise to call them as soon as the baby was born, no matter what the time. Eventually, only my mom, Allie’s parents, Daisy and George, Emma and Luke, and Brandon and I were left.