by Ancelli
Brandon continued down the hallway to Kanielle’s hospital room with the bouquet in his hand. He opened the door, and glanced around, looking for a spot to place them. He smiled looking at the things he brought by three days ago. He stepped in, strolling over to the table next to the small bed. Brandon placed the flowers on the table, and took a seat in a chair on the right side of the room. Why couldn’t Dr. Howard just tell him what he already knew over the damn phone?
The door slowly opened, and Kanielle entered with Robert right behind her.
Kanielle was the first to see him. “Brandon…” her lips curled into a smile, looking at the roses. “They’re beautiful.” She walked over to where he was seated, and bent down giving him a hug. He didn’t expect the embrace, especially in front of her ex-husband. “Thanks,” she whispered in his ear, giving him goose bumps. Her voice sounded so sweet to his ears. And Kanielle smelled sweet too, her soft, floral scent was becoming addicting. He needed to move on from this chapter in his life, and today was the ending. Brandon would move on without glancing back.
“You’re welcome.” He gazed at her as she moved away. Kanielle looked better than the last time he saw her.
“Flowers,” Robert mumbled under his breath, looking at the bouquet.
Kanielle didn’t know he stopped by when she was asleep days ago, and said his goodbye. Brandon stood, “Congratulations on your baby.”
“Thanks… The gummy bears are almost done,” she chuckled. “And Coral will love the teddy bear.”
Robert twisted around, and looked at the other items he’d given her. “He sent you those?” His nostrils flared when she didn’t answer. He closed his mouth and mumbled something under his breath. Kanielle acted like he wasn’t there.
“I heard you tried to see her.” She stared at him.
“I did.” Brandon wanted to say goodbye to the baby too, but only her parents and grandparents were allowed to visit the baby.
“You can see her when I take her home,” she smiled.
“The hell he will,” Robert uttered.
“How are you feeling?” Brandon eyed her.
“I’m being discharged today,” Kanielle slowly walked over to the bed, gazing at Brandon. Something was wrong, why was she ignoring the man, when he just saw her talking to him in the NICU?
Robert glared at him, passing by Kanielle.
“I apologize for Maggie asking for…”
“She’s crazy,” Robert shook his head chuckling. “That woman needs to be on meds.”
“Robert,” She held onto the plastic frame on the side of the bed. “Don’t mind him,” she waved her hand. “She needs to hear it.”
Brandon took a few strides next to her and took her arm, helping her onto the mattress.
“She can take care of herself,” Robert stared at him, instead of helping the mother of his child. “She’s not impaired.”
Brandon lifted her onto the bed.
“Thanks,” she rolled her eyes at Robert.
There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Howard and Maggie entered the room talking.
“Good afternoon,” Greg said, without looking at anyone in particular. His features were unreadable. “I have the results,” he opened the file in his hand.
“We don’t need to hear that shit. She’s our daughter,” Robert voiced.
“What do they say?” Maggie asked. “I think I may already know the answer, but I want to hear it.”
Brandon couldn’t believe she still had hope.
“Mrs. Stokes,” Greg glanced over at Maggie. “You’re right, she’s not your daughter.”
“You see,” Robert said with a huge grin on his face. “You people can leave now.”
“Kanielle…” Brandon gazed at her. “Take care of your miracle.” Maggie’s eyes shined with unshed tears. He knew she was devastated, but how many times had he told her it wasn’t a possibility?
Robert grabbed Kanielle’s hand, and kissed it. “We will,” and she pulled free of his embrace. “Now leave.”
“Congrats.” Maggie gave the Richardson’s a fake smile.
“Brandon, don’t leave yet,” Greg turned the pages.
Brandon arched his eyebrow, why would Greg want him to stay? They weren’t her parents, what else did he have to say to him? “Why?”
“Bear with me.”
“Why do you need him to stay?” Maggie asked.
“Mrs. Stokes, you can stay if you wish.” Greg continued to flip the pages.
“I will,” she answered.
