Forever

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “All right, then, I’ll get the nurses ready.”

  When she left, I looked up at Dad as he took my hand. He began to explain everything that would be happening to me and the baby, but I ignored him and asked, “Where’s Sam and Summer?”

  Dad looked bothered for a second that I’d interrupted him, but then his expression changed and he said, “As far as I know, they’re still in the waiting room.”

  “Can they come in for the birth?”

  Dad sighed and ran his hand through his hair before answering. “Really, Rose, with the birth being early and having just escaped a burning building, I think it might be wise to keep the room as quiet and stress-free as possible.”

  I glanced at Noah, and he nodded in support. Turning back to Dad, I took a quick breath and said, “I’d really like for them to be here.”

  Dad sighed loudly, but said, “All right, then. I’ll go tell them.”

  After Dad left the room, Noah and I were completely alone for a minute. I savored the time and especially the kiss he placed on my forehead.

  “How are you feeling?” Noah asked as he rubbed my shoulder with his hand.

  “I don’t feel the pain anymore…and I have all kinds of energy—almost like I’m about to pop.”

  Noah chuckled and said, “Well, you kind of are.”

  I swatted at his arm playfully, but the serious look on his face stilled my hand.

  “Are you ready for this, Rose?”

  His soft voice and concerned face reminded me of why I’d fallen in love with him. A few strands of his dark hair fell down, partially covering his left eye, and I reached up, brushing the locks back. He was so handsome, and my heart did a little jump at the thought that he belonged to me.

  We’d been through so much, but here we were—finally married and about to have our first child. I’d certainly not planned on being a teen mother, but I was sure at that instant of staring into Noah’s dark eyes that I wouldn’t change a thing.

  I sniffed and whispered, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  “I love you, Rose.”

  “I love you, too.”

  His mouth touched mine softly, and I sighed between his lips.

  “Isn’t that what got you into this mess in the first place?”

  Sam’s annoying voice cutting the air broke off our kiss, and I suddenly regretted inviting him in. What was I thinking?

  Summer came to my aid, smacking her boyfriend on the back as she passed by him.

  “Thank you so much. I wanted to be here for you, but I was afraid to ask.”

  My eyes became moist, and Summer was quick, grabbing a tissue for me. She said, “No crying allowed. That goes for weddings and childbirth as far as I’m concerned.”

  Her businesslike manner made me laugh, and even Noah smiled at her.

  I was scared to death of what was about to happen, but I had Noah, my best friend, Dad and even Sam with me. I’d be all right.

  Doctor Puzzo came back into the room, accompanied by three nurses, one pushing a baby incubator. The flurry of activity and bright lights of the room added to the surreal feeling I was experiencing. The only thing that made any of it real were the voices.

  “It’s time to have a baby, Rosie.”

  I looked up into Dad’s anxious face and nodded.

  I was ready.

  * * *

  “Come on, Rose, you can do it—just one more push.” Noah voice was close to my ear, but I still barely heard him.

  I was exhausted, and I was over hearing people tell me, just one more push. It would probably take a dozen more pushes to get the baby out.

  Summer understood and said, “It needs to be a big push, a really big one.”

  “I can see the head, Rose, and there’s a lot of black hair,” Doctor Puzzo said with excitement.

  With renewed energy, I leaned forward. “You can see the head? Really, you’re not lying to me?”

  “You’re almost done. I promise you,” Doctor Puzzo reassured me.

  “Come on, Rose. Don’t wimp out on us now.” Sam’s words caused the intended reaction in me.

  I shot him a look that would have torn most guys to shreds and gripped Noah’s hand more tightly. Gathering all the strength I had left, I bore down and pushed with all my might.

  I cried out only once, right at the end, and then opened my eyes to see Dad wrapping his grandchild in the blanket. It was already making loud squawking noises, and I didn’t take my eyes off of it as Dad came forward.

  That had come out of me?

  “It’s a girl, Rosie. You have a daughter. She’s breathing just fine on her own, too.”

  Summer cooed excitedly, and Sam let out a loud breath as if he’d been holding it in the entire time.

  When Dad set the baby on my chest, I hesitated, looking at Noah. He took my hands and guided them to the baby, and together, we touched her.

  “She’s so tiny,” I said in both awe and fear.

  “But, she’s perfect…and she’s all ours.” Noah leaned forward and kissed my nose and then hers.

  “We need to to examine her thoroughly. All things considered, she’s doing fabulously, but she’s still pre-term,” Doctor Puzzo said.

  “Have you decided on a name yet?” the blond-haired, older nurse asked.

  The baby’s face was red from squalling, and her thick, black hair was standing up in soft spikes. Her face was round, and her eyes were widely spaced. Just as Noah had said, she really was perfect.

  I glanced up at him, searching his face for confirmation of the name that we’d discussed calling the baby if it was a girl, and he nodded. Our daughter’s name would be in honor of two very special women, who’d meant the world to us and had left us too soon.

  “Her name is Sarah Ann Miller,” I said proudly.

