If Only We Knew

by Ancelli

  The baby moved. “Yes, Makayla, you have the greatest mom in the world. She’ll give her life for you.” He rubbed her belly one more time.

  “If we find out I still have cancer after her birth, we’ll deal with it together.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Together we will overcome anything.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Two months later

  Shannon was two weeks overdue. She lay in the hospital bed, waiting for the doctor to start her induction. She rubbed her stomach. “Come on, Makayla, we’re waiting for you.”

  “She’s being stubborn, just like her mom,” Matt said, laughing.

  Doctor Cooper came in and checked her cervix. With a smile and a reassuring nod, he applied the medication to her cervix. “There you go. The countdown begins.”

  An hour later, Shannon was pushing—it had happened that fast. She looked up at Matt. “Remind me never to have another baby!” she yelled.

  “Mamita, push,” he said wiping her forehead.

  “She’s crowning. One more push, Mom, just one more,” the doctor said. Shannon pushed, and the baby’s head and shoulders came out. The doctor lifted the crying baby up so they could see her. “Hello, Mom and Dad,” he said, placing the baby on her stomach.

  Matt came over and cut the umbilical cord. She was tiny. “Hi, Makayla,” he said, looking at her. “Did you hear those lungs?” he asked Shannon.

  “Yes.”

  The nurse came and got the baby, putting her in an incubator and wheeling her out.

  “Where is she taking her?” Shannon whispered.

  “We’re just making sure she wasn’t affected by the treatments. When they’re done testing her, I will personally bring her to you.”

  “Thank you,” Matt said. “Can I come with her?”

  “Yes.”

  “She has to be okay,” Shannon said while the nurse cleaned her up, getting her ready to go to her private room.

  “Makayla is beautiful. She has more hair than you.” He made her smile.

  He followed the nurses.

  Shannon was rolled into a private room, where her parents, his parents, Sherry, Andrew, Uncle Victor and his wife, and Matthew waited with big smiles. “Congratulations!” Andrew picked up Matthew and walked over to her bed.

  Matthew bent his head and kissed her cheeks. “Mama, I love.”

  “I love you, my little man.” She hugged him, kissing his chunky cheeks. “I’m so happy your hair grew back.” She touched his bouncy curls.

  “Where’s Matt?” His dad asked.

  “I’m right here.” Matt entered the room with Makayla in his arms. “Everyone, this is Makayla Joy Johnston Jones. She weighed five pounds, five ounces and she’s twenty inches long.” He paused. “And she is in perfect health.” They all took deep breaths and thanked God. He walked over to Shannon and handed her the baby.

  Everybody made awww sounds gathered around her bed. Makayla was the color of cinnamon with curly, brown hair.

  Shannon was mesmerized. “She’s perfect,” she said, counting the baby’s fingers and toes.

  “She looks like you,” Mrs. Joy said, smiling.

  “She does,” his mom seconded.

  “Wait until you see her eyes. The stamp is there,” Matt said, leaning on her bed.

  “How do you know?” Andrew asked.

  “The nurse told me she has my eyes.” He gently rubbed the baby’s cheeks. “I know most babies eyes change colors, but Matthew still has my eyes.”

  Matt took Matthew from Andrew’s arms and walked back over to the bed. “Matthew, meet your sister, Makayla. Do you want to give her a kiss?” He nodded. Matt leaned him over, and he kissed her on the forehead.

  “She is beautiful,” Sherry said, going to her sister. “Congratulations, you did it.”

  Shannon took a hold of Matt’s hand. “We did it.”

  Mr. Johnston held Matthew and all of their family left so she could rest. Shannon fell asleep, and Matt held Makayla in his arms.

  “My little girl, mi princesa.” She opened her eyes, making him laugh. “You do have my eyes.” He rubbed her nose with his. “Little Makayla, you look like your mom.”

  The oncologist knocked and entered the room. “Your wife needs to get tested right away. If the result is positive, we have to start treatment right away.”

  “Shannon.” Matt woke her. “The doctor is here.”

