by Force, Marie
“Will, honey, stop pacing.”
He hadn’t realized he’d been pacing.
Cameron held out her hand to him. “Come here.”
Will went to her and took her hand.
“Will you hold me?”
“Nothing I’d rather do.” He crawled onto the bed and gathered her into his arms. “Are you comfortable?”
“I am for the next four minutes.”
“Is it worse than you thought it would be?”
“Little bit.”
“You’re a trouper. I can’t wait for this to be over for you.”
“I can’t wait for it to be over for you.”
“Huh? It’s not about me.”
“Sure, it is. My family history has us both spooked right now, and that has to be extra awful for you.”
“What’s awful for me is that you were in labor for hours and didn’t tell me. We’re going to have a great big fight about that later.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she said on a chuckle that turned to a grimace when another contraction started.
“Breathe through it. That’s it. Nice and easy.”
Her fingers dug into his arm as she rode the wave of the contraction, panting and gasping from the pain. By the time it was over, her face was red and tears were flowing.
Will used tissues to dry her face. “You want me to ask the nurse about the epidural?”
“Would you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Come right back?”
“I will. Try to rest before the next one.” He got up and went to the nurses’ station, looking for their nurse, Dana.
“How’s she doing?” Dana asked.
“She’s in a lot of pain. Is the epidural coming?”
“I just checked, and she’s on the way. Any minute now.”
“Okay, thanks.” While he was out of the room, Will took one second to check in with the parents.
“How’s she doing?” Molly asked.
His dad and Elmer were dozing, but perked up when Will came into the room.
Mary was asleep on Patrick’s shoulder, but he was wide awake and looked as stressed as Will felt.
“She’s doing great. The epidural is happening soon, and we’re both ready for that. Her more than me, of course.”
Molly stood to hug Will. “Hang in there, honey. He or she will be here very soon, and this will become a distant memory.”
“I’ll have to take your word on that. I’m going back in with her. I’ll be out as soon as we have news.”
“We love you both.”
“Love you, too.” Will went back to the room and found Cameron asleep, so he stood by the bed and let his head hang down to roll out the tension in his neck.
She came to with a gasp, and he moved quickly to return to his post on the bed to coach her through another contraction. In the birthing classes they’d taken, the dads had been told to expect their wives to want nothing to do with them during labor. Will was glad that Cameron not only wanted him, she wanted him to hold her through the worst of the pain.
The anesthesiologist came in a few minutes after the contraction ended and moved quickly to administer the epidural. She positioned Will in front of Cameron to hold her hands while she worked on her back.
“A quick pinch and then all kinds of relief,” the doctor said in a cheerful tone that buoyed Will’s spirits.
As long as everyone was upbeat, he had nothing to worry about. Living through this momentous event with Cameron gave new meaning to what Patrick had gone through losing Cameron’s mother, Ali, shortly after their daughter’s birth. It was unimaginable. The very thought of it was enough to bring Will to his knees.
Cameron stared into his eyes. “What’re you thinking about?”
Because he couldn’t very well tell her the truth, he said, “I’m thinking of the night we met and how even when you had two black eyes, a fat lip and a smashed-up car, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”
“That’s so sweet,” the doctor said.
“He’s the sweetest,” Cameron said, smiling at him.
She already seemed better than she’d been for hours. Thank God for modern medicine.
“You’re all set,” the doctor said.
She and Will helped Cameron get settled back into bed.
“You should start to feel much better now.”
“I already do. Thank you.”
The young doctor smiled. “Then my work here is finished. I’ll be by to check on you later.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Will said.
“You got it.”
“Phew,” Cameron said on a long exhale when they were alone again. “Thank God for drugs.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
After the epidural, Cameron was able to get some much-needed rest before her labor reached the next stage two hours later. Suddenly, everything seemed to happen much more quickly.
“Would you mind asking your mom to come in?” Cameron asked, looking at Will with eyes gone wild now that the big moment had arrived.
“I’ll get her.” Will fetched his mother from the waiting room. In the one minute he’d been gone, Cameron’s legs had been hoisted onto some contraption, and the energy in the room had changed considerably. Suddenly, he couldn’t move or breathe or cope with the wave of fear that threatened to drag him under.
If anything happened to her, he would die. It was that simple.
“Will.”
His mother’s voice reached him through the panic.
She took hold of his arm and looked up at him. “Breathe.”
He forced air past the panic. Cameron needed him. This was no time for a meltdown. The doctors had told them it was perfectly safe for her to have a baby. He needed to have faith in their expertise.
“Will.” Cameron reached out to him again as if she knew what he was thinking. She probably did. Her family history had weighed heavily on both their minds throughout her pregnancy.
Will went to her. “How can I help?”
“Get behind her and support her back and shoulders,” the doctor said.
