Graceless - Page 58

“I can see the head!” the doctor announced from the business end and Cassidy wasn’t sure if she wanted to pass out or cheer or cry.

The door burst open.

“I’m here!” Brynn cried, erupting into the room. She ran to Savannah and kissed her hard on the forehead, breathing raggedly and grabbing her other hand in her own. “Oh my god baby, I’m here.” Her face was red with emotion, clearly having spent the last however many goddamned hours it had been in deep stress.

Savannah looked at her and let out one sharp sob of desperate relief. Then Brynn’s eyes went wide as Savannah did her level best to break her wife’s hand as well, letting loose an animalistic roar as she bore down hard and pushed again. Cassidy met Brynn’s thoroughly freaked out eyes briefly over Savannah’s head as she carefully counted to ten again.

“One more!” the doctor coached, “Doing great!”

“Fuck you,” panted Savannah. “Literally, fuck you.”

Brynn looked at Cassidy again, faintly stunned, and she shook her head in response. Honestly, Brynn had no idea. The next contraction hit and Savannah gritted her teeth and made an inhuman noise that drowned out the encouraging noises from the doctor and the midwife. Then-

“Grab your baby, honey, here she is,” the midwife ordered Savannah and Cassidy’s vision briefly wavered as her sister reached down and – out of nowhere, it seemed – suddenly had a literal human baby in her hands. She clutched the small creature to her chest and sank down on the bed, lying back, holding her and crying and Brynn was crying and Cassidy was crying and then a whole new tiny voice joined in and everyone in the room was crying.

Even the doctor, a little, though that might have been the sheer relief.

“Emmeline.” Savannah was cradling her close, Brynn weeping, her finger stroking the tiny cheek.

“Emmeline Grace,” Brynn whispered.

The midwife found Cassidy a pair of clean dry scrubs to put on. Once changed, she hung back, letting Brynn and Savannah be alone together with their new daughter. The doctor had checked her out and despite being a little early, she seemed perfectly healthy, Savannah thanking the doctor and apologizing profusely.

Cassidy stood over by the window, looking out over Nashville in the afternoon light. Finding her phone, she pulled up a contact she’d never once used, and sent Lane the picture she’d taken of Brynn and Savannah cradling Emmeline, making sure she’d cropped out Savannah’s breasts first.

She’s here. Everyone is safe.

Lane must have been glued to their phone waiting because, instantly, three little dots appeared. Then disappeared. Then appeared and disappeared again.

Thank you

Cassidy waited, but that was all she got.

A few hours later, after being cleared by the security guard posted outside the door, Lane peeked into the most lavish hospital room they’d ever seen. Brynn looked up and caught their eye and, with a wide smile, gestured them in. Tucker broke away and ran straight toward his mama, who was tucked up in the king sized bed. Brynn quickly swept him up in her arms to stop him, whispering in his ear.

Lane tiptoed closer. Savannah was breathing evenly, her face gently flushed. Asleep. Alive. Safe. They sighed in relief. Brynn looked over Tucker’s head and with a smile nodded over toward the window. Lane followed her eyes and there, in an armchair sat Cassidy, inexplicably dressed in a pair of pale pink scrubs that suited her drastically. Her hair was scooped up hastily, soft wisps escaping around her face. She looked exhausted but calm, and in her arms she held a small bundle of baby.

Tucker’s eyes went wide.

“That’s our baby,” he said softly.

“Come and have a cuddle with us,” came the soft voice from the bed. Everyone turned to see Savannah awake, pulling herself gingerly up to relax against the pillows. Tucker struggled out of Brynn’s arms and leapt on the bed. Cassidy carefully stood. She offered the baby to Brynn, who just smiled and shook her head. Cassidy made her way across the room with the fragile bundle in her arms and climbed into bed, nestling in right next to her sister. Tucker was snuggled in against his mama and between Cassidy and Savannah they helped him hold his own sister for the first time.

Brynn tugged Lane by the sleeve and pulled them over to the bed until everyone was crowded around together, admiring baby Emmeline. She was tiny, red and squishy and generally just looked like a baby. But there, looking up at them, were very much Savannah’s eyes. Cassidy’s eyes.

“Oh my god, there’s another one of you,” Lane breathed, and Savannah laughed.

“Are you sure you’re up for this, Lane?” she teased. “She’s going to be a handful.”

“You all are.” They shrugged even as their smile slipped out. They felt Cassidy’s eyes on their face and couldn’t help but look up. Something passed between them, for just a second: a mutual acknowledgement that they were not in fact the strangers to each other that they were pretending to be. Lane started to smile again, almost by accident, and Cassidy dropped her gaze.

Lane and Brynn went for a walk together, to grab snacks from the hospital cafeteria, as well as caffeine. Brynn was projecting a long night ahead as she tried to get Savannah as much rest and recovery as she could.

“I should never have gone away,” she berated herself. “I nearly missed my own daughter being born.”

“You made it though,” Lane reminded her. “You were there when it counted.”

“I promised Savannah years ago that I’d be here for this. And yet somehow, I wasn’t there when she needed me most.” She looked devastated. Then her eyes lightened. “Thank god for Cassidy. I’m not sure anyone would have predicted it, but Savannah said she was exactly the birthing coach she needed.”