Candace began to laugh. “That's not going to happen to you.”
Robin's water had broken in a huge gush of fluid that splashed across the floor. She was looking down, mouth open as if she was stunned. Then she said, “Darn. I really loved these slippers.”
Candace laughed even harder. “Come on, let's get you into bed, and I’ll call the doctor. You’ll be holding that baby in your arms anytime now!”
“That would be nice,” Robin said. “Can I just skip the next couple of hours?”
“Every woman on the planet wishes it worked that way,” Candace said dryly. Then she looked around as something occurred to her. “Where's Andrew?”
“He's at home catching up on some things,” Robin said. “I told him I’d call if I got discharged today.”
“Better call him right now,” Candace advised. “Contractions usually increase in length and severity after your water breaks.”
Robin looked a bit shaken as she sucked in her breath. “I’m having one right now.” Then her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled. “That wasn't too bad.”
According to her records, Robin had an epidural that prevented her from feeling the end stages of labor pain the last time, as well as a mild sedative to help keep her calm during what had been a terrible trauma. Oh, honey, Candace thought. Just wait. But, ever the diplomat, she merely said, “Let me get a wheelchair. We need to move you down to one of the birthing suites and get you on a fetal monitor.”
“A wheelchair! I can walk,” Robin assured her.
“Probably,” said Candace, “but for the sake of our liability premiums, it's a rule that all patients must be moved in a seated or reclining position, unless specifically noted.” She delivered the line in a singsong tone that indicated she was reciting something very familiar.
Robin rolled her eyes and laughed. “Sheesh. Okay then, find me a chair. I’m ready to have this baby, even if it is a little early. I just want to hold him or her in my arms.”
It didn't take long at all to move Robin into a birthing suite and help her don one of the maternity nighties she had brought along. At Hope Haven, laboring mothers were encouraged to bring along their own clothing when it conformed to hospital standards. It was part of the birthing suite experience to make the laboring woman feel more at home.
By that time, Andrew had arrived in a frantic rush. “Am I late? Is it time?”
“It's not time,” Candace said, pushing him into a chair. “Take a deep breath. You’re going to be here for a while.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
ROBIN'S LABOR PROGRESSED FAIRLY QUICKLY. Although her first child had not lived, her body had been through the labor and delivery process before; and second labors often went faster. Candace stayed throughout the evening. Dr. Carpenter checked in a couple of times, pronouncing that labor was progressing nicely as Robin dilated steadily.
“You’re doing great,” the doctor told Robin. “Keep up the good work.”
Robin grimaced as another contraction gripped her. “Do I have a choice? It's not like I can take a break!”
Andrew laughed, and Candace laid an understanding hand on Robin's. “It can be a little scary, can't it? I felt as if I was just along for the ride, as if my body had taken over and knew exactly what needed to happen, and my participation was definitely optional.”
Robin nodded, as Andrew coached her to breathe. “Exactly. This is going to happen whether I want it to or not.” Her voice quavered. “But I do want it to.”
At 7:45, Robin announced she was hungry for lemon sherbet. Candace smiled sympathetically as she shook her head. “Trust me,” she said, “it would be a really bad idea to put anything in your stomach right now.”
Robin frowned. “But I really, really am dying for it. I can almost taste it!”
“Almost will have to do,” Andrew told her.
Robin turned and glared at her husband. “Some help you are!”
“Oh, good,” Candace quickly intervened. “You’re starting into transition.”
“How do you know without examining me?” The words had deflected Robin's ire.
“Because a deteriorating attitude often is a strong indicator of it,” Candace told her, trying to be tactful. “Let me call Dr. Carpenter.”
Robin groaned as an especially strong contraction hit. “Oh, that hu-u-urts.”
“I know,” Candace soothed. “Your cervix is dilating the rest of the way now. Each contraction is a good sign that you’re getting close to being able to push that baby out.”
Dr. Carpenter arrived quickly. After examining Robin, she gently lowered the sheet and smiled at the young mother. “You’re almost there. This is going fast.”
“Good.” Robin was puffing and panting. Minutes later, she announced, “I have to push!”
“Wait! Don't push.” Candace ran to the door. Dr. Carpenter was standing in the hallway, and she returned immediately. Sitting down on a low stool at the foot of the bed, she examined Robin, then said with a great deal of satisfaction. “Go ahead and push, Mrs. Overing. Your baby's ready to join your family!”
With Andrew's encouragement, Robin steadily pushed the baby down and out of the birth canal throughout the next hour. From his position by the head of Robin's bed, Andrew managed to take movies of the momentous occasion with one hand. The other was being mangled by his wife as she brought their child into the world. Finally, with one final effort, the infant slid into the doctor's hands.
Robin immediately said, “Is—”
But as the sounds of furious squalling filled the air, her question was answered. Tears began to roll down her face, as she turned to Andrew. “We have a baby!”
The young husband was crying too. “We do,” he said, leaning over to kiss his wife.
“It's a girl,” Candace told them. The child weighed five and a half pounds, which the doctor proclaimed was “a pretty good weight for an early bird.”
