by Ariel Bonin
After another valiant push, Lindsey dropped her head back onto the pillows and whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. Droplets of sweat glistened on her forehead. It didn't help that the room was stifling. Zoey picked up a paperback from the nightstand and began to fan her face with it.
Lindsey's mouth ticked up at the corner. "Thank you…"
The girl just smiled.
On her next push, Andrew lifted the blanket a little higher and said, "I can see the head! You're so close, Linds, you're almost done. Just a couple more…you can do this."
With the end in sight, she must have caught a second wind because she began to push in between contractions.
"Okay, one more!" he said. "Zoey, get ready—I'm gonna need you again..."
Pushing one last time, Lindsey released a shout as the baby passed into Andrew's awaiting hands. He wiped it down with a towel and broke into a huge grin.
"It's a girl! Oh, Lindsey, she's beautiful!"
The woman smiled out of happiness, but most likely relief.
Zoey stepped toward her dad and Andrew gestured at the string with a tilt of his head as he continued to cradle the baby girl. "I need you to tie one into a knot at her belly button and then another just after it so we can cut the umbilical cord."
Zoey did as he asked, her hands shaking slightly in the process.
"Do you want to cut the cord?" Andrew asked with an expression of utter happiness.
"Sure," Zoey said and brought the scissors to the spot between the two pieces of string. After snipping it, she smiled at her dad and Andrew cradled the baby with one arm to pat the teenager on the back.
"Is everything okay?" Lindsey asked. "Andrew, shouldn't she be crying?"
The man's heart dropped when he realized that his wife was right—the baby wasn't responding. Her dark, newborn eyes were open but no sound came from her tiny mouth. Carefully, he turned the baby over in his hand and massaged her back in gentle circles. "Zoey," he said in a low voice, "go into the bathroom and get Jacob's aspirator."
"An aspi-what? What the hell is that?"
Andrew sighed in impatience. "The bulb-looking thing in our medicine cabinet."
Zoey vanished into the bathroom and came back a moment later with what he had asked for. All the while, Lindsey asked, "Andrew? What's going on? Talk to me! Is she okay?"
He wasn't going to lie to her, so his best option was to ignore her and keep his focus on the baby. Zoey quickly handed him the bulb syringe. Andrew used it to suck fluid from the baby girl's mouth and nose, while alternating vigorous rubbing and patting on her back.
Finally, just when he thought it was too late to save their child, a gurgled cry erupted from the newborn's throat. While thanking whomever was watching over them, he removed any remaining liquid and cleaned her off the best he could.
_____
Andrew swaddled the baby in a clean towel and brought her over to Lindsey, resting her on the woman's chest. Lindsey cradled her arms around the newborn and grinned as she became misty-eyed at the first sight of their child. "She's perfect," she whispered, leaning into Andrew as he dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.
The newest addition to the Flynn family had wispy sandy-colored hair, a button nose, and slate blue eyes with long lashes. Lindsey wondered what color eyes the baby would eventually have—her own brown ones or Andrew's baby blues. By the looks of it, though, the little girl already had her blonde hair. She was everything Lindsey had wished for—and more.
"What are we going to name her?" she asked, casting her affectionate gaze toward Andrew.
He smiled down at her, no doubt cherishing the special moment that they'd been awaiting for months—a chance to talk about names. "Well…I named Zoey and she named Jacob. I think you should choose."
Lindsey laughed softly at the unexpected burden but didn't see it like that at all—she welcomed the opportunity to give their daughter a name. While looking over the girl's perfect little features, she knew right away what her answer would be.
"Hannah."
"You mean…?" Andrew asked, his expression growing serious.
"Yes. She saved my life—our lives. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her," Lindsey said, referring to herself and the baby.
"Okay," he whispered with a tender smile. "Hannah it is, then."
"We still need a middle name, though," Lindsey reminded him.
Andrew glanced at the bedspread as he gave it some thought. "What was your mother's name?" he asked suddenly.
"Evelyn."
"Hannah Evelyn Flynn."
Lindsey drew her bottom lip between her teeth and then swallowed hard to ward off any additional tears. "I love it."
