Elise smiled. “Yeah. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“Sometimes.”

They settled back onto the couches to wait. Adrian and Rennie came back from their sojourn just as Brody came out.

Brody turned to his brother as they all walked to where everyone sat. “She’s good. Tired. Scared. They’ve got a heart monitor on her belly, and she’s counting kicks every two hours. Kid’s strong, doing just fine at this point. Visiting time is up in an hour, so she made me promise to take you and Rennie to a movie and dinner. I counteroffered with a DVD and dinner at home.”

“More evidence that she’s on the mend.” Ella grinned.

“Don’t know where that stubborn streak comes from at all,” Adrian muttered as he came through. “My turn to run in and see her. Don’t leave though; I’ve promised your daughter that I would hang out with you all tonight.”

“So he doesn’t get sad all by himself.” Rennie squeezed his hand before reaching for Brody’s.

“I think that is a very fine idea. I also think Ella needs to come too.” Elise grinned. “We’ll even let you have black olives on the pizza.”

Ella rolled her eyes.

“Oh please, please? That would be so fun!” Rennie hopped on one foot a moment before she remembered where she was. “Sorry, Dad.”

Brody’s entire demeanor softened whenever he dealt with Rennie. It made Ella all smooshy inside to see it happen. He turned and knelt so they’d be eye to eye. “Muffin, you don’t have to apologize for being you. It’s a fine quality, you know, to be happy and excited about the world. Erin’s going to be okay, and so is the baby. So you can dance and hop and be Irene all you want.”

Elise looked to Ella over the two of them, her lower lip trembling just a little bit.

“You drive a hard bargain, but how can I say no to hanging out with all my favorite people?” She had planned to spend the evening with Andrew, but she was unsure that would be happening with all this upheaval.

“Bring a bag and stay over. That way we can stay up after and chat over a bottle of wine,” Elise said quietly. “Oh, unless you were planning on staying over at Cope’s place. He can stay at ours too. Goodness knows he has before.”

“I honestly don’t know what his plans are. I’ll leave him a voice mail though, to tell him where I’m going and to invite him. I wish I could help more here.”

Annalee came into the room. “Are you all right?” she asked Ella quietly. “Was he horrible?”

“I’m fine. Really. I hope I didn’t upset you, but I feel quite strongly that what Erin, Todd and Ben need right now is not to be mocked or treated with anything less than support. She’s my friend, and she’s been there for me when most everyone else wasn’t. I will carry that in my heart until the day I die. There is no excuse for this hateful tantrum. I know you’re in the middle, and I’ve been there too.” Though Annalee didn’t seem like she was controlled, her husband was a total ass**le, and Ella would not allow him to harm Erin.

“I had been hoping he’d come around. I don’t expect you to understand; you shouldn’t have to. He isn’t normally like this. I’ve been praying it was a lapse in judgment and he’d finally see his way through. Dean has; most of the others have. That’s his boy.” She shrugged, and Ella gave in, hugging the other woman.

“I don’t need to understand, and I don’t judge you for trying to.”

“I wish I could.” Annalee shook her head.

Adrian came out with Ben, and both men headed their way.

Ben hugged his mother again. “Why don’t you head home? I’ll keep you in the loop about everything. Todd and I will be allowed to stay in her room tonight, even though she’s insisting we don’t need to.” He rolled his eyes. “It means a lot to me, to us, that you’re here.”

“Oh baby, where else would I be?”

Ella needed to give them all some space, probably needed a little herself too. “I’ll see you all in a few hours. You call me if anything changes or you need anything at all. Do you guys have a change of clothes and toothbrushes? Stuff like that?”

“After the last time, Erin made us put bags in the trunk just in case. We’re good.” Ben leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Thank you for that thing with my dad. I expect I’ll be hearing all the details soon enough. For now, know that we all love you, okay? Erin says to tell you she’ll be cupcake-ready in a few weeks.”

“Tell her there’s a red velvet with her name on it, when she’s ready.”

She hugged everyone one last time and headed out.

“Dad, what is your deal? Why did you come here if nothing has changed?”

Cope had wanted to run after Ella to check on her, to make sure she was all right, but damn it, his father needed dealing with too, and she’d gotten them more than halfway in a way he’d never expected.

It was hot, even as he was annoyed she’d hare off and challenge his father in a hospital parking lot like she was more than a bitty woman with more love in her heart than could be measured.

That she understood and accepted him, knew him better than the man he stood facing right then, was no small irony and no small amount of pain to admit. He’d spent all his life hoping his father would pay attention. All his life being measured against Ben and trying to do that, but failing because he wasn’t Ben. And damn it, why it took him thirty-six years to discover that it wasn’t supposed to be that way, he didn’t know. To understand that he didn’t have to be, because he was Andrew.