by Vicki Green
“Oh sweet Jesus! I’ll get some towels,” Mom screams.
“Fuck towels! Someone drive us to the hospital!” I yell back trying to open the door to the garage.
“I’ll call 9-1-1,” Dad yells.
“NO! They’ll take too long. For fuck’s sake, just drive us.” My patience is completely out the window but right now, I need to get her some help. Finally, I manage to open the door and carry her to my car. By the time I get into the backseat and make sure she’s as comfortable as she can be on my lap, Dad gets in the driver’s seat, and Mom gets in on the other side next to Keegan, covering her with a blanket. I look down at Keegan, how white her skin is, her body shaking in my arms. She lays her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. “Hurry, Dad. Please hurry.”
Three hours and miles of pacing later, we’re in the waiting room – still. Nobody has come and told us anything. I’m about to lose my shit. “This is fucking ridiculous!” I run my fingers through my hair and start towards the door. It opens just as I reach for the handle and I take a small step back.
“Mr. Rossi.” Dr. Romano stands before me.
“Where is she? Is she okay?” I’m shaking, almost afraid to know. She smiles. Mom and Dad come up behind me and I feel his hand on my shoulder, giving me support. “Keegan is fine. Now. She lost a lot of blood and I had to give her a transfusion.” She changes her stance, her brows lowering. “Mr. Rossi, I had to take your son by C-section.” I blink rapidly, my eyes filling with tears. He didn’t make it. My heart begins to race and my palms start to sweat. Keegan must be devastated or I wonder if she even knows. God. I need to go to her. Now. I begin to move when the doctor stops me. “He was in distress and she was hemorrhaging so I needed to get him out quickly.” She places her hand on my arm, giving me a sad look. “She’s in recovery.” I feel as though my entire world has crumbled – collapsed. But I straighten, swiftly. Now is not the time to think about my feelings.
“Take me to her.” No more talk, no more things reminding me what I could have lost. I need to be with her. I won’t have her wake up and be alone.
“Of course. Please follow me.” I start to follow her when I hear Mom’s voice behind me.
“We’ll be here waiting. Praying. Please tell her we love her.”
Now’s the time to man-up, Alex. It’s time to be the best man for her. She needs you now, more than ever. Raising my chin, I walk down the hallway, ready to give her all the love and support I possibly can.
Epilogue
Alex
As the doctor leads me to a small room down the hall, she filled me in the entire way. When she stops at a doorway, I look inside at my sweet girl, sound asleep in the small hospital bed. I don’t hesitate and walk over, sitting down in the hard chair beside the bed. Immediately, I pick up her hand, covering it with mine and stare at her sleeping form. Her skin is still pale, her lips colorless.
“I’ll be back to check in on her. Call the nurse if she needs anything.” I nod, hearing the door close.
As I sit and wait for her to awaken, I begin to think about so many things. How we’ve been together for several months and how much I still don’t know about her. I know she was an orphan. I know she’s had no one that has truly loved her, which amazes me, but I also know she’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known. I’m perplexed how anyone could have given her up. I know she giggles when I tell the corniest jokes. That her body fits perfectly with mine when I make love to her. That she’s the most sincere, sweetest, and caring person I’ve ever had the pleasure to be with and still have no idea how in the hell I got this lucky to have her in my life.
Another hour goes by slowly and I’m still sitting here holding her hand. If only she’d give me a sign that she’s okay. Some small movement. As if she read my mind, her eyes open, and looks up into mine. “Hi,” I whisper, uncovering our hands and running my hand over her forehead. “Fuck, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” she says quietly, her voice raspy. We stare into each other’s eyes, hers worried while mine tear up. “I lost him, didn’t I?” Her chin begins to quiver. I start running my thumb over her forehead, my brows lowering.
“No, baby. He’s okay.” Her brows raise as tears fall from her eyes. “I was told that he was having trouble getting oxygen so they took him C-section.” Her chin trembles so I hold her hand more tightly. “They put him in NICU and he’s on oxygen but Dr. Romano said his chances are good.”
“God!” She looks up as more tears fall. “It’s my life. I doom everything – everyone I come in contact with. And now….” She sniffs and I get closer, still rubbing her forehead. “Our baby boy is struggling for his life.” She looks at me and the look on her face, in her eyes, breaks my heart. “I love him so much already and I haven’t even seen him yet. He didn’t even get a chance to really live.” I can’t take it anymore so I stand, bend down, and wrap my arms around her, letting her cry into my chest.
