by Elsie Davis
Pastor Richard’s sermon touched on love and family and hope, the message strong and powerful. Ryan let every word push him toward a better understanding and acceptance of the situation with Bella.
“That was a beautiful sermon. I hope Holly did okay.” Grace smiled, holding Ryan’s hand.
She started to rise, but Ryan resisted, encouraging her to sit back down. “I’m sure she’s fine. You haven’t vibrated at all this morning.” He laughed. “I want to share something with you.”
“What is it?” Grace asked, sitting back down next to him.
“I heard from Bella last night and she wants to meet me. And I’ve agreed.”
Grace grinned, her eyes lighting up in excitement. “You did? That’s great. What did she have to say? Tell me everything.” Women liked to be right and Grace was no exception.
“The short version is that after she was placed with a new family, they moved away. Apparently, she called the agency several times to talk with me, but they wouldn’t give out personal information regarding my placement. After she turned eighteen, Bella started writing letters to the agency a couple of times a year, hoping to find out where I was living. The agency claimed they talk to my foster parents to see if they were agreeable to a meeting, but they always said no.
“And after I turned eighteen and aged out of the system, the agency lost track of me for a while. Bella never stopped trying to find me. It was only like five years ago when I contacted them regarding some personal information I needed, that they got a new address for me and started sending me letters every so often, indicating Bella’s request for my information. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in agreement for my own misguided reasons and always said no. Until you changed my mind.”
Grace hugged him, her joy overflowing. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Last night, I emailed her back and agreed to meet but I still had some mixed feelings about my decision. But after today’s sermon, I know this is right. I’m looking forward to when Bella arrives.”
“I think that’s the best decision ever. I’m so proud of you. Tell me what you know about her. This is fantastic.” Grace excitement was contagious, not that he didn’t already have some of his brewing.
“Bella’s a nurse and lives in California, is married, and has three kids. I’m an uncle, if you can believe it? Three times over.” Ryan grinned. He couldn’t wait to meet his niece and nephews, but unfortunately, it wouldn’t be this trip. Bella wanted the two of them to have a chance to get to know one another again, without the added pressure of tossing kids in the mix.
“That’s incredible. You’re going to be a wonderful uncle, I’m sure. Remember, I’ve seen you with Holly. I have it on good authority you’re a softie,” Grace teased.
“The best decision I ever made was not letting you out of my life.” He brought her hand to his lips, his kiss more reverent and meaningful in the house of God. Like a promise.
Grace rewarded him with one of the heart-warming smiles he loved so much. “When’s she coming?”
“Next week. Bella was anxious to meet. She thought we’d waited long enough.” He grinned.
Ryan took her hand and they left the sanctuary to pick Holly up from the nursery. They still had to get to O’Malley’s for their reservation and his next surprise. The place was packed when they arrived, but the server led them right to their table.
Grace smiled up at him, her eyes lit with joy as she spotted her mother and sister already at the table. “You didn’t tell me they were coming.”
“What can I say? I’m addicted to the smile that comes with surprising you.” He leaned over and dropped a kiss on Grace’s forehead, doing the same with Holly. My package deal.
“Hi, Mom. Faith,” Grace said as Ryan pulled out a chair for her at the head of the table, Holly’s high chair next to it.
Grace was the guest of honor today, even if her mother was also celebrating. A first Mother’s Day was always special.
Faith reached for Holly, happy to see the baby. “How’s my little munchkin?”
“She’s doing great. And a happy baby makes a happy mom,” Grace said, laughing.
Ryan could tell she was bursting with excitement to share the news, something he’d let her do in her own time.
“Speaking of, I thought you said Karen was picking her up Friday?” Judith asked. It was all the opening Grace would need.
“She was, or so I thought. I have news. Big news,” Grace said, enjoying the moment of suspense.
“What is it, honey?” Grace’s mother asked, reaching over to take Holly from Faith. Everyone wanted a piece of the baby action. Holly would never have a shortage of love all around her as she grew up.
“We have a new member to welcome to the family.” Grace’s grin reached from ear to ear, the light shining in her eyes full of love as she glanced at her new daughter.
“You’re getting married?” Judith asked, a stunned expression on her face.
“You’re pregnant? I thought…” her sister said, stopping before she completed the sentence.
They were both on the wrong track, but Ryan couldn’t help the tiny twinge of pleasure that came with the thought of him and Grace doing both. Getting married and having a baby. He’d come a long way in his line of thinking since meeting Grace, and at times, it still surprised him.
“It’s not what you’re thinking. You all know that can’t happen.” Grace stood, picked up Holly, and turned back to the table to make her big announcement. “But I would like you to meet Holly soon-to-be Baxter, my daughter.” Grace beamed, kissing Holly’s cheek.
The name change had been agreed upon by Karen as the best way to keep Holly from growing up confused. When the time was right, Grace would tell her the truth about Aunt Karen.
“What? Whatever do you mean?” Judith asked.
“Karen gave Holly up for adoption. To me. I’m her new mom, or I will be once the legal proceedings are finished.” Grace said the words as though they were the most cherished words she’d ever uttered.
