Lainey jumps over and shoves a blue bulbous thing up the baby’s nose and down her throat, leaving her to squirm and bleat a little cry in my sister’s wake.
“What are you doing?” I cry out just as Lainey retreats.
“It’s a booger sucker thingy to get the junk out of the baby’s airways,” she pants. “I always have one with me in my purse in the event Josie needs it. And it looks like your sweet little peanut needed it, too. I guess you weren’t overreacting after all.”
Noah holds me tightly from behind, both his tears and mine rain down over the front of my dress as we look at this perfect pink being with her shock of dark hair and those murky navy eyes that seem to be looking right at me.
“Mom!” Evie cries out. “I love her. I’m so glad I didn’t miss this. And don’t worry. I’ll totally get your permission before we upload the gory birth stuff.”
“We?” I look up in a mild panic to see just about every phone in the room trained my way.
Wonderful. And oddly, it feels just that. Wonderful.
Everett plants a kiss on my cheek. “Congratulations, Lemon. Happy birthday. You did it.”
“We did it,” I tell him as I look from him to Noah. “I couldn’t have done it without either of you.”
“Happy birthday, Lot.” Noah gives my other cheek a quick kiss. “And happy birthday to you, too, princess. I love you more than I could have ever imagined.”
I nod because I feel the very same way.
The sound of barking increases from above and I look up to see Lil’ Mama floating toward the ceiling.
“Congratulations, lil’ mama,” she shouts my way. “I suppose I’ll have to share that title with you now. And I’ll be glad to do it. Until we meet again.” She gives one final bark before dissipating into a spray of tiny pink stars.
I cast my eyes back down to my own pink star as her eyes dart from Noah, to Everett, then me.
“Happy birthday, beautiful,” I say to her. “I love you.”
Keelie rides with me to Honey Hollow General Hospital while everyone races over in their own cars.
Noah and Everett are right there when Dr. Barnette checks out the baby and me.
“Well, Lottie, you really did it.” She smiles my way as I sit up in the bed in my very own private suite on the maternity ward, with the sweetest little baby I ever did see wrapped like a burrito and snug in my arms. “You’re fine, the baby is fine, and you had a drug-free delivery.”
“And I’m still mad about it, too.” I give a quick wink her way. “I’m only half-kidding.”
She gives a warm laugh. “Let me go ahead and take some samples of your cheek cells—as well as from the prospective fathers and we should have the paternity results as early as in the morning.”
“No, wait.” I look up at Noah. “Cressida said if I did the reveal on that ridiculous show then she’d give my mother her half of the B&B—at fair market value, of course. Everett and I both agreed to it, but if you don’t want to, we can call the whole thing off.”
Noah’s dimples dig in. “If you’re in, I’m in.”
“Well then”—Dr. Barnette looks mildly amused—“why don’t we do the test now, and I’ll hold onto the results until it’s time for the big reveal?” She does what she needs to do, and offers one more heartfelt congratulations before leaving the room. And in her place comes an entire parade of family: Suze, Eliza, Meghan, Alex, my sisters, Evie, Mom, Wiley, Carlotta, Mayor Nash, Keelie, Bear, and yes, even the ghost of my sweet grandmother, Nell.
Evie scoots in close and I can see the tears in her eyes. “Can I hold her?”
“Yes,” I say. “Hold your sister, Evie.”
Everett carefully places the bundled little babe into her arms.
“Oh wow,” Evie coos. “She’s lighter than air. I can’t believe a whole person just came out of you. Mom, she’s freaking huge.” The room breaks out into laughter.
“I was thinking the same thing,” I tell her.
“So what are you going to name her?” Evie asks as she smiles dreamily down at the tiny tot. “You’re not really going to call her Sugar Cookie, are you?”
“Yeah, Lottie.” Mom gives my arm a gentle pat. “What’s her name? You’ve kept us in suspense long enough.”
I look up at Noah and Everett and they both give a consenting nod.
“Okay, this is something the three of us have mulled over quite a bit. At first, I was teasing when I brought it up, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved it.” I shrug out at the crowd. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Carlotta Nell, last name to be determined.”
The room breaks out into cheers, and Carlotta is cheering the loudest and the longest, as expected.
“But”—I hold up a finger—“much like me, she won’t be utilizing her formal name all that often. She’ll go by the nickname that Everett, Noah, and I have come to an agreement on. So once again, I’d like to introduce you to Lyla Nell, last name to be determined.”
“Welcome to the world, Lyla Nell,” Noah says and the room echoes along with him.
Then slowly one by one my family and friends take off for the night—or the wee hours of the morning as it were.
Noah rocks our sweet sleeping babe before blessing her with a kiss and landing her in my arms.
“She’s beautiful, Lot. Just like her mom.” He lands a kiss to my lips. “I couldn’t resist. You might have just had my baby, and I think you did. I love you, Lottie Lemon.”
A smile presses from my lips. “I love you, too, Noah. Would you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Could I get you to run back to the house and pack a bag for the
