“You’re not even twenty-one yet, Landon. No son of mine is going to rot away in some jail cell. You will not bring shame on the Campbell name.”

I shake my head releasing a disbelieving laugh. I head for the door but pause with my hand on the door handle when my father calls out to me. “Not a word until my lawyer gets here.”

“Yeah, right,” I say before leaving the room.

*****

“Landon? Landon? Landon?” I look up to see Derick still sitting beside me. “Where’d you go? Have you heard a word I’ve been saying?” he asks.

I shake my head leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. Derick does not repeat whatever it is he was saying, just allows us to sit in the silence.

“You remember the first time I had to sit in a hospital waiting room?” I ask after about fifteen minutes.

Derick hesitates a minute. “Yeah,” he rasps almost inaudibly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared in my whole life as I was that day.”

“Let us not go there. This isn’t the first time Brooke’s been in the hospital because of this pregnancy.”

I turn my head to look sideways. “My wife is in there delivering my baby right now. There is a high chance she and the baby will not make it. I thought the first time I sat in a waiting room was the most terrifying moment of my life, but I was wrong. This right now is the most terrifying moment of my life. And I was responsible for both,” I say.

Derick leans forward then. “You were not the only one responsible that night. We all were in that car. We all were drinking. It could have been any of us behind the wheel that night.”

“But it wasn’t. It was me. I got behind the wheel drunk, and my mother paid the price.”

Before Derick can respond Dr. Green, Brooke’s doctor, comes out into the waiting room. I jump to my feet ready for any news she has.

“Mr. Campbell,” she greets me, a small smile on her face.

“Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“Congratulations, Mr. Campbell. You have a very healthy baby boy.” Her smile grows as she delivers this news.

I must blink back tears of relief at this news, before it occurs to me that she only mentioned the baby. “And Brooke? How’s my wife?” I demand. Derick puts his hand on my shoulder as if bracing me for the news.

The doctors smile remains frozen on her face. “Your wife is recovering from the surgery. She lost a lot of blood, and we have given her some medicine to help her sleep. You can come back to see her now if you like, and we can have your baby moved to her room so you can meet him.”

“Yes. Yes. Take me to them.”

“Of course, if you’ll just follow me,” she says before guiding me to my wife’s room.