“What a surprise. I can’t believe my sister never said a thing,” Judith said, staring up at the baby. “I guess that makes you my new granddaughter, sweet pea.” Holly reached down to pick at the hair clip in her grandmother’s hair.
“And I’m Aunt Faith. I love it.” Faith got up to hug and kiss Holly, overjoyed with the news. “Congratulations, Grace.” She hugged her sister.
The women took turns holding Holly, fawning over the new addition to the family. Poor kid must feel like she was on a merry-go-round. Not one to be missed, Ryan equally took his turn to capture his favorite baby’s attention.
“By the way, what’s Ryan doing here? I thought you lost your job.” Faith asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Judith’s joy cooled considerably. “You lost your job? And you have a new baby. Oh, my.”
“She did lose her job. It was a temporary moment of insanity on my part, and I’ve convinced her to come back to work for me,” Ryan spoke up, feeling he was the one that owed them an explanation. It was better to take any blame off Grace. He wanted today to be perfect.
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Faith pressed the subject.
“I’m here to celebrate Grace’s first Mother’s Day with her because I care about her and Holly, and not just professionally.”
“So, you love her?” Faith asked, charging ahead for the answer she wanted to hear. She’d make a great aunt and protector for Holly, the same way she was doing for Grace.
Ryan laughed and nodded. “I do.”
Judith and Faith wore equally stunned faces as the server approached the table, topping off their juice and coffee, and giving the two women a chance to recover.
Ryan’s phone rang, breaking the silence. “Sorry. It’s Jordan, and I should take this.”
“Go right ahead. The food should be here any minute.” Grace said, eyeing him with interest.
“Hey, Jordan. What’s up?” Ryan asked, lowering his voi
ce out of respect for the others at the table.
“I wanted to let you know I checked into the promo code you sent me, and the sales are no coincidence. The numbers are up because of the marketing plan Grace put into place. You’ve got to hire her back. And hire someone else to be your assistant. We want her full-time in marketing. Stat.”
He’d sent the info to Jordan, hoping to get answers before the weekend was over. Preferring to spend his time with Grace and Holly, he’d entrusted his partner to do the legwork. After all, Jordan was the one who’d hired Grace in the first place, and it was a great opportunity for him to prove he’d made the right decision.
Ryan didn’t need the numbers to know she was perfect. “Relax. It’s already done.” He glanced over at Grace, only to find her watching him, curiosity in her expression.
“What? How did you make that happen?” Jordan grilled him for answers.
“I’ve got my ways.” He chuckled. “But I’ll tell her the good news. I’m with her now at O’Malley’s.”
“Interesting,” Jordan said, his tone more questioning than stating a fact.
“Yes, very,” Ryan agreed, laughing as he disconnected the call. He took Grace’s hand, a move both mother and sister didn’t seem to miss as all eyes turned to him. “Jordan just confirmed that our success last week was due to you and your remarkable idea, and he said to hire you back. Stat.” He chuckled. “Told you I could handle the investors. He also said not to let you get away. I think he’s right.” Ryan lifted her hand to his lips. There would be no doubts left at the table as to his affection or intent.
Grace blushed. “Let’s just hope you don’t change your mind the next time I make a mistake,” she teased.
“The mistake was all mine in letting you go. A man likes to think he’s learned from his mistakes. I don’t intend to let it happen again, personally or professionally.”
Holly started bouncing up and down on Grace’s lap, demanding her full attention.
“Mama,” Holly said, much to the excitement of everyone at the table.
“Did you hear that?” Grace said, her eyes tearing. “She said it once before, but we weren’t sure, and I wasn’t her mom, but I am now.” Grace hugged the baby. “Yes, honey, I’m your mama. Say it again. Ma-Ma.” Grace was using her baby talk voice, something she did frequently.
Holly grabbed for Grace’s earring, ignoring her mother’s attempts for a repeat performance.
Sitting around the table amidst laughter and fun, Ryan realized what he’d been missing in his life. Grace had turned out to be his saving grace. Ryan leaned over to whisper in Grace’s ear. “I love you. Today, tomorrow, and always. Both of you.”
Grace flushed with pleasure; her gaze full of love. She didn’t have to say the words, he could feel the emotion radiating from her.
“I love you, too.” She might not have had to say the words, but he sure liked hearing them.
He leaned in, intent on kissing her, but Holly had other ideas. She reached out, wrapping her arms around their necks, pulling them together for a group hug.
Epilogue
Six months later…
Grace watched as Holly ran toward Ryan, her arms outstretched. “Daddy, Daddy, pick up,” she asked. It was one of Holly’s favorite games when Ryan would lift her over his head and play helicopter. Lucky ran around the yard, barking excitedly and joining in the game.
Married now for five months, Grace’s love for her new husband and daughter continued to grow. Ryan was leaving the option of adopting another baby up to her, a decision she’d put off making until things settled after moving into their new home. The house had a huge backyard much to the delight of Holly who loved swinging on the swing set, and to Lucky who simply loved being outside.
During that time, World Sport Inc. had grown at a rapid pace, and two new stores had been set up based on the results of her marketing contest. Grace had been more than relieved when Ryan opted to let Jordan open the new locations, choosing instead to stick around New Hampshire with her and Holly.
