Entering the city limits of Memphis, Valentina sighed in relief. After a six hour drive from Shreveport, she was ready to stop for a couple of hours before continuing. She was over half of the way home, only three more hours to go. Then, oh then, she’d be able to stretch to her little heart’s desire and sleep for as long as she wanted to. 

“I know, baby, I know. Mama’s hungry too,” Valentina softly soothed and rubbed her protruding belly as a loud growl filled the car’s interior. Slight pressure and some mild cramping had been bothering her all morning, but she was chalking it up to being cooped up in the driver’s seat for so long. She’d driven down to Shreveport two days ago, spent all day with her best friend, and now she was driving back. Too much excitement for her to handle at this stage. 

Being almost nine months pregnant, the baby had her constantly uncomfortable. She’d left Shreveport early this morning, around 7am, and it was now 3pm. The never-easing pressure on her bladder had made it near impossible to not stop every hour for a bathroom break, ok and maybe a snack break had snuck in there every so often. 

“Now, where to eat?” she thought aloud as she drove further into Memphis. The shrill of her cell phone laying on the passenger seat broke her out of her food thoughts. 

“Hello?” she spoke into the phone, seeing the ‘Unavailable’ name pop on her screen. 

“Val! Can you hear me? It’s Leoni!” a smile appeared on Valentina’s face as the voice of her best friend came through the device. It sounded so far away, but that was to be expected. 

“Le, yes, I can hear you. Did you land safely?” Valentina questioned. 

“Yes, we all got here alright. We’re going to sleep here tonight then catch the morning flight to Kinshasa,” Leoni explained.

“Are you home yet?” 

“No, I’m riding through Memphis now. I’m going to stop for food somewhere, rest a little bit before finishing up the trip to Franklin,” Valentina replied. 

“Ohh, have some fried pickles for me down at the Gen Store. Lord knows I won’t be able to have those for a long while,” Leoni all but moaned on the other end of the phone. 

“I swear girl, you and those fried pickles. It’s a bit out of the way for me, but just for you, I will head there,” Valentina laughed and maneuvered her car towards the oncoming exit. 

“Alright, well you enjoy those pickles for me. The crew’s got to use the phone too. Please be safe driving and tell Rollins that I say he better take care of you and niece/nephew until I get back. You hear me?” Leoni’s voice broke with emotion. Valentina swallowed thickly as realization that her best friend wouldn’t be with her when she went into labor in a month’s time. 

“I will. You take care of yourself out there, Le. I want you to come back in one piece,” Valentina replied, praying her tears would stay at bay. 

“I will hun, I love you.” 

“Go save lives, sweetie. I love you too,” Valentina bid adieu and the call disconnected. Staring at the phone one last time, she placed it down in the center console and focused on the road. After a few minutes, she pulled to a stop at the stop sign. Putting on her right blinker, she pulled into the dirt parking lot and parked her 4runner. 

Gathering her purse, she stepped out of the car into the muggy 94 degree weather that warmly embraced Tennessee on this beautiful July afternoon. Thankful that she’d opted to wear a knee-length sundress, she adjusted her shades and proceeded to waddle her way up the wooden stairs to the front door. 

“Hello there young lady, let me get the door for ya,” an older gentleman sitting on the porch’s rocking chair offered as she climbed the stairs. Grateful, she smiled. 

“Thank you. How are you doing today?” she greeted as she stood in the open doorway. 

“Oh, I’m doing just dandy, little lady. Just trying to work up the energy to walk on home after that mean grub that I just worked up in there. Hope ya looking for some food today,” he replied with a great rub of his stuffed belly. Valentina couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. 

“Oh yes, grub is exactly what I’m looking for,” she replied with a great rub of her own belly. He laughed heartily before patting her shoulder and ushering her inside. Thankful for her denim jacket, Valentina shivered a bit as the cold AC air hit her legs. 

“Hello there, how ya doing hun?” a gentle Southern voice greeted her from behind the counter. Pushing her sunglasses up atop her head, Valentina turned and smiled. 

“Doing just fine, ma’am, how are you doing?” she replied walking over to the counter and offering her hand to shake. The lady looked to be about late fifties or so, but she had a youth in her eyes and smile that just put Valentina at ease. 

“Well, I’m doing just wonderful. Look at that pretty little grin on you, you sure do know how to light up a room. What can I do for you?” she offered returning to her task of wiping down the counter. 

“Well, I was passing through town and I was reminded of your fabulous fried pickles. And well, you can see that I’m just full of cravings,” Valentina chuckled as she rubbed her belly once more before gently tucking her hand under her bump. The lady behind the counter laughed with her and motioned her to follow her. Slipping from behind the counter, she wrapped an arm around Valentina’s shoulders. 

“Well, good gracious child, we’ve gotta get you and that little bundle of yours fed. Come on, let’s see what Fred can fix up for you. Fred! Get to grilling!” she yelled from mid-store as they worked their way through the grocery aisles to the dining tables in the back. 

Valentina chuckled and followed. She always loved coming in here; it felt just like the general store back home. She didn’t come often, but she’d visited plenty of times in her short lifetime. 

“By the way hun, the name’s Sandy. You sit your behind here, and we’ll get all taken care of. Want some lemonade or ice tea to drink while we wait for Fred’s sorry ass here to fix your plate,” the older lady said as she pulled out a seat for Valentina to take. 

“Oh, umm…some lemonade would be just fine, thank you,” Valentina replied, trying to mask her laughter behind a polite smile. Sandy winked at her, and left to fetch her drink of choice. 

“Personally, I would’ve gone with the ice tea, hun. But, who am I to tell a pregnant woman any different?” another gentle Southern-accented voice spoke from beside her. Turning in her seat, Valentina saw a blond, curly-haired woman sitting at the same table. 

“Should I switch my choice?” Valentina questioned. 

“Oh no, not at all. I simply prefer the ice tea in this weather. How are you holding up?” the woman replied. Sitting beside her, an older lady with feather white hair sat smiling at her. Both seemed anxiously awaiting her response. Both exuding Southern elegance, that she’d seen so many women in her life possess. She could only hope to one day have an ounce of the same elegance. 

“Oh, I’m making it, I guess. It’s no joke being this big in this heat,” Valentina chuckled placing her hand atop her bump and slightly parting her legs to make herself comfortable. “I’m Valentina, pleasure to meet you.” 

Shaking her offered hand, both women introduced themselves as Lynn and Sadie. At that moment, Sandy walked out with a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade and a plate of fried pickles. Condensation ran down the side of the glass and pooled onto the table. 

“I got Fred working on your plate, hun. It’ll be only a few minutes,” Sandy smiled and took a seat in front of her. 

“You here alone, child?” Sadie, the older of the three women, asked. 

“Yes ma’am, I was telling Ms. Sandy here that I was driving through town on my way home and decided that I needed to have some fried pickles,” Valentina chuckled as she stuffed another fried pickle into her mouth. 

“Where’s home? It’s not Shelby Forest, because I know everyone that lives here,” Sandy replied. Lynn and Sadie laughed, and something told Valentina that Sandy was not lying. 

“Oh no, I live in Franklin,” she explained taking a sip of the lemonade, letting out a satisfied sigh as the cold drink flowed down her throat. 

“You’re a bit far from home, aren’t ya child?” Sadie asked, concern clouding her gentle eyes. “You gotta be near popping and you’re traveling alone?”

“Well, yes ma’am, I’m a bit far, but I’ll be alright. I got another month before my due date. No traveling after this, I promise,” Valentina smiled in an attempt to ease the worry from the older woman’s face. 

“Momma, I’m sure Valentina, here, knows how to take care of herself,” Lynn soothed a hand down Sadie’s arm, and discreetly winked at Valentina. Sadie smiled warmly, and the concern eased off her face. Valentina smiled and focused on her fried pickles once again. Throughout her entire pregnancy, it’d been just her, Leoni, and Rick figuring things out as they went. So, the concern from an older woman, a mother at that, was welcomed. 

Sandy finally brought over a steaming plate of best looking baked macaroni and cheese, rosemary baked chicken breast, green beans, and a basket of warm biscuits. Valentina’s mouth watered at first sight; this may cause her great discomfort but she was willing to risk it. Next time she’d be able to head back here to Memphis would be after the baby, so she was going to enjoy this last meal. 

“Know what you’re having dear?” Lynn asked after some mindless chatter about everything and nothing. Lynn and Sadie were now nursing cups of coffee and slices of pecan pie. 

“Oh no, I wanted it to be a surprise. But, I have to be honest, I’ve been dreaming that it’s going to be a boy. But, I don’t want to get my hopes up,” Valentina put down her fork and smiled brightly. 

“But you’ve got your home all set up, I suppose?” she questioned. 

“Oh yes, I started getting it ready since I found out,” Valentina replied before beginning her ramblings on the nursery’s décor. Lynn and Sadie looked on with great interest and admiration. Valentina looked so young, yet she seemed in total control of her life. Everything about her was in control, yet she was such a carefree, friendly, and happy spirit. There was a genuine excitement and anticipation for her child’s birth. She constantly had a hand on her protruding belly, no doubt rubbing away the sting from a kick or just out of habit. 

Another hour or so possibly passed by with Lynn and Sadie sharing baby secrets with Valentina, with Sandy joining them occasionally whenever there were no customers in the store. Valentina was like a sponge, trying to absorb as much of the tips and advice as possible. After taking a much needed trip to the restroom, Valentina returned and stood by the table. 

“Leaving so soon, honey?” Sandy asked walking up to the sitting area and wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. 

“I’m not really looking forward to three more hours cramped up in a car, but no, I was taking a chance to walk around. I don’t think the baby’s liking all this sitting down,” Valentina chuckled while rubbing an aching spot on her underbelly. She knew that cramping was a side effect of pregnancy, but for goodness sake, this was getting ridiculous. 

“Well, here, let’s go walk around some outside to help ease the baby,” Lynn suggested. Getting up and following Sandy and Valentina, Lynn helped get Sadie outside and seated on one of the porch’s rocking chairs. 

“Don’t dogs on the brink of birthing walk around looking for a comfortable spot?” Valentina joked as she walked around the parking lot with Lynn by her side. Sandy had stayed up on the store’s porch with Sadie by her side. 

“Well, yes, but walking around helps. Are you sure you’re not closer to your due date? You know sometimes those things are off,” Lynn questioned as she saw a slight grimace decorate Valentina’s face. 

“My due date in August 23rd, and I calculated that it’s right too. One of those one-time deals, you know?” Valentina shyly confessed. Lynn smiled in comfort and linked arms with a waddling Valentina. 

“You know, to be nine months along, only your belly gives it away. You’re a small little thing,” Lynn commented taking note of Valentina’s otherwise slim frame. 

“Ms. Lynn, I’ve gained 42 pounds. I’m anything but small,” Valentina chuckled before hissing slightly. Lynn looked over alarmed at her hissing. “Got a rock in my sandal, sorry,” she explained. Both women chuckled. After about half an hour of walking around, Lynn got a call from her son asking if she was ready to be picked up. Valentina took that opportunity to announce her departure. 

“Oh honey, I really would appreciate it if you’d call us here at the store and let us know that you made it alright. Give me one second, let me get you our phone number,” Sandy offered as she walked back into the building. Lynn was helping Sadie get down the stairs to wait for her son to come and pick them up. Bidding both of the goodbye, Valentina walked over to her car to turn it on and put up her purse. Leaning into the car via the driver’s seat, Valentina felt a blindly pain pierce her abdomen. 

Unable to make a sound from the pain, her hand flew to her stomach. Finally, the pain subsided and Valentina was able to straighten out. Taking a deep breath, she looked down worried at her stomach. Another cramp shot from the left to right of her stomach. 

Please no, no, not here. 

Putting down her window slightly, she closed the car’s door and stood waiting for Sandy to come back. In a second round of pain, she felt a distinct warm feeling caress her legs. 

“Ms. Lynn!” her panicked voice betrayed her. Lynn turned from where she was helping Sadie climb into the front seat of a black SUV. 

Locking terrified hazel eyes with concerned blue eyes, Valentina bit her lip and looked down towards the ground before looking back up at Lynn. 

Time stopped as Valentina doubled over in pain and a guttural groan filled the Tennessee countryside air. 

“I think my water just broke,” she whispered.

It was a tortured whisper. But a whisper loud enough for Lynn to hear over the engine’s rumble and for Sandy to hear from her stance by the store’s entrance. 

“Oh my god, Justin, she’s having her baby!” Lynn exclaimed to her son, who sat behind the steering wheel. 

“She who? She’s what? What the hell?” her son, Justin replied in complete confusion. A sharp smack on his thigh from his grandmother, Sadie reminded him quickly of his language. Putting the truck in park, he climbed out of the vehicle and jogged around it. 

“Justin, help me sit her down,” Lynn ordered as she wrapped an arm around Valentina’s doubled-over frame. Justin rushed to help her by wrapping an arm around the girl’s waist and helping her sit. Looking down at her, all he could see was a head full of chocolate curling tresses, held back by a simple silver pin. 