“Mr. Richardson…” Greg swallowed.
Something was definitely wrong. Beads of sweat rolled down Greg’s forehead, and he dug into his pocket and wiped his face with a handkerchief.
“What?” Robert roared.
“I had the lab run the test more than once to make sure the results were accurate.” He wiped his forehead again. “It seems that the technician did more than mix up your embryos.”
Brandon glanced over at Kanielle; she was too quiet, listening without saying a word. Her chest heaved up and down, signs that she was easing into a panic attack. He mouthed, “Breathe…”
“What are you fucking talking about?” Robert snapped. “She’s my daughter!”
He took a deep breath, “Mr. Richardson, she’s not your daughter.”
“I don’t think I heard you right,” Robert glared at Greg.
“Your DNA doesn’t match Coral’s. Her parents are Kanielle and Brandon.”
Maggie gasped, and Brandon’s heart stopped for a few seconds. “Say that again,” Brandon said as he moved closer to the exit.
Greg passed him the results. “Brandon, she’s your daughter.”
Brandon grabbed the document out of his hand, and read it, then watched Kanielle. “I have to go…” He rushed out of the room. He couldn’t breathe. Brandon paced from side to side, reading the results in the hallway.
“Brandon,” Maggie followed him.
He waved his hand at her. “Maggie, not now. Please go home!”
“You have a daughter,” tears ran down her cheeks. “While I have nothing.” She wiped her face with her fingers. “What are you going to do?”
“I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry, Maggie…” He ran down the hall, to the right and straight to NICU. Brandon placed his palms on the glass window. “My daughter…” Coral was gorgeous; he knew that from the moment he saw her.
Brandon strolled over to the entrance to Special Care. The nurses at the station questioned him, but he wasn’t on the list and they wouldn’t let him in. He was getting frustrated.
“I just found out I’m her father,” he combed his fingers through his hair. “Please let me see her, I need to let her know I love her.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the oldest nurse said. “I can’t let you in.”
Brandon leaned against the glass in the NICU, pulling out his cell from his pocket, and dialed. “Granny, she’s my daughter,” his voice cracked.
“What?” His grandmother raised her voice.
“She’s my daughter,” he said again, watching the baby in the plastic incubator. “She’s mine…”
“You said she wasn’t,” her voice softened.
“I was wrong,” he touched the glass. “Granny, I’ll have someone pick you up.”
“I’ll be ready. Congratulations, Bran, you deserve this. I love you.”
“Me too.”
Brandon only had two people in this world that he trusted, and that was his granny and Shawn. As soon as he ended the call with his granny, he called Shawn. He was in training and out of town, but he called anyway. “Dude, are you sitting down? I have a daughter!”
***
Kanielle was speechless, in shock. What did Greg just say? She covered her mouth with her hands. She glanced at Robert, the vein in his neck throbbed as he balled his fists. She was still mad at him for making her look like the bad guy to his parents, not telling them what he did, or that they were divorced. Kanielle never expected to hear those words c
ome out of Greg’s mouth. Coral is Brandon’s daughter! And then it hit her, her baby’s eyes. “Oh God,” how could that mix-up have happened. Greg said the lab technician switched the two embryos. How do you go from switching embryos to sperm swapping? They were two separate processes.
“Greg, I don’t understand,” Kanielle’s voice rattled. “You said she made a mistake with the embryos, not with the sperm and the eggs. How could this happen?”
“That little girl is mine!” Robert yelled. “You’re fucking lying.”
“It’s the truth.” Greg raised the document he had in his hand in the air, and then glanced over at Kanielle. “Trish mixed up the vials with the sperm in them.”
She took several deep breaths.
“Trish!” Robert roared.
“The lab technician, she has already been fired.”
“I don’t care if she was fired.” Robert massaged his temple with his index finger. “She’s not mine…” His voice rattled. “She has to be mine, my family… What will I tell my parents, my grandmother?”
