Mind Games

“Would you? Gratitude. Arlo’s meeting me here. He’s just finishing up. I escaped.”

“Busy at the clinic today?” Thea asked.

“Get that right there.” Maddy pointed to a spot between the curve of her neck and shoulder.

Shifting, Thea used her thumbs to go after the knot.

“Busy? No more than usual for a Saturday, until Alley Greer waddled in at about four, in labor, in the late stages thereof.”

Maddy circled her head. “Thanks, that got it.”

“Everyone okay?” Thea asked.

“Perfect baby girl, eight pounds, three ounces. But we had a scramble. She walked in after putting in a full day at the store, even though I told her it was time to take leave two weeks ago. But money’s tight. Anyway, ready or not, that baby was coming.

“Thanks, Pru.” Maddy lifted the glass Pru brought to Ty. “Thank you.”

“I’d say you earned it.”

“Boy, did I. We. Quirt—that’s her man—he comes running in, as she called him when she was making her way down to us. He’s panicked, and he hyperventilates five seconds after he rushes in and sees what’s what. And keels over like a felled tree.”

“Oh, Maddy.” Thea laughed.

“Oh yeah. Now we’ve got Quirt out cold on the floor with a knot on his head the size of a golf ball, and Alley pushing the baby out, and crying ’cause she thinks he’s dead—Quirt, that is. It’s just me and Arlo at that time because everyone had gone home for the day.”

She took another long drink. “So I stick with Alley, Arlo’s dealing with Quirt and telling Alley how Quirt’s just passed out is all. Then the baby comes, adds a nice set of lungs to the mix.”

“How’s Quirt?”

“Head like a rock, so he’ll be fine. Arlo brought him around, got him up. Quint takes one look at the baby, bawls like one himself.”

Maddy sighed as Thea felt most of the hard day slide off her friend’s shoulders.

“A sweetness to that,” she added. “But I boot him out before what happens after the baby comes happens so he doesn’t pass out again.”

“Babies poop in diapers,” Bray informed them, and colored another truck.

“They do, all right. Good thing we had some on hand. After everything’s said and done, we call Alley’s mama. She’s going to look after the three of them, so Arlo’s driving them on home.”

She drank again. “And how was your Saturday?”

“It feels somehow uneventful.”

Smiling, Maddy settled back. “I’d like one of those sometime.”

When the pizza arrived, Maddy started to slide out. “Let me get out of your way.”

“Sit,” Ty told her. “If delivering a baby doesn’t earn pizza, nothing does.”

Pleased, Thea closed her hand over Maddy’s. “What did they name her?”

“Carleen Rose, after both their mamas. I don’t want to horn in more than I have. Arlo’s coming along in a few minutes.”

“I’ll get another chair.”

When he got up to do just that, Maddy looked over at Thea. “I’m sorry. My mouth just ran.”

“Don’t be. This is nice. It’s perfect.” She took a slice off the serving pan, slid it onto a plate. “Here you go, Bray. The correct kind of pizza.”