“It’s too soon,” Valentina managed to say through the pain. Her voice shaking and cracking, in distress and fear, no doubt. 

“Should I call for an ambulance, Lynn?” Sandy called as she rushed down the steps towards them. Lynn held a hand up to her, asking for her to be patient. 

“Honey, calm down, let’s sit you down and we’ll time your contractions, ok,” Lynn soothed. 

“Ms. Lynn…” Valentina gripped Lynn’s arm in fear. She was speechless. She wasn’t due for almost five weeks. She wasn’t ready. 

“I know hun, but this baby is ready,” Lynn replied before glancing at her watch. She rubbed Valentina’s back and held her hand. 

“It’s too soon.” Lifting her face to look around, Justin caught a glimpse of this mystery girl. She looked so young, so vulnerable, and yet so strong. Piercing hazel eyes were clouded with tears and pink plump lips trembled. 

“Umm…momma?” a male voice broke both females out of there trance. Silent tears were running down Valentina’s face as she attempted to control her nerves. 

“Hmmm…” Lynn replied without taking her eyes off her watch. A couple of minutes passed, and at the 12 minute mark, Valentina was hit with another wave of pain. 

“Oh my god, she’s in labor!” Justin exclaimed as he watched Valentina’s face grimace in pain. 

“Yes, Justin, she’s in labor. Call Trace, tell her to come get Grandma. We’re taking her to the hospital,” Lynn ordered before turning her attention to Valentina. Justin stood up straight, looking around like a scared child. 

“She came to the store to eat, and your momma and grandma and I made friendly with her. She’s from Franklin dear, and she’s got no one around. Now, man up and do what your momma told you,” Sandy walked around and grabbed Justin’s arm. Pulling him back towards his car, she closed his slacked jawed and explained to Sadie what was happening. 

“Yo T, run on down here to the Gen Store and take Grandma home,” Justin spoke into his cell phone as he nervously paced in front of his car, occasionally looking over at his mom and this chick he knew nothing about. He flinched when he heard her agonizing groan, and turned away from the scene. 

“Run? As in walk?” his best friend, Trace replied from the other end of the phone. 

“Yes fool, I’ll try to explain everything when you get here. But, hurry,” Justin replied ending the call and cautiously making his way back to his mother. He stood there in silence, unsure of what to say. Sandy had brought out two towels and a bottle of water, and told him to go put them in Valentina’s car. Following orders, he walked the things over to the SUV. 

Walking back from the car to where the three ladies sat, his palms grew sweaty as this girl, Valentina, groaned as another contraction hit her body. 

“Oh wow, umm Momma, maybe I should call Paul so he can leave work and help you out with this,” he cautiously suggested as Lynn stood beside Valentina rubbing her lower back. “I mean really, I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I mean, she’s like about to like pop a kid out and you want my help. Yeah, umm, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. But, I’m sure, you know, that umm, Paul, well he would like be a pro.” 

“Oh yeah, because Paul has delivered so many kids himself. Justin, honey, do us all a favor, and just hush. Now, is Trace on the way?” Lynn asked once the latest contraction had subsided. 

“I’m here, I’m here. What’s up?” Valentina looked up as a short, bearded young man jogged up to them out of breath. “Whoa baby! You’re having a kid!” 

“Thank you Captain Obvious!” Justin retorted and smacked down Trace’s pointed finger, aimed at Valentina. 

“Trace, Justin and I are gonna take Valentina here to the hospital. You take my mama home, and just listen out for the phone in case we need anything. We’re going to Baptist Memorial, alright?” Lynn explained before motioning for Justin to help her stand Valentina up. Trace nodded in understanding and rushed to open the backseat door for them. Once Valentina sat in the backseat, Lynn turned to Justin and Trace. 

“She’s got no one, ok? So, Justin, man up. Because we’re gonna be delivering this baby today,” she spoke sternly before walking around to the other side of the car and climbing in. Trace turned to Justin. 

“Who the hell is Valentina? And why the hell are you two taking her to the hospital?” he hissed before Justin could climb into the SUV. 

“I’m just as fucking lost as you are man. I don’t know shit about having kids,” Justin mumbled, running a hand through his short hair in an act of desperation. Trace laughed heartily before clapping a hand on his shoulder. 

“Good luck brother!” he exclaimed before jogging away to Justin’s car, gearing it up to drive on home. 

“So Baptist Memorial, is it?” he asked as he settled behind the wheel and buckled himself in. 

“Yes,” Lynn replied. 

“I apologize for this, and I’m sorry we haven’t met. I’m Valentina Arayo,” her pain-stricken voice called from the back seat and a delicate, manicured hand appeared beside him over the console. Turning in his seat, Justin offered his hand in returned and smiled gently. 

“I’m Justin Timberlake. And sweetie, you’re in labor and you’re apologizing? That’s class right there. Now, don’t worry, we’re gonna get this baby delivered,” he joked smiling warmly and winking at her. Turning back to face the road, the smile slid off his face and the nerves kicked in. 

## Thirty Minutes Later ## 

Justin rolled the car to a stop at the emergency doors of Baptist Memorial. Lynn hopped out of the car and jogged into the building to inform them of the situation. 

“Shouldn’t I be getting off too?” Valentina questioned from the backseat. 

“Well yes, but I think Momma is going to try to get you in a room automatically. Momma and I can’t really just sit in the waiting room without being recognized,” Justin explained turning to look at her. She was leaned back with her eyes closed taking deep breaths and rubbing circles on her belly, in an effort to calm the dull pains. 

Valentina opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion before the true meaning of his words sunk in. “Oh, wow, yeah, I’m such a dork.” 

Chuckling slightly, Justin patted her knee in comfort as his mother returned. 

“Alright sweetie, a nurse is going to come out here and get us so let’s get you out the car,” Lynn soothed. Justin jumped out to help Valentina climb out the car. A nurse walked out the double doors at that moment with a wheelchair in tow, and they eased Valentina down on the chair. 

“I’ll go park the car, honey. I don’t want you walking back through there alone so go in with her,” Lynn spoke jumping into the driver’s seat and quickly maneuvering the vehicle away. Justin had no time to object before she was gone. The nurse began to push Valentina away, and she called out to him. 

“Please don’t leave me,” she begged. Swallowing his fears away, he attempted to grin soothingly. He doubted he’d succeeded, but he’d tried. 

“Not going anywhere,” Justin spoke up and grabbed onto Valentina’s outstretched hand. Walking beside her with his head down, they made their way into a private patient room. Quickly, the nurses had Valentina undressed and into a hospital gown, hooked up to machines that would monitor both Valentina’s health and the baby’s health. 

After about twenty minutes of chaos, Justin and Lynn sat on either side of Valentina’s hospital bed. Justin had a clipboard of paperwork that needed to be filled out and Lynn sat with Valentina’s cell phone trying to contact someone, anyone. 

“Ok, I’m gonna try to fill out as much as I can, ok?” Justin said. 

“Thank you. My license, insurance card, and health information is in my purse,” Valentina offered as she lay on her side. One hand gripping the bedrail and the other gripping her belly. Justin nodded and handed her the purse, from where she pulled out the cards and handed them back to Justin. 

They all sat in silence, a heavy silence. Valentina was only at 34 weeks, and her child would be born premature. The hospital doctors were trying to get in contact with her doctor back in Nashville to figure out what to do. But, since her water had broken already, there was no doubt that she would be delivering a child in the next 24 hours. 

The nurse came into the room and announced that they were going to run some diagnostics on Valentina and her baby. They needed to make sure that everything was normal so they could proceed with a natural vaginal birth. If not, an emergency C-section might be needed. 

“You know momma, some of this stuff I don’t know,” Justin announced as they sat in the room after Valentina had been wheeled out. Lynn looked over at Justin filling out the paperwork, and smile gently. 

“We’ll ask her once she comes back,” she replied. 

“Like allergies? Umm, current medications? Or better yet, baby’s father?” Justin called out some blanks that he had on the paperwork. 

“Oh boy, I have a feeling baby’s father is going to be left blank, dear,” Lynn lamented. Justin looked up questioningly, and Lynn explained some of the things that Valentina had said earlier that let her know that the baby’s father wasn’t in the picture. 

“Momma, she’s only 20,” Justin stated. 

“She’d make you think she’s 40 with the way she carries herself, though,” Lynn replied. “She’s a smart girl, and she’s a strong cookie too.” 

Justin looked towards the door through which Valentina had been wheeled away, and thought. He was really helping a complete stranger deliver her baby. Ha, wait ‘til Jess hears this, he thought. His girlfriend, Jessica was filming in London so he’d have to wait to fill her in with all of this. Almost an hour later, Valentina was wheeled back into the room and her monitors were re-hooked up. 

“Everything good, dear?” Lynn asked once she was settled in. 

“Yes, ma’am, I guess all the cramping I’d felt all day were actually early contractions. The doctor said the baby looks and sounds strong, so we’re gonna do this,” Valentina explained. She bit her lip in worry and smile a little when Lynn’s warm hand covered her own. 

“You’ll both be great, so no worry. Let’s just focus on having this baby, ok? Justin and I aren’t going anywhere,” Lynn reassured her, and Valentina nodded her head before thanking them both. All three fell into a comfortable silence. 

“I tried filling out as much as I could, and the nurse said she’d ask you the rest of the questions herself,” Justin spoke up from his seat. 

“Thank you. Yeah, she asked me them earlier,” Valentina smiled gently. Justin tipped his head in response. 

“So, what brought you to Memphis?” he tried to start a conversation with her. 

“I was driving back from Shreveport, decided to stop for some food at the Gen Store before heading home,” she explained. There was still about 10 minutes between contractions, so she was peacefully resting right now. 

“Definitely commend you on knowing good food,” Justin joked with her, raising his eyes slightly to look at her. 

“Oh yeah, no denying that,” she joked in return. Lynn stood at that moment and announced that she was stepping out to try and get better signal. She was still trying to get in contact with Valentina’s neighbor, Rollins. He was an elderly man that had taken quite a liking to Valentina and Leoni. He’d offer to keep an eye for Valentina as the end of her pregnancy neared. 

“So, Shreveport, huh? What’s there?”

“What was there, you mean. My best friend Leoni was there, but she’s en route to the DR of Congo,” Valentina explained. 

“Whoa! The Congo? Is she in the military?” Justin asked as he thought of the Air Force base located there. 

“No, heaven’s no, she can’t even shoot a water gun and hit her target,” Valentina chuckled thinking of her friend. “She’s a doctor with the UNHCR, so she’s on a mission trip.” 

“Wow, that’s…that’s amazing,” Justin was left briefly speechless. 

“Yeah, she’s my little hero,” Valentina’s smile was tender before it dropped to a grimace. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed her eyes tightly as another contraction came. A squeezing and twisting feeling overpowered her abdomen. Justin stood and gripped her hand, walking her through the breathing exercise that the nurse had explained to them earlier. 

“Ah! This may be my last child ever,” Valentina groaned as the pain ceased and she was able to talk once again. 

“Amen!” Justin groaned as he fell back into the chair. Already, he felt drained and his nerves were frayed. This girl and this child were complete strangers and yet he felt completely attached to them. 

Valentina chuckled before releasing a full belly laugh. Justin looked at her for some kind of explanation; Lynn walked in at the same time and looked confused as well. 

“I cannot believe this. Only this would happen to me, I swear. I get myself into these situations all the time. I have you two, complete strangers, yet you’re not strangers. You’re Justin Timberlake and you, ma’am, are his momma. And you two are with me as I give birth, oh wow,” Valentina managed to explain as she continued to chuckle. 

“Well, hun, I’m just glad to see you smile and laugh through this all,” Lynn explained taking a seat beside her. 

## Two hours later ##

“Valentina, sweetie, is there anyone else I should try to contact for you? Family, friends, coworkers?” Lynn asked as she and Justin alternated the task of feeding her ice chips and holding her hand through contractions. They were now coming a lot more often now, about 5 minutes apart, and she was dilating quickly. She’d just come back from taking her fourth walk around the hospital in an effort to try to hurry the process along. 

“No ma’am, Leoni is out of range probably. We planned that she’d call me once a week, and Rollins, well, he might be visiting his brother in Knoxville. He’ll call back though,” Valentina explained through her next contraction. 

For the past two hours, whenever Valentina wasn’t trying to nap, she was building a good friendship with both Lynn and Justin. It was almost as if they’d known each other for years. She could’ve been a cousin or a family friend based on the warmth and care that they’d demonstrated to her. 

“No family?” Lynn prodded one more time, and Justin glared at her in an effort to stop her questioning. 

“No ma’am, last I heard from my momma was two years ago, but thank you,” Valentina replied. There was an ounce of self-sympathy in her voice. It was like she’d accept that it was just her, her friend, and her neighbor. It was all she had, and it was all she needed. 

“You doing ok, Valentina?” Justin stooped down on the side of the bed that she was facing and smoothed away some stubborn tendrils of hair that had escaped the French braid Lynn had done for her. 