The couple exchanged a loving glance and quick peck on the lips. When they parted, Lindsey noticed Zoey holding Jacob off to one side of the room as they looked on. She shifted Hannah a little more into her left arm and then reached out her right hand.
"Come here."
Zoey pushed away from the wall and took a few tentative steps toward her. At last, she gave Lindsey her hand and the woman pulled her closer. Andrew put his arm around Zoey's shoulder and grinned at Jacob as he stared at the baby with rapt fascination.
"That's our new little sister," Zoey said, smiling now. "Can you say 'Hannah'?"
Jacob made a vowel sound but it was nothing like the newborn's name. They all laughed.
"Guess we'll have to work on that," she retorted.
_____
Later on, after getting everything cleaned up and making sure Lindsey and Hannah were comfortable, a knock sounded on the bedroom door. Andrew opened it and smiled at the man on the other side. "Hey, Charlie, how's it goin' out there?"
"Pretty quiet now. Just saw Zoey in the kitchen with the lil' man. Heard you had another one—was hopin' to meet her if that's all right?"
"Of course," Andrew said and stepped back to let the man inside. "Lindsey's going to feed her soon—"
"I'll only be a minute," Charlie said somewhat dismissively.
"Okay," Andrew responded, while examining the man's unreadable expression. "I'll go outside and help Ana until you're done."
_____
Andrew closed the door behind Charlie, and Lindsey watched the man approach her bedside. "Hey," she said with a worn-out smile and exhaustion lines creasing her face.
"Who's this cutie?" he asked, reaching out a rough hand to touch the baby's silky cheek.
Lindsey looked down at her daughter. "This is Hannah."
When she lifted her eyes, she saw a flicker of sadness in Charlie's, but they softened as he stroked his fingers over Hannah's downy hair. "Hey, sweetheart," he said in a warm voice that was uncharacteristic of him. "Aren't you a pretty girl—just like your mama, huh?"
Lindsey pursed her lips and glanced at the man as color crept into her cheeks.
Charlie became silent and continued to study the newborn's face. Suddenly, he said, "You be good to your mama, all right? She's a special lady. Just watch your brother and sister—they'll teach you what you need to know." He looked at Lindsey now and added, "Don't forget to take care of Andy—he needs ya…"
Lindsey's brows twitched together at the man's odd request, but she managed a smile and said, "I will."
Just before Charlie leaned in to kiss her cheek, she noticed a bit of moisture glittering in his blue eyes.
"Is everything okay?" she whispered, feeling a knot of concern in her chest.
The man didn't answer her and, instead, moved to press his lips against Hannah's forehead.
"Charlie?" she asked, frowning. She'd seen the man be affectionate on rare occasions, but this was different. He didn't meet her seeking gaze as he headed for the door. She called out again, "Charlie?"
The man simply shut the door behind him.
_____
Andrew saw Charlie descend the front steps in a hurry and take off around the back side of the house. Wondering where the man could possibly be going, he told Ana he'd be right back. The two men skirted around the
bungalow and he hollered, "Charlie!"
The rancher halted in place and then spun around. His face was pale and sweaty with purple-tinted circles around his eyes. While gripping the rifle strap across his chest, he shifted from one foot to the other.
"Hey, are you all right?" Andrew asked, stunned by his friend's sickly appearance.
Charlie shook his head. "No, man, I ain't all right… Just make this easier on the both of us—go back inside with your family and leave me alone."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Without blinking, Charlie directed a tense look at Andrew. Then, while glancing away, he turned and lifted the hem at the back of his green t-shirt. Partway up his side was the circular, telltale bite-mark from a turner. Once Andrew had gotten a good look, he jerked the fabric down.
"H-how…? Where…?" Andrew asked in utter disbelief. He felt as if his world was disintegrating—his brain could not grasp what was happening or what he'd just seen.
Charlie pointed at two corpses—a male and a female—on the ground a few feet away. "Victoria's man came at me and I put him down with a round between the eyes, but that bitch came outta the bushes—caught me by surprise."
"We can fix this," Andrew said, his voice desperate now. "We can get you the cure. We just need to hurry—"
"Andy, stop." Charlie held up an unsteady hand. "It's too late…"
"It's not too late!" Andrew snapped, taking a step toward the injured man.