It was another hour before they took her to a private room. I had no idea until later that Dad had set it up to make sure it was private. It was already filled with get well flowers and congratulations, It’s a Boy balloons and stuffed animals. Word travels fast. Only, it isn’t exactly a happy time. Our little boy is struggling to breathe on another floor in a covered incubator with an oxygen tube taped to his little face, fighting for his life. Yes, Keegan said since she couldn’t see him, she wanted me to check on him. I didn’t want to go without her but she’s too weak to go, even in a wheelchair. So, I went. When I got off the elevator and asked at the nurse’s desk to see him, I followed a nurse down a hall and stopped at a glass window. She pointed to our left, luckily his small confines close to the window. He’s so tiny. His small chest moving up and down from the air being pumped into him. I grab a hold of the small ledge, feeling as if my knees could buckle as I look at his perfect face, wondering what color his eyes are. I don’t think many things could take me down to my knees but looking at my son in that small bed did. Slowly, I lower myself, staring at him and say a prayer.
The next day, I got to wheel Keegan down to NICU and we actually got to go into the small room. They even let us hold our son. We didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with him but it was enough. For now. Keegan cried and so did I but it was a relief to be with him.
A week later, we left the hospital without our son. It was one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever had to do. But I had to remain strong for Keegan. She was a horrible mess. Instead of going to my parents, we got a room at the hotel across the street from the hospital, not wanting to be far from him. Then the long road of visiting him twice a day began. In a few days, they let her feed him by bottle. It was so small. By the second week, we saw him three times a day, holding him, feeding, and changing diapers. By three weeks, Rica went shopping and brought Keegan and him some new clothes, and by the fourth week, we grew anxious to take him home. Only, we wouldn’t be going home for a while yet, needing to stay close to Dr. Romano for a while. At the fifth week, he was breathing so much better but the doctor wanted to wait one more week to be sure he was strong enough and able to breathe on his own without any complications.
The morning we went over to the hospital to get our son to take him to my parent’s house was the happiest day of our lives. The only obstacle is when we got there we were told he needed a name for the birth certificate before he left. All this time – all the worry for him, we hadn’t even talked about a name. Keegan looks at me and smiles, her face softening. “Paul Alessandro Rossi,” she says, matter of fact. My heart couldn’t be fuller than it is right at this moment. She wants to name him after my dad and me. I nod and watch as she writes it down on the paperwork.
That day and night, Paul got more attention than any baby ever could. Mom and Dad fawned over him. Rica, Luke, and Emma couldn’t get enough of him. Even my brothers were in awe of him. And me? I was the proudest dad who ever lived.
Two months later, Paul received a clean bill of health. It was difficult saying goodbye to my fami
ly but we left with promises to visit more often and threats – I mean, pledges of them visiting us as often as possible. I just wanted to get home, to our house, and be a family.
Keegan took to being a mom so easily while I fumbled my way around diapering and feedings but what I could give him readily was all the love I possessed. By the time he turned one, Keegan and I got married in our backyard, with my family, along with Stacey and Lani, there to help celebrate. It was small, intimate – it was perfect.
I looked into her eyes, cupped her face and smiled. “Only you, baby. Only you.”
I never thought I’d ever meet the right woman, settle down, and now, I couldn’t think of my life without Keegan and Paul. Oh! And the next little bundle of joy is snug in my girl’s womb. Life couldn’t be better!
The End
More Books by Vicki
Forever Series
My Savior Forever
Together Forever
Soul-Mates Forever
Razers Edges (sequel novella to Soul-Mates Forever)
Country Love Series
Country Heaven
A Taste Of Country
Love Of Country
Country Bliss (sequel novella to Country Heaven)
Back To Country
A Country Love Christmas (Coming Soon!)
Stand Alone
Finding My Way Home
Reclaimed
Time’s Up!
Just Be You
Heartache Series
The Loss
The Regret
The Heartbreak (Coming Soon!)
Touched Series
Touched
Forgiven
Trusted
Beyond Love Series
Sacrifice For Love
Falling For Love
Longing For Love
Book Boyfriend Series
My Next Book Boyfriend
Passion, Vows & Babies
Don’t miss out on all the other stories available in the Passion, Vows & Babies Kindle World! They’re all crossover stories with characters from the Sex & Vows and/or Yeah, Baby series by Fiona Davenport.
Acknowledgments
My acknowledgements will be short and sweet. Many thanks to my Editor, KM Krick, for not only making my words pretty but always being there for me. Our friendship has blossomed over the last four years and I’m truly grateful.
My PA, Melissa. Thank you for always lending an ear to brain storm with me and help me in every way.
Thank you to all in the Passion, Vows & Babies Kindle World for allowing me to write a story in your world. Big thank you to Elle Christensen for making my cover so gorgeous!
Readers, thank you for reading Only You, Baby. I hope you love Alex and Keegan’s story as much as I loved writing it. Alex – swoon!
About the Author
Best Selling Author of Romance and Romance Suspense, Vicki Green lives in Kansas with her husband and their two sons, as well as their three dogs that rule their house. She loves spending time with her family and furbabies.
Goodreads Author
Instagram
Greens Gabbers Readers group
Newsletter
BookBub
www.vickigreenauthor.com/