“Call me Val, and no, Justin, I’m not ok. I have a small creature breaking me in half,” Valentina’s quick jump from friendly to bitchy amused Justin greatly. 

“Well, Val, call me J, alright,” he replied trying to mask his amused grin. Valentina glared at him one last time before groaning as another contraction came. At that moment, the cell phone that Lynn held in her hand began to ring. Quickly rushing out to get better signal, Lynn exited the room and left Justin alone with a groaning Valentina. 

Two nurses walked in along with the doctor, Dr. Jackie Nettles. 

“Valentina, I think it’s time we roll you on down to the delivery room. The show’s about to begin,” Dr. Nettles announced as the nurses worked to move Valentina from one room to another. 

“Thank god!” Valentina groaned in relief and let her head fall back against the hospital pillow. 

“I’ll get my momma for you, Val, and I’ll be waiting here for you,” Justin spoke up, his voice shaky and cracking.

She saw Justin step off to the side and allow them to begin to wheel her out. Not seeing him move, she reached out a hand and grabbed his tee shirt. 

“Oh no, Timberlake, you’re not leaving me alone!” she demanded as she pulled him along. If she hadn’t been in so much pain, she might’ve laughed at the look of pure horror that washed over Justin’s face as she pulled him with him. He tried to fight his way away, but the team of nurses and doctors that followed behind Valentina prevented his escape.

Like it or not, he was about to deliver a baby.

“J invites me out here, makes me fly out last minute, and then he’s not here to pick me up. He better be glad I’m such a good friend,” JC Chasez grumbled as he stood from his place on a chair, where he’d been waiting to get picked up for almost half an hour. 

“Sorry man, I didn’t know you were coming out. I’m sure J was gonna come get you, but him and Lynn are at the hospital,” Trace explained as he led JC out of the Memphis airport and out into the cool summer night. 

“Are they ok? Why are J and Lynn at the hospital?” JC asked, a bit frantic, as he settled into his seat on the passenger side of Trace’s car. He’d just landed at the Memphis airport, and Trace had been sent to pick him up. 

“They’re both good. All I know if that J called me earlier down to the Gen Store to pick up Granny Sadie because some chick was having her baby. Lynn and J took her to the hospital, but I’m not too sure who she is or anything like that,” Trace replied starting up the car and pulling out of the parking deck at the airport. 

“What? Is it his baby?” JC questioned wide-eyed. 

“I sure as hell hope not, but I doubt it. J was like he didn’t know who she was either,” Trace replied. 

“Ha, that’s hilarious! So, J’s delivering a baby. That’s some shit right there,” JC commented laughing loudly. 

“Better him than us,” Trace replied. At that moment, his phone rang. 

“Hey Lynn…yeah, I just picked up Jace at the airport…umm, I have one back at the house…think it’d take me an hour to go and come back…wait, let me ask him,” he spoke into the device before turning his attention to JC. 

“Do you have a camera on you?” Trace asked. JC raised a questioning eyebrow before replying. 

“Yeah, it’s in my bag.” 

“Great, Lynn needs it,” Trace said before hanging up with Lynn. “We gotta stop by the hospital and drop off your camera for Lynn. Says she needs to capture the birth.” 

“What the hell? With my camera? Oh come on, Trace…” JC groaned as Trace laughed loudly. Heading in the hospital’s direction, they settled into a tense silence. 

##At the hospital## 

“Patient is nine centimeters dilated and fully effaced,” the nurse announced as Dr. Nettles and her team prepped everything around a groaning Valentina. Justin stood a bit stone-faced beside her, eyes darting every so often towards the door. Silently, he prayed his mother would walk through it at any moment. 

“My lord, how much longer?” Valentina groaned as she dropped her head back onto the bed in exhaustion. The pushing stage hadn’t begun, but it was going on midnight now. The desperation in her voice broke Justin from his reverie. 

“You’re almost there, Val,” Justin soothed, stepping to her bedside and wiping sweat from her brow. At that moment, Lynn burst through the doors. Out of breath but with a bright smile on her face. 

“I’m here, I’m here. Sorry, I made Trace bring me a camera!” Lynn exclaimed as she held a digital camera up for them to see. Justin visibly breathed a sigh of relief seeing his mother there. 

“A camera?!?! I look like death!” Valentina complained before groaning, another painful contraction overpowering her speech. 

“You’ll thank me later, hun,” Lynn soothed once the contraction was over. 

“Valentina, I think it’s time to get to pushing. Dad…” Dr. Nettles began to say addressing the party of three. 

“Nope, not the dad, nuh huh, not at all. I’m just a friend,” Justin quickly interrupted and corrected her. Valentina laughed loudly at his quick reply. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Well, friend, when I tell her to breathe, I need you to wrap an arm around her and help her sit up. Understood?” Dr. Nettles instructed Justin, who swallowed thickly and nodded. Positioning himself at her side, Justin wrapped an arm around her back and waited. 

“I’m gonna be right here, sweetie. I’m going to try and get as many pictures as possible,” Lynn explained, placing a soothing hand on Valentina’ shoulder. Valentina turned fearful eyes towards her, and Lynn smiled comfortingly. “You’re going to do great.” 

“Ok, let’s meet this baby. Valentina, on the count of three, I want you to push and hold for ten. Ready? 1…2…3…push!” the doctor ordered, Valentina pushed down. Justin’s eyes widened as he supported Valentina’s form, watching Valentina’s face grimace. 

“Oh god…” Valentina groaned as she heard Justin, Lynn, and Dr. Nettles count to ten. Releasing and relaxing, her head flopped back in exhaustion. 

“A couple of pushes, and this baby is here, come on…push!” the doctor ordered. 

Gritting her teeth and tucking her chin to her chest, Valentina pushed down with all her might. Releasing on ten, she groaned. She’d opted to skip the epidural, and now, she was paying for it. 

“The baby is crowning, sweetie. So, one or two pushes more and we’re home free.” 

“You hear that Val, the baby is crowning,” Justin encouraged with a small smile. 

“Do you know what crowning means?” Val snapped, quickly apologizing for her attitude. Justin was silent giving her the answer she was looking for. 

“Means you can see the head, son,” Lynn replied with a slight smirk from her position behind the doctor. Justin blushed slightly before nodding. 

"May I look?" he asked Lynn and the doctor, curiosity getting the best of him. They both shrugged in response. No harm is looking. Unwrapping his arm from Valentina, he moved to step around. Valentina quickly latched onto his arm. 

"Oh my god, DON'T LOOK!" she exclaimed. Her eyes wide in disbelief. 

"Why not?" he asked turning back to look at her and halting his motions at taking a peek. He didn’t see any harm in looking either, and they were holding up the last push. 

"Why? Because, oh my god, you're Justin Timberlake!" she exclaimed as another contraction hit her and she pushed down as the doctor ordered her. Quickly rushing to her side, Justin helped her sit up and counted for her. 

##Minutes later### 

“One final push, Valentina, and your baby will be here. Come on, you can do it. Push! Hold it, push, push, push!” 

“I am pushing! Ah!” Valentina yelled as she tucked her chin to her chest, Justin softly coaxing her all the while supporting her back. A small wail filled the air as a wave of relief washed over Valentina, collapsing against Justin’s side. 

“Congratulations, Valentina! You have a healthy baby boy!” Dr. Nettles announced as the baby was pulled out and placed on Valentina’s chest. 

“Friend, would you like to cut the cord?” Justin was offered. Quickly looking for permission from Valentina, he received a nod and he scrambled to get the scissors. Delicately, he snipped the cord and the baby was wrapped up in a sheet.  

"My baby," Valentina sobbed as the doctor and nurses continued to wipe him down.  

“We’ve got to take him to get him checked out, hun,” the nurse announced, allowing Valentina to give her baby a kiss before walking away. Valentina was overcome with emotions and tears as she watched her baby go away.

"You did it, honey," Lynn said softly, coming to her side and kissing her forehead. 

“Yeah, I did,” she sobbed in response. Justin grasped her hand in comfort and kissed her temple lightly. 

“I can’t believe I just watched you have a baby,” he said incredulously, causing Lynn and Valentina to chuckle. 

“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe I just had a baby,” Valentina replied. 

“You both did great,” Lynn stated. 

“Mama, you left me alone!” Justin exclaimed. Lynn laughed loudly once more before stepping aside and letting the doctor and nurses finish up with Valentina. 

##An hour later##

Valentina had finally been settled into a private room, and was awaiting the doctors to come and update her on her baby. 

“Have you thought of a name yet sweetie?” Lynn asked as she took a seat beside Valentina’s bed. 

“I think so, Evan Scott,” Valentina smiled as her eyes fluttered in exhaustion. Lynn smiled at the name, liking it so much. 

“Any special meaning?” Justin asked, standing by the room’s door. 

“Well, when I got pregnant, so many people said this was such a mistake on my part. But, I’ve come to know that this was God’s grace in the form of a child. He’s gonna be my rock, my little warrior. So, Leoni helped me find a name,” Valentina replied. 

“Knock, knock” came from the door. Justin moved to aside to allow whoever to enter the room. An older, middle-aged man in a white coat walked in with a tired smile on his face. 

“Valentina, pleasure to meet you, my name is Dr. Rogers and I’m the neonatologist on duty right now. I’ve had time to take a look at your son, and I am pleased to inform you that he is in perfect health. Normally, preemies stay at the hospital until about their due date, but it’s never set in stone. I see that you were 35 weeks along, so he had much more time inside to develop on his own. Your son is not having any trouble breathing on his own, but his suckling seems to falter a little bit. We’re going to treat him with antibiotics to ward off any possible infections, but he’s a healthy strong baby. We’re going to recommend that he stays here for a couple of days just for precaution, but please believe that he is perfectly healthy,” the doctor introduced himself, shook hands with all, and delivered wonderful news. 

“Oh thank you so much doctor,” Valentina sobbed, failing to hold it back like she wanted to. It was wonderful news to hear that her son was healthy, despite being born prematurely. 

“No need to cry, sweetheart. He’s fine,” Lynn soothed getting up and wrapping an arm around Valentina’s sobbing form. Justin turned to the doctor, giving his mom some time to calm Valentina down. 

“The baby will stay in an incubator for one or two days, but the nurses will bring him by in the morning to stay with her for a little bit. After that, if all is well, the baby will be put in the regular nursery with the other newborns until he’s ready to go home,” the doctor explained to Justin before heading out and bidding them all a goodnight. 

After a bit more crying, Valentina announced she was exhausted. 

“You go ahead and sleep, sweetie. We’re just waiting on Trace coming back to pick us up dear,” Lynn said from her seat on Valentina’s bed. 

“You guys have my car here, take it. Go home and rest,” Valentina offered through half-shut eyes. “It’s the least I can do.” 

“Goodnight, Val,” Justin followed Lynn’s suit, gently kissing Valentina’s temple and stepping out of the room. 

“Mama, you might wanna spoil this kid,” he commented wrapping an arm around Lynn’s shoulder and walking out of the hospital. 

“Why is that?” Lynn turned up, looking at him in the minimal nighttime light. 

“Because I am never going through that again,” Justin chuckled, causing Lynn to swat his stomach. Reaching Valentina’s car, they both climbed in and settled in for the thirty minute drive back to Millington. 

“Never say never, Justin,” Lynn taunted as they pulled out of the parking lot. Turning her eyes to the hospital as they drove away, Lynn sighed. 

“I hope she’ll be ok,” she whispered. Justin turned inquisitive eyes towards her, but didn’t say anything. 

“We’ll come back in the morning, ma,” he reassured her, patting her knee, and holding onto her hand. 

“Yeah, I know.”

"So you're the one that's been kicking me," Valentina whispered, running a lone finger down the side of baby Evan’s face as he lay peacefully in his incubator. The nurse had told her she was more than welcome to visit the baby in the nursery at any time. 

In her gut, Valentina knew Evan had recognized her voice when his eyes had shifted and settled on her face. A smile instantly graced her lips. She felt a joy that she couldn’t explained. Patiently, and sometimes not so patiently, she’d been waiting for his arrival. It’d taken her a bit to accept her pregnancy and for her excitement to build, but she’d embraced it. 

Oh man, when she’d found out she was expecting, she’d been scared. So scared to tell her friends, her family, and her boyfriend – baby’s father. Now that she thought about it, she had been more scared of letting people know than of actually being pregnant. But, now, well now she was a mother. And, she had a son. 

She blinked away the mist from her eyes as she focused on her son’s face. She wanted to memorize his features, recognizing some as her very own. Evan had a full head of curling light brown hair, and from what she could tell, his roots were a blonde color. His skin, still pink and flushed from the birth, she was unsure of the color, but she could almost bet that he’d be a combination of her ivory skin and his father’s naturally tanned complexion. 

From the small glimpses at his eyes, they stood bright and hazel. Pink lips set in a permanent pout would occasionally twitch as if he wanted to smile. She longed to able to actually trace his every feature, skin to skin. The doctor had been by again this morning and informed her that Evan was looking strong and healthy. With God’s grace, he’d be out of the incubator in possibly less than two days. 

