by Aj Harmon
10.
SWADDLED TIGHTLY IN A pink thermal blanket, the baby was sleeping soundly as the nurse pushed her crib into the family room where Annie and Evan were holding their breath in profound anticipation. Natalie met the nurse inside the door and gently lifted the tiny bundle into her arms. Barbara stepped back, off to the side, and quietly watched as Natalie pressed her lips to the forehead of her child as a single tear escaped down her cheek.
Evan snaked his arm around Annie’s waist and squeezed. There was complete silence in the room – you could have heard a pin drop. The Wilders stood and watched the amazing and selfless act of a young woman they greatly admired and were now deeply in her debt. Natalie whispered something. Nobody heard what she said, and then she took a few steps and stood in front of Evan and Annie.
“I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. It’s all very jumbled. I’m sure none of this will sink in for a few days.” She looked down at the baby in her arms and spoke quietly. “Some people may think that I’m being selfish by giving you up because I get my life back. I get to go back to being a teenager and think about boys and prom and getting my license. If I could give you all that you deserve, I would, but I can’t. I hope that you won’t hate me. I hope that one day you will understand why I did it. I did it because I love you so very much. I will always love you. And it’s because I love you that I’m giving you to the Wilders, because they are the wonderful parents you need. They will love you. They already love you. I see it in their eyes.”
Natalie didn’t look up but gave Annie the baby and turned quickly and left the room. Barbara, tears streaming down her face, smiled at Annie and then hurried after Natalie, leaving the new family alone.
As a small sob escaped her lips, Annie mouthed, “Hello, beautiful,” as Evan took his finger and softly caressed the silky dark hair on his daughter’s head. Then he kissed Annie and pulled her even closer. The three of them stood huddled together, Annie and Evan crying with joy, and the baby forever safely in her mother’s arms.
*****
“I don’t want her to ever think that I didn’t want her! I did! I do!” Natalie sobbed, her heart breaking.
“I know, I know,” Barbara soothed, holding her and rubbing her back. “And she’ll never doubt that. The Wilders understand and when the time is right, they will tell her all about you and how much you love her.”
The sobs eventually eased and Natalie wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I do like them. I think I chose the right people.”
“You did. I know you did.”
“But I would hate to think that she ever thought that…I didn’t want her. That would break my heart.”
“I have an idea. Why don’t you go home and write down all the things you want to tell her now. If she could understand you, what would you say to her? Put it all in a letter, and then one day, you’ll get to give it to her.”
With a nod, Natalie agreed, and with a sad smile she went to find her parents and go home…back to being just a regular teenager.
*****
“Now what do we do?” Evan chuckled.
Annie looked up at him and he knew she’d never looked more beautiful than this very moment. The beam in her eyes, the smile on her lips, the rosiness of her cheeks were all because of the precious bundle in her arms.
“We need to give her a name. We can’t keep calling her her,” she laughed.
“Well, we sorta talked about it. Her middle name will be Anne.”
“So, something Anne Wilder.”
“I don’t like something. I think we can come up with a better name than that.”
“Ha ha,” she laughed. “Seriously.”
“Roberta.”
“I said seriously.”
“Laqueesha.”
“Evan!”
“Grace,” he whispered. “Gracie Anne Wilder.”
“By God’s good grace,” she smiled. “Grace.”
*****
Given priority seating, Greg and Jill slid into the booth of the restaurant. The waiter suddenly appeared with a bottle of champagne and popped the cork, causing cheers from the people close by.
“Are we celebrating?” Jill giggled as the waiter handed her a crystal flute filled with tiny bubbles floating in the golden liquid.
“Yes. Our anniversary, and…you moving in with me?”
Jill smiled at the hopeful look on his face. His brown eyes sparkled and his perfectly straight teeth were in full view as his lips curved upwards. “You are adorable.”
“And loveable and dependable and trustworthy and loyal and hopelessly in love with you.”
“And if it doesn’t last?” The words were said with complete vulnerability.
“Why wouldn’t it?” Greg placed his glass on the table and held her hand in both of his. “I love you with everything that I am and I cannot fathom that ever changing. Are your feelings for me inconstant?”
“No! I love you and this past year has been…been such a…a beautiful surprise. I didn’t think that I would ever find someone like you. You’re perfect in every way, and…”
“I’m far from perfect!” he scoffed at the notion. “But my love for you is perfect in every way. Don’t doubt that, please?”
“I don’t,” she shook her head and smiled. “It’s just that, well, I’m a lot to put up with.”
“Good grief! If you’re worried about my feelings changing you’re wasting your time. Focus your energy on something else. Sweetheart, you are it for me. There will never be anyone else. It’s just you…warts and all,” he teased.
“Really?”
“Why do you not believe that I could love you? You are smart and sassy and confident and funny, and sexy to boot. A man would be a complete moron to pass on you, and I’m no moron.”
Jill smiled. “No, you are definitely not a moron.”