The baby was pink and healthy, and she continued screaming for all she was worth, prompting the neonatologist who had been called to say, “You could have saved me a trip. There's nothing wrong with this one!”
“Oh, she has a head full of dark hair,” Candace said as she tugged a tiny pink-and-white striped knit cap down over the baby's head. Expertly, she swaddled the infant, and then brought her over to lay her in Robin's arms. “Here you go.”
Andrew leaned over, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. He looked up at Candace, and there were tears in his eyes. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for all your guidance. It's been a difficult couple of months.”
Candace patted his shoulder. “The worst is behind you.” She chuckled, deliberately seeking to lighten the moment. “Unless you count all the sleepless nights you’re about to have.”
Andrew laughed.
Robin smiled. Then she turned her head and gave Andrew a meaningful look.
Her husband handed the video camera to Riley Hohmann, who also was in the room. “Could you…?”
“Sure thing.” Riley took the camera. “I do this all the time.”
Andrew turned back to Candace and cleared his throat. “We have a special surprise for you.”
Candace was bewildered. “What? You’re supposed to be getting gifts, not giving them!”
“You’ll like this one,” Robin promised. She held the baby up, and Candace automatically took the little bundle, smiling down into the tiny, wrinkled face as she patted and rocked gently, barely realizing she was making the motions.
“Candace Crenshaw,” Robin said, “meet Anna Candace Overing.”
Anna Candace—Candace couldn't absorb it. “You’re—you’re naming her after me?” she whispered incredulously. Tears rose and her throat swelled; she knew she was going to cry.
Andrew rose and placed his free arm around her, still holding Robin's hand with the other as he looked down at their new baby. “We couldn't think of anyone whom we’d rather she grew up to be like,” he said.
Robin was kept in the hospital so th
at she could begin her chemotherapy treatments the very next day. It had been her compromise with the oncologist, who had wanted her to start them immediately after the surgery, assuring her that chemo during the third trimester had been shown to be safe. Robin had hoped to put it off until she had breast-fed for several months, but she finally let go of that dream.
Now that she was able to hold little Anna in her arms, her first priority was ensuring her own good health so that she would have many years with her daughter.
Candace stopped in to visit with her for a few minutes before she began her treatments.
“Candace, I’ve made a decision,” Robin said.
“Oh? About what?”
Robin smiled. “I would like to volunteer to be interviewed for one of your articles. That is, if you still are looking for people. I owe this hospital and all of you so very much—”
“You know you don't ‘owe’ us anything,” Candace interrupted. “We just do our jobs.”
“You do far more than your jobs,” Robin replied. “And that's what I’d like to say. Hope Haven employs exceptional people…people like you. You have gone far above ‘just’ your job. You befriended me, you explained things in terms I could understand, you were honest with me, you nurtured my faith….
“Oh, Candace, you can't know how deeply Andrew and I appreciate everything you’ve done. Speaking out in support of the hospital would be a small way to thank you and everyone here at Hope Haven.” She looked around fondly. “What a wonderful place this is.”
Candace couldn't agree more. “It is very special,” she agreed. “I’ll pass your message on to Elena. I’m sure someone will be in touch with you.” She bent and gave the other woman a warm hug. “I will be praying for you during your chemo. Be sure to let me know how it's going.”
A week after the birth of Robin's baby, Candace sat on a bench in the park watching her children play when she saw a familiar couple walking hand in hand along one of the park's walking trails near the edge of the playground. The man wore a baby carrier snuggled against his chest, and Candace could see two tiny legs dangling from it.
“Brooke?” Candace called. “Could you please watch your brother for a moment while I go talk to someone?”
“Where are you going?” Brooke asked, ever-cautious. She already was playing with Howie. The two children had been swinging for nearly half an hour, with Brooke occasionally taking time out to push her little brother.
“Right over there.” Candace pointed to the couple.
“Okay.”
Candace rose and walked toward the edge of the playground. “Robin!” she called. “Andrew! Hello.”
“Hi, Candace.” Robin beamed as she and her family turned and began to walk across the grass toward her. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Candace said, smiling. “How are you three doing?”
Andrew grinned. “We’re great. Anna is already sleeping through the night, so we’re not even the typically sleep-deprived new parents.”
Candace laughed. “Lucky for you!”
“What are you doing here?” Robin asked. “Are your children here?”
“Right over there on the swings,” Candace said.
“I’d love to meet them,” Robin said, and by mutual accord, the three adults turned and headed for the swings.
“How's the chemo going?” Candace asked.
Robin shrugged her shoulders. “I haven't noticed any side effects yet, although it's still the early days. The doctor says different people tolerate it to varying degrees, so I’m hoping I’m one of the super-tolerant ones.” She grinned.
Candace chuckled. “I hope so too.” As they approached the swings, she said, “Brooke, Howie, these are my friends Mr. and Mrs. Overing and their new baby, Anna.”
Brooke immediately slowed her swing and jumped off the seat. “Hi! Can I see your baby?”
In contrast, Howie gave them an indifferent wave and pumped his legs to make his swing go higher.