“Ms. Arayo…” a nursery nurse interrupted her thoughts. Turning away from Evan, Valentina looked towards the nursery’s entrance. 

“Call me Val,” Valentina smiled. 

“Alright then, Val, you have some visitors in your room,” the nurse informed her before walking towards the other incubators. 

“Oh ok, thank you,” Valentina replied. Allowing herself one last look at Evan, she gathered her strength, stood, and began her trek back to her hospital room. She was sure that it would be Lynn visiting her, but she hadn’t expected her to come by so early. Finally pushing her way into the room, she was greeted by not only Lynn but also by Ms. Sadie and Ms. Sandy.

"Good morning sunshine! How are you feeling?" Sandy exclaimed as Valentina stepped into the room, still dressed in her hospital gown. Stepping to her, Sandy gave her a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and ran a motherly hand over her messy hair. 

“I’m doing alright, I presume. I’m a bit sore, but that’s normal, right?” Valentina replied, hugging Lynn and Sadie. 

“Oh child, you’ll be sore for a good number of days,” Sadie commented, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. 

“How’s baby Evan?” Lynn asked as Valentina took a seat on the bed. 

“He’s doing well. I was just over there with him. The doctor said he looks strong and healthy, and hopefully he’ll be out the incubator by tomorrow night or the next morning,” Valentina replied, a large smile illustrating her joy. 

“Well, look at you! Been a momma for a couple of hours and you’ve got more joy in your pinky toe than I’ve seen some ladies have after years of mothering!” Sadie commented, reaching out and patting the mattress. 

“Valentina, honey, I didn’t want to dig through your bag, so I got some clothes from my niece, Rachel. They should fit you good. I think a nice shower would help rejuvenate you,” Lynn said, pulling out a small tote bag off the ground, where it’d lay by her feet. 

“Oh bless you, Ms. Lynn! I wanted to call you and ask you if you could bring it to me at some point, but lordy, I didn’t have your number!” Valentina exclaimed, her eyes joyful at the prospect of finally bathing. 

#### 

Knock, Knock 

“Come in,” a soft voice called from behind the door. 

“Evenin’ sunshine…” Justin pleasantly greeted as he walked into the hospital room. Pulling herself up into a sitting position, Val smiled. It was the day after, and she hadn’t seen him since he’d coached her through labor. Lynn, yesterday, had said that he’d be wrapped up with some work all day. 

“Hey Superstar, how are you?” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he bent over to offer a hug. Pulling away, she placed a kiss on his cheek. 

“Well, now I’m all blushing and stuff,” he kidded, as a slight pink tint rose to his cheeks. Chuckling, she swatted at his arm and made room for him to take a seat at the bed’s edge. 

“No, I’m joking. I’m doing good all things considered. I still got my eyesight, so that means you didn’t blind me. I still have feeling in my hands, so you didn’t break them,” he joked, wiggling his fingers to demonstrate his point. 

“Oh hush, you’re too much! I wasn’t that bad,” Val retorted, but gave up seeing the look that Justin gave her. “Ok, maybe I was worse. I’m sorry about that. But, thank you for everything, really.” 

“Hey, if ever I decide to have a child and my girlfriend, wife, one-night-stand, whichever is away from home and goes into labor, I hope someone helps her out if I can’t be there,” he replied, making her laugh even more. 

“More than likely, it’ll be a one-night-stand,” she declared with a definite nod. He laughed loudly before patting her leg in comfort. 

“Mama would skin me alive, so that’s a no. Let’s not talk about scary things. How’s baby Evan?” Justin asked, causing Val to laugh some more. 

“We go from scary things to scarier things,” she retorted. A simple ‘oh-whatever’ look was Justin’s reply. 

“Oh alright, he’s great. They took him out of the incubator this morning, and they’re supposed to let me know soon if we can both go home tonight,” Val beamed, a sigh of comfort escaping her lips as she leaned back onto the pillow. 

“Well that’s great. I passed by the nursery and I didn’t see any babies in incubators so I assumed but I wasn’t sure. And how are you doing? Mama told me they wanted to keep you until today,” he asked, concern taking over his features. 

“Yeah, I was supposed to be released this morning but my blood levels were still a bit too low for them. I tore a bit and I bled a good bit, but overall, I’m good. Tired, sore, the norm,” she explained. 

“And here I thought all the blood was normal,” Justin sighed with a shrug. Val wrinkled her nose at his comment before chuckling slightly. “What’s that face for?” 

“Its weird for you, Justin Timberlake – pop star extraordinaire – to say things like that about me. I mean, you coached me through birth. And then, you sick-o, you wanted to look!” Val swatted at his thigh that rested comfortably next to her stretched legs. 

“Oh, it’s not that serious! I didn’t see much!” Justin guffawed. His shoulders shook as he laughed, and Valentina joined him, covering her face in embarrassment. After a while of laughing, they settled into a comfortable silence. 

“Just ask me already…” Val declared, pulling her legs up to her chest and looking at Justin. He raised his eyes to meet hers, and he swallowed nervously. 

“Where is he?” Justin didn’t need to identify the ‘he’ in the question. Somehow, they were communicating with minimal words. 

“California, he’s gonna be a big star,” she replied, with a sad shrug. At that moment, a nurse knocked and peeked around the door. 

“Hey hun, Dr. Rogers just did his rounds and he cleared little Evan. We’re going to get things together for the both of you. You should be ready to go home in a little while. Do you need to call someone to come get you?” the nurse smiled from the doorway. 

“No, ma’am. I’m here to take her home,” Justin spoke up from his place. 

“Thank you, Nancy,” Val smiled. 

“You have any questions?” 

“Yeah, do I get a car seat from here or do I need to have my own?” Val asked, remembering quickly that she had all her baby stuff in Franklin. 

“I have one in my car. Mama bought it for you earlier today,” Justin spoke up before the nurse could answer the question. 

“Well, there you go then. Anything else?” she asked again, and this time Val declined. Making her way back out of the room, the nurse closed the door behind her. 

“Your mama didn’t have to do that,” Val said softly. 

“No, she didn’t. But, my mama never goes by the rules,” Justin joked. 

“So, are you gonna continue?” Val pressed, knowing what was on his mind. It was on everybody’s mind. 

“Does he know?” 

“Oh yeah, he was the first person I told. I was scared shitless. I was so scared that people would disown me, and he just validated my fear. He’s a bit older than me, almost 8 years. And, he told me that I needed to get rid of it because I wasn’t fit to be a mom. It was never about him. Like this was all on my shoulders. After that, he told me that he’d gotten an audition in LA and he was leaving that night. So, really, I never mattered,” Val replied, blinking away a few stray tears. 

“Well, this will all be his lost,” he replied, patting her hand gently. 

“It’s been his lost the entire time, and I’m ok with that. Because all my baby needs is me,” Val smiled. 

“What about family?” Justin asked, timidly treading on unknown waters. 

“Well, I never knew my daddy. It was always just me and momma. She remarried when I left for school, and I have a little brother and a little sister. When she found out that I was pregnant, she yelled at me until she went blue in the face. And that’s the last that I’ve heard of her. Leoni is like my sister and that’s all I’ve had for a while,” she explained. 

“Now, you know, that you have us folks over here now. And let me tell you, Millington has already adopted you. You’ve got a whole family here with us,” Justin reassured her, smiling and pulling her into a hug. 

“Thank you. I don’t know what else I can say besides that,” she laughed, wiping away tears that streamed down her face now. 

“Well, don’t thank me now. Let’s get you out of here and safely to mama’s home without the media catching wind. If not, you’ll be my ‘secret’ baby momma,” he kidded, then quickly regretted it. “Oh gosh, that’s not even something to joke about.” 

Val just laughed more, and he joined in. Justin called his mom to let him know that both Val and Evan would be discharged soon, and Lynn insisted on being there to make sure they buckled the baby right. 

“I think she’s just too excited to have a baby in her life,” Justin joked watching as Lynn showed Val how to swaddle the baby – again. Val laughed, but she truly was thankful for Lynn’s presence. 

“Lynn, I really do appreciate this all,” Val gave in as Lynn demanded that she stay at her house for at least a week until she deemed her fit to return to Franklin. 

“Child, hush up,” Lynn chided. Choosing to follow the elder’s demands, Valentina laughed lightly and silenced.  

“Everyone is just so eager to have you home. They all want to meet the baby,” Lynn announced, watching Valentina sign discharge papers at the nurses’ desk. 

“Everyone?” Valentina asked, her eyes snapping back to Lynn from where she’d been signing paperwork. 

“Yeah, Paul, Trace, Fred, Rachel, Josh…” Lynn began to name, using her fingers to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anyone. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. 

“Lynn, I don’t know these people,” her fearful voice interrupted Lynn’s ramblings. Justin had gone down to the parking lot to pull his car up to the exit. Sometimes Lynn’s ramblings frightened and overwhelmed her, and Justin was usually a good buffer. But, not right now. 

“Oh that’s not an issue honey, but they all want to meet the Gen Store mama,” Ms. Sandy, who’d accompanied Lynn, exclaimed, wrapping her arm around Valentina in comfort and continuing to name people along with Lynn. Sighing, Valentina knew she had no choice but to go along with it.  

Gen Store mama, she somberly thought. Suddenly, she was beginning to feel like the Walmart Mother, like Natalie Portman’s character in Where the Heart Is. Riding the elevator in silence, Valentina cradled Evan closer to her chest. She followed the two women towards the same black SUV that she’d remembered seeing at the General Store the previous day. 

“Do I get a sash with that?” Val bitterly joked as they walked out into the warm evening, to where Justin stood next to the opened backseat door. 

“With what?” he asked, taking the complimentary baby bag that the hospital had given Val from Lynn. 

“Guess I’m the General Store Mom,” Val sadly shrugged, and Justin couldn’t help his laughter. 

“Like the Walmart Baby?” he questioned. 

“Exactly like the Walmart Baby,” she deadpanned. Justin continued to laugh as he watched Val strap the baby into the car seat and settle next to him. Rounding the car, he climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away.

Maneuvering the vehicle through the streets, he couldn’t help from looking at the backseat through the rearview mirror at every traffic light. He silently watched as Val kept an attentive watch of the baby. Lynn and Ms. Sandy were rambling about one thing or another, and he was used to it. He usually blocked them out anyway. But, Val seemed lost in her own world. She was completely mesmerized by her son. Running a finger all along his face, dropping kisses on his tiny fists, and double checking his little blanket. 

Usually, babies made him nervous. He liked to hold them and tend to them, but they made him extremely nervous. But, right now, all he wanted was to ask him mom to take over the wheel so he could sit in the backseat with Evan. Maybe it was a direct result of being there for the birth, but he’d never felt anything like this before. 

“You know, this is all a bit unnerving,” he swallowed thickly, receiving some confused glances. 

“What is?” Lynn asked. 

“Driving home with a newborn in the backseat,” Just replied before hissing in pain. Lynn had reached over and smacked him on the head. 

“Oh, get over yourself,” Lynn sighed, and Val chuckled from the backseat. 

“Nevermind him, hun, we’re here now,” Ms. Sandy announced, patting Val on the leg as the vehicle came to a halt. Looking out the window, Val saw the expansive house in front of her and many cars in the driveway. Shrugging, she opened her door and reached back in to pull Evan from his car seat. 

“I’ll get his bag and your bag, so don’t worry,” Justin announced, coming up behind her. He watched her ease the infant from his seat and cradle him close to her chest. The last bit of the daylight gave the pending night a nice orange glow, allowing him to see, for the first time, the baby’s eyes. 

“What color are his eyes?” he asked, not being able to place a specific color on them. 

“They look a bit hazel right now, but I guess they might change,” she shrugged, and turned from the car door. Justin hung the baby bag and the tote with her clothes on his shoulder before leading the way to the front door. 

“Is this your house?” Val asked, walking down the pebble driveway, keeping a close eye on her step. 

“It’s my mom and dad’s house. But, I’m staying here for now. I’ve got renovations going on at my place,” he explained, his hand guiding her up the few steps to entrance. Following Lynn and Ms. Sandy through the entrance, Val felt a warmth enveloped her. She stood there in the foyer, looking around at the simple yet elegant décor. 

“Come here a second, sweetheart,” Lynn beckoned her from a little ways down. Val’s head turned towards her before her legs carried her to Lynn. 

“Surprise!” 

Val’s body was frozen in shock. Standing before her, maybe about fifteen or twenty people stood with party hats. A large ‘Congratulations’ banner hung over the centered fireplace, and baby blue, purple, and silver balloons hung everywhere. Quickly realizing that this was a baby shower for her, she gasped and covered her mouth. Tears quickly formed in her eyes and she turned away, right into Justin’s chest. He’d come up behind her and he laughed at her reaction. 

“Hey now, don’t cry!” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and his other hand pulling her face from his shirt. Her mouth opened and close, trying to respond but she simply couldn’t. 

