Beautifully Knight (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #5)

Labor and Love

-LOGAN-

My heart was skipping beats as I mashed the button on my keychain to lock my truck whilst hurrying through the sliding glass doors of Mass Gen Hospital. Vibrations trailed down my leg on a non-stop loop from the cell phone in my left pocket and sweat blanketed my palms as I scanned the walls around me in search of a sign that provided directions to the labor and delivery wing.

The pretty red-headed nurse who'd locked eyes with me when I'd rushed my sister through the doors of the emergency room and left my truck running in the drop off zone had batted her long eyelashes at me and assured me that I could take a few minutes to park while she got Natalie all checked in and rattled off the directions, but besides the parking part, I didn't remember a word she'd said.

I groaned inwardly and fished my phone from my pocket to see a million texts coming from family members. They all wanted to know where to go and what to do—but I didn't have answers for them. I didn't even know where I was supposed to go or what to do.

I tapped the button to lock my screen back as I spotted a little white-haired man exiting the gift shop with pink "It's a girl" balloons and I quickened my pace to follow him down a corridor that I prayed led to the elevator.

Fortunately it did and I slipped through the doors just before they closed.

"Number?" The elderly man asked as he smiled in my direction.

I did a quick glimpse of the floors listed on the wall and was relieved to see that he'd already pressed 4 for Labor and Delivery.

"We're headed to the same destination," I said and his smile widened a little as he looked me over.

"Boy or girl, or you don't know yet?"

"Boy," I replied and tried to steady my pounding heart.

"Is it your first?"

"Oh, no, thank God," I shook my head quickly and widened my eyes. Despite my earlier chuckles at DJ's paranoia, the last hour or so with Natalie had made me understand exactly why he was freaking out. This whole having a baby thing was terrifying and I was certain I'd never seen my sister in so much pain in all my life. As far as I was concerned, DJ was in the right to be a worrywart, the rest of us were underestimating things. "I'm about to be an uncle for the eighth time and that's plenty nerve wracking enough for me."

The man chuckled and nodded, "I hear you. I've been the cool uncle for forty years and cool great uncle for five years now. "

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," he smiled and slipped his free hand into the pocket of his blue jean jacket. "I'm pretty sure it's driven my mom nuts, but it's been the perfect fit for me. I get all the fun of having little kiddos around and when they get too much I hand them back over to their parents. No relationship drama to deal with, I'm not tied down, I just get to have pure fun all the time. It's the best of both worlds. Can't beat it."

"No, I guess you can't." I mused.

The elevator doors dinged and he smiled a little brighter, "Well congratulations to you, Uncle. I hope you get a healthy new nephew."

"Same to you," I nodded. "Well, a healthy new niece."

"Thank you," He nodded and picked up his balloon display before stepping out the doors and heading in the direction of the waiting rooms while I went the opposite way to the nurses' desk.

The redhead from earlier was sitting behind a large screen and typing away before she lifted her eyes in my direction.

"Oh, there you are, you didn't get too turned around did you?" She fluttered her eyelashes over her blue eyes again and I noted her name tag indicated her name was Paris.