CHAPTER 4
I use the time during the drive to the hospital to think of a cover story for why Ali is not with me. I try to think of a plausible excuse for her absence, all the way into the hospital, while the nurse at the front desk directed me to Hanna's room, and the entire elevator ride up to her floor. When I open the door to Hanna's room, knocking on it lightly to let everyone I am here; I am surprised to see Ali standing next to Hanna's hospital bed.
"Hey Em." Spencer gets up from the chair she is sitting in, and gives me a hug. Caleb crosses the room, from his position on the other side of Hanna's bed, to do the same.
"How are you doing Han?" I ask Hanna, walking over and standing next to Ali.
"I'm doing okay. I'm ready to get this human out of me!" Hanna jokes.
Hanna grips Caleb's hand, as a wave of pain visibly washes through Hanna's body, from a recent contraction. "How far apart are they?" I ask to no one specific.
"They are about a minute apart now." Caleb answers me, still holding on tightly to Hanna's hand.
"That's good to hear." We all had been so focused on Hanna, none of us had noticed that a slender middle-aged woman in navy blue scrubs had entered the room. "I see that more people have joined us since I last checked in on you Hanna."
"Yeah, these are some of our friends" Caleb answers for Hanna, as another contraction occurs consuming Hanna's ability to speak. Before any of us could say anything in return the door to the room bursts open again, and in walks a very flustered Ashley Marin.
"Oh, good I'm not too late." Ashley says walking over to give Caleb a quick hug, and kiss Hanna on the forehead. "How much longer do you think it will be before I can start pushing? Dr. Herman." Hanna asks once the pain has left her body. "Well it looks like you're ready to go now. So, we are going to head down to the delivery room now."
"We will be right here waiting for you Han." I tell her while Ali squeezes her hand." Spencer gets up to repeat the process. "We might be in the cafeteria actually, because I haven't had any coffee today, and I need caffeine."
"Yeah, we love you Han, but even with that, no caffeine Spencer is like trying to separate a crazy old cat lady from a newborn kitten." Ali jokes causing all of us to start laughing, as Caleb and Ashley follow behind the nurses rolling Hanna out of the room.
The laughter continues for Spencer, Ali, and I as we head down to the cafeteria. For a few moments I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest. For a few minutes laughing with Ali and Spencer it didn't matter that Ali and I are keeping this huge secret from the girls, or that our relationship is even in the state were this is even a secret we have to worry about keeping. All I felt was how happy I am to be laughing for the first time in months. But that only lasted until we were at a table with Spencer getting us coffee, leaving Ali and I by ourselves.
"Where are the kids?" I ask not being able to handle the silence between us any longer. "I dropped them off with your mom." Ali answers, and before I could ask anything else, or before she could say anything else, Spencer rejoins us with three coffees. And we are saved from having to face the situation we are in, for a little bit longer at least.
Spencer hands a coffee to Ali, and then to me, and that's when I notice the new silver ring on her left hand. It catches Ali's eye too. "Spence, is there something you want to tell us? Ali draws the question out; allowing Spencer time to further elaborate, but she had no luck Spencer just smiled and shook her head no. Her eyes do have the same warm spark they have after crushing a weak opponent in a debate.
"Tonight, is about Hanna, Caleb, and Emberlyn." Spencer grins knowingly before taking a big swig of her coffee. "It's kind of crazy to think Hanna and Caleb are about to have a baby. It's crazy that Aria and Ezra flew to Ireland having no kids, and are going to come back to America having three of them. It's crazy that Ali and I have twin toddlers at home." I muse suddenly thinking about all the changes in all of our lives now.
"Yeah twins that were fathered by her evil twin's crazy boyfriend" Ali laughs while Spencer joins in.
"An evil twin I didn't even know I had until she kidnapped me, and held me hostage in an underground bunker with the help of my crazy biological mother, who happens to be the evil twin of your mother." Spencer responds both of them laughing even harder now, leaving me no choice but to join in on the laughter with them. I have another few minutes while we are laughing when the weight of the secret is gone. But then Spencer asks the question I hadn't even thought to come up with an answer to.
"Why did you guys drive here separately tonight? My mind starts whirling searching every corner of my brain for an excuse but come up blank.
"I was behind on grading papers because it's not easy grading papers with two toddlers running around the house, so I stayed at school late to catch up on grading." Ali answers her ability to spin a story to her advantage showing up at the perfect time.
Spencer's phone buzzes vibrating the whole table. "It's Toby he just got here. He's in the lobby. We take our coffees and go downstairs to collect Toby.
An hour later back in Hanna's room the room pack with Hanna's Ashley Toby and Spencer, along with Ali and I as well as Lucas who had arrived ten minutes before; are all crowded around Emberlyn Miranda Rivers.
In this room filled with so much happiness the weight is gone again, for the night it doesn't matter that I am separated from my wife. Tonight, right now in this moment I am just happy.
AN SORRY THAT THE ENDIND KIND OF FALLS OFF BUT IT'S LATE AND I ONLY GOT LIKE 2 HOURS OF SLEEP LAST NIGHT. SO, GOODNIGHT LOVELIES! REVIEWS ARE WELCOME!
NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP SOON!