“I think she’d trying to say ‘Thank you’,” he kidded, and everyone laughed lightly. 

“Yes, thank you, wow,” she was able to choke out, with tears streaming down her face. Trying desperately to dry her tears, she gave up. Tightening her hold on her baby, she forced her legs to move away from the doorway and towards the guests.

“I don’t know anyone, so please tell me your name so I can properly thank you,” she laughed, flabbergasted that this group of strangers had simply welcomed her. One-by-one, she made her way down the line introducing herself to everyone, tears still on her face, shaking hands, hugging folks, and thanking them. 

“JC, congratulations on the baby,” soul-deep and bright blue eyes greeted her, and shook her hand. 

“I know who you are, and this means so much to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Val smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck as his arms wrapped cautiously around her waist. 

“We have food in the kitchen, so let’s move there,” Lynn’s voice rose over the chatter, and directed the group. Val stepped away from the embrace and smile, timidly. There was a flutter in her stomach, and it was making her uncomfortable. Turning around, she looked around for Justin. 

“Don’t look so scared, it’s all family,” a voice startled her from behind and caused her to whip around. 

“Trace, right?” she guessed, trying to remember the man’s name. He stood, short in stature, but tall in confidence. 

“Yeah, that’s right. You look scared and lost,” he observed.  

“Well, this is all a bit much to try and wrap my head around. It’s all fabulous, but overwhelming,” she explained, laughing nervously. 

“Understandable, but just relax. We’re all here because we want to be, but if it becomes too much, let us know. Do you need something?” he asked, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Lifting her eyes up, she felt a great sense of relief wash over her. Allowing herself to breathe deeply, she smiled. 

“I was looking for Justin. I was going to ask him if his car was open. I left Evan’s car seat in there, and I wanted to put him down for a little bit,” Val explained, her eyes now wandering around looking for Justin again. 

“Here, don’t worry. I’ll go get the car seat, and we’ll get him all settled in,” he smiled, and turned away. Walking out of the living room, he quickly pushed his way outside. Unbuckling the car seat, he carried it back inside and brought it to Val’s feet, where she’d taken a seat on the sofa. Leaning down, she quickly adjusted Evan into the carrier and fixed the blanket around his small frame. 

“Ready to get some food?” Trace asked, standing over her. Looking up, she nodded and slowly pulled herself up from the couch. Standing up straight, a weird look passed over her face before she chuckled slightly. 

“What is it?” Trace asked, confused. 

“I haven’t been able to get up from the couch on my own for almost four months now, it felt weird,” Val explained, laughing some more. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but when I saw you at the General Store, man, you were huge,” Trace stated, wowed. Val turned a raised eyebrow at him before laughing. 

“Yeah, I was,” she snorted, and they both dissolved in giggles. Giggling their way into the kitchen, Val felt at home. Everyone was making her feel completely at home, embracing her like a longtime friend or better yet, a family member. She was still trying to learn everyone’s name, but they were all chatting her up. After everyone had grabbed food, they’d moved back into the large, open living room, where everyone took a spot in whatever open space they could find. As people finished eating, requests to hold Evan began. 

Lynn offered to pick him up for Val, and she gingerly taking him from the carrier. The first was Sadie, who began dropping not-so-subtle hints at Justin, Nick and Rachel, both Justin’s cousins, that she was ready for great-grandkids. 

“How about we get some gifts going? I’m sure Val will want to get to bed soon, and I don’t want to keep her up all night,” Lynn announced, standing in the center of the room. 

“Gifts?” Val asked, confused. Her head raised from here she’d been trying not to choke on her grapes from laughing at Justin, Nick and Rachel’s horrified expressions. 

“Well, of course. It’s not a baby shower without gifts, plus you’ll need things for Evan while you’re here,” Lynn replied, her body twisting around looking for the pile of gifts. 

“But, I have everything I need for the baby,” she explained, looking around at everyone. She was beginning to feel bad, like a charity case. They didn’t need to get her anything, what they’d done already was more than ever expected. 

“Yes, dear, in Franklin, you may. But, you are not fit to head home yet, with baby Evan home now, you’ll need things for him,” Ms. Sandy called her nonsense. And, she was right. Valentina had been prepared for Evan’s arrival in Franklin, not in Memphis. She’d need a bit of clothes, diapers, car seat, bassinette…etc.

“Now, quit worrying and open gifts. Here, this is the first one. It is from Trace and Rachel,” Lynn said, and handed her a rather large gift bag. Putting her plate down on the floor beside her feet, Val took the gift bag and began taking out the tissue paper. Unearthing a variety of baby clothes, she couldn’t help her eyes misting. Thanking them with a hug, she set their present aside as another one was set in front of her. Many of them consisted of diaper cakes, receiving blankets, and miscellaneous baby baskets. 

Lynn rolled in her gift, a very luxurious-looking baby stroller that brought more tears to Val’s eyes. And finally, Justin stepped up and handed her a small envelop. She opened it and took out a greeting card. Reading the congratulatory message on the cover, she opened it and a small picture fluttered out onto her lap. Picking it up and turning it over, a gasp escaped her mouth. 

“I spoke to Rollins and he told me everything that you had and didn’t have. He mentioned a bassinette, but no crib. So, I thought it’d only be appropriate for me to gift that to you,” Justin explained, burying his hands in his pockets. 

“Oh my, it’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed, fighting through her tears to speak. Pushing herself up, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and his hands wrapped tightly in return around her waist. 

“Thank you so much. You don’t know how much all this means to me,” Val expressed, pulling herself away from Justin’s embrace. She turned to look at everyone, and it was this grand emotion that she felt in her entire body. “I’m a total stranger to everyone in this room, and yet, it hasn’t mattered to everyone. I was in need of a helping hand, and Lynn, Ms. Sadie, and Ms. Sandy were godsend. Trace, thank you. Justin, I can’t even thank you enough. Did he tell y’all that he cut the cord?” 

Everyone looked shocked, and Justin laughed nervously. 

“No, really, he was just great. I will never forget this. It just means so much to me,” Val’s hand flew to cover her mouth, as the emotions became too much once more. Everyone else could see the sincerity in her, and the emotion was almost contagious. There was silence in the room for a brief moment until a shriek from Evan, in Paul’s arms, broke through. 

“I think someone may be a little hungry,” Paul deduced as he stood to hand the baby over to Val. 

“Let’s hope he latches this time around,” Lynn replied, watching as Val took hold of Evan. Before Val could ask for a place to go feed him, everyone began to announce their departure. They all promised to come visit her and Evan before she headed out, and they all expressed their desire to stay in touch. After bidding everyone farewell, Val followed Lynn to a downstairs bedroom that they’d set up for her for the time being. Settling against the headboard, Lynn guided her as she attempted for the first time on her own to get Evan to latch onto her breast. 

“There he goes…” Lynn cooed as Evan began suckling. Val was in complete awe as she looked down at her son suckling on her breast. Patting her thigh, Lynn said she’d let her be for a while, give her some time alone. Settling in to watch him nurse, Val finally allowed her body relax. There was soreness between her legs. It was a dull and achy feeling, but she was realizing that probably after sitting for such a long time, she was becoming uncomfortable. 

“Knock, knock” came the soft voice outside the parted door. Quickly reaching for a receiving blanket, Val covered herself up. 

“Come in,” she called out, equally soft. Looking at the door, she watched as the same pair of bright blue eyes appeared. 

“Hey, sorry for disturbing you, but I was about to head to bed and I realized that you never opened my present,” JC announced, holding up the perfectly wrapped square box. 

“He’s just nursing, no disruption. I thought I’d opened everything, I’m sorry,” Val replied, reaching a hand out for the box. 

“Well, it’s a bit heavy so how about I just put it down on the bed for you,” JC offered, walking further into the room and setting it down at the foot of the bed. 

“Why don’t you unwrap it for me? I’d really like to open it with you here,” Val asked, peeping under the sheet to check on the baby. His eyes were fluttering, and his pouty lips hungrily feeding. 

Stepping back towards the gift box, JC shrugged and began to slowly peel the gift paper. Finally, he lifted the box’s lid and pulled out an embroidered keepsake quilt. Unfolding it, he revealed a pastel-colored quilt with embroidered nursery-rhymes. Mary’s little lam, the cow jumping over the moon, the little piggy, Mother goose, Humpty Dumpty, and the twinkling little star. They were all there and accounted for. 

“Oh my, JC! That is just beautiful! No, it’s gorgeous! I love it! Thank you so much!” Val exclaimed, careful to keep her voice as soft as she could despite her excitement. 

“You’re very welcome. I didn’t know what to get you, and I asked my mom. She said that every baby needs a blanket and a quilt,” JC shrugged, a slight crimson shade on his cheeks from her praising. 

“Tell your mom that I said ‘thank you’ as well. This has all just been so much, and now this is just even more wonderful. And, I’m just this blubbering mess that doesn’t know how to say anything more than ‘thank you’ and it makes me sound like such a fool,” Val rambled as once again, more tears rolled down her cheeks. 

“Oh, please, don’t cry. I don’t know what to do with a crying girl,” JC urged, nervous leg-jittering beginning to take over his body. He always hated when girls cried. 

“They’re happy tears!” she exclaimed, quickly lowering her voice when she felt Evan jerk, startled, against her breast. 

“But, they’re tears!” JC urged, looking desperately around for some tissue. Not seeing any, he did the most natural thing. He leaned over her, and with the pads of his thumbs, he wiped away her tears. Her eyes slammed, surprised, into his, and the smooth yet rough skin of his thumbs continued wiping her tears. 

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

“Congratulations,” he whispered back, placing a startling peck on her temple while simultaneously smoothing back her hair. Standing up straight, he turned and walked back to the door. 

“Goodnight, Val,” he said, waving and ducking out the door. The soft click of the door violently broke Val from her reverie. 

“Holy shit,” she breathed.

With an early rise the next day, Val settled Evan back in the bassinette that someone had gifted her the night before. She stood over her sleeping son still in awe that she was a mother and all the wonderful things that’d happen to her in the past couple of days. Looking around the bedroom, she saw all the gifts neatly stacked in a corner. Lynn was truly a saint; she’d gone above and beyond to provide for Val and Evan. Every piece of clothing, every blanket, every sock, and every cloth was so beautiful, and so much more than she could ask for. Running her fingers along the bassinet’s edge, she admired the design. It was a solid, wooden frame with beige and tan colored quilted and padded linens. 

Paul had shown her last night the removable Moses bassinet on top that also turned into a changing table for Evan. It had storage wicker baskets on the bottom shelf and a hanging organizer on either side. And to top it off, the four casters on bottom allowed her to move the bassinet from room to room. This way she could roll him out to the living room and back. 

Stepping out towards the kitchen, she snuck a glance back towards the room checking on Evan. Assured that he was peacefully asleep she shuffled towards the kitchen for a bottle of water. It was nearing seven in the morning, so she didn’t expect anyone to be up and about. Stepping into the kitchen, she found it vacant. She knew there were bottles of water in the fridge, but she really wanted one at room temperature. 

“I don’t want to rummage,” she sighed softly, and contemplated giving up her search. This wasn’t her home and despite all the hospitality, it felt weird to float around like in her own home. 

“Then, I’ll rummage for you,” a teasing voice spoke behind her, causing her to twist around in surprise. She came face-to-face with a wide-awake JC, showered and dressed for the day. 

“I didn’t hear you there, sorry,” she apologized after giving herself a moment to recoup. He laughed her apology off before stepping further into the kitchen. 

“No harm, no foul. Now, what am I rummaging for?” he asked again, his eyes dancing around looking for whatever. 

“A bottle of water. There’s only cold ones, and I wanted one at room temperature,” she explained, leaning against the center island. He nodded and simply walked back out of the kitchen, but reappearing a second later. With an outstretched hand, he provided her with his finding. 

“Lynn keeps the water bottles in the hallway ‘pantry’,” he stated, and she gratefully accepted the bottle of water. He walked further into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. 

“Have you had breakfast?” he asked, his body bent at the waist looking for something to eat, she presumed. 

“No, I want to take advantage that Evan is currently asleep to shower first then tackle eating,” she replied, taking a sip of water. She watched him stand up and turn to her. 

“Rough night?” he guessed with a concerned face. 

“Eh, I’m not too sure. The nurses warned me that the first night might be rough for him, since he’s gotta readjust. And, he was a bit whiney last night but nothing too bad. I figured I’ll get more done while he’s asleep than while he’s awake,” she shrugged her shoulder in response. JC watched her closely as she spoke, and he could see the fatigue on her face. 

“I’m just gonna get some breakfast here while I wait for Justin to wake up, do you need me to keep an eye on him for you?” he offered, and Val felt her heart melt. She wasn’t accustomed to be on the receiving end of generosity and kindliness. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I won’t be long, and I’m sure he’ll stay asleep. I appreciate the offer, though,” Val nervously soothed a hand over her hair, convinced that she resembled a wreck. Realizing her wardrobe, she longed to escape this handsome man’s presence. 