Bella’s visit had been a blessing. Time and conversation managed to put the two siblings back on the same page, and Ryan had even flown to California to meet his niece, nephews, and Bella’s husband, Glen. And now, they all were coming for Thanksgiving. Luckily, the new house had plenty of room.
The only problem was that between Holly, maintaining a full-time job, and then buying a new house and moving in, Grace had worn herself out to the point of exhaustion. With Bella coming next week, she’d finally relented to Ryan’s suggestion that she make an appointment with Dr. Duncan.
Ryan was a worrywart for sure, even staying home this morning to take her to the Hallbrook Medical Center for her appointment. The place was five minutes down the road, and yet he insisted on driving.
Grace hadn’t let on, but she was secretly relieved he was with her. This morning, she’d felt worse than usual, not to mention, her stomach was bloated, and she’d been gaining weight. It was as though her polycystic disease had returned. Her symptoms resembled everything she remembered from when she’d been diagnosed at the age of eighteen.
She’d been telling everyone she was just tired and under the weather. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Maybe her hormone prescription wasn’t strong enough anymore and needed to be adjusted.
“Ready to go,” Ryan asked, walking past her with Holly on his shoulders, but not before he leaned over to kiss Grace.
“Of course. Let me get my handbag.” Grace had explained her condition to Ryan but hadn’t told him she thought it was flaring up, not wanting to worry the worrywart.
He buckled Holly into her car seat and then drove them to the medical center.
“If you get Holly, I’ll go get checked in,” Grace said, grabbing the diaper bag and her handbag.
“Gotcha.” He smiled, his gaze lingering on her, love in his eyes.
Grace never grew tired of that look. It was reserved for her and only her, making her feel like the most cherished woman in the world. She checked in and then joined Ryan where he’d taken a seat in the lobby. They didn’t have to wait long before Grace was called to the back. Of course, Ryan came with her.
“Good morning, Dr. Duncan. Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.” Grace smiled, and the two men shook hands.
Ryan moved to sit down on the extra chair, trying to keep Holly occupied.
“Good morning. And no problem. I always like to leave a few slots open for established patients with unplanned needs. So, what seems to be going on?” Jake had become the town’s doctor when the old doctor retired several years ago. Other than annual physicals to keep her hormone prescription filled, Grace avoided doctor’s offices, having had enough of them when she was younger.
“I haven’t been feeling well the past few months, but I brushed it off as exhaustion from all the recent family and life changes.” She shot Ryan a smile, knowing all the changes were happy one involving him.
“I see. Any nausea, headaches, or vomiting?” Dr. Duncan asked.
“Some nausea for sure. No to the others. I’m bloated and putting on weight, but that could be because I’m eating more regularly now that I’m feeding a family.”
Dr. Duncan smiled. “Have a seat on the table and let me check a few things out.”
Grace did as he told her, hoping for a quick answer and the solution.
“How have you been sleeping?” he asked while using the stethoscope to listen to her heart.
“Not well. I toss and turn a lot.” At one point, she’d blamed it on the extra body heat in bed from her husband, but even a fan hadn’t made a difference.
“Take a couple of deep breaths,” he instructed.
Grace inhaled and exhaled several times as the doctor moved the stethoscope around to listen to her heart and chest.
“Everything sounds good. Any change in your periods?” he asked while using a light to check her eyes, ears, and nose.
“No. Irregular as always from the polycystic ovary syndrome. If anything
, they are shorter.” Grace shrugged. “I was wondering if my hormone dose might not be strong enough anymore.”
“It’s possible. But we have a few other things I’d like to check on before jumping to that conclusion.” His smile reassured her he didn’t think anything major might be wrong. “I’d like you to give a urine and blood sample while you’re here. The nurse will coordinate it, and then I’ll be back in, and we can talk some more.”
“Sounds good.”
Dr. Duncan walked out after stopping to talk to Holly, making her giggle when he blew up a latex glove and handed it to her.
“So far, he doesn’t sound overly concerned, which is a good sign,” Grace said, hopping off the table. She hated having her blood drawn, but in order to find out what was going on, it wasn’t like she had any choice.
“I agree.” Ryan smiled, setting Holly down. “I’ll wait here for you. The last thing I need to see is you getting blood drawn.”
“What? The mighty Ryan is a coward when it comes to blood?” She grinned, loving him even more for being willing to admit a weakness, especially since it was a weakness they shared.
“Yup.” He laughed, burying kisses into Holly’s neck and trying to make her laugh with him.
Grace left the room to talk to the nurse and the lab tech, wanting to finish up and go home. A nap sounded heavenly right about now, especially since she’d taken the whole day off for a change. Ten minutes later, she was back in the room with Ryan, waiting on the test results.
“Mama,” her daughter said, holding out her arms.
Grace took Holly by the hand and walked her around the room, pointing out pictures to keep her distracted and happy while they waited. They took turns as the entertainment committee, a toddler easily bored in a doctor’s office. Twenty minutes passed before Dr. Duncan returned, his nurse right behind him and pushing a machine into the room. Grace looked at Ryan for reassurance, fear settling in.
