The Plan (49 page)

Claire's voice filled the room—beautiful and sweet—as she sang, gently, to the baby she was beginning to love, and the man she loved even more.

•  •  •

“Look who I found at the airport,” Callum said, rolling into their bedroom, a very excited Gia behind him.

“Gia!” Claire exclaimed upon seeing her friend. “I'm so glad you're here! You have no idea. I was afraid your flight might be cancelled because of the snow.”

Gia headed straight to the bed and climbed in next to Claire before giving her best friend a hug.

“You think a little snow would keep me away?” Gia said.

“I'm going to leave you ladies alone now. I'm sure you don't want me around for all your girl talk. You don't mind if I go into the office for a bit, do you?”

“No, that's fine,” Claire said.

Callum leaned down to kiss Claire.

“Have fun catching up.”

“I love you,” Claire said.

“Ditto, love. Glad you're here, Gia. Claire is sick of me hovering over her like a mama bear.”

“Now I'll get to do the hovering,” Gia said, patting Claire's ample belly. “And take care of my goddaughter.”

“You're in good hands,” Callum said to Claire as he left the room.

“Sweetie,” Gia said, turning to Claire once Callum was gone. “That is one
huge
belly.”

“I know,” Claire said, grinning. “She's going to be a big girl.”

“What does the doctor say?”

“Everything's going smoothly. I'm supposed to stay in bed until my c-section next week, but thank heavens this bedrest thing is almost over.”

Claire had been on bedrest for one hundred and thirty-three days, not that she was counting. At her insistence, she and Callum had both completed the first six-week tour they'd already planned. Callum had wanted to cancel it, but Claire insisted she wasn't even showing yet.

“The baby is the size of half a pea, right now,” she told him. “It's hardly going to rip me apart.”

Still, Callum was always around to drive Claire insane.

You shouldn't be carrying that.

You shouldn't be standing for so long.

You shouldn't be lying in that position for the entire night.

Claire usually appeased him and gave in to whatever it was he was concerned over, but when he asked her whether it was healthy for her to be gaining so much weight—he'd read a woman should gain about one pound per week during the second and third trimester and Claire was gaining closer to a pound and a half—she nearly slugged him.

“If you ever comment on my weight again,” she said, her eyes blazing. “I'm going to rip off the one arm you have left; you got it?!”

She was fuming and there was no mistaking her furor. He backed down and never mentioned it again.

She'd argued when the doctor put her on bedrest during the fourth month.

“Already?” she'd asked during her regular appointment. “It seems so early.”

“She'll be in her bed in an hour,” Callum had said to the doctor, ignoring Claire. “And I won't let her up again.”

The doctor had said she was allowed to get out of bed to use the restroom and to shower, but that was it.

“We can't take any chances,” he'd said and Callum had wholeheartedly agreed.

Claire knew Callum and the doctor, whom she'd come to really like during all her visits, were only doing what was best for her and the baby, yet that didn't help ease her boredom.

In the past hundred-plus days, Claire had watched nearly every movie and TV series on Netflix. When Nora came to visit for a nearly two-month stay, she'd taught Claire to knit and by the time Gia arrived, Claire had completed three blankets, two pairs of booties and four little caps.

“Are you going to start a business?” Gia asked, looking through Claire's completed projects as she and Claire rested on the bed.

“You never know. I'm getting quite good at this knitting thing.”

Claire had also read a whole stack of books, which were now piled high on her nightstand. Callum had offered to take them away and put them on the bookshelf, but she'd told him she liked to see the pile. It made her feel as if she'd accomplished something during the past few months.

“You have accomplished something,” Callum had insisted. “You've grown our baby.”

Claire had rolled her eyes at Callum. Keeping this baby inside her was no small feat, but it wasn't like she'd been kneading their child together. She was the oven, not the baker.

“I can't wait to get up and go for a long walk,” Claire told Gia. “I've been stuck in this bed for way too long.”

