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My mom texted a few pictures of Hudson Blair Black as soon as she was born a few hours ago, but it’s so hard to see any real distinguishing features in the shaky pictures of joy that co to take a few of my own that don’t look like they’ve been shot mid-parajump from a 747

The elevator dings its arrival on the fourth-floor maternity ward, and a herd of excited family members with balloons and stuffed animals and flowers steps out in front of ift shop to get so for E with

Eood person, but she’s also snooty as all hell If I was going to get her a gift she’d appreciate, I should have done it well outside the walls of this hospital

Crying babies and busy et buzzed through the secure doors that provide a layer of protection against babynapping, and a swirling mix of bleach and sterile medical equipment rounds out the olfactory element of the ambiance

“Excuse ht inside the doors

The obviously busy brunette nurse at the co but looks up at me at the same time “Yes?”

“I’ for Emory Black’s room Room 407?”

She nods and gestures to the right with just her head “It’s right down the hall there It’ll be on your left”

I s but a ot shit to do, and it’s all a whole lotwith me

I head the direction she instructed, and after a short walk down a long hallway lined with black-and-white photos of newborn babies, the room is there, on the left, just as she said it’d be

The door is cracked a tiny bit, so I push it open slowly, knocking lightly at the same time I feel like I have to announcethe asshole akes up a sleeping newborn doesn’t see I want to add to my resume

Emory’s best friend, Greer, is the first to notice me froe room, and she waves me in with a friendly hand

She’s been in E as I have and has spent more than her fair share of holidays with our fao, she was always a part of Christmas Day