“Well, I’ll keep an ear out for him in case he wakes up. Enjoy your shower,” he smiled warmly, and her stomach fluttered. With a curt nod, she turned and walked out of the kitchen and back into her bedroom. Checking one last time on Evan, she walked into the bathroom and left the door partially cracked. Sighing deeply, she let her mind run wildly. Ever since yesterday when she’d been introduced to him, this overwhelming feeling of calm had washed over her. The comfort and tenderness in his eyes had flowed from his fingertips when he’d taken her hand, and the security and certainty in his voice has infiltrated her heart when he’d spoken to her. She could get lost in the blue abyss of his eyes with every glance, and her stomach was a mess of twisted knots whenever she thought of him.  

“Where’s Le when I need her?” her trembling fingers ran through her disheveled hair. Rubbing her hands in frustration and fatigue over her face, she leaned over to twist the knobs inside the shower stall. Reaching her fingers under the water’s flow, she tested the temperature and nodded with satisfaction. Quickly, she undressed and stepped under the hot waterfall. She could feel her every muscle relax with the pressure and temperature of the water, and it felt heavenly. It seemed that with every shower post-partum she felt more rejuvenated and energized. Or maybe it was just the passing time that she became more and more accustomed to being a mom. After what felt like an eternity gone by too soon, she finished up her shower and reached for a fluffy towel. Her ears strained to listen out for any sign that Evan had awakened, but she heard nothing. 

She took her time rubbing her hair dry, and patting her body dry. Taking the toothbrush from the counter, she squeezed some toothpaste onto it and stuck it in her mouth as she untangled her hair with the other hand. Washing her face clear and rubbing some moisturizer over her face, she finished out her routine. 

Freshly showered and dressed in clean clothes, she felt like a new person. With what she’d estimate to be maybe 15 pounds less on her frame and several inches dropped from her waist, she felt she was swimming in her former maternity shirts, but that’s all that she’d packed. Her feet felt like she was walking on clouds, and the strain on her back had disappeared. 

“Oh, I’ve missed this,” she chuckled, speaking to her own reflection as she turned to one side and to the other, inspecting her frame. Hanging up the towel on the rack, she pushed her way out to the bedroom and froze. Evan’s bassinet was no longer across the bedroom, beside the bed. She quickly slipped on her sandals and walked out towards the kitchen first and then to the living room. 

“Oh, there’s mommy…” she heard before she saw as she rounded the corner into the living room. Her eyes searched for her baby, and the panic in her stomach settled as she saw her infant cradled against the solid chest of JC. 

“Well don’t you look like a new person,” Justin’s voice interrupted her before she could open her mouth. She turned her head and finally noticed him sitting on another couch, amusement and mischief written all over his face. 

“A shower can do miracles,” she quipped, and crossed her arms across her chest. She felt like a mom on the verge of reprimanding her kids, and she wondered why. “What did y’all do?” 

“What?” JC laughed, surprised by her question. He continued to gently pat Evan’s back in an attempt to soothe his gentle whimpers, just like Lynn had told him. 

“I don’t know, but I just feel like I need to ask. You both look guilty,” Val remarked, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa next to JC, with her body twisted towards him. 

“We didn’t do anything. Evan was crying so we went in to get him while you showered,” Justin argued, his voice going high-pitch. Val raised an eyebrow at his voice before chuckling. 

“I’ve known you for a few days, and even I know you’re lying. You just squeaked,” Val teased as she reached for Evan, and maneuvered him from JC’s hard chest to her softer, and supple chest. Instantly, Evan curled his tiny body against her, and his whimpers disappeared. As her hand ran along his back and over his diaper covered bottom, she noticed something was off. 

Her eyes raised to JC’s guilty smirk to Justin’s nervous lip-nibbling. Craning her neck, she looked down at the back of Evan’s diaper and laughed at the sight. 

“Oh my, who did this? The diaper is backwards!” she giggled, one hand holding Evan securely and the other covering her face. She couldn’t control her laughter, especially when every time she opened her eyes to look at either superstar their blush deepened. Finally, both JC and Justin couldn’t keep their laughter hidden and they joined her. Poor Evan, began to whimper, being disturbed from his snooze fest, but Val couldn’t stop laughing long enough to soothe him. 

“What are you kids laughing about?” Lynn questioned, walking into the living room. She’d gone back upstairs to get dressed for the day, and she’d left Justin and JC looking after Evan. Now, she saw Justin relaxed on the couch laughing with his hands crossed over his stomach. JC was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, laughter shaking his shoulders. And, Val leaned on the armrest behind her with Evan perched on her chest and her hand covering her face as she, too, laughed. 

“Mama, when you left we had to change Evan’s diaper,” was all Justin could choke out before he pointed out the offending diaper. Lynn’s eyes spotted the backwards diaper and dissolved into giggles. 

“Oh, I appreciate this so much,” Val chuckled as she finally stood and walked over to the bassinet that was in the corner. Working quickly around Evan’s cries, she tossed that diaper and wrapped a new one around him. She picked him back up and rocked him against her, still giggling at the mental image of JC and Justin trying to figure out how to change a diaper. 

“I told Jace that he was doing it wrong, but he wouldn’t listen to me,” Justin stated matter-of-factly and JC’s jaw dropped to the ground. 

“Oh whatever, you completely pushed me out of the way. He was like, ‘I’ve had baby brothers, I got this!’” JC mocked Justin’s cockiness and Lynn laughed as a blush rose to Justin’s cheeks once more. JC laughed before sticking his tongue out at Justin, almost as if saying ‘I’m not going down for this.’ 

“You two will be pros in no time with Evan around,” Lynn assured them before announcing that she was going to get breakfast started. Val offered her help, and gentle lain a quickly-dozing Evan back in the bassinet. 

“We’ll keep an eye on him,” JC offered, a small smile on his lips. Like a rush of butterflies disturbed from their hiding spots on the stems of a flowery bush, the fluttering feeling returned to Val’s stomach. She smiled back, and nodded. 

“I appreciate everything,” she gratefully leaned over to place a small peck on Justin’s cheek before repeating the same thing on JC’s cheek. She felt nothing but gratitude when kissing Justin’s cheek, but when JC’s hand grasped her wrist as she kissed his cheek, she felt electric. She was sure that he felt it too because both their eyes slammed into each other, questioning pooling there. 

His fingers fell away from her wrist as she took a step away from him and turned to exit the living room. Blinking back to reality, he turned his head to face Justin, whom sat there intently looking at him. 

“You want to head out after breakfast?” JC asked past the knot in his throat and in his stomach. Breaking him from his reverie, Justin nodded. Falling into an easy conversation of their studio time, both men ignored the elephant in the room. 

#### 

“Hey Val…” Trace hesitantly knocked on her opened bedroom door later two days later. Hearing his call, she walked over and pulled the door the rest of the way and motioning for him to come inside. Her cell phone was cradled between her shoulder and her cheek as she spoke with Rollins, reassuring him that she was well and safe. 

“Evan’s got a check-up on Tuesday, so I’m hoping to get the ok to travel then,” Val explained over the phone as she watched Trace walk over to the bassinet where Evan lain. The infant straddled the thin line of sleep and awake as his eyes occasionally fluttered shut. 

“Alright then Rollins, you take care and I’ll call you again soon,” she finished up the phone call and tossed her phone onto the bed. 

“How are you Trace?” she smiled, looking over to Trace. He nodded, looking too cool in his jeans, plaid shirt, and work boots. 

“I’m good, a little bored. I stopped by to see how you were doing and if you needed anything. I know everyone is out, and you really can’t drive anywhere,” he shrugged, and Val felt her heart melt for the millionth time since arriving in Millington. She willed her now-misty eyes to dry up, and she smiled. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all the generosity and kindness for you folks, but I really do appreciate everything y’all done for us,” she let out a soft chuckle in disbelief being gingerly taking a seat on the bed’s edge. Twirling her fingers in an effort to control her readjusting emotions, she finally looked back at Trace. He’d been quiet and just looking down at the baby. 

“You might as well quit thanking us and crying, because we ain’t gonna stop, sweetheart,” he replied without looking up, but there was a hint of teasing in his voice. 

“You know, you can pick him up if you really want,” she smiled and he looked over at her. His gaze held a hint of fear, and she was reminded of herself just a few days ago. 

“Sounds silly, but I'm kind of afraid to. I might drop him…" He bit his lip, the look of a little boy on his face. Standing up, Val walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“I won’t let you drop him, Trace. Just pick him up and then have a seat,” she explained and he breathed deeply. If it weren’t for the serious look on his face, she might’ve found the situation comical. Instead, she found it endearing. She didn’t live under a rock, and she knew the public image of Justin, JC, and even Trace. And Trace, to her, was this rough backwoods country boy living in California. In this moment, however, he was anything but rough and tough. 

"I've never really held a newborn before ... just kids that could almost walk on their own," he confessed reaching out masculine, rough hands towards Evan’s belly. Softly rubbing it, Val’s heart continued to melt watching him.

"You just have to be gentle and carefully. Here, come around to the side. Now, slide one hand underneath his neck and the other underneath his bottom and lift, Trace,” she instructed and stood by him as he followed her directions, “It's really simple.” 

“He’s so light,” he observed bringing Evan’s form close to his chest. Val chuckle at the very observant comment, readjusting Evan in his arms. 

“Yeah, so don’t worry. It doesn’t take much to hold him, does he feel comfortable like that?” Val questioned, watching Trace slowly take a seat at the edge of the bed. Choosing to sit in the chair in the corn of the room, she watched him carefully explore the baby’s face. 

“Makes you want to have a kid?” she teased, and the panic look on his face tickled her. She chuckled as he shook his head and took a deep breath. 

“Fuck…er, fudge no! I’m still a big kid myself,” Trace blushed as the expletive slipped passed his lips. 

“He’s too young to repeat, but watch it in a year’s time,” she teased and dismissed his verbal slip. He smiled gratefully before going back to admiring the sleeping infant in his arms. Evan was cradled in the nook between Trace’s arm and chest, with his bottom nestled in the palm of his hand. Trace’s free hand gingerly pushed back the soft and thin wisps of hair atop Evan’s head. 

“Lynn told me that he was born a few weeks early, so I expected him to be this tiny little thing. But, he looks about normal size of a full-term baby,” Trace commented, lifting his eyes to Val. She nodded, and shrugged a shoulder. 

“Yeah, I lucked out. He’s a little under six pounds right now, and I believe he was 19.5 inches at birth. But, he’s still my little guy,” she smiled, the same warm sensation crawling back into the pit of her stomach thinking of her son. This little creation depended solely on her, and in reality, she was all that he had and vice versa. They were partners now. 

“How about I take you for some early dinner in town? I’m sure you’re sick of staring at these walls day in and day out. Would that be alright? Will Evan be ok?” Trace offered. 

“Yeah, I’d like that. I think he’ll be alright. He’s a good baby, so far,” she joked, and they shared a laugh. Agreeing to go out, Val moved quickly to change Evan’s clothes since he’s only been dressed in a onesie. Asking Trace for a couple of minutes, she changed out of her sweats into something more appropriate. Having only maternity clothes with her, she was so limited to what she could wear without looking like she was wearing a parachute. Deciding on one of her many floral chiffon sundresses, she slipped on a cardigan and lifted Evan in his adorable green and white striped body suit. Walking out of the bedroom, she hung his diaper bag on her shoulder. 

“I strapped in the car seat already, you ready?” Trace asked as he met her in the hallway, and she nodded. Following him out of Lynn’s house, she watched him lock up the house before walking over to his car. Securing Evan in the car seat, she slipped in next to him in the back seat and waited for Trace to start the car. 

“You know, this having a baby around could really serve as a chick magnet,” he quipped from the front seat, and Val laughed.

“Oh yeah, anytime you want to borrow him, Trace,” she kidded, and they both laughed. Easing the car through the small-town roads, Trace pointed the car towards the city. Conversation on one thing and another thing filled the silence and helped pass the time. Evan’s occasional gurgles would join the mix.

“Ma! We’re heading out!” Justin’s voice boomed from the bottom of the stairs, standing not too far from Val’s bedroom doorway. It was poor Evan’s screech that acknowledged his declaration, and Justin winced. Letting his head drop in shame, he turned from the staircase and sneaked his head into Val’s bedroom. 

With a pained expression, his expression matched that on Val’s face as she cradled Evan’s infant body close. Her shoulders rose as her chest expanded with a deep sigh as she gently bounced Evan, his wails ringing in their ears. 

“I’m so sorry!” Justin quickly apologized. Standing in the doorway, the ground could’ve opened up and ate him whole. The embarrassment he felt for waking the infant was indescribable. 

“He’d just fallen asleep, so he’ll be down in a bit again. No worries, go on,” she tried assuring him, but her distress was well played out on her face. The past two days had been rough on her with Evan. His incessant crying really working on her already frayed nerves. Lynn had been nothing but wonderful helping her calm him down, and eventually, he’d tire out from all the crying and fall asleep. Besides his crying, not a pin drop was heard throughout the Tennessee home. 

