“Sit, here, would you like a coffee?” Ella held out the one she’d gotten for herself. Annalee most likely needed it more than she did.
“And some lemon cake.” Rennie handed the little bakery box Annalee’s way, giving the right kind of distraction. Ella looked over Rennie’s head to Elise and smiled.
“Where’s Cope?” Rennie asked. “I was saving this brownie for him. Ella says these ones are his favorite.”
Annalee looked up at Ella and smiled, before answering. “He’s trying to talk sense into someone.”
Ella just hoped it didn’t involve fists this time.
Mrs. Keenan came in moments later and headed straight for them. “Dean is down with Billy and Andy. Hopefully he won’t have to break up a fistfight this time.”
Ella put her head in her hands as the room fell totally silent. “I know Andrew would prefer that Erin not hear about that part,” she mumbled.
“It’s not my boy who should be ashamed; it’s his father. Stupid, stupid man.”
“This isn’t the time or place for any of this nonsense.” Ben came into the room and hugged his mother and then Lorie Keenan. “Rennie, Erin is going to have to stay here at the hospital for a few days; she’s going to need pretty pictures for the walls in her room. Can you do that for me?”
Rennie nodded solemnly. The kid was a really talented artist, and silly coloring books aside, she’d probably do a few masterpieces for Erin. “I don’t have any of my papers here, but I do at home.”
“Why are we talking about my father being an ass, and where is Andy?” Ben murmured to Ella. He held back a curse when she explained it.
“He wants to fix things for you. He’s a fixer, you know.”
Ben looked confused for a moment, and she wanted to sock him in the belly for not knowing what was right in front of him. “I’m giving you a pass because you’re under a tremendous amount of stress. But you need to give your brother some credit. He’s an incredible person who truly cares about the people he loves.”
His smile then was amused and affectionate. “I do. And it makes me happy you see it too.”
She waved it away. “We’ll talk about it later. How’s Erin?” she asked, this time louder.
“Sneaky,” he muttered. “Her protein levels are higher than they like to see. But Alexander is doing really well according to the doctors, and Erin is really reluctant to induce until another week or two has passed if we don’t have to.” He shoved a hand through his hair right as Andrew came in with Dean Keenan and Billy Copeland.
Ella took Ben’s hand, squeezing it.
“So they’re going to keep her here for another few days to monitor the situation more closely. They’ve got on-call surgeons and OB/GYNs if she has to deliver quickly. Total bed rest is apparently not the best thing for her, so she’ll be up and around a bit, but at least between me and Todd, we can make sure she doesn’t overdo.”
“Can we see her?” Brody stood.
“You can, but no one other than immediate family. This is the L and D wing, so all access must be cleared by the nurse’s desk on the other side of those secure doors. No children other than siblings, sorry Ren, I know she wants to see you.”
Rennie nodded solemnly, looking very much like her mother just then. “I just want her to get better. His name is Alexander? The baby’s a boy?”
“He is, and yes, Alexander Copeland Keenan is his name.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s a cool name. Do I get to babysit him? I mean if Momma’s around and stuff? I won’t break him.”
Ben smiled genuinely. “I can’t imagine Alexander would pass up time with you. You’re his cousin, so he’s going to love being with you.” He looked to Brody. “I can’t wait to have a family like yours.”
“I’m a lucky man.”
“Alexander is a great name, honey.” Ella knew that Annalee’s father had been named Alexander; it was a good, strong name. Annalee moved to her son and hugged him. Ella stepped out of the way but not before catching the snort of derision from Billy Copeland, who still stood near the elevators.
Ella cut her eyes to him. She caught his gaze and narrowed hers, warning him to shut the f**k up. This was not the time or place for any nonsense, and she had had enough tiptoeing around his behavior.
He continued to look at her until she cocked her head and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Go on back, Brody. I told them to expect you.”
Elise told him to send Erin their love, and the big man left the room, looking ten kinds of worried. Rennie was a good kid, better than most she knew, but there was no way Rennie would be able to hang out in a hospital waiting room all night long
Ella interrupted. “Elise, it’s Friday night, and I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow morning. Why don’t Rennie and I grab some pizza and DVDs and crash at my place for the night? You can call me in the morning, and I can bring her home or to your parents’ house.” She made sure to say it quietly enough that Rennie, who squealed with delight and ran to Adrian as he got off the elevators, couldn’t hear.
Cope moved around his father and over to Adrian, clearly explaining the situation.
Ben looked down at Elise. “Elise, they’re not going to allow anyone else in to visit with her at this point. There are restrictions to keep everyone safer from the flu, she’s in the high-risk pregnancy rooms and only immediate family is allowed. Hell, they tried to stop me the first time we came by.”