“So let’s toast to many, many more years as perfect…no, even more perfect than this one. To you and to me. To us.” In ritual fashion they clinked their glasses together and sipped the champagne, Jill giggling as tiny bubbles tickled her nose. “And I love the way you laugh,” Greg grinned.
“To moving in together,” Jill agreed.
Oh, to so much more than that, he thought.
*****
The two men each ordered a salad to start their meal; William a Cobb Salad with Bleu Cheese dressing and Lewis a Caesar Salad. They ate, not talking much, and when the waitress removed their empty plates, Lewis cleared his throat.
“So, Erica spoke to you today.”
“Yeah, she did,” William replied, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading.
“That’s good. You haven’t seen each other in a while?”
“Not since I left for my sophomore year of college.”
“So well over twenty years.”
“Yep.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“Nothing, I, ah, just, nothing.”
William hadn’t thought about mentioning to Lewis that they were going to dinner the following evening, but as the uncomfortable silence grew, he decided to put it out there to see what his response would be. “We’re going to have dinner tomorrow evening. I hope that you’re okay with that.”
“Course! Why wouldn’t I be? What she chooses to do and who she sees is no concern of mine. We’re not married any more. Haven’t been for a long time.”
“Good. I just thought you should know.”
“It’s fine with me,” Lewis said as he lifted the beer bottle to his lips. “Fine with me.”
As the waitress delivered their entrees, William got the distinct impression that perhaps it wasn’t as fine as Lewis wanted him to believe. But as he said, they weren’t married anymore and Erica could have dinner with whomever she chose. And William wasn’t going to lose his nerve…again.
*****
Evan thought it was a miracle they figured out how to put Gracie in the car seat on their first try. Buckled in and still asleep, Evan hoisted her up
and Annie threw the diaper bag over her shoulder and they made their way to the elevator.
As they stepped inside once the doors slid open, they were met with gushes over the baby they carried. Offers of congratulations were made by everyone as they got on and off the elevator. Annie decided it was the longest ride in her life, but she graciously accepted the compliments with a smile and a nod of her head. As they walked through the front doors, Evan suddenly stopped and swung around.
“We need to see Dr. Cole!”
“I’m fine,” Annie insisted. “Let’s just go. We have no idea how long she’s going to sleep.”
“No. We promised her and we’re going back.”
Pouting for a moment, Annie didn’t move but finally followed Evan back through the sliding glass doors and walked to the ER. Evan headed straight for the woman behind the glass window and explained why they were there to which the woman smiled and asked them to have a seat while she located the doctor.
They sat and sat and sat and just when Annie told Evan it was ridiculous and they should leave, Dr. Cole appeared and asked them to follow her back to one of the triage rooms.
“And who is this beauty?”
“This is our daughter, Gracie,” Evan beamed. “She is three days old and our little miracle.”
“We thought we’d never have a child, yet here we are. We sign off on the rest of the adoption papers tomorrow and then we fly back to Oklahoma the day after that with our new baby. Truly a miracle.”
“Yes. There seems to be a few miracles today,” Dr. Cole smiled. “Annie, we need to talk about the tests we ran earlier today. But first, let’s take your blood pressure and a couple of other things and let’s see how you’re doing. Okay?”
Annie nodded and Dr. Cole stepped out of the room and a nurse entered and put the cuff on her arm and took her temperature and her pulse. She wrote everything down on a piece of paper and then left just as quietly as she came in.
Gracie moved and she promptly had both her parents’ complete attention. She wiggled, yawned and was back in a sound sleep, never even opening her eyes. They didn’t hear the doctor sneak back in.
“Annie.”
She jumped at her name. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry, the baby…”
Dr. Cole smiled. “She is going to be front and center of everything you do from here on out, well at least for the next few months.”
“Yes, I’m sure she will be,” Evan smiled. “And we will enjoy every second.”
“Annie? When was your last period?”
“No clue,” Annie admitted. “I’ve been so messed up with all the hormones and stuff and when we quit doing them, things have taken a while to get back to normal. Why?”
“Annie, part of the standard blood work we did today was a pregnancy test. We do that on any woman of child bearing age. Well, the test came back positive. You’re pregnant.”
“No, I can’t have children. We’ve tried for years and years. The test is obviously a false positive. We’ve had those in the past and…”
“Annie,” Dr. Cole smiled, “you’re going to have a baby.”
11.
WILLIAM AWOKE THE FOLLOWING morning feeling optimistic and renewed. His dinner with Lewis had started the reconnection and he hoped it would continue to build. After spending time with his brother, he realized how much he’d missed having a relationship with his family. He should be in deep mourning over the loss of his father, but quite frankly, he barely knew the man. The saddening thought gave him more determination to not allow the same thing to happen with Lewis. They would get to know each other. They would come to love one another and they would treasure the bond. His goal was set and perfectly attainable.
His suit had been dry cleaned and returned to his room, so he dressed in preparation for the meeting with his father’s attorney. He had no idea whatsoever what his father owned before his death, other than the house, and he had no desire to profit from that. Lewis could have it all. William didn’t need it, and he would feel enormous guilt if he took it, any of it. He hadn’t been a real son in a very long time. Lewis had been there for their father. If someone was to benefit from the will, it should be him.