“Are you sure? I can go get mama or I can try to sing him to sleep like…” his rambling was interrupted by the car’s horn blaring from the front driveway. Trace, Rachel, Justin, JC, and some other people were all heading to Memphis for a night out. And, like always, they all waited on Justin to make his grand departure. 

“Go, Justin. Please. Enjoy yourself,” the strain in her voice alerted him that she was near her boiling point, so he backed away. Giving her one last apologetic look, he softly closed the bedroom door and Evan’s piercing cries were immediately muffled. But, the stab of his cries in Justin’s chest did not dull. Grabbing his keys from the foyer table, he stepped outside into the dark and cool summer night. Locking his parents’ front door, he walked down to the street where Trace and the gang waited for him in the SUV. 

“What took you so long, punk?” Trace questioned, peeling from the roadside before Justin could close his door. 

“Watch it, bitch! Can I at least get my feet in before you hit the gas?” Justin exclaimed, quickly folding his body into the back seat and shutting the door. Laughing him off, Trace expertly maneuvered the car through the back roads and onto the interstate. 

“I feel like shit, dude. I was telling mama that we were leaving, and I woke up Evan,” Justin winced, as if re-hearing the piercing wails that the tiny baby boy emitted. 

“Good going, shithead,” Rachel remarked, reaching her hand from the back row to softly smack Justin’s head. He shooed her hands away, not needing her to add to the guilt he felt. 

“I don’t need any comments from the peanut gallery, Rach,” he grumbled, shifting in his seat. 

“He’s been very fussy for like two days now,” JC pointed out, thinking to the developing bags under Val’s usually-bright eyes. 

“Colics…Aunt Lynn says they last until he’s at least three months,” Rachel pointed out, shaking her head. 

“Val better get used to it then,” Nick mumbled, shrugging his shoulder and looking out the window.  

“You’re so insensitive…” JC grumbled, feeling sympathy towards Val. She was young, and she was a new mother. The stress of all the new responsibilities had to weigh significantly on her shoulders. And, he couldn’t imagine how being away from home and surrounded by strangers was affecting her situation. He knew that they were all trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible; Lynn, Paul, Justin, and the whole family were possibly the greatest people to welcome someone in. He knew this from experience. The family had welcomed the guys so many years ago, and to this day, everyone was still considered extended family. 

“And you’re so grumpy,” Nick retorted, breaking through JC’s thought haze. He saw the playful smirk on Nick’s face, and he just rolled his eyes in his direction. Settling back into his seat, a soft murmur enveloped the car’s interior with side conversations. The bright, colorful lights of the city began to cast a soft glow across his chiseled face, adding a twinkle to his azure orbs. 

“Where are we going?” Rachel asked as she readjusted her boots over her jeans. 

“152” Trace, Nick, and Justin all replied simultaneously. Rolling her eyes, Rachel sighed and leaned back in her seat. She was genuinely hoping that they were heading to a small bar, like Bobcat’s or Fargo’s just for drinks. She wasn’t expecting to go to the multi-level nightclub, but she’d have to deal. 

“I find solace in the best dancer of the group, right Jace?” she teased, knowing Justin and Nick would be outraged by her comment. Smirking, JC waited for their outburst. 

“What the hell, Rach?” Nick and Justin exclaimed, drawing chuckles from the other occupants as the SUV rolled to a stop in a parallel parking space. Giggling the group climbed out the car, and headed towards the nightclub. 

“Party!” Trace chanted as they neared the entrance to the club. Justin made eye contact with the bouncer, and with a nod of his head, the group was waved in past the waiting line. Making their way inside, they walked into the first floor with the stage set to the further right. It was nearing ten at night, and the crowds were quickly growing. Within the hour, the second floor would open up and at midnight, the third floor would finally open. The group steadily made its way upward as the night progressed, indulging in alcohol, partaking in a few games of pool, and of course, dancing. 

“A toast!” a heavily inebriated Trace announced, holding up his shot glass of tequila. Looking around to the group surrounding him, his glassy eyes twinkled with mischief. 

“What are we celebrating?” Justin asked, reaching for a shot from the table’s center. 

“To not having kids…¡Salud!” he exclaimed and tossed it back, without anyone following his lead. 

“What a dick!” Rachel snorted, slapping him upside his head before tipping her shot back. 

“To this dick!” the others chanted, and tossed back their drinks. As they all dealt with the liquor’s burn, Trace pouted and rubbed the offended spot on his head. 

#### 

“Shh!” with an exaggerated whisper, Justin hushed JC as they walked through his parents’ front door. JC shook his head in dismay, stifling a small chuckle as he followed him. Locking the door behind him, he shooed Justin away to head to bed. Justin held his hand up in a wave and stumbled loudly up the stairs without another word. He stood at the foot of the stairs making sure that Justin made it to the top safely before turning to go into the kitchen. As he walked down the foyer towards the kitchen, he saw a soft glow coming from the room. Figuring Lynn had left a light for them, he shrugged it off. 

“Oh! Hey, what are you doing up?” he asked, recovering from the slight shock of seeing Val awake and sitting at the breakfast nook with a mug in front of her. Nuzzled against her, Evan lain peacefully in the cream cotton rebozo sling that hung from her shoulders. Her eyes were not as bright as they usually were, letting him know that she was exhausted. 

“Hey…didn’t mean to startle you. Evan woke up for a feeding, and I just settled here for a little while, making sure he stays asleep,” she replied, her voice soft and tired. 

“Well, I’ll keep you some company. I’m just going to grab a quick snack,” he announced, making his way towards the pantry. Working quietly and quickly, he fixed a sandwich with a glass of milk and sat down across from her. 

“Has he been doing better?” he asked before taking a bite of his sandwich. Val raised her eyes from Evan’s, and she sighed. 

“Yeah, he fell asleep not long after you guys left, and just woke up to feed. I hope his colics settle a little quicker. Lynn told me they can last a few days, weeks, or months. For both of our sake, I hope it won’t take that long,” she replied, keeping her voice soft to make sure that Evan remained asleep. “Did y’all have a good time?”

“Yeah, it’s always a good time with those fools,” he chuckled, shaking his head thinking of the night’s antics. It was always a better night out on the town when he was away from the prying eyes of Hollywood. And, Memphis always treated him well. “Justin felt horrible about being so loud before he left that he came in all loud trying to keep me quiet.” 

“Oh, bless his heart,” she breathed, bringing a hand to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. 

“He’s a funny drunk,” JC shrugged, taking another large bite of his sandwich. 

“Happy drunks at night are lousy drunks in the morning,” she lamented with a sad shake of her head, causing JC to nearly choke on his food. 

“Oh that was cute,” he choked, pointing at her before wiping his mouth with a paper towel. Arching an eyebrow, Val silently questioned his statement.

“Your expression was just cute. He’ll be alright. He’ll toss a pair of Advil back, and be set to go. Or at least, he better be. We’re supposed to go in to the studio at 9.” 

“Oh well, you should probably get to sleep, then?” Val stated, genuinely concerned. 

“Are you trying to rush me off?” JC asked, finishing off his glass of milk and standing up to walk his dishes to the sink. Running some water over them, he walked back to the little table. 

“Oh no, not at all, I was just saying since it’s going on 3 in the morning,” Val stuttered, checking the green-hued numbers telling the time on the microwave. 

“Are you heading to bed now?” JC questioned, keeping his gaze on her steady. Shaking her head, she couldn’t take her eyes away from him. 

“Then, I’ll wait up with you. We can talk, get to know each other,” he reasoned feeling this magnetic pull drawing him to her. He wanted to know more about her – everything about her. She’d been in their lives for about a week now, and besides the minimal conversation, they hadn’t conversed in depth. 

“What do you want to know?” she questioned, knowing that he knew all the basics. During the surprise baby shower, everyone had tried to get to know as much as possible of her. And, well, she’d been a fan during their NSYNC days to know more about him than he was probably comfortable with. 

“What do you do back in Franklin? School, work?” he inquired, taking a seat across from her once more. She readjusted the sling’s strap on her shoulder before opening her mouth to respond. 

“Well, I finished school last month at Vanderbilt and I worked as a part-time assistant paralegal before being forced by my boss to take off because of the pregnancy,” she replied. 

“Wow, so you worked and studied. Must've been a workload to manage. I think that is one of the things that I most…not necessarily regret, but wish I would’ve have done. So you’ve had your graduation already?” 

“No, the ceremony will be August 9th, so I’m a bit excited. I first thought I wouldn’t be able to attend since Evan was due around that time, but now, no baby bump!” she laughed, thankful that she wouldn’t miss out on her graduation.  

“What did you study?” JC asked, reaching his hand towards her. Her eyes followed the larger hand as it traveled closer and closer towards her bosom. Paralyzed by the unknown, she pried her eyes away from his movement and their eyes locked. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin, and her eyes fluttered shut. But not before catching the slight twitch at the corner of his lips. 

“Pacifier fell…” he breathed, and her lungs expanded as oxygen cooled the burn that’d begin to creep across her chest. 

“Always does, thank you,” her voice quietly sighed, and she swallowed once, twice to moisten her desert dry mouth. Slightly shaking her head, her eyes reopened and her composure rebuilt. “Engineering, I studied civil engineering. Yeah, that’s what I studied.” 

“Really? That’s great! If I would’ve gone to school, I’d gone the architecture route,” he confessed perking up with the prospect of sharing his love for architecture. 

“So, you enjoy the design and detail. I can respect that,” she chewed on the inside of her bottom lip as he nodded his head. “My grandfather was an architect, and we would go visit him and grandma in New York. He would religiously take me to the Museum of Modern Art as a kid, and that’s how I fell in love with design. But, I was always more interested in going to the Brooklyn Bridge. I wanted to know how it was built or how the technology available in the 1880s is as advanced or as up to par with that available now. The gothic towers and the web formed by the suspension cables were designed and chosen for a reason, right?” 

“Yes! Exactly, see I knew I wasn’t a geek after all,” JC laughed, relieved for the camaraderie. 

“Well, that is still out for evaluation. Because I know that I am a complete geek!” Val laughed, but quickly hushing. She realized that they were disturbing Evan’s deep slumber, and that made her stifle her giggles. 

“Ever been to the Deutsches Museum in Munich?” JC smiled. “No? Well, you need to. It is probably one of the largest, if not, the largest museum of technology. It has an exhibition on bridges there, and I think you would love it. I used to go visit it all the time when the guys and I were in Germany,” JC scooted to the edge of his seat explaining all the things that were in this museum. Detailing every bit from the winding staircases to the voyage of getting to the island museum, JC had Val completely enthralled. Her hazel eyes kept vigil of his signaling hands, and her lips ever-so-slightly expanded into a smile with every new discovered detail in his story. 

“Wow, it sounds amazing! You just put the MoMA to shame for me,” she chuckled, sitting back against her chair. The excitement that she felt just from his verbal description of the “design-haven,” as he had so humbly dubbed, had left her exhausted. 

“No, don’t say that. The MoMA is incredible in its own way, and it holds great value to you. And the Deutsches does the same to me. I’ve been to MoMA plenty of times, but one day, maybe you’ll have to take me there and give me a tour. And I’ll do the same for you,” he said without thinking of his words. He was talking of a prospect of spending time together beyond her stay at Lynn’s house. It was until this moment that Val realized that this could all be a moment in time. Meeting Lynn, Justin, and everyone else could just be a snapshot in the never-ending reel of life. 

“One day, huh?” she asked, their eyes meeting across the small wooden table. Her question caught him off guard and made him realize what had been spoken by his mouth. 

“Yeah, one day.” 

“I’d like that. Yeah, I’d like that.” 

“How about we head to bed now? I have studio time in the morning with Justin…” JC suggested, pushing his chair back and putting his hands on the table. 

“And I have a doctor’s appointment with Evan,” Val added, pushing her own chair back. Standing up, she reached down to pick up her mug. 

“No, I’ll get that for you. I’ll just put it in the sink and rinse it out,” JC grabbed the mug first and pulled it away from her reach. Looking at him, she smiled in gratitude and watched him stand up and make his way towards the sink. 

“Thank you. I hope you have a good night,” her voice soft and delicate, tickling his ears like the gentle caress of a silk rose. Nodding his head, he smiled towards her. 

“Good night, Val,” he replied and watched her step out of the kitchen and head towards her room. Deciding to wash the few dishes in the sink, he gave himself extra time to clear his mind before heading up to his room. Twisting the faucet shut, he dried his hands before walking out. The soft glow from the kitchen light had disappeared from the foyer’s walls. Double checking the lock on the front door, he turned towards the stairs and began climbing the steps. The exhaustion that he now felt made the short trek upstairs daunting. 

“JC…” he heard the soft voice call, and his head snapped around. Looking down only a few steps below him, he spotted Val. 

“Yes…” his body half-twisted with his right foot resting on the higher step. 