He was a stranger to them, which was another source of stress. All their careful planning was for naught, because she was about to give birth hours from the hospital they’d chosen and the doctor who’d followed her pregnancy. However, this doctor had consulted with that doctor, was up to speed on Cam’s family history and was going to deliver their baby whether that had been the plan or not.
Over the next hour, he tried to stay calm while Cameron fought an epic battle to deliver their baby.
“Talk to me,” she said on a break from pushing.
“I’m here, love, and you’re doing so great. Does it hurt?”
“No, just a lot of pressure.”
“You’re getting so close, Cam,” Molly said as she ran a cool cloth over Cameron’s face.
“Thanks for coming in,” Cameron said. “You’re the closest thing to a mother I’ve ever had.”
Visibly moved by Cameron’s statement, Molly said, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“How’d you do this ten times?” Cameron asked.
“Ten times?” the doctors and nurses said as a chorus.
Even Will laughed at their reactions. “I’m number two of ten, including two sets of twins.”
“Wow,” Dana said. “That’s amazing.”
“The last five fell out,” Molly said, making them laugh again. “It’s the first five that were a real bitch.”
Soon it was time to push again, and Will lost track of time as he stayed completely focused on Cameron. Like fathers everywhere, he felt like an incompetent wimp in the midst of her heroic effort.
At three forty-six in the morning, a lusty wail alerted them to the arrival of their baby.
“You have a son,” the doctor said. “And he’s beautiful.” The doctor wrapped his red little body in a blanket and handed him over to his sobbing parents and grandmother.
&nb
sp; “Oh, look at him,” Molly said. “He’s perfect.”
Will couldn’t stop staring at his scrunched-up little face, the smattering of dark hair on his head, the little pink lips and the tiny tongue that quivered when he cried. He was the most miraculous thing Will had ever seen.
“Hi, little man,” Cameron cooed to him.
He immediately stopped crying.
“He knows your voice,” Dana said. “Keep talking to him.”
“This is your daddy. Say hi, Daddy.”
Will wiped tears from his face. “Hey, buddy. It sure is nice to meet you.” He reached around Cameron to free the baby’s arms so he could shake hands with his son. He had a son!
“Do you guys mind if I get the grandfathers?” Molly asked. “Patrick must be beside himself by now.”
“Please do get them,” Cam said.
“Before I go, does he have a name?”
Cameron looked back at Will, and he nodded.
“His name,” Cameron said, “is Chase Murphy Abbott. Chase was my mother’s maiden name.”
“Oh, I like that. It’s a beautiful tribute to your mother, and you’ve made it so all our baby grandchildren have C names.”
“We thought of that,” Will said, “and we didn’t want to break the streak.”
“And Will said he had to chase me, so the name is fitting.”
“She led me on a merry chase from the second she crashed into Fred.” It was starting to register with him that Cameron had given birth to their baby, and only something wonderful had happened. They had a son, and she was just fine. Thank you, Jesus.
“Let me get the grandfathers and Mary,” Molly said, heading for the door.
“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” Cam asked.
“He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen other than his mother.”
“We have a son named Chase.”
“Yes, we do. Thank you so much for our son. You were incredible, Cam.”
“Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“That’s not true. Except for the very beginning, you did all the work.”
Cameron laughed, and it was the best sound ever because she’d given birth and survived it. Only now could Will admit to himself that he’d been sure, for all this time, that something would happen to take her from him. He’d been preparing himself for disaster, and the realization that it wasn’t going to happen freed him from the crushing anxiety he’d been trying to cope with for months.
Molly returned with Linc, Elmer, Patrick and Mary in tow. As they circled Cam’s bed, Will noticed how undone Patrick seemed. He couldn’t blame the guy for being terrified of history repeating itself.
“Come in closer, Dad,” Molly said to Elmer. “Get a good look at your newest great-grandbaby.”
“He’s a fine-looking fellow,” Elmer said. “Just like his daddy—and his mama.”
“You want to hold him?” Cameron asked Elmer.
“Let your dad go first,” Elmer said, deferring to Patrick. “He’s the rookie among us.”
Cameron handed the baby over to her dad, who was standing on the right side of the bed with Mary.
“Hey there,” Patrick said, gazing down at the baby with tears in his eyes. “I’m your Grandpa Patrick. Welcome to the family.”
“What’s his name?” Mary asked.
“Your turn,” Cam said, smiling up at Will.
“Meet Chase Murphy Abbott.”
“I love that,” Mary said. “It’s perfect.”
“Your mom would be thrilled,” Patrick said to Cameron. “Chase was Ali’s maiden name,” he said for Mary, Linc and Elmer’s benefit.
“I love that,” Linc said.
“And it makes for three baby grandchildren with C names,” Molly added. “And two with S names—Savannah and Stella.”
Will was touched that his mother included the children Lucas and Landon had acquired when they fell in love with Dani and Amanda, but Molly’s mantra had always been “the more the merrier.”
“This family is growing by leaps and bounds,” Elmer said.
“We need to tell the others,” Cam said. “If you get me my phone, we can send a text and picture.”
