“Can you imagine being that shitty to your own kid?” Charley asked. “It’s a baby, not a drug bust, for crying out loud.”
“That’s how Dad and I feel, too. Would we have chosen this for him at this point in his life? Probably not, but it’s his life, not ours. It wouldn’t occur to us not to support him.”
“That’s because you’re great parents,” Ella said.
“Don’t make me cry, sweetheart. I’m already a hot mess waiting to meet my grandbaby.”
Ella put her arm around her mother, who laid her head on Ella’s shoulder. “That’s going to be one lucky grandbaby.”
“You’re making me cry.”
Hannah and Nolan arrived a short time later, followed by Wade and Elmer. And with their arrival, the entire family was there when Max came bursting through the double doors an hour later wearing light blue scrubs, a cap on his head and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
“It’s a boy,” he said with tears streaming down his face. “I have a son!”
Molly and Lincoln rushed to hug him while everyone else waited their turn to congratulate him.
“How’s Chloe?” Molly asked.
“She’s kind of out of it, but she did great. He’s a big boy. Almost nine pounds.”
Ella winced at that news. Ouch!
“What’s his name?” Colton asked.
“Caden,” Max said. “Caden Lincoln Abbott.”
“Oh hell,” Lincoln said, swiping at his tears. “Thank you, son.”
“Thank you. All of you. I can’t believe you’re all here.”
“Where else would we be?” Hannah asked, wrapping her arms around Max when he broke down again.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” Max said between sobs. “It’s all so screwed up.”
“You’ll go back in there and be with your son,” Lincoln said, rubbing Max’s back. “Just be there and you’ll figure out the rest.”
“Dad’s right,” Molly said. “Your place right now, today, is with him. You’ll work things out with Chloe as you go.”
Max nodded and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of the gown he’d worn in the delivery room. “I’ll bring him out as soon as I can.”
“We’ll be right here waiting to meet him.” Molly went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “We’ll be right here for as long as you need us.”
“Okay.” He smiled weakly at the gathered group before returning to his son.
“Lord,” Molly said when he was gone. “The poor guy. He’s so excited and so terrified at the same time.”
“Like any new parent,” Lincoln said, his arm around his wife.
What her father said was true, Ella thought, but they all knew this situation wasn’t typical, and she had a bad feeling it could get a whole lot worse before it got better for Max.
* * *
His heart pumping with adrenaline and joy and a healthy dose of anxiety over what lay ahead, Max returned to Chloe’s room. As usual, he had no idea whether he’d be welcome there, but bolstered by the support of his family, he didn’t really care if she wanted him around. The baby was his son, too, and he planned to be there for him in every way possible.
He took a fortifying deep breath and pushed open the door, surprised to find Chloe asleep and Caden crying pitifully. Rushing to the bassinet next to Chloe’s bed, Max bent over his son, trying to decide what he should do. He’d taken the class offered by the hospital on his own when Chloe had refused to go with him, so he knew the baby wanted one of three things—food, a diaper change or someone to hold him.
Since he could help with two of those three things, he first checked the baby’s diaper and found it was dry, so he carefully picked him up, making sure he was tightly swaddled. Patting his little back, Max moved around the room with him, putting a bounce in his step as he went, which seemed to settle the little guy.
“Yeah,” he whispered, “that’s it. I’m your dad. I’ve got you.” The tsunami of emotions that came with seeing his son born were upon him once again as the tears flowed freely down his face. Watching him enter the world had been the most amazing moment of his entire life, and Max would never forget it.
Chloe let out a groan before her eyes opened. Her blond hair was matted, and her face was still bright red from the strain of pushing out the baby. She’d spent most of the hours in labor begging for something more for the pain. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing. He’s fine. Are you okay?”
“I’m great,” she said sarcastically. “I’ve got a hundred stitches between my legs, but other than that . . .”
“You want me to get the nurse?”
“They said no more pain meds for an hour. I just want to sleep.”
“I’m going to take him to see my parents, if that’s okay.”
“I don’t care.”
There was so much Max could say to that, but today wasn’t the day. Today was Caden’s day, and it would be for the rest of his life. Max held the baby close to his chest as he left the room and walked to the waiting area, eager to show off his son to his family.
When Max stepped through the double doors with the baby in his arms, his entire family rushed them.
“Oh my God, he’s so cute!”
“And so tiny!”
“That face, look at that little face!”
“He looks like you, Max.”
“Can we hold him?”
Reluctant to be parted with him for even a minute, Max eased the baby into his mother’s arms.
“Well hello there, little man,” she whispered through her tears. “Oh, Max, he’s beautiful.”
His dad stood behind his mom, looking down at his new grandson with tears in his eyes, too. “You done good, son. He’s a fine-looking boy.”
Ella put her arms around him.
Max leaned into his sister’s embrace, grateful for the unwavering support of his family.
“How ya holding up?” Ella asked.
“I’m great. Best day of my life.”
“How’s Chloe?”
“In pain and grumpy, but I suppose I would be, too, if I were her.”
“Where’s her family?” Ella asked softly.
“Not here. Not coming.”
“That’s just so wrong.”
“I know. I agree. I feel bad for her. It’s just another thing she blames me for.”
“Max . . .”
He made an effort to shake off his worries about Chloe. “Not today. Today is Caden’s day.”
“Yes, it is. Congratulations again, Max.”
“Thanks.”
CHAPTER 21
Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.
—George Iles
With most of the family staying in Burlington through Thanksgiving, Ella and Charley left after seeing the baby to stake out a room at the lake house.
“Max seems good,” Charley said after they’d put their stuff in the room they usually shared.
“I hate that he’s so worried about what’s going to happen with Chloe now that the baby is here.”
“I wish she didn’t have to act like he got her pregnant all on his own. I mean look at him . . . She was probably a more than willing participant.”
“I’m sure she was. No one ever thinks it’s going to happen to them.”
“I just hope it doesn’t get ugly.”
“I hope so, too.” Ella put her long hair up in a ponytail. “Mom said she brought everything she’d bought for Thanksgiving. Want to make the pies with me?”
“Sure.”
They were rolling out piecrust when the others began to arrive. Will built up the fire in the huge stone fireplace while Colton carried in more wood. Lucy and Cameron joined Ella and Charley in the kitchen while Nolan insisted Hannah take a nap.
“Only if you come with me,” she said to her husband, who followed behind her with a dopey smile on his face.