CHAPTER 27

Drake

After the ultrasound, Delia had fallen asleep as the I.V. fluids ran through her system. The doctor wanted her rehydrated before she left and I still had to do damage control with the media. Some people had seen me rushing into the hospital, and throngs of fans had gathered in all areas trying to get a glimpse of me. I figured the only way to get them to leave was to give them what they wanted.

I signed autographs and took pictures with people while Delia slept. Hank was in the corner fielding a steady stream of phone calls, no doubt from media outlets who had caught wind of the fact that I’d dashed into a hospital. Nurses and parents were wheeling sick children up to me and I took the time to be with them. It took two hours to get Delia fully hydrated before the doctors would release her from the hospital. I tried to give her as much space to process everything as I could. Hank was putting out informal press releases to news outlets and magazines, popular blogs and radio stations. Everyone was speculating that I was back in the hospital due to my alcohol, but Hank was reassuring everyone that it was a family emergency and that everything was fine with me.

That was all we were telling the media until I could figure out what the fuck I was supposed to do now. I stared at the ultrasound picture in my hands and I couldn’t help but smile. Though tiny, and looking like nothing more than a lima bean, our baby was perfect. I thought back to the morning I’d buried Shannon and Ava, and I’d opened that damn pregnancy test. I thought then that I’d never have another chance at having a family. But now, looking at that little lima bean, I knew I did.

When Delia came shuffling out of her room, her cheeks were still stained with tears. I rushed over to her and wrapped my arms around her, walking alongside her as we walked down the hallway. I helped her to the parking deck out back so we could stay away from the cameras, then I loaded her into my truck and took off.

“Do you know the way to my place from here?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Well, you missed the left turn you were supposed to make?” she asked.

“Because you’re not going home.”

“Where am I going, then?”

“We’re going to my place so I can take care of you and we can talk about all of this.”

“Please, I don’t want to be a burden,” she said.

“Now look. All this time, you hid the fact that you are pregnant from me. And I get it—I understand your reasoning. But I meant what I said in that hospital. Now that I know, I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m not dropping you off anywhere. You’re coming to my house, you’re sitting on my couch, and you’re letting me take care of you for a change.”

Delia nodded and settled into her seat.

As I drove, I turned the truck down every back route I could think of, just in case someone was tailing us. I pulled into my driveway and shut the truck. I walked around to the passenger door and helped Delia down.

I unlocked the door and threw it open, ushering her over to the couch. I went into the kitchen and got us both a glass of water, but she tried to shoo hers away.

“You were so dehydrated you needed three I.V. bags in the hospital. Drink the damn water,” I said.

She looked up at me with that cute little scrunched up nose before she took the water from my hands.

I sat down on the coffee table in front of her as she sank into the couch. She took mindless sips of the water I handed her, avoiding my gaze when possible. I raked my eyes up and down her body, taking stock of the way it was changing. Her hips did seem a little wider and her stomach was tighter than usual. Her breasts were definitely bigger. Practically spilling out of the bra she had on.

I took a deep breath to settle my desires for her as her eyes finally connected with mine.

“Explain something to me,” I said. “I wanna know how the hell you were gonna take care of this child on your own.”

“I have health insurance now and a salaried job. I don’t rake in millions like you do, but I don’t need millions to take care of a baby.”

“Were you gonna raise our baby in some studio apartment?” I asked.

“No, of course not, and quit being a snob. There is nothing wrong with my apartment. I have a financial plan on track to rent a two-bedroom apartment closer to where I work. I can save gas money by walking, and my yearly bonuses can go toward saving for childcare. I have it all laid out.”

“So you really had no plans to tell me, about any of this. Despite the fact that I helped you make this child,” I said.

I was still simmering with anger. Even though I was worried about her condition physically, I couldn’t believe she would keep something like this from me. I had my downfalls, sure, but I had the capacity to provide for my child.

“Do you know what that phone call did to me, Delia?” I asked.

“No,” she said, looking away.

“The moment told me you were pregnant with my baby, my world stopped.”

“I didn’t want you drinking again,” she said, breathlessly.

“Why the fuck would a kid make me drink? If anything, you make me wanna drink! With your stubborn-as-hell ways and wanting to always buck up against me.”

“I don’t want to make you drink,” she said with a whisper. “I don’t want your sobriety to be derailed because of me.”

