The Outside Child by Tiffany L. Warren

Author:Tiffany L. Warren
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

I can’t stop crying. Every time I think of my son having surgery right after he’s born, I damn near have a nervous breakdown. And Brayden’s not here, so we can’t break down together. He’s gone to some pre-Super Bowl practice. Since the Super Bowl happened to be in Dallas the year the Knights advanced to the big game, Brayden’s free time outside of practice is consumed with meeting fans and taking interviews.

He has a distraction and doesn’t have to think about our baby. I don’t. All I can do is lie on our couch, eat ice cream, and think about our son.

It’s funny, I didn’t even think about him as our baby until I found out that he’s deathly ill. He was just a miniature vampire sapping all my energy, and now he’s someone I need to protect, nurture, and cherish.

My cell phone rings, and I look at the caller ID. Kara. Not in the mood. She can go to voice mail.

And she does. But she calls right back.

I send her to voice mail again.

She calls back. Damn!

“Hello?”

“Heffa, are you screening your calls?”

“Not really. Okay . . . yes, but it’s only because I’m tired.”

“You sound like you been crying.”

“I haven’t.”

It’s okay for me to lie. I’m not ready to share this with the world yet. And with her big mouth and compulsion to make everything a status on social media, sharing with Kara is like sharing with the world.

“You haven’t? Well, what’s wrong with the baby?”

For a long moment, I’m silent. How does she know there’s something wrong with the baby? Or maybe she doesn’t, and she’s guessing.

“What are you talking about?”

“Girl. Brayden is on ESPN, talking about he’s about to play this game for his sick, unborn son.”

“He’s what?”

“Turn on the TV. He’s still on.”

I scramble from my place on the couch and grab the remote from the coffee table. I turn on the TV, and of course it’s already on ESPN. It’s always on that channel. And Kara is right. Brayden is in his practice gear, talking to Sherri Levy, his favorite reporter.

“You have a red band around your arm,” Sherri says. “Tell me what that’s for. Is it for your son?”

Brayden nods. “Only half of my son’s heart works. He’s going to need a team of surgeons when he’s born, and I thank God that I have the resources to get my son the best medical care.”

“Everyone here at ESPN will keep you and your family in our thoughts and prayers,” Sherri says.

“Thank you. Like I said, I’m playing for my son tomorrow night. I’ll be thinking of him with every pass and on every drive.”

I stand still with my arms at my side, phone in one hand and remote in the other. I can’t move. Disbelief has me paralyzed.

We haven’t told our family. Our mothers. Why would he tell the entire world without telling the people we love first? I can hear Kara’s voice squeaking out of the phone, so I lift it to my ear.

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