  55

  Noah

  When I came around the corner, I stopped abruptly and stepped behind the wall. I was careful to keep most of my face hidden when I looked back down the hallway. Father was holding David’s hand and arm in a friendly way, and Mother stood to the side.

  My heart sped up at the thought that they’d made the trip to the city hospital to see their new grandchild. I hadn’t been expecting it, but I sure was pleased, just the same. I couldn’t hear the words exchanged between the men, even though I turned my head and strained to listen. The interaction only lasted another minute before David left my parents alone in the hallway.

  When they began walking in my direction, I took a deep breath and went to greet them.

  Mother’s hug was extra tight and lasted longer than was usual for even her.

  “Congratulations, son, I hear you have a fine daughter of your own,” Father said.

  I couldn’t help smiling proudly. “Did David tell you her name?” I asked, hoping that he hadn’t.

  Father shook his head, and Mother looked up expectantly.

  “We named her Sarah Ann—after our Sarah, of course, and Rose’s mother.”

  Father nodded and Mother exclaimed, “Oh, Noah, how wonderful to honor your sister.” She paused, taking a few seconds to get her emotions in check before saying, “And how is Rose doing? Was the labor very difficult?”

  “She was incredibly strong through it all. Even before she had the epidural, she didn’t cry or complain about the pain.” I stopped and looked closely at them. “Did David tell you about the fire?”

  “Yes, we know,” Father said. “We are just thankful that you were all spared and made it safely out of that house. Since we weren’t speaking, I’d asked David a while ago to call us and let us know when Rose had the baby. He told us when he called. Mr. Denton drove us by the place before coming here.” He shook his head. “It’s a complete loss. Everything burned.”

  “I know.” I ha
dn’t had much time to think about the devastation since Rose’s labor had begun so soon after. Father’s words were sobering.

  “It’s a Godsend that none of your neighbors’ homes went up also as close as they’re all packed in,” Father said.

  Bitterness took hold of me, and I spoke harshly. “It would have been poetic justice if the one neighbor’s home had caught fire.”

  Father placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “David told us that arson is suspected. You mustn’t let anger take hold of your spirit, Noah. It will only bring more trouble into your life.”

  “Our neighbor threatened Rose that very same day. I have no doubt that he did it in revenge for Rose calling the police on him during a fight he was having with his wife. His small child came over to our house seeking help from Rose, and she did what she thought was best.”

  “Poor Rose, to have to deal with such a thing.” Mother sighed.

  Father stroked his beard and said, “The English world hasn’t been kind to you, has it?”

  What he said was true, but still, I bristled at his words.

  “If you remember, the Amish one wasn’t all that friendly before I left, either. At least now, I’m free to raise my family as I see fit, and not be governed by people who might not have my best interests at heart.”

  A couple of nurses walked by and glanced away quickly when I noticed them staring at my parents. Amish people were not normally seen in the city. I understood their curiosity, but their rudeness still bothered me.

  Father said, “This isn’t the time or the place for this discussion. We came to see the baby and give you and Rose our best wishes.”

  I was relieved that he didn’t want to argue, but it still angered me that he’d brought the matter up in the first place. I’d made a lot of mistakes in the past year, but I was working hard to be a good provider for my family. It wasn’t my fault that the woman I fell in love with was an outsider.

  Pointing down the hallway, I said, “She’s in room three-twenty-six. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Father looked questioningly at me and said, “You obviously need help. Will you not ask for it?”

  “I have to figure this out on my own, Father. You can’t help me this time.”

  Father’s smile hinted that he had a secret, but the look passed briefly before he tilted his hat to me and turned away with Mother.

  I watched them disappear into the room where Rose and little Sarah Ann were before I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket and dialed the Realtor.

  When I had been Amish, I wouldn’t have hesitated at asking Father for help, but it wasn’t an option anymore.

  I had to straighten things out on my own, and I’d have to do it in a hurry. Rose and the baby would be released from the hospital in a week, and although her aunt Debbie had offered for us to stay with her and Jason indefinitely, we needed a place of our own.

  And, time was running out.

  56

  Rose

  The snow falling was picture-perfect beyond the window. The trees looked like they were covered with white icing, and the field was blanketed and sparkling. Sarah Ann’s murmur brought my gaze down to her, and I smiled. Her little mouth was moving in sucking motions, and I figured that she was dreaming about eating. She was only a month old, but she’d already gained two pounds and was filled out like a proper baby now.

  Her first week had been nerve-wracking. She’d been quite small, and even though all her organs were developed, she still got a respiratory infection and had to be put on a ventilator a few days after birth. Her sickness delayed our leaving the hospital by another week, but I was kind of relieved. It had taken me all of the two weeks to become comfortable with caring for my baby on my own.

  I’d chosen to breast-feed, which had been the most challenging of all, but Sarah Ann was nursing easily now, and I was glad I’d stuck it out. Noah had been a saint, catering to my every need. He even surprised me with daily foot massages, but for all his helpfulness and exuberance, I knew it was all for show. He was brooding about something, and no matter how I pestered him, he wouldn’t open up to me.