As he was tying his tie, a text message appeared on his phone, the bell alerting him. He finished the Windsor knot and picked up his phone to see a question from Erica. What time do you meet with the lawyer? He quickly responded. Then another text. How long do you think it’s going to take? He really had no idea. He assumed it would be less than an hour but he wouldn’t be sure until he found out what the will entailed, so he replied with his uncertainty. Immediately another text popped up. Okay. I work till 4. Call me after that. Responding in the affirmative made him smile. She appeared anxious to see him. The thought made him deliriously happy…and hopeful.
*****
Jill’s eyes fluttered open to see the sheer curtains billowing with the cool breeze. It was still early…barely light outside. Sleeping beside her, Greg looked peaceful, his deep and slow breaths in a steady rhythm. She studied his face, the chin dimple she adored, barely visible under his goatee, the long eyelashes she envied, and the soft whiskers that tickled her skin when he brushed his lips across her body. Her eyes traveled to his shoulders and the scar from having his collar bone surgically repaired, the strong arms that were wrapped around her now, the smattering of dark hair across his chest and his flat taut stomach that she was so tempted to kiss. Greg took care of himself physically and she reaped the rewards.
But it wasn’t just his body she was powerfully attracted to. His mind was sharp and his intellect high. His sense of humor was dry and his smile contagious. He was generous, not only with his money, but with his time and knowledge. He’d set up scholarships for high school seniors who wanted to go into marketing. He provided new books every year for the local Head Start. He gave freely and without ever needing an ounce of recognition.
And he was in love with her. The thought brought a smile to her lips and a quickening of her pulse. She did love him, more than she dared to admit. She’d fallen hard despite the barriers she’d tried to erect in her heart’s defense. Without even realizing she was doing it, Jill ran her finger down his jawline which caused his eyes to blink open.
“Sorry,” her brows furrowed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“As long as you are laying in my arms, you can wake me anytime you’d like,” he offered with a sexy smile. “Now that I’m awake, what are you going to do with me?”
“Well, It’s too early to have breakfast,” she grinned.
“That depends on what you’re offering.” Greg pulled her close, his warm skin pressing against her.
“What would you like?”
“You…anyway I can get you.”
“Well right now I’m naked and my teeth need brushing and my hair is tangled.”
“I’ll take it!” he squeezed as he spoke. “You’re the most beautiful woman I know, even with your hair tangled and smelly breath,” he teased.
“Such compliments,” she laughed. “You flatter me, sir.”
“If I want you this badly when you claim to be at your worst, just try to imagine how much I want you when you feel at your best? Although, truly, for me, there’s not much difference.” His tone was serious and Jill believed every word. “I want you for breakfast,” he groaned, as he rolled over, pinning her underneath him. “I want you for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for a late night snack, and brunch on the weekends. I want you every day of the week for the rest of my life.”
“You know, you are getting older,” she teased, “and I’m not sure that…”
Greg silenced her with his lips claiming hers, his tongue possessing her mouth, simulating the act he was about to ardently relish. There was no more talking as their bodies communicated with one another, loving one another passionately. The sun rose, casting a brilliant golden glow on the water just feet from the hotel, but they didn’t see it. They were consumed with each other as their bodies joined and in unison crested the
highest peak of ecstasy only to fall into each other’s arms, limp, yet satiated as never before, the profound love they shared pouring between them and filling them with a powerful connection from which neither of them would ever be free.
“I love you, Jill Delaney.”
“I love you, too…forever.”
*****
At seven o’clock, Annie stood in the bathroom rinsing the bottle that Gracie had just mostly emptied. This little girl could eat, and did so every two and half hours. Grateful for the formula, she and Evan had taken turns feeding the baby through the night, although truthfully, neither of them slept much as Gracie lay between them in the king size bed. Probably still in shock from the events of the day, their minds and hearts were overwhelmed.
“How?” she asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.
“How what?” Evan asked sleepily.
“How am I pregnant?”
Evan laughed. “Well, boys and girls are different. And when two people love each other…”
Annie sat beside him on the edge of the bed and slapped his arm. “I’m being serious!”
“So am I,” he smiled.
“We did everything and nothing worked. For years, we tried every trick known to man. Fertility doctors, Naturopaths, hypnosis, acupuncture, eating seaweed…everything!”
“Yep. And now that you’re no longer stressed about getting pregnant, you’re body…I don’t know…relaxed?”
“Yeah. I always loved hearing a doctor tell me to eliminate stress from my life and let nature take its course. Like I could relax when I kept failing to get pregnant!”
“We! We failed together, Annie. We’re in this together. And now we succeeded. Go figure! I have no idea how your mind works sometimes, so I’ve no clue about your body,” he laughed.
They both looked down at Gracie, sound asleep, her thumb in her mouth, sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, a look of overwhelming terror flashed across Annie’s face. Her breath instantly became shallow and tears started to pour down her cheeks.