Mary fetched Cameron’s phone from her purse and took the picture of the new family that they sent to Will’s siblings and cousins as well as their closest friends.
“And now,” Molly said, “we need to leave this new family to get some rest.”
Will had never been more exhausted. He could only imagine how Cameron must feel.
The others left with promises to be back to visit in the morning. Will helped Cameron use the bathroom and then get settled in bed so she could attempt to breastfeed the baby. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching over them, his heart so full of love, he feared it might explode.
“Thank you for him, for us, for everything,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion.
Cameron’s smile lit up her face. “Thank you for rescuing me in the mud and forgiving me for hitting your precious Fred.”
He leaned in to kiss her. “Nothing has ever been more precious to me than you and Chase are.”
Chapter Thirty
“Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path.”
—Anonymous
Landon and Amanda learned the news about baby Chase when she received a text from Cameron announcing his arrival. They were in the guest room at Kelly’s house after bringing Stella home to get some sleep.
“Aw, look at him,” Amanda said. “He’s adorable. Congrats, Uncle Landon.”
“Thank you. Will must be so relieved. They both have to be.”
“I’m sure everyone is.”
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Landon said.
“I’m sorry you missed being there when he arrived.”
He kissed her. “I’m right where I need to be.”
They spent the next two days rotating between Kelly and Stella’s townhouse and the hospital. In consultation with doctors and social workers, it was decided that Kelly should be transferred to a hospice facility rather than going home. That would happen as soon as she was stable enough to be released from the hospital.
They ate three meals a day with Stella and developed an easy, natural rapport with her. Landon noted the almost incandescent joy in Amanda’s eyes every time she looked at her daughter, which was often. However, the joy was tempered by the horrific reality of Kelly’s unrelenting illness.
Landon woke on the third day in New York with a feeling of dread. He had to go back to Vermont because he was due to work the next day at the firehouse. With Lucas still out on medical leave, he had to go, but he didn’t want to.
Because Amanda could use Kelly’s car, the plan was for him to take the rental back to Vermont and turn it in there. All the arrangements had been made. Now he just had to work up the wherewithal to actually leave.
He held Amanda close to him in bed in the guest room at Kelly and Stella’s cozy home, wishing he could stay for as long as they needed him.
“You’re awake early,” Amanda said, yawning.
“I hate that I have to leave today.”
“I do, too, but I understand you have to work.”
“I’ll be back on my next four-day break.”
“You have the farm to think about.”
“I can get help there. It’s fine. If there’s one benefit to having a big family, that’s it. My grandfather would tell you he can still cut grass. Don’t worry. We’ll make it work.”
“It’s a lot to ask.”
“No, it’s not. I just hope you’ll be okay during all this. I worry about you being so focused on Kelly and Stella that you won’t take care of yourself.”
“I will. I promise. I have to so I can be there for them.”
“I’m going to make sure you do, but I sure wish I could be here to take care of you while you take care of them.”
“I wish you could, too.”
“I love you, and I’m so proud of you for stepping up for the
m the way you have.”
“I love you, too, and that means so much to me. Thank you for all your support. You’ve been my rock. I know it’s a lot…”
“Don’t spend one second worrying about me or us. We’re solid, and we still will be after this. You’ve got much bigger things to focus on right now.”
She made a slight move that put her ass snug against his erection.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “That tends to happen when you’re close by.” They hadn’t had sex since the hotel in Boston.
“Don’t be sorry.” She turned to face him and snuggled into his embrace, moving against him in a suggestive way that made him groan. “Before you go…”
“We don’t have to.”
“What if I want to?”
“In that case…”
She laughed as her hands worked their way under his T-shirt, her touch setting him on fire like always.
Then her cell phone rang, and her hands were gone as she turned toward her side of the bed to retrieve her phone. “Hey,” she said, listening. “No, that’s fine. I’m up. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed. Are you okay?” She listened some more. “I know, sweetheart. I’ll see you in two minutes.”
“What’s up?”
“Kelly had another seizure. The hospital called Stella.”
“She shouldn’t be getting those calls.”
“She insisted on being their point of contact.”
“It’s too much.”
“She says it isn’t.”
“It would be for me, and I’m more than twice her age,” Landon said. “She’s an awesome kid.”
“I’m glad you think so, and I’m sorry about leaving you high and dry,” she said, kissing him before she got out of bed.
“Don’t apologize to me. Please don’t. What you’re dealing with is just…”
She turned toward the bed as she pulled on jeans. “It’s life, Landon. Isn’t that what your grandfather would say?”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “That sounds like him.”
“It’s life—and it’s beautiful and messy and painful and dreadful and joyful and everything else,” she said as she finished getting dressed. “That’s one thing I’ve figured out since the twelve-year numbness wore off and I started to feel things again. You have to take the bad with the good. That’s just how it goes. And if you’re really lucky, there’s more good than bad.”