Kanielle snapped out of the trance she was in, and took Robert’s hand, but he pulled away. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Robert, she is still your daughter, because she’s mine.” Kanielle’s voice cracked. “This doesn’t change anything. Brandon ran out of here like a bat out of hell, so he might give up his rights to Coral if we asked.” Kanielle had felt sorry for Robert over the past four days as he formed a bond with her baby. She saw the difference in him when he held her. She even heard him promise Coral that he was going change for her. She looked up at him, and his eyes were bloodshot red.
“Fuck!” he shouted. “My DNA doesn’t run in her blood, does it?” He shot daggers at her.
Kanielle covered her face with her hands. She could only imagine what Robert was going through. The baby he loved wasn’t his.
“She doesn’t deserve the way you’re speaking to her. It’s not her fault,” Greg mentioned.
“Shut the fuck up. I told you not to run that fucking test.” Robert roared. “This is your fault,” he pointed at Greg.
“You’d rather live with a lie?” Greg answered. “I was just as surprised by the results as you.”
“Get out!” The veins in Robert’s throat protruded as he shouted.
“Kanielle, are you going to be okay alone with him?” Greg studied her as she nodded her head. Robert paced from side to side, he wasn’t a fool to do something to her while she was in the hospital, and if he did she could defend herself. She looked at the nurses’ call button.
“I’ll check on you later.” Greg stepped back, she could tell he didn’t want to leave her alone.
“See you in court,” Robert said to his retrieving back, and then he pointed at her. “You, first the divorce, now this!”
“Robert, please calm down.” Kanielle was feeling so many emotions at once. Sadness for her ex, hurt for Brandon. This wasn’t what anyone expected to hear, a baby with her newfound friend; that would probably change too. He ran out after hearing the results. When Brandon looked at her before leaving the room, what she saw was regret. Apparently he didn’t want the baby, at least not with her, and now neither did Robert. After all was said and done Coral was her daughter.
“You bitch!” Robert hollered, getting closer to her. “Why couldn’t you have conceived the natural way? Then this wouldn’t have happened.”
Now it was her who was getting pissed, the nerve of him. It wasn’t her fault, why was she feeling guilty? “Watch how you speak to me,” her voice was vicious.
“I’ll speak to you however I want!”
Robert was so proud of being Coral’s father, he called everyone he knew, telling them about his little girl, and now that love had been snatched away. She knew he was in pain, and taking it out on her. It was written all over his face, his eyes were red with anger, but it was directed at the wrong person, blaming her for the infertility issues. Kanielle’s heart ached, but she felt herself getting angry with him. If he loved her as much as he claimed he did, he would love Coral regardless of who her father was. Because in the end, what happened wasn’t their fault, they were all victims to incompetence.
“You’re hurt, I understand that, but that doesn’t give you the right to call me a bitch. I didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t think I’m hurting too? I wasn’t expecting to hear I have a child with someone I barely know. However, she is my child, and if you can’t handle the situation, leave and don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”
Robert clenched his jaw, and balled up one of his fists, making her think he was going strike her. Kanielle placed her hands on the mattress moving away from him. His eyes were filled with anger as he strode closer to her bed, and then nudged her head with his finger.
Kanielle smacked his hand out of her face. “I have warned you repeatedly, if you ever touch me again, I will-” Kanielle shouted.
“You won’t do shit!” Robert ambled toward the door, opening it and walking out.
***
“Laura, let him in,” Greg said coming around the corner. “He is baby Richardson’s father.”
“But her dad just left about an hour ago,” the nurse replied.
Greg lifted his hand up, making her stop talking. “Place him on the list, and give him an ID band.”
The nurse thinned her lips, and rolled her eyes at both of them. “May I see an ID?” Brandon pulled out his wallet and handed her his driver’s license. She prepared an ID bracelet, and gave it to him. “Make sure you have identification when you check in.” She said, handing him back his identification. The nurse looked at Greg, “What should I do about Mr. Richardson?”
“Leave him on the list until the baby’s mother says otherwise,” Greg started walking. “Follow me.”
