“Louise…” Luci couldn’t think of anything more to say to the retreating figure. She passed through Gracie, pausing in the cool space for a puzzled moment before passing out of sight.
Miss Weena edged around Luci, then scampered out of sight, too.
Gracie drifted over to Luci. “Well, that was interesting. Delaney’s telling Mickey. How do you feel?”
“I couldn’t even begin to describe it,” Luci said, panting between each word. “How—do—you—feel?”
Gracie gave her a wry grin. “Same here. It’s not like it changes anything for me, you know.” She hesitated, then said, “Do you know what the worst part is? I remember my mother telling me about the mayor falling down the stairs.”
“Wow, I figured you just didn’t hear about it,” Luci managed, as the pain eased off.
“There wasn’t that much to hear,” Gracie said. “He didn’t die. And he didn’t say how it happened.”
Luci stared at Gracie. “I don’t think you should tell her.” Gracie shook her head. “Before they get here, can I ask you a personal question?”
“You want to know why I didn’t leave.” Luci nodded. Gracie looked around. “I was embarrassed to meet Charles. That light you’re supposed to go toward? It came, but I couldn’t go through and face him. I bailed on him twice.”
“If you hadn’t stayed, I’d be dead, killed three years ago,” Luci pointed out. “And you’d never have met Delaney.” Pebbles in a pool, she thought drowsily. She touched her stomach. Odd that something so wonderful could have come out of so much that wasn’t.
Gracie smiled. “Not totally useless, then.”
“No…” Through her ectoplasm, Luci saw Mickey coming through the door with one of the tac team boys. “I hope they didn’t break the door down.”
Gracie faded, leaving a clear path for Mickey.
“The gun’s up there—not loaded.” Pain was building again. “She’s—in the kitchen.”
Mickey grabbed her hand. “Just breathe. The ambulance is on the way.”
Somewhere between the house, just shy of the hospital, and accompanied by the scream of the siren, the baby arrived. Luci fell back, panting and gripping the sides of the gurney as the ambulance took a corner then pulled to an abrupt stop. In the sudden silence, Luci asked, “So, what did we get?”
The EMT wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed the bundle to Mickey, who had a complicated but mostly awed expression on his face.
When he didn’t speak, she asked, half joking, half worried, “What, is it androgynous?”
Mickey laughed, the sound sudden and happy. The EMT moved back, letting Mickey move up by her.
“Meet your daughter, Luci.” He tipped back the edge of the blanket and bright blue eyes peered at her out of a small, red face.
Luci put her finger close to a tiny fist and felt the little fingers grip it. Wonder pushed back exhaustion and the remnants of pain. “I guess you’re sure about that?”
Mickey grinned. “Very.”
He tucked the baby in her arms. She fit there perfectly. Luci eased back the blanket and caressed the tiny, perfect head. The rear of the ambulance was open, people waiting to take them out, but Mickey waved them back.
“What shall we call her?”
The tiny bundle was so light, it almost felt like nothing was there. “I was thinking Gracie is a nice name?”
Mickey smoothed her damp hair back off her forehead. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.”
Luci looked out the open door of the ambulance and saw a quiver in the hot air that briefly became Gracie and Delaney, then behind them, Luci saw her three aunts.
“I wonder what Miss Weena’s bet on the baby was,” Luci murmured, as Mickey moved aside to let them take the gurney out.
“You can ask her later,” Mickey said.
Theo, Hermi and Weena waved at her and then faded away. For a moment, Luci thought she saw a bright light and then Delaney and Gracie were alone. As they wheeled Luci past them, Gracie said, “We’ll see you when you come home.”
They too faded away, and a car screeched up and Pryce jumped out.
“Dad.” Luci smiled tiredly at him.
He walked beside her into the hospital. “Are you all right?”
Luci nodded. “Meet Gracie, grandpa.”
His whole worried face turned soft and mushy. “Hello, Gracie.”
Luci hesitated. “Louise?”
“She went quietly. I think she was relieved it’s over.”
Luci looked at Mickey. “Why don’t you go pick up that computer you ordered? We’ll be here when you’re done.”
“You knew?” Luci gave him a look. He rubbed his face, his look wry. “I can get it later. Right now I want to spend some time with my girls.”
A doctor put his hand on Mickey’s chest. “Let me make sure they are all right first and then they are all yours, bubba.”
Swinging doors closed her from Mickey’s sight, leaving him alone with his father-in-law. He looked at Pryce, trying to think of something to say. Pryce was looking at him, probably struggling with same problem.
Finally Pryce said, “I should call Lila.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t move. “Louise. Wow.”
He knew just how Pryce felt. It was weird, but it probably wouldn’t ever happen again. And it wouldn’t last. It didn’t. Without further comment, Pryce strode off.
Mickey sat down. Long night, followed by a longer day. He looked at his watch. It wasn’t even noon. Dang. He’d close his eyes for a minute, give Luci and his daughter a kiss, then he’d go get his computer. Though he’d leave it in the box until the hurricane decided where it was going.
His eyes popped open. If Miss Weena was gone, then who was minding what was left of her tea party?
Just then Luci hobbled out the double doors, trailing a protesting nurse.
“Mickey…”
“I know. The tea party. I’ll go see what I can do.” He got wearily to his feet.
Her grateful smile put some stiffening in his legs, then she took it away again.
“I did try to stop her, but she might have invited the