Andrew laughed. “Yeah. That's about how I felt about grown-ups and babies when I was his age.”
Candace nodded wryly. “Mr. Manners, he's not.”
Robin smiled and held out a hand as Brooke approached. “Hello, Brooke. It's nice to meet you.” To Candace, she said, “She looks like you used to, although her coloring's different.”
Brooke caught the reference and glanced at her mother questioningly. Candace said, “Robin was my neighbor when I was growing up. I used to babysit for her when she was a little younger than you.”
“Wow!” Brooke received this news as if she’d just caught a glimpse of vital history, and both women laughed. “Way back in the day.”
“Yeah,” Robin said, still chuckling. “It was a long time ago.” She indicated the grass at their feet. “If we sit down, would you like to hold the baby?”
Brooke's eyes rounded. “Oh yes,” she said.
The four of them took a seat on the grass, and Andrew gently withdrew the baby from the sling. She was sleeping soundly, one little fist curled up near her mouth. Robin said, “She always sleeps like that. We expect her to start sucking her thumb any day.”
Robin took the baby from her husband and carefully laid her in the cradle of Brooke's arms, adjusting them slightly. “There. You always want to make sure you support the baby's head until she's old enough to hold it up by herself.”
“Okay.” Brooke looked down at the infant in her arms, and Candace had to suppress a chuckle. Brooke looked as though she was afraid to move. “She's beautiful,” the little girl said.
“Our baby has a very special name,” Robin told her.
“What?” Brooke breathed.
“Anna Candace.”
Brooke's eyes widened. “She's named after my mother?”
Robin nodded. “Yes. Your mother is a very special lady.”
“She is?” Brooke sounded surprised that other people noticed this, and Candace grinned.
“Thanks, kiddo.”
Brooke grinned back. “Aw, Mom, I didn't mean it like that.” She turned to Robin. “Why is my mom special to you?”
Robin heaved a sigh. “I was sick when I was expecting Anna. For a while, I was even afraid I might not live.”
Brooke's eyes grew so large they eclipsed the rest of her small face.
“But your mother,” Robin went on, “your mother would not let me think negative thoughts. She even went to my doctor's appointments with me and explained some of the scary medical stuff.”
Brooke smiled. “She's good at that.” She looked down at the baby in her arms. “What would have happened to your baby if you died?”
Robin looked a little taken aback.
“Brooke,” Candace began. “That's a very personal question—”
“But it's a good one, and I don't mind answering.” Robin's gaze met Candace's over the little girl's head. “I was worried,” she said, “because I would have hated to leave her when she needed me. But even if I did have to leave her, I knew she would be okay, because she had her daddy and grandparents to help.”
“My father died,” Brooke told her.
“I know,” Robin said softly. “That must hurt a lot.
Candace bit her lip, afraid that if she tried to speak, she might sob. Without even realizing it, Robin was addressing Brooke's deepest sorrow.
Robin went on. “I thought about it a lot when I was sick, and you know what I think?”
Brooke looked up at her. Candace noticed she was running one index finger very lightly over the baby's soft fuzzy hair.
Robin said, “I think that one of the reasons God gives us mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers and other family members too—”
“Like my Aunt Susan?” Brooke was referring to Candace's elder sister.
“Like your aunt.” Robin didn't miss a beat. “The reason God gives us all those people is so that when something bad and sad happens to someone we love, there are other people we love around to help us and care for us.” She reached out and
gently wiggled the baby's tiny toes, and they all laughed when Anna screwed up her little face momentarily in response and drew her leg away.
They were all silent for a few moments. Candace could almost see the wheels turning in Brooke's head, as she considered the things Robin had said.
Finally, the little girl broke the silence. “Maybe someday when I’m older, I could babysit for you,” Brooke said in a very soft voice.
“I think that's a great idea,” Robin said immediately. “How old are you?”
“Eleven.” She looked up, her blue eyes wide and hopeful.
“Hmm,” Robin turned to Andrew. “You know, honey, I think an eleven-year-old could be a very good mother's helper. You know, she could hold Anna while I fold laundry and do a little cleaning, and she could give her a bottle—”
“And I could push her stroller if we went to the park,” Brooke offered.
Robin looked at Candace. “What would you say if I borrowed your daughter every once in a while, Candace? Do you think she would do a good job?”
“I think she would do an excellent job,” Candace responded, trying to steady her trembling lips.
“Me too,” Robin said. “She's your daughter, and I know what a good babysitter you were. You can teach Brooke everything you know.”
Candace found it easier to smile this time, and her heart felt a little lighter than it had in a long, long time. “I’d be glad to.”
The following week, Candace, James, Elena and Anabelle planned to gather in the courtyard for lunch on Thursday. It was significantly warmer and more humid than the day they first had gotten together; but it was so pleasant to be outside that no one minded.
Summer was progressing, and the baby cardinals had flown from the tree. This time next year, Candace thought, this area would have gotten a face-lift with the Wall of Hope, a paved courtyard and some new, lovely landscaping. She couldn't wait to see it!
Anabelle's eyes were shining, and she looked especially happy.
The Best Medicine Page 22
