Rebuilding Valley View (Valley View Book #4)

Chapter 27

I don’t know how long Tyler and I are sitting on that bench. My tears may have dried, but the hurt and the pain are far from gone. That doesn’t stop him from having his arm around my shoulder. Nor does it stop me from leaning into him grasping for even the smallest bit of comfort that I can get. The silence was broken by our phones both go off. We both quickly look at our phones, hoping that it is the news we’ve been waiting for all night long.

Tyler runs his hand through his hair, “Holy shit my brother is a dad.”

“Should be head back?”

“Yeah, they’re probably wondering what happened to us.”

We throw away our trash and walk back to the maternity ward. Everybody is exchanging hugs and statements of congratulations. “Alright, before we find out, what are everybody’s final guesses?” Wes asks around the room.

“I still say girl!” Betsy announces with exuberance.

“Dad?”

“Boy,” he nods definitively,  “definitely boy.”

Holly laughs, “Three hours of pushing? That’s a stubborn baby, so BOY!”

“What are you trying to say?” Wes arches his eyebrow up at his wife.

“That Brown boys are stubborn as hell. They also tend to give their mamas a hard time.”

“I resent that statement.”

“Don’t you mean represent?”

“Hush lady,” he says while wrapping his arm around her. “Tyler? Charlie?”

“I don’t know. I kind of think maybe boy too.”

“Yeah, I’m going boy,” Tyler agrees with me.

“Alright, so we mostly think boy. Sorry mama you’re outvoted on this.”

Betsy doesn’t have a moment to feel any sort of sulking because Bobby pushes out of the door with the biggest smile on his face. “Who's ready to come to see literally the cutest baby ever?”

“Cutest ever?” Jimmy teases his brother.

“Okay fine, the cutest baby that has ever had me as a dad.”

“Well, are we really sure about that one either?” Bobby smacks Wes and Wes hits him back, the two brothers state play fighting in the middle of the waiting room.

“Cut that crap out now!’ Betsy gives both her grown boys a shove. “This grandma wants to see her new grandbaby!”

“Yes ma’am, right this way.”

We make a huge long line as we walk down to Taryn’s hospital room again. We get there and the room has a totally different feel. Taryn looks exhausted but so happy at the same time. She’s holding a small baby and I can see their chubby cheeks from here.

“Hey everybody. This is Abraham Wilcox Brown. Abe for short.”

“It’s a boy,” Wes whispers, taking in the new Brown baby. “Holy shit, Bobby, you have a son.”

“Hey, language! My little boy will not grow up around cursing and craziness.”

Everybody laughs, knowing that there is no way that is going to happen. Betsy walks over to the bed and takes Abe from Taryn’s arms. She’s such a proud grandma. “Did you get a chance to call your parents?”

Taryn nods, “They’ve been driving all night, hopefully, they’ll be here soon.”

Everybody has a chance to hold Abe and finally, Wes walks over and starts to hand the baby to me. I hold up my hands, not wanting to impede on the private family moment too much. “Oh gosh, I don’t know. I’m not family yet.”