“Thanks for keeping me company,” she smiled, and her youth seemed to reappear before his eyes. Gone were the weariness and the exhaustion. Present was the spark in her mesmerizing eyes, and his eyes took notice of the two dimples below the corners of her lips as she smiled. 

“Goodnight, Val,” he smiled. Turning back, he could not stop a smile from spreading across his face. He could feel her eyes on him as he made his way to the top floor. He wanted to play it cool and not look back, but he couldn’t help himself. Twisting his head, he looked back and saw her still standing at the bottom of the steps watching him. Her eyes rose to meet his gaze, and he winked before turning back and disappearing into his bedroom. The soft sound of his lock latching broke her stupor and she shuffled back into her room, blushing.

The air was dry, and the sun was beating down. The sprawling and luscious greens were so inviting. The lawn was manicured, enticing everyone to maybe taking a roll or two like when they were children. The pool’s surface twinkled like crystal as the sun heated up the water. The garden off to the side gave the lavish backyard character, and warmth. The tropicalia created an oasis. Christmas palms swayed in the slight breeze, and blooming potted bougainvilleas climbed trellises. In the back corner of the lawn, an outdoor wicker seating area was shaded under a mahogany gazebo with scattered pots of herbs and flowering perennials. 

It was the perfect summer afternoon. The view could be a snapshot in the Home and Garden magazine. Vibrant colors in the flowers, the furniture cushions, and the fabrics brought the tropics to the Memphis backyard. Val was sure that when the sun went down, Lynn would light the firepit and turn on the string of outdoor lights around the patio and gazebo. Then, the twilight would make the pool twinkle. 

The aroma of savory seasoned meat hung in the air, invading everyone’s nostrils and teasing everyone’s tummy. Condensation pooled around tall, cool glasses of the strawberry lemonade that Val had made earlier. Paul and Justin had insisted that they grill out for dinner, and so here they were, waiting for the chicken and steaks to cook. Inside, pots and covered dishes were filled with baked beans, potato salad, and coleslaw. And, soon, a few more people would arrive with more food. Sadie was sure to bring her peach cobbler and blueberry crumble pie. Justin had made sure to personally request those specific desserts. 

For now, though, fresh fruit and veggies along with chips and dips decorated the tabletop.  

Justin and Trace were tossing a football back and forth with Nick, while Paul looked on from beside the pool. Rachel, Lynn and Val sat at the patio table hiding from the heat and chitchatting about anything and everything. This had become a bit of second nature to Val now. Every evening, the entire clan would come together. It was almost like it was mandatory for everyone to congregate at the Harless’ residence. Lynn had assured her it was merely because Justin was in town. 

“He’s not here very often, so we all want to savor every minute with him,” she’d said, and Valentina had felt her heart ache. She was used to her circle being relatively small, and it made her long for people like this in her life. 

With Evan’s warm body snuggled against her chest and shoulder, Val felt a bit of courage bubble over. Rachel and Lynn were discussing Justin’s upcoming schedule, and Val had been silent for a while. Taking the moment to observe all that around her, she knew she was blessed.

           “So, I was thinking of maybe heading back to Franklin after Evan’s next check-up on Wednesday,” she blurted out before Rachel could respond to Lynn’s previous comment. 

She knew her decision would cause some uproar, especially from Lynn, but Valentina didn’t want to overstay her welcome. She felt like she needed to go home. Sure she spoke with Rollins on the daily, and he was taking care of her house and her dog, Madge. But, she missed her home, her space, her life. The nursery that she had spent so much time and effort decorating, Evan still did not know.

           “Valentina, this is your home. You are welcomed here for however long you want,” shock and sadness cast a shadow over both Lynn and Rachel’s face. Lynn’s response was what she had expected, but the sincerity in her words still brought moisture to her eyes.

           “Oh I know this, Lynn, and really, I am so grateful for everything that everyone has done for Evan and me. But, I miss home,” she confessed, a sad smile on her lips.

           “Oh honey, I understand. I just don’t want you to think that you need to rush. You’ve become a part of the family, and so has this little jewel,” Lynn replied, reaching out to caress Evan’s soft cheek, promptly the infant to redirect his newborn attention to her.

           “Who am I gonna have girl talk with now?” Rachel sorrowfully asked.

           “That’s why they invented the phones, Rach,” Val retorted, wrapping an arm around Rachel’s shoulders and pulling her in. “Plus, I’ll visit often! Now I have a reason to visit Memphis.”

           “You’re darn right you will, and I will make my way out there too. I don’t think I could stay away from this little guy for too long,” Lynn replied, her hands reaching out for Evan. Val smiled, watching his head lull as he readjusted to Lynn’s arms before snuggling against her.

           “I’ll get it!” Justin shouted, jogging past them into the house. It was then that they heard the shrill of the telephone inside the house. Trace and Nick paused their game of toss and joined the women at the table, as Paul checked on the grill.

           “Justin suggested we pay the lake a little visit tonight, you in?” Nick bumped his shoulder with Rachel as his fingers took a piece of diced pineapple from the array of fresh fruit in the center of the table.

           “Yeah, I don’t think Val has been there before. Wanna go?” Rachel turned to Val, who shook her head from behind her glass of lemonade. “Why not?”

           “It’ll be too chilly for Evan to be lakeside,” she argued, and Lynn quickly silenced her.

           “You leave Evan at home with Paul and I, and you go have fun with these idiots. Don’t argue because you won’t win,” she looked at her pointedly, and Val knew the decision had been made for her. Nodding, she smiled and thanked her. 

####

           “Hello?” the phone tucked safely between his cheek and shoulder, Justin moved fluidly around the kitchen washing his hands and taking a bite into a granny smith apple.

           “May I speak with Valentina?” there was static in the phone and the voice sounded distant, yet feminine. There was a hint of uncertainty and urgency in the woman’s voice. Justin quickly pulled the receiver away and noted the ‘Restricted’ on the caller ID.

           “Yes, of course, may I ask who’s calling?” he replied, speaking around the monstrous-sized bite in his mouth.

            “Adams. Leoni Adams, I’m Valentina’s friend,” his ears had to strain to hear her clearly, but he caught her words. Rushing from the kitchen, he made his way outside to his parents’ back porch, where Val sat with everyone else. “Yes, hold one second.”

           “Val, it’s Leoni on the phone,” he covered the phone’s mouth piece as he interrupted their conversation. It was the phone call she’d been waiting on. 

####

           “Le! Le! Can you hear me?” Val nearly shouted through the receiver as she plugged one ear in efforts to improve her hearing. There was static on the other end.

           “Yes! Val! Can you hear me honey?” the sweet sound of her best friend’s voice washed security, warmth, and peace over her from head to toe.

           “Oh Le, I miss you so much,” Val heard her voice crack, relief knocking down the walls surrounding her composure. She took a seat at the bottom of the staircase and held the phone receiver as close as possible, as if it could bring her friend closer.

           “I miss you too, Val. But, honey, I don’t have all that much time to talk. Satellite signal is the worst, but I talked to Rollins. He said the baby came early, in Memphis. Is everything ok?” Leoni was always the levelheaded of the two. She never lost her cool, and always knew what to say or do.

           “He’s great, ready to meet his auntie! I’ll send you an email soon with pictures, when will you be in the city?” Usually, these volunteer mission trips lasted between 10 to 14 days. They would go home for a couple of weeks, and do a follow-up trip. Sometimes, this repeated several times if the area being treated was new to the UNHCR. With Leoni, she was a veteran doctor, so she was assigned the longer mission trips. This time – 31 days.

           “I’ll be there by the end of the week, so send them immediately! I want to meet the little guy. When are you going back home?” Val was getting ready to answer when the front door swung open, and distracted her. JC walked in, looking too cool for school in reflective aviator shades and his ever-present brown leather bag.

           “Wednesday, hopefully, I’ll let you know. But tell me, are you doing ok? You settled in ok, no stomach bug? Fever? Anything?”  Valentina rambled her usual list of maladies, all of which Leoni had experienced at one time or another. There’d been one trip to Sudan where she’d contracted malaria, and Valentina had flown to meet with her in Sevilla.

           “No, no, everything was great this time. A few others got a bit sick, but I was good. I’m sorry I wasn’t there Val,” Leoni’s voice was far and static-y, but Val could hear the emotion and sincerity in her words. When she’d found out she was pregnant, she knew for sure who would be beside her the entire time – Leoni. But, life happens. The only comfort that remained was that she knew Leoni would be there for the rest of their lives.

           “Listen to me, Le! Don’t be sorry. Everything went great. Evan is healthy, and I’m great. Don’t worry about us. I just want you to come home safe, understood?” Valentina managed a small smile and wave when JC noticed her on the stairs with the phone to her ear. He’d tucked his shades into the collar of his immaculate white tee and stored his bag in the closet by the door. 

She’d expected him to go on his way after her greeting, but instead he leaned against the staircase banister and crossed his arms across his chest. A smile remained on her face as if questioning him, but he merely smiled in return and shrugged his shoulders. And so, for the next five or so minutes that she remained on the phone until the connection died, he stood there.

           “Hey” she said, clicking the receiver off and holding it close to her heart.

           “You look happy, happier than I’ve seen you in a few days,” he commented, moving from his post to her side, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. His head turned slightly, and his eyes watching her from the corner. She felt the smile on her lips, and she gave him a non-committal shrug. In the past few days, since their midnight chat, she’d felt this connection with him. The banter between them resembled that of old friends.

           “That was Leoni, I hadn’t reached her since before Evan was born. I needed to know she was safe, and tell her she was now an auntie,” her smile grew when he playfully bumped her shoulder with his.

           “And you a brand new mommy. I’m glad she’s doing good, and I’m sure she is relieved to hear from you too. Where’s everyone?” JC asked, leaning back a bit to look into the living room and seeing no one.

           “Outside, we’re grilling for dinner. I came inside to take the call. I should head back. You coming?” she asked, standing and readjusting the jean shorts that she wore. That was something else, she was ready to get back into her old clothes. She was sure Rachel was tired of lending her clothes.

           “Let me wash up, and I’ll meet you out there,” he replied, standing up as well and turning to make his way back upstairs. “It’s nice to see you smiling again, Val.”

           “Hurry up, Romeo! I’m breastfeeding, so I might eat everything before you make it outside,” she teased, hoping to disguise her blush. His bellowing laughter echoed in the upstairs hallway before she heard a door open and shut. “I need to get away from him.” 

#### 

The afternoon was beginning to cool down, and the sun was slowly creeping down the darkening skies. With their bellies full, everyone sat around the outdoor glass table in a semi comatose state. Half-lidded eyes accompanied relaxed bodies and drunken laughter. The adults had moved inside, complaining of mosquitoes. Lynn had taken Evan with her, citing that it was nearing his bath time before bedtime.

           “Let’s head to the lake” Trace suggested, tipping the last bit of beer into his mouth. Agreeing, they all stood and headed inside to leave. Val checked on Evan as Lynn was finishing up dressing him for bed, and asked Lynn one last time if she was sure about taking him for the night. Colics were still bothersome with him, and Val did not want Lynn to have to suffer. 

Being shooed away, Val grabbed her sandals before meeting the group outside. They agreed to walk the short distance to the lake, to avoid driving while drunk. Val obviously wasn’t drinking, but she hadn’t felt comfortable driving Justin’s car.

           “Val, I’m taking you downtown tomorrow. Just you and me. I can’t let you go back on Wednesday without having a girl’s only day with you. You’re just too cool,” Rachel drunkenly hung her arm around Val’s shoulder, tugging her close to her side. Val emitted a laugh before wrapping her arm around Rachel’s waist in return.

           “It’s a date, Rach,” she smiled, shaking her head at Rachel’s antics. In the blink of an eye, Rachel had rushed from her side and jumped on Nick’s back. Screaming ‘giddy up’ and playfully bucking, she had everyone in stitches. Looking around at everyone laughing, joking, hooting, and hollering, Val couldn’t remember having this much fun in a long time. These were moments and memories made with lifelong friends, and here she was with a group of incredible people that she’d only met a week or so ago. 

Shaking her head clear of solemn thoughts, she vowed to enjoy the night. She was going to let laughter take over her body, and happiness flow through her veins.

           “Run in traffic, Half Squat” she heard Rachel grumble, tossing Trace from her back as he attempted to jump on her. With her head tossed back, Val laughed joyously and freely.

           “Leaving me so soon, huh?” a warm shoulder bumped into hers, silencing her laughter and causing her to stumble slightly. Straightening her head, she saw that it was JC. He was now walking beside her, his hands buried in the pockets of his cargo shorts. The evening’s last bit of sun glow danced along his exposed skin. The black tank with cut-off sleeves exposed his ripped biceps. His teeth held his bottom lip captive, and it made Val feel weakened. His eyes turned to meet hers, and she swore she saw sadness. It gave her courage.

           “It’s all a part of my ploy to get you out to Nashville,” she quipped, bumping her shoulder against his, longing to feel his skin once more. Her response took him by surprise, and his nervous laugh informed her of this. Shaking his head and wagging his finger at her, his response was every bit dangerous.

           “It is working.”