“And some lemon cake.” Rennie handed the little bakery box Annalee’s way, giving the right kind of distraction. Ella looked over Rennie’s head to Elise and smiled.
“Where’s Cope?” Rennie asked. “I was saving this brownie for him. Ella says these ones are his favorite.”
Annalee looked up at Ella and smiled, before answering. “He’s trying to talk sense into someone.”
Ella just hoped it didn’t involve fists this time.
Mrs. Keenan came in moments later and headed straight for them. “Dean is down with Billy and Andy. Hopefully he won’t have to break up a fistfight this time.”
Ella put her head in her hands as the room fell totally silent. “I know Andrew would prefer that Erin not hear about that part,” she mumbled.
“It’s not my boy who should be ashamed; it’s his father. Stupid, stupid man.”
“This isn’t the time or place for any of this nonsense.” Ben came into the room and hugged his mother and then Lorie Keenan. “Rennie, Erin is going to have to stay here at the hospital for a few days; she’s going to need pretty pictures for the walls in her room. Can you do that for me?”
Rennie nodded solemnly. The kid was a really talented artist, and silly coloring books aside, she’d probably do a few masterpieces for Erin. “I don’t have any of my papers here, but I do at home.”
“Why are we talking about my father being an ass, and where is Andy?” Ben murmured to Ella. He held back a curse when she explained it.
“He wants to fix things for you. He’s a fixer, you know.”
Ben looked confused for a moment, and she wanted to sock him in the belly for not knowing what was right in front of him. “I’m giving you a pass because you’re under a tremendous amount of stress. But you need to give your brother some credit. He’s an incredible person who truly cares about the people he loves.”
His smile then was amused and affectionate. “I do. And it makes me happy you see it too.”
She waved it away. “We’ll talk about it later. How’s Erin?” she asked, this time louder.
“Sneaky,” he muttered. “Her protein levels are higher than they like to see. But Alexander is doing really well according to the doctors, and Erin is really reluctant to induce until another week or two has passed if we don’t have to.” He shoved a hand through his hair right as Andrew came in with Dean Keenan and Billy Copeland.
Ella took Ben’s hand, squeezing it.
“So they’re going to keep her here for another few days to monitor the situation more closely. They’ve got on-call surgeons and OB/GYNs if she has to deliver quickly. Total bed rest is apparently not the best thing for her, so she’ll be up and around a bit, but at least between me and Todd, we can make sure she doesn’t overdo.”
“Can we see her?” Brody stood.
“You can, but no one other than immediate family. This is the L and D wing, so all access must be cleared by the nurse’s desk on the other side of those secure doors. No children other than siblings, sorry Ren, I know she wants to see you.”
Rennie nodded solemnly, looking very much like her mother just then. “I just want her to get better. His name is Alexander? The baby’s a boy?”
“He is, and yes, Alexander Copeland Keenan is his name.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s a cool name. Do I get to babysit him? I mean if Momma’s around and stuff? I won’t break him.”
Ben smiled genuinely. “I can’t imagine Alexander would pass up time with you. You’re his cousin, so he’s going to love being with you.” He looked to Brody. “I can’t wait to have a family like yours.”
“I’m a lucky man.”
“Alexander is a great name, honey.” Ella knew that Annalee’s father had been named Alexander; it was a good, strong name. Annalee moved to her son and hugged him. Ella stepped out of the way but not before catching the snort of derision from Billy Copeland, who still stood near the elevators.
Ella cut her eyes to him. She caught his gaze and narrowed hers, warning him to shut the f**k up. This was not the time or place for any nonsense, and she had had enough tiptoeing around his behavior.
He continued to look at her until she cocked her head and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Go on back, Brody. I told them to expect you.”
Elise told him to send Erin their love, and the big man left the room, looking ten kinds of worried. Rennie was a good kid, better than most she knew, but there was no way Rennie would be able to hang out in a hospital waiting room all night long
Ella interrupted. “Elise, it’s Friday night, and I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow morning. Why don’t Rennie and I grab some pizza and DVDs and crash at my place for the night? You can call me in the morning, and I can bring her home or to your parents’ house.” She made sure to say it quietly enough that Rennie, who squealed with delight and ran to Adrian as he got off the elevators, couldn’t hear.
Cope moved around his father and over to Adrian, clearly explaining the situation.
Ben looked down at Elise. “Elise, they’re not going to allow anyone else in to visit with her at this point. There are restrictions to keep everyone safer from the flu, she’s in the high-risk pregnancy rooms and only immediate family is allowed. Hell, they tried to stop me the first time we came by.”