“You won't feel like doing any walking after that c-section,” Gia said. “Remember how you felt after the twins were born? You couldn't ingest that hydrocodone fast enough.”

“Yeah,” Claire said, remembering how miserable she'd been after that delivery. “That sucked.”

“Soon you'll be begging to get back into this bed.”

“Hard to imagine,” Claire said. “I feel like the mattress is permanently attached to my rear end.”

“No, that mass you feel back there is your actual rear end. How much weight have you gained anyway?”

Claire glared, but Gia laughed.

“You look great. I'm just giving you a hard time. Callum said you're very touchy about your weight.”

“As you'll be, someday, when you're pregnant,” Claire said. “Wait and see.”

“If you say so.”

“Speaking of which,” Claire said. “How are things with you and Wyatt?”

“Well, that was quite the transition there,” Gia said. “It's not to the point where I'm pregnant, I can assure you.”

“I wasn't insinuating that. I'm just curious.”

“All's good. Great, actually,” Gia said. “I really like him.”

“Like?”
Claire asked, digging for more.

“Okay, love. I love him.”

If Claire had been able to, she would've leaped off the bed and jumped up and down.

“I knew it! I knew it! I could tell by the way the two of you were staring at each other the last time we were all together. I am the best matchmaker ever.”

Ever since the wedding, a year earlier, Wyatt and Gia had been an item. Because Claire was on bedrest, she'd missed out on spending a great deal of time with the new couple when Gia had flown out to see Wyatt in the various cities he, Callum and the team had visited.

Claire had insisted Callum continue with his scheduled appearances, even after she was put on bedrest and could no longer join them. Callum had argued, but Claire promised she was fine and he'd be disappointing a whole lot of people.

“Not to mention the financial mess it would be to cancel all of those venues,” she'd said.

“I am not going to leave you alone,” he'd said.

“I won't be alone,” she'd protested. “Your mom said she'd come. And Nancy said she could visit and help me out, also.”

“You really want to be alone with Nancy for that long?” Callum had asked, raising an eyebrow.

Claire had laughed. No, she didn't. She and her former in-laws had a really great relationship now, much better than when Jack was alive, but Claire didn't want to push her luck. A dinner with Nancy was probably her limit.

“Okay, not really, but I also don't want to hold you back.”

“Hold me back?” Callum had asked. “You are my back!”

“That doesn't make sense.”

“It doesn't have to. The point is, I'm spending every moment I can with you before this baby comes.”

“Because you still think something will go wrong?”

“No, love. Because once this baby comes, we'll be so busy, we won't have much alone time anymore.”

“Oh, you have
no
idea,” Claire had said, laughing. And he really didn't. But then, what first-time parent could possibly comprehend the way his or her life was about to be turned upside down? She hadn't understood it. Neither had Jack.

Callum had agreed to finish his last few speaking engagements while Claire stayed at home, as long as his mother came to stay with Claire for the weeks he was gone. After that, he'd insisted Alison put an indefinite hold on any future speaking engagements until the baby was born. He told the team, from that point on, they'd concentrate more on the charity portion of their organization, the fundraising and donation of walkers and wheelchairs. Callum also wanted the team to increase their focus on making sure more amputees could afford the prosthetics they needed.

“So, what's the plan?” Claire asked Gia.

“The plan? What plan?”

“The plan for you and Wyatt.” She cupped her hand to her ear. “What? Is that wedding bells I hear?”

“Ha ha,” Gia said sarcastically. “Very funny.”

“I am funny,” Claire said, picking up the remote for the TV. “Tell me your plans and then let's watch a chick flick.”

“I thought you've already seen every movie on Netflix.”

“Oh, I have. But there's a new one out on On Demand I've been dying to see.”

“I don't know where things are going to go with Wyatt. We've talked about marriage.”

Claire clapped her hands like a little girl.

“Oh, calm yourself down now,” Gia said, gently hitting Claire with a small decorative pillow. “It's not like he's proposed.”