  Losing the house in a fire had been rough on both of us. We’d lost all our furniture, clothes, the television and computer, but in the end we turned out to be truly blessed when family, friends and even some strangers came to our rescue. I’d been amazed at the outpouring of generosity. By the time we’d left the hospital, most of our things had been replaced.

  The investigation proved that the fire had been purposely set with an accelerant at the back porch, and after a couple of weeks, the police had enough evidence gathered to arrest the neighbors for arson. I still didn’t know what happened to little Lucy and her brother, but I hoped that they were in a better place with kind people.

  Living with Aunt Debbie had been fine with me. She’d taken time off from work to help with the baby, and I felt more comfortable having people around me, especially after everything that had happened at the rental property. I still had some anxiety swirling in me about the whole thing, but it was getting better. I was lucky to have a steady stream of visitors, which kept me distracted.

  I could thank the baby in my arms for all the company. No one could resist her, and mock fights broke out about who was going to hold her. Sam had surprised me the most. He’d turned out to be the one person, other than me or Noah, who could easily get Sarah Ann asleep. He’d walk around the entire house holding her against his shoulder, never stopping and talking constantly. It did the trick every time.

  “Let me have her,” Summer said, startling me.

  I carefully lifted Sarah Ann to my friend and then slid over on the coach to make room.

  “I still don’t understand why Dad insisted we come out this weekend. It’s supposed to keep snowing, and if we can’t make it back to Cincinnati, Noah may lose his job.”

  Summer glanced at the open doorway of the family room and then lowered her voice. “I don’t know any more than you do, but I think Sam is keeping a secret.”

  Her words made my heart beat faster, and I whispered back, “Sam doesn’t keep secrets well. What do you think is going on?”

  The loud knock at the door interrupted our conversation, and I looked questioningly at Summer, who shrugged and went back to cooing at Sarah Ann.

  Before I got up, I turned and searched out the window behind the couch, and the car I saw there made me catch my breath.

  Hunter.

  As I leaped from the couch, I said, “You aren’t going to believe who it is.”

  Summer’s confused face turned to shock when she, too, saw Hunter’s car parked at the end of the stone walkway.

  “He better not be here to cause trouble,” Summer warned.

  Putting a finger to my mouth, I shushed her and asked, “Please, stay here with the baby—I’ll take care of it.”

  Summer nodded, but her expression was suspicious.

  I felt jittery when I reached the door. It had been nearly nine months since I’d seen Hunter. After his fight with Noah in the barnyard last spring, he’d completely disappeared from my life—no phone calls, text messages, nothing. Not only had he erased me, but Sam had also been a casualty of his jealousy. From what my brother had told me, he hadn’t spent any time with Hunter since the day he’d come to ask me to the senior prom.

  Even though my feelings for him had never been as deep as what I’d always felt for Noah, I still cared about him, and losing his friendship had stung. He’d said that he’d always be my friend, no matter what, but he broke his promise. Now, out of the blue, he arrived in the heavily falling snow.

  Maybe I was freaking out for nothing. He could have stopped by to see Sam.

  As I turned the knob, the realization that Hunter probably wasn’t here for me deflated me a bit, and I opened the door slowly.

  The
melting snowflakes blended into Hunter’s blond hair quickly, and after a second of eye contact, I focused on those flakes, feeling incredibly uncomfortable, all of a sudden.

  Hunter’s smile was lopsided when he said in a friendly voice, “Hey, Rose, it’s good to see you.”

  I looked back at his hazel eyes, and they were sincere. He really was happy to see me.

  “You probably weren’t expecting to run into me, huh?” I said.

  He shook the snow from his head and replied, “Actually, I came here specifically to see you and meet your baby girl.”

  I looked over my shoulder into the foyer to see if anyone was there. As far as I knew, Noah was still sleeping, having pulled a double shift the days before. When I saw the coast was clear, I stepped out into the brisk air and shut the door behind me. Luckily, I wore a thick sweater, but I still folded my arms across my belly, instantly feeling the cold.

  “Noah’s here, and I don’t know if he’ll want to see you.”

  Clearing his throat first, he said, “I’m sorry for fighting with Noah that day. It was ridiculous for me to do such a thing. It’s just…well…it hurt a lot to finally realize that you really were going to be with Noah, instead of me.”

  Instinctively, I reached out and touched his arm, saying, “I’m sorry, Hunter. I never meant to hurt you.”

  His eyes met mine, and a small smile touched his lips. “I know that. All along, you kept telling me how crazy you were about Noah, and I wouldn’t listen. I thought I could change your mind.”

  “In another life, you probably could have,” I said softly.

  “It’s taken me all these months to deal with it, Rose. I would’ve come to see you sooner, but I wasn’t ready until today.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “Why today?”

  His smile deepened, and before he said the words, I already knew.

  “I met a girl in college who’s helping me get over you.” He ran his hand through his hair nervously and went on to say, “I think you’d like her. She’s a tomboy like you—she even rides horses.”

  A million emotions passed over me in that instant, but in the end, after searching Hunter’s face, I was more than okay with the news.