I told Donna that, if she would allow it, I wanted to have a part in our baby’s life and she burst out crying again and threw her arms around my neck burying her face in my neck. When she collected herself again, she apologized saying that she had been very emotional lately. She wrote it off to her pregnancy.
A few days later Priya called to tell me that they were heading for the hospital. Donna’s water had just broke. It was a couple days before her due-date. Frankie and I followed them and Donna insisted that I be in the delivery room along with Priya. The hospital staff weren’t nuts about so many people to trip over. Her delivery was textbook. The baby was a girl with a mop of very light blonde hair. After they waved the baby under our faces, they quickly whisked her away. Priya and I returned to the waiting room while they tended to Donna. Sylvia was talking with Frankie, not knowing who she was. Frankie, knew who Sylvia was but didn’t let on. I walked through the waiting room and bent down and kissed Frankie and said, “It’s a beautiful girl.”
Sylvia apparently didn’t even recognize me right away but when she did, she let out an ear-piercing screech and threw herself into my arms. Donna had said that she wasn’t going to tell Sylvi that I was home and I guess she hadn’t. Sylvia was crying as she kissed me all over. Then Sylvia became Sylvia again as she pressed her hand against my crotch and said, “Fuck. I sure missed that.”
Frankie burst out laughing and said, “You called it Jack.” Sylvia looked at Frankie with a confused look on her face.
I said, “Frankie, this is Sylvia. Donna’s sister.” Then I said, “Sylvia, this is Frankie, my fiancée.” Priya had been taking it all in and the look on her face when I said ‘fiancée’ was priceless. Priya looked, open mouthed, at Sylvia and then at Frankie. She then looked at me and said, “Oh Jack. That’s wonderful. Did you meet Frankie while you were gone? The question was meant to say, ‘kind of quick isn’t it?’ as she moved toward Frankie and hugged and kissed her.
I said, “Actually, I’ve known her for many years.” The look on Priya’s face said, ‘She hasn’t even been alive for many years,’ in obvious reference to Frankie’s age. I heard Priya whisper to Frankie, “I’m kind of jealous.” Frankie giggled as Priya moved away to let Sylvia in for a hug and a kiss. True to form, Sylvia put a lip-lock on Frankie and Frankie went with it and then grinned at me.
Priya announced to everyone that Donna had given birth to a healthy ‘toe-headed’ baby girl. The ‘toe-head’ description was, of course, a reference to her silvery blonde hair. Everyone applauded the announcement.
Eddie came running in late as usual and came up short when he saw me. I hadn’t told him I was coming home and I hadn’t called him yet. His face formed into a huge grin as he moved over and gave me a man-hug but he was staring at Frankie. He whispered to me, “What is Frankie doing here?”
I whispered, “Frankie and I are getting married.” Eddies’ eyes went wide as he scanned Frankie from head to toe. Frankie teased his flagrant gawking and posed for him.