  She woke up, and the doctor explained the process. “First, we’re going to send you to get a CT scan to make sure the lumpectomy and the adjuvant chemotherapy worked. If not, we have to start you on a more aggressive treatment, maybe with radiation therapy.”

  She agreed to the test.

  ***

  She grabbed Matt’s hand. “What if the surgery and chemo I went through didn’t work? Oh God, Matt, I don’t want to leave you guys,” she said, looking at the baby. “I don’t want to die.” She broke down crying.

  He took the baby out of her hands and placed her in the Isolette. He took Shannon in his arms and held her tight. “You made it this far. Do you believe in God?”

  She leaned away. “Yes.”

  “Do you believe that anything is possible?” He took her hand.

  “Yes.”

  He wiped her tears. “Our faith is stronger than anything when put together. Pray with me.”

  She bowed her head. “Dear Lord, I come to you asking you to heal my wife of any cancer in her body. I know all things are possible through you. In your name we pray. Amen.”

  “Amen. Thank you for being patient and loving me.” She kissed him.

  “Mamita, these years with you have been heaven-sent. Thank you for loving me through all my up and downs.” He kissed her hands. “You’ve made me a better man.”

  Epilogue

  A year after her death

  Matt sat on the white sand, looking out at the ocean, thinking of the emotional journey they’d been through and the wasted time they’d spent apart. If only she would have told them the truth….

  Thank you for the time you gave me with her. He was deep in thought and didn’t notice Makayla and Matthew run up to him until Matthew spoke.

  “Daddy,” he said. Sitting down next to him, he began playing in the sand.

  Makayla jumped into his lap and kissed him on the cheek. “Pa-pa,” she said, pressing her nose to his.

  He stared at his healthy, beautiful two-year-old daughter and smiled at her resemblance to her mother.

  “My dad-dy.” She looked over at her brother.

  Matthew jumped up and grabbed his arms. “No, he’s my daddy,” he said, kissing his cheek.

  Matt laughed, watching his kids fight over him, he grabbed them both and kissed them senseless. “I’m Daddy to both of you.”

  The kids laughed as he kissed and tickled their stomach. “No more, Daddy,” Matthew said between laughs, and Makayla rolled on the beach, getting sand in her curly hair.

  “Matt, her hair,” Shannon said, walking over to them, smiling. “I’m the one that’s going have to wash it.”

  Matt looked up at her, jumped up, and grabbed her, pulling her down to the sand. “Let’s tickle Mommy,” he said, looking over at the kids. They ran over and tickled her.

  “Matt,” she said between laughs. “My hair.”

  He stopped tickling her, leaned up, and just stared at his family. Matthew was now four, and looked just like him, expect for his curly hair, and Makayla was a lighter version of Shannon with his eyes. My family.

  After Makayla was born, Shannon’s test came back negative. She has been cancer-free since, going in every six months to get tested. Everything had been back to normal until his mother told them her cancer was back, and it had spread to her bones. His mother had beaten the odds a second time. Her doctor had said she had three to six months to live, but she’d lived over a year. She got to see Matthew’s third and Makayla’s first birthday.

  She had died peacefully with her family surrounding her.

  The kids stop
ped tickling Shannon and began to run and play with each other.

  She crawled next to him. “You’re washing my hair.” She grabbed his hand putting it in her hair.

  He kissed her. “Mamita, I hope you know how much I love you.”

  “I do, and I love you.” She smiled, staring at him with concern. “Why the faraway look in your eyes?”

  “Just thinking of my mother.”

  “She loved you, Matt.” She moved a lock of his hair from his face. “She spent her last days happy with the people she loved the most—her sons.”

  “I just wish I’d had more time with her, but I’m grateful for the time given to me. After getting to know her, she was a exceptional woman.”

  “She was.”

  “And I was also thinking of how blessed I am.” He put his arms around her. “You’re still with me.” He kissed her on her head.

  “Who would’ve known we would be this happy?” She laid her head on his shoulder.

  “I did.” He smiled. “I always knew you would be a great mother.” He looked over at the kids running.

  “Yes, you did.”

  The End

  Thank you for reading!