“But he will,” Claire said. “And I can't wait to be the matron of honor!”

“Oh? You think you're a shoo-in for the role, huh?”

“Uh, of course. Duh,” Claire said.

“Okay, Ms. Cocky. Turn on the movie. I'm in need of some mindless romance.”

“Are you crying?” Claire said, peeking over at Gia, who was lying on the bed next to her.

“No.”

“You are
too
crying!”

“So what if I am?” Gia said defensively. “It's a sad movie!”

Claire shifted her weight in the bed. She was getting stiff. “Yikes!”

“What?” Gia said, sitting up so quickly she knocked her popcorn bowl on the floor.

“Oh, nothing. Sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you. Maggie just gave me quite the kick.”

“Maggie?” Gia said, reaching down to pick up her bowl and the few bits of popcorn that had spilled out onto the floor.

“Yeah. Do you like it?”

“Love it. Sounds very Irish,” Gia said.

“Callum insisted on an Irish name, but I was the one who chose Maggie.”

“Maggie doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be the most loved baby ever born.”

“That she is,” Claire said, rubbing her belly and glancing at the clock on the table next to her. “It's getting late. I wonder where Callum is.”

Claire sat up in bed and slowly lowered her feet onto the floor.

“Whoah! Where are you going?” Gia asked, sounding alarmed.

“To the bathroom. I have to pee. Unless, of course, you want to stick a bedpan under my butt.”

“Well, not exactly.”

“That's what I thought. It's only five feet away. I'm allowed to get up to use it every once in a while as long as I don't stand too long. I'll be fast.”

She stood up, gingerly, and stretched her arms and legs as soon as she was in an upright position.

“You have no idea how good it feels to get out of that bed.”

As she headed into the bathroom, Gia picked up the remote and flipped through the channels.

“Hey!” she called out to Claire. “You'll never guess what's on!
The Bridges of Madison County.
Remember how we watched that movie over and over again in college? Clint Eastwood is still so sexy.”

The bathroom door opened and Claire stood in the doorframe. Gia's eyes remained on the screen.

“Oh, I love this scene,” she said. “You know, where they slow dance in the kitchen and she's wearing the new dress she bought.”

“Gia.”

Gia turned her head and noticed Claire standing there.

“My water broke,” Claire said.

“You're kidding, right?” Gia asked. Seeing the ashen look on Claire's face, she knew the answer before Claire shook her head.

Gia jumped off the bed and rushed to Claire.

“And I'm bleeding,” she said, both her voice and her body shaking.

Gia took her by the arm and led her to the bed. She helped Claire lie down, putting a pillow under her legs.

“Don't move,” Gia ordered. “I'll call the doctor. Where is your damn phone?”

“Callum probably left it in the kitchen. Or on the couch? He was playing a game with it when his phone wasn't charged.”

Gia could kill Callum at this moment. Sure, she had her own phone, but Claire's doctor's number wasn't in there.

“I'll be right back. Don't move. You hear me? Don't move!”

“I won't. And call Callum.”

“I will. Don't move!” Gia called over her shoulder as she ran out of the room.

•  •  •

“I'm here, love. I'm here.”

Claire turned her head to see Callum rolling into the operating room. He was wearing scrubs and, despite the situation, seeing him brought her some small relief. If she wasn't so scared, she would've made a comment about how they could save the outfit to play doctor and nurse one night at home.

“I didn't think you'd make it,” she said, instead.

“Did you honestly think I'd miss Maggie's grand entrance into this world?”

“No.”

“There was a lot of snow on the roads. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you.”

“It's okay. Gia took care of me,” Claire said.

“Thank God for Gia.”

Claire nodded. She'd said that to herself a million times over the past few years.

Gia had finally called an ambulance after reaching Claire's doctor and, upon looking out the window, realizing there was a near-blizzard going on out there. Gia could've driven them to the hospital in Claire's car, but considering the falling snow, and the fact she didn't know where she was going, it seemed better to dial 9-1-1.