Salted Wound

Chapter 71 Zamari- May 6, 2019

"At least couldn't the baby have come home to meet us?" Amari says and I make eye contact with Jade in the passenger seat of the car, and she makes a face as if to say have some patience, he doesn't know babies yet.

The kids have been sullen since we told them we're going to the midwife clinic to visit the newly hatched baby. I can't really blame Amari for that, we've become so much more involved with Ana's family than our own lately so even on his birthday we'd be spending time with the new baby, but for Julian, this baby has already been such a big part of his life.

Hopefully, we'll become more involved in our real family soon, and Amari can spend some time getting to know Dominic. Dad has been coming around a lot more, calling to see how Jade has been doing since she finished her physical therapy appointments, how Amari has been, and even checking on me since the legal system is still fucking up my life as much as possible.

I pull into the parking lot of the small clinic, and Amari jumps out of the car as soon as we're parked, halting only when Jade calls his name sharply. I roll my eyes at his impatience to be done with this and Jade's complaints that he doesn't listen.

The small front door shuts quietly behind us, and we find our way down the short hall toward Estrella's room. On the way, before I had been stressed, my knuckles sore from constantly cracking them. On the way back out the door after meeting Bella, and hearing those blissful words from Ana, I love you too, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. A grin creeps onto my face when I remember it, and Jade gives me a weird look.

"What are you thinking about?"

I shrug her off.

"Nothing in particular." I hasten to change the subject. "You're gonna love Bella, she's so adorable."

"Aren't all babies?" She says drily and I shake my head.

"Nah, a lot of them look like aliens."

She snorts. "I pray for your future child."

We reach the right room, and Amari really starts dragging his feet, Julian not far behind.

"Only way to get to your cake later is to see the baby first," I tell him, and his head shoots up.

"Let's go then!" He grabs Julian's arm and pulls him toward the door.

I roll my eyes and lead them down the hall to the right room. I knock on the door and hear Ana's sing-song voice as she calls, "Come in!"

I push open the door to see Strella asleep in the bed with Adrian next to her, his arms around her and her face buried in his chest. Bella is cradled in Ana's arms as she bounces gently on the balls of her feet, working her way across the room, and back again in a soothing pace.

"Hey, y'all up for a visit?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah, this one apparently isn't ready to go to sleep, maybe some new faces will keep her from fussing."

Jade, Amari, and Julian follow me into the room, and I shut the door behind us.

"Let's get this over with." Amari grouches and Ana laughs softly.

"Not a fan yet?"

Amari shakes his head resolutely.

"What about you?" She asks her brother, and he shakes his head too, but looks less certain than Amari, eyeing the blanket bundle Ana carries.

"You will be." She says, sitting down in the reclining chair, the tiny person bundled in her arms squirming slightly. Julian leans forward curiously, and I steer him toward her, Jade taking the other available chair to take her weight off of her leg.