Fitting in

Chapter 37

At home, Barbie was getting even bigger. The baby was definitely overdue, and the family was prepared for the little tyke to come out any day now. No one knew what Barbie was going to name him, and they’d play guessing games with Barbie and Will in the morning.

            During a routine guessing game, after the names Patrick, Peter, Don, and Gregory were guessed, Blake clutched her stomach and the family gasped in surprise.

            “Is he here?” Brett’s mother asked shooting up out of her seat. Barbie moaned and nodded, and the family swooped into action. Will held Barbie while whispering consoling words, Brett grabbed a baby bag, Blake and Jeff grabbed Barbie’s bag, and Tracy and Ben started the car. Brett’s dad phoned the baby sitter that would watch Kimmie and Tyler for the day, and when she arrived, the family zoomed off in their car.

            “We’re almost there Barbie. Just hold on.” Ben said from behind the steering wheel. The car’s needle was nearing 90, and Brett glanced at the cars flashing by wearily. Barbie yet again muttered something under her breath, and Brett stared at her sister afraid for the day she’d have to give birth.

            When they pulled up at the hospital, Barbie’s doctor rushed out and pushed her down into a chair. Brett recognized the doctor as the man who had interviewed Marc, and reached into her pocket to run her thumb across Simon’s note.

            “The little guy should be ready to go, so I wouldn’t go to far. Where’s the husband?” the doctor said searching the crowd with his eyes. Will raised his hand, and squeezed from behind the group to walk with Barbie. He smiled down at her, and Barbie managed to smile back besides the pain. How Barbie had managed to keep the kid from coming while Will was away was beyond Brett, but she decided then that her sister was something else.

            Shaking her head, Brett turned around, and saw the same Starbucks was open from the other day. She ordered the hazelnut macchiato and a caramel Frappuccino for Blake. Her sister was sitting with Jeff, and their arms were intertwined. She was watching the hospital whisk away Barbie, hoping it would one day be her, while Jeff was watching the scene wearily.

            “May I borrow my sister?” Brett said holding the two drinks in each hand. She looked at Jeff, and he seemed relieved to have an excuse to leave. When he got up, Blake tugged on his arm and lowered her eyebrows. Jeff only laughed and unlinked his arm and said, “You two have to make up someday.”

            Blake frowned furiously at him, and ignored Brett when she took his seat. Brett sighed and pushed the Frappuccino closer to her sister. She glanced down at the drink, and took it begrudgingly. The two of them hadn’t talked since the wedding mishap, and Brett knew Blake wouldn’t be able to turn down the drink

“Have you come to plot a way to steal the attention from the birth of Barbie’s son?” She said bitterly.

            “No Blake, I came to say I’m sorry.” Brett finally said. Blake took a long sip from her drink, and stared at the white walls ahead of her.

            “I’m sorry for stealing all the attention from your wedding, you and I both know I would have rather you had all that positive attention, than all the negative attention I received.”

            Blake stirred slightly and turned the drink around in her hand. Brett wasn’t even sure she was listening to her, but she had to finish the apology.

            “And I’m sorry for cheating on Simon and Jason. More than anything really.”

            Blake tapped her foot, and then finally turned to face Brett. She analyzed her little sister’s new appearance, and the corners of her lips slipped downward.

            “Is Simon dating that horrible emcee?” Blake said. Brett wondered whom she was talking about, then remembered Amaranth was the emcee for the night. She’d probably figured out Amaranth’s motives for exposing Brett.

            “No.”

            “Good.” Blake said. She got up and walked around the hospital to find Jeff. Brett watched her sister go, and assumed her sister had forgiven her. Or had forgiven her in the best way she knew how.

            For the rest of the day the family paced around anxiously in the hospital. Brett had fallen asleep, twice, on the plastic black chairs in the entrance. When she got up, she wished the hospital had spent more money on its waiting room, and by the looks on the rest of her family’s faces, so did everyone else. The family ate breakfast at the hospital, and Brett began to wonder how long Barbie was going to be in labor. Eventually Brett’s father went home to bring Kimmie and Tyler to the hospital, so that the baby sitter could go home.

            Finally, at dusk, the doctor came out and told the family Barbie had a healthy baby boy. Everyone let out a breath and cheered excitedly. Then pandemonium struck because everyone wanted to see Barbie and the baby. Kimmie and Brett’s mother were the first to go in, and slowly everyone got their chance to see Barbie.

            Brett stopped and leaned against the wall when it was her turn, and waited for Barbie to motion her in. Her sister was covered in sweat and exhausted, but still had the energy to pull her baby sister close.

            “Guess what we named him.” She said holding the baby. Brett looked down at the shriveled boy in her sister’s arms, and couldn’t think of anything she hadn’t already guessed.

            “Britt.” Barbie said motioning Brett to hold the little boy. Brett gaped at her sister and took the child gingerly into her arms. Her sister leaned her head back, and closed her eyes finally letting the fatigue take over. Brett looked down at her sister in alarm! Will had gone to get Kimmie some food, and she was now the only one in the room with the child. Brett tried to wake up her sister, but small snores were now escaping from her lips.

            Little Britt cooed, and then let out a tiny cry. Brett looked up for someone to come in and help her, and almost fainted when she saw a head of curly locks leaning against the window. Simon was peering through the window with a small smile forming on his lips. Brett blinked twice, glanced at Britt, and looked back at Simon. He got up and entered the room, and Brett felt like she was going to panic.

            “My mom told me to bring Marc some dinner.” Simon said holding up a brown bag. Brett nodded slowly and looked back down at Britt. The little boy whimpered slightly.

            “What’s his name?” Simon asked.

            Brett cleared her throat not trusting her voice, and whispered “Britt.” Britt whined a bit more, then threw a tiny fist into the air and began to wail. Brett bounced up and down, and reached into her pockets frantically looking for her phone. She needed to call her mom to help her with the baby. She felt her phones smooth surface with the tip of her finger, and yanked it out. The phone clattered to the floor along with the note Simon had given Brett, and Brett attempted to squat down and pick up her belongings, but with Britt in her hands, the task was impossible.

            Simon bent down and handed Brett her phone, but paused when he caught sight of the note. He picked it up and rose from the ground slowly. Bret bounced from foot to foot trying to quiet the baby; she didn’t want to see the expression on Simon’s face when he realized what she’d been holding onto for weeks.

            “Here let me try.” Simon said holding out his hand. Brett placed Britt in his arms, and the baby quieted down. Simon smiled and held up a cupped hand, and motioned Brett to hold out her hand. She obliged and Simon placed the note back into her palm, and gave her hand a light squeeze.

            Brett glanced at Simon and Britt, and then looked down at her palm. The message on the note was still legible besides the worn texture of the paper. Moreover, the words were forever branded in Brett’s skull. She folded up the paper and slipped it back into her pocket. Some ink had rubbed off on the paper, and Brett looked at her thumb, hopeful, where the message appeared in clear blue ink: I still love you.