I watched her face scrunch up as her gaze fell to her lap. I watched as a tear dripped into her water and I knew I’d done it. I’d made this woman cry, and if my momma was alive right now she’d slap the back of my head. I had better ways of communicating my anger to her than this, all I had to do was take the time to find them.

“Come here. I’m sorry. It’s okay,” I said.

I took the water from her hands and situated myself on the couch next to her. She was curling into herself, weakening in a way I’d never seen from her. Even though I’d only known her a short amount of time, I’d known her to be a spitfire. Strong and steadfast. And there she was, curling up onto my couch and crying into her knees because I was being an asshole.

Fuck.

I wiped her tears and cradled her against me as I thought about the child growing inside her.

Our child.

“I’m sorry, I just need you to explain to me what the hell you were thinking,” I said. “Because I don’t understand it.”

“Please don’t be mad,” she said.

“I can try my best. You waited until you thought you were losing this child to reach out to me. You shouldn’t have waited until catastrophe struck before you told me.”

“Look Drake, when I found out I was pregnant, you were still in rehab. What the hell was I supposed to do? Come tell you over lunch while you were in the midst of that struggle?” she asked.

“What about when I got out of rehab?” I asked. “You could’ve told me then. Delia, you only live like three fucking miles up the road.”

“I tried to read up on what you were going through in rehab without reaching out to you. Hank fired me so quickly, I figured the reason he did was because you asked him to. But I did want to know what you were going through. What you were experiencing. And one of the things I read up on was triggers. I’ve studied this, Drake.”

“Delia, you’re not a trigger. You tried to keep me from drinking. My band is a trigger. Stress is a trigger. You're not, you never could be.”

“But that’s exactly what I mean. Stress is a trigger. I knew how stressed I was and could only imagine what it would be for you.”

“I’m not stressed. Pissed, yeah. Confused, hell yeah. But stressed? Nah.”

“How are you not stressed by this? I am!” she said.

“Wanna know why I’m not stressed?” I asked.

“Because you’re suddenly a saint?”

“Hell no. Delia, I’ve always wanted kids. I wanted a large family, back when I was with Shannon. I thought I'd lost my chance at that, though.”

“What?” she asked.

“Yeah. I mean, I know I haven’t exactly acted like I want to be married with a family again, but I do. I always have. I’ve dreamt of having a ton kids since I was one myself. Look at what I do for Elsie. How could you not see that?”

I saw her jaw trembling again and quickly pulled her into my lap. I sat here, with her changing body against my chest as I sighed into her hair. She was scared. I knew she was. And I was, too. We’d though we were losing something precious today. Something that I didn’t even know to exist before a few hours ago. I was holding the mother of my unborn child in my arms, and the only thing I could feel was an overwhelming need to protect her. To care for her. To make sure she and this baby had everything they could possibly need to be healthy and succeed.

“I’ve got you now,” I said. “You’re gonna be taken care of.”

“I can’t ask that of you,” Delia said.

“Then it’s a good thing it don’t require askin’.”

I grinned at her as I pulled her back into me. I reached for my phone and pressed it into her hand, hoping she would go along with the plan I had for us. I felt her brow furrowing against my skin as I placed a kiss against her forehead, her eyes darting up at me curiously as I smiled.

“Call your boss. Tell him you’re okay, but that you’ll need until Monday off,” I said.

“I can’t do that. I have to work tomorrow,” Delia said.

“I shooed him away from the hospital once I got there. He’s waiting for an update. Tell him you need off until Monday. It’s just one day. He’ll give it to you. Seems nice enough,” I said.

“Then will you take me home?”

“We’ll talk about that.”

“No, we won’t. You want me to call out, that’s my condition. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m going back to my own place.”

I grinned as my eyes danced around her face. Her fire was back again. The feisty woman that had drawn me in from the beginning. I raked my eyes up and down her body as a chuckle fell from my lips, then I pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Either way, you could use some time off,” I said.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but did as I asked. Her boss was more than accommodating, and even asked her if she needed more time than that. I tried to get Delia to take it but she wasn’t having it. Then she handed my phone back to me and slid from my lap.

“There,” she said. “Called out until Monday. But if something important comes up, I can remotely access my files from my apartment.”

“You mean my guestroom,” I said.

“No. I mean my apartment.”

I'd already lost my wife and not one, but two, of my children. Delia didn't know that Shannon had been pregnant when she died, of course, but I did. It haunted me, and I could not lose anyone else. I could not lose another child.

Delia would have to work with me here.