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Oh holy fuck I’m the worst husband ever I left my phone on the counter by themy man card and no way can I ever admit this to anyone, especially Owen I’d lose respect points for sure

"Who was it?" My heart starts to pound and I try to ignore it It’s probably nothing i toto uments lately only because her patience level is zero and Owen is completely freaked out by the creature as once his sister

"Your wife Well, it really wasn’t your wife More like a e from her" The assistant’s narrow face is soleallop to a dead stop in a ?" The words rush out ofmy nails into my skin as ice-cold shock washes over laring down froht now, though, I’ for a purely different reason

"Well, um, this is sort of weird for me to tell you since I don’t even know you, and I wanted the person on the phone to tell you this since he claimed he’s your brother-in-law, but …"

"Just spit it out," I say, cutting her off

"Right" She nods"Your wife is in labor"

Relief floods e forin itself, but it’s ten tihout nancy, especially these last couple of months since the season ended I’ve left for a few business things, including another endorse we all were required to attend She’s stayed mostly at home with Oho’s around quite a bit He just finished his fresh a sumrad trip after his senior year of high school, but he’s not leaving until Fable has the baby He’s sticking around for that because he’s a good brother

And Fable would strangle hio did the call colance up at the clock on the opposite wall I’ve been here for hours and now I’et ho this baby She’d be devastated

"A few o" The assistant holds out her phone toward me "Your brother-in-law asked that you call hiht now I knoould be if I were hio into labor yet and she’s probably totally freaking hi he wants to deal with is his laboring sister, I’ the phone, I dial Owen’s cell nu "Thank God you got the e"

"Nice to hear your voice, too Now let me talk to your sister," I tell him

"Dude" Owen pauses for aa rooine "She’s been in labor for hours I only just now convinced her to come to the hospital"

"Wait a o ht? Is she in pain?"

"She’s in labor Of course she’s in fking pain" Owen blows out a harsh breath "This shit is scary,to have the baby soon She’s screa like you would never believe I can’t handle it"

"Well, get over yourself because you’re going to have to handle it until I get there" I rapher "Hold on, Owen" I placea baby"

Everyone starts clapping and whistling, and I go to the changing area to grab, and I tell her I’ll pay for theet ht home I can" Fable’s at our Santa Clara house and so is Owen, awaiting the birth "Are you at the hospital?"

"Hell yeah, we are She wanted to stay at hoave birth on the carpet," Owenher that, too "Is her doctor there?"

"I guess so; I don’t know She wouldn’t let est time She said she didn’t want to disturb your photo session, which I thought sounded totally lauess I shouldn’t give you any grief But yeah She said this photo shoot was like the irl, my wife, the mother of my about-to-be-born child, drives me absolutely frickin’ nuts so is her and the baby "How long has she been in labor?"

"You’re gonna kill " He pauses "Before you even left, she said"

"Are you kiddinglike this You know it"

Jesus "And when did you get her to the hospital?"

"A couple of hours ago About an hour or so after you left"

She’s been laboring allclass that first babies tended to take a long tionna be pissed that I called you"

"Does she expect to keep me in the dark about all of this? What’s the matter with her?" I shake my head as I head outside, thankful when I see the hired car that broughtby the curb The driver slides out and coet a chance to do it for myself I climb into the backseat, the phone still clutched to my ear

"Did she want to have the baby on her oithout et her on the phone" I’h theand watching the giant industrial buildings pass by but not really seeing the but Fable and the baby and that they’re all right Nothing else ’s important All I can focus on is Fable and the fact that she’s about to have our baby

And she wasn’t going to tell me? Really?

"Hello?" I hear her breathless voice anddown I feel like a dumbass but I don’t care