“But…” the nurse said.
Brandon placed his license back in his wallet, and put it in his pocket. He clipped the ID bracelet on to his wrist, and followed him over to the side while Greg gave him a couple of instructions. He didn’t have time to feel sorry for Robert at the moment. The look on Kanielle’s face when Greg told them he was the father was heavy on his mind. She was startled at first, but after a few seconds she just stared at him, not at Robert. What was she thinking? They didn’t ask for this. He would do anything to make things work with Kanielle, co-parenting, whatever she wanted. He would make sure they would be the best parents they could be to their baby.
“Thank you, Laura,” Greg stopped in front of two metal sinks with antibacterial soap, and scrubbing pads. “If it was up to me I wouldn’t let him see her,” Greg washed his hands, and proceeded to the NICU.
Brandon scrubbed his hands for three minutes, pulled on the hospital gown, and entered the Special Care Unit. He slowly strolled over to Coral’s incubator. He placed his hand over the plastic. This was his daughter; he examined her tiny form. She was of a caramel complexion, with a full head of curly black hair, and her cheeks were rosy. Brandon positioned his hands through the holes in the incubator. He gently stroked her cheek, making her turn her tiny mouth in his direction.
“Hey… I’m your daddy,” Brandon never thought those words would leave his lips. “I’m somebody’s dad…” He chuckled to himself.
Brandon watched the patches on his baby’s little chest connected to monitors on the wall. He observed the nurse checking the screens.
“What are those pads on her chest?” he asked still stroking her cheeks.
“Those patches monitor her vital signs, and body temperature.” She grabbed her chart. “She’s been stable since she was born, her lungs are mature. If everything continues the same and she gains some weight, she’ll probably be going home in three weeks tops.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” the nurse giggled. “She’s strong.”
“How much does she weigh?” Brandon touched her feet.
“Four pounds, three ounces.” The nurse answered. “Good afternoon, Dr. Howard,” she said and continued to move on to the other ba
by in the room.
“Greg, how’s Kanielle?” Brandon massaged the baby’s hands.
“She’s in shock,” Greg looked at Coral. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for everything you, Maggie, and the Richardsons are going through.” He patted Brandon’s shoulder. “You and Kanielle have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes we do, because I don’t plan on letting her go…” Coral squeezed his index finger.
“Who?” Greg smiled. “Coral or her mother?”
Brandon stared at the doctor. “I don’t plan on letting my daughter go, so Robert better stay out of my way.”
“Watch out for him, I heard Kanielle mention something about asking you to give up your parental rights.” Greg mentioned. Brandon knew the doctor didn’t care for Robert.
“Let them try,” Brandon combed his baby’s hair with his fingers. “We didn’t ask for what was given to us, but that doesn’t mean I will walk away from my child. I can’t believe Kanielle entertained that thought.” Brandon was hurt that she mentioned giving up his rights.
“Kanielle was trying to calm him down,” Greg responded. “She’s a good woman, she’s confused.”
“All of us are,” Brandon moved away from the incubator. “What did he do?”
“He’s hurt, and he is lashing out at the one person that’s always been there for him. He is all about himself now.” Greg started to unlatch the opening on the incubator, and removed the top. “Not once did he ask her how she was doing. Kanielle has been through a lot, she’s a very good woman.” Greg looked around the room. “Mindy, she needs changing,” Greg told the nurse on duty.
“I’ll be right there,” she grabbed a diaper and wipes, and walked over.
Greg and Brandon moved to the side. As the nurse wiped her, Coral cried her little lugs out, making Brandon chuckle. That was the first time he heard her make a sound. “She has a great set of lungs,” he said proudly.
“Oh yes she does, you and Kanielle have nothing to worry about. Her lungs were developed as you can see” Greg smiled.
Brandon eyed the doctor; he had to ask. “Do you have a thing for Kanielle?”
Greg rapidly turned around facing him. “No…” He showed Brandon his wedding band.
