With shaking fingers he dialed the familiar numbers. He thanked whoever was watching above that Cameron had not been at home tonight. Lucky shuddered to think how much worse this night could have been had Cameron been home when Elizabeth collapsed.
"Hello?" Audrey's strong voice rang in his ears.
"Audrey?" His voice shook and cracked. He always felt like a teenager around Audrey and now he sounded like one.
Those two syllables were all it took for Audrey to realize something was wrong. As long as she had known Lucky she had rarely heard his voice break. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
"Lucky? What is it? Is it the baby?"
Lucky sniffed. His son. "No. The baby is fine. It's a boy. Cameron has a little brother."
A boy. Audrey smiled. She had another great grandson. "And he's healthy?"
"He's perfect."
If it wasn't the baby, then….Audrey felt her heart stop. Oh dear Lord no. "And Elizabeth?" Her voice was softer, anticipating the worst.
"She's…" he paused and lowered the phone away from his jaw as he bit back a sob. Lucky tried to take a breath and pull himself together. "She's not doing so well. She...She's in surgery right now."
Audrey clutched at the necklace Elizabeth had given her last mother's day. "What happened?" She struggled to keep her voice calm, mindful of the curious three year old engrossed in his favorite movie nearby.
"I'm not sure. We were holding our baby, she said she loved me and then she passed out." He bit his lip hard, trying to keep the sob out of his voice. He had to do this. He had to be strong.
She took a deep breath. Her granddaughter needed her. Her great grandsons needed her. Her grandson-in-law needed her. "We'll be there shortly."
"Audrey no."
"Lucky, we are coming. It will just take a few minutes to get Cameron ready and we will be there."
"No Audrey. I don't want Cameron here right now. It will be too frightening for him. He'll want to see his mother and his baby brother right away. He won't understand why he can't see them both. I don't think I can explain it to him."
"Lucky…"
"Audrey I promise I'll call you as soon as she's back and doing fine. But I really don't think Cameron should be here right now."
"You shouldn't be alone. Someone should be there with you. I can call Leslie and she'll stay with Cameron."
"I'm not alone. My dad's here. Lulu's here. Nik and Emily are here. Bobbie is here. And Grandma's already here. I don't think you can convince her to leave."
She sat down in the chair her granddaughter had always curled herself into. "I suppose you think you are clever."
"Audrey, I know you want to be here and help. But right now I need you to stay with Cameron please. There is no one on earth Elizabeth trust with him more than you. I promise I will call you all night long if you want. But I really don't think Cameron should be here. Please Audrey?" He was begging and he knew it. But Cameron couldn't be here right now. That he was sure of. He was barely keeping it together and there was no way he wanted to scare his son because he was coming unglued.
The little boy in questioned looked at her with his eyes so like his mother's. She knew Lucky was right. Cameron didn't need to be at the hospital right now. And no matter how badly she wanted to run down there and demand answers for her granddaughter, the best thing she could do was protect her son. "Alright. But I expect no less than hourly calls."
"Yes ma'am."
"Do you want to talk to Cameron before I put him to bed? Tell him the big news?"
"Yeah sure." He listened, as the noises became the unmistakable sounds of the phone being passed to a new person. He took a breath and summoned his best excited dad voice for Cameron
"Daddy?"
In spite of his fears, Lucky felt a smile form on his face. "Hi big guy. You being good for Grams?"
"Uh-huh"
"Good man. Hey Cams, guess what? The baby's here."
"Baby?"
"Yeah. You have a little brother. How about that?"
"Yeah brother!" Lucky smiled as he heard Cameron clapping his hands together.
"Listen I know you want to see Mommy and the new baby, but I need you to stay with Grams tonight ok? Mommy is…" Lucky paused to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "Mommy and the baby are very sleepy. So you'll come see them later ok?"
"Ok daddy."
"So you be a good boy for Grams and I'll talk to you soon ok? I love you."
"Love you daddy."
Audrey raised the phone to her ear, hoping Lucky hadn't hung up yet. "Lucky?"
"Yes?"
"You'll call me?"
"Every hour."
"Ok. You hang in there and if you need me to come, you call anytime. You understand me?"
"I do Audrey."
"Good and Lucky? She trusts you with Cameron as well." Audrey hung up the phone gently and prayed for her Elizabeth as she began the process of reading an excited three year old for bed.