The Journey Collection

by Lisa Bilbrey

  “Your baby does not have patience, Penelope. A couple more pushes and she’ll be here,” Dr. Chan instructed. He looked up at her. “You can do this. Just focus on your husband.”

  “Okay,” Penelope muttered, her voice shaking.

  Tightening her hands around Travis’s once more, she began pushing once again. Travis watched in awe as Penelope struggled to deliver their baby — their daughter. Three pushes later, the room fell silent as they waited for the sweetest sound to fill the air. A moment later, his daughter’s cry filled the air. Travis was unable to keep the tears from falling. Pressing his forehead against Penelope’s, he whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Penelope cried, clinging to him.

  “Yes, she is.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Travis tapped his foot nervously and watched the numbers above the elevator light up one at a time: six, five, four. Time felt like it was standing still, and a lifetime passed in the minutes it took for ‘One’ to glow. The door slid open, but Travis had to wait for an older couple to step off before he could enter and press the button that would take him to the fifth floor. A foolish grin covered his face. Today marked the start of a new journey.

  Once the doors slid open again, he walked out, not needing to stop at the nurse’s desk to ask where to go. He had just left the hospital for ten minutes, and he knew which room he needed. He whistled under his breath, some song he’d heard on the radio but the title of which he hadn’t yet learned. It had been an up-tempo song; the lyrics were about finding hope and love. Travis had already found those in his family.

  Travis stopped in the doorway of room 524, and his smile grew. His Penelope was lying in the hospital bed with Max sitting on the far side, one arm draped over his mother’s knees. Tears burned the corners of his eyes at the sight of his family. Just twenty-four hours before, they had been standing in the middle of their kitchen, and now, he had two children with the woman who had owned his heart since he was a teenager.

  “Hey, you,” Penelope called, breaking through Travis’ inner ramblings. “Why are you just standing there?”

  “Just watching.” Travis pushed off the doorframe. He walked over to her, leaned down, and kissed her.

  “Get a room already,” Max groaned. Travis and Penelope laughed. “Seriously, Dad, the last thing she needs right now is you slobbering all over her.”

  “Hey, I decide what I need.” Penelope scowled, reaching up and grabbing Travis’s shirt. She pulled him down, brushing her lips against his.

  “Ugh, gross,” Max whined. Travis ignored his son, shoved a gift into his hand, and handed Penelope a rose. Max let out a “heck yeah!” when he saw the new football video game Travis had bought him.

  Penelope’s lips began to tremble. “Yellow roses are my favorite. How’d you know?”

  “Because I know everything about you, and I love you,” Travis whispered. “Thank you.”

  “For what? I should be thanking you for the rose, goofy.” Her eyes were full of amazement.

  A low whimper drew their attention to the small plastic bassinet that had been pushed against the wall. Travis stood up and walked over to it, gently lifting the small baby that was swaddled in a white blanket. He turned back to Penelope, unable to keep his tears from falling. “You gave me a family.”

  “Oh, Travis,” she cried, shaking her head.

  He settled on the edge of Penelope’s bed, placing their daughter in her arms.

  “She looks like your mother.”

  Travis pulled the other gift onto his lap and pulled the top off the box. He lifted out a small, brown teddy bear. Laying it between his daughter and his wife, he leaned in and kissed the baby’s head. “My little Loralie.”

  ***

  About the Author

  Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.

  In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.

  Her works Include:

  Novellas:

  Life’s Unexpected Gifts

  A Season of Change

  The Apartment

  Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams

  The Journey Home (The Journey Collection, #1)

  The Journey of Champions (The Journey Collection, #2)

  The Journey to Forever (The Journey Collection, #3)

  The Journey to a New Life (The Journey Collection, #4)

  Whispers of Time Gone By

  Novels:

  Angel’s Heart: The Keeper (Angel’s Heart Series)

  ***