Charlie further closed the space between them and growled, "I can feel it, man! You know what it's like. That icy feelin' in your veins ain't gonna go away or get any better."
"But we can—"
"Nah! You gotta learn when to let go, Andrew! The cure ain't gonna last forever and I'm not gonna have you wastin' it on me!"
"Dammit, Charlie!" Andrew shouted and grabbed the man by his collar, feeling the heat radiate from underneath. "You are just as important as any other person on this island! I don't care if you think it's too late—it's only too late when you stop fucking breathing! What about Caren, huh? Rob? Your grandchild?"
The man's stubborn front began to crumble and he had never looked weaker than he did at that very moment. The sight tore Andrew's heart to shreds. "Just leave me alone…" Charlie repeated and closed his eyes as he shook his head slowly.
"No," Andrew persisted. "That's not happening. You have never given up on me or my family, Charlie. I'm not going to give up on you."
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
"I miss him," Ana said as she stared at the wooden cross before her.
Lindsey frowned and glanced at the dark-haired woman to offer an empathetic smile. "I do, too. He could be pretty thick-headed sometimes, but he was a good man."
The two women took in the rows of graves, which had tripled the year before when Victoria and her "sons" attacked the island and left behind complete carnage. Lindsey was well aware of the weight of her Glock where it rested at her hip—another reminder of how things had changed. After that horrible day, they needed to keep their guard up. She'd been hesitant to take back her cherished handgun, especially after learning that it had been used to kill Nicholas, but it was just a weapon. Victoria had killed him, and guns were in short supply. Putting the weapon away wouldn't bring back their fallen brother.
"At least he, Kat, Hannah and Bill are all together now," she said. Her comment was meant to be light but she felt herself become sadder at the thought. With a half-smile, she added, "I especially miss that mustache he was working on. He was starting to channel Magnum, P.I."
Ana flashed her white smile as they stared at Nicholas's grave marker.
Feeling less gloomy now, Lindsey walked over to a bush blooming with fragrant white flowers and snapped off two at the stem. She returned to the last row of crosses and placed one in front of Kat's and the other at the foot of Hannah's.
After releasing the rest of her sadness in the form of a sigh, she turned to the two little children playing under a shaded grove of palm trees.
"Jake, Hannah, time to go…"
The three-year-old boy and one-year-old girl stopped what they were doing and ran over to her, Hannah's sundress flowing in the gentle breeze.
"We going to the beach now, Mama?" Jacob asked, his blue eyes bright with hope.
Lindsey smiled as she gave them the answer they'd been awaiting. "Yes, we just need to find your father and sister, and then we'll go."
Jacob cheered, and Hannah, sensing her brother's excitement, began to jump up and down while clapping her chubby hands.
Ana and Lindsey laughed at the celebration taking place before them. The two kids took off down the trail and the women followed, walking quickly to keep pace.
"You're welcome to come with us if you'd like—Charlie, too. How is he anyway? I've hardly seen him around lately," Lindsey said.
"He's been taking the boat out every day to train that new group from North Naples. Got a lot of young guys to help out now—it definitely makes fishing easier. He's been saying to me, 'I ain't gettin' any younger!'" Ana said, mimicking Charlie's rough voice.
Lindsey could totally picture the man saying that. She was thankful for every moment they all had together—they'd come so close to losing him the year before. After giving birth to Hannah and the odd exchange with Charlie, Andrew had disappeared. She'd gone out of her head with worry, only to find out later that Charlie had been bitten by a turner—which explained his strange behavior. Andrew had dragged him to the clinic, where they'd found Dr. Anderson in the bunker (with Caren, her family and Tyler) and administered the cure. Charlie hadn't wanted it but was too weak at that point to fight them off.
When he was better and his wound had healed, he'd been somewhat bitter toward Andrew—not that he'd wanted to die, but mostly he'd wanted to save the cure for someone else and go out on his own terms. Months passed and he began to warm up, finally letting go of it altogether—he simply loved Andrew too much—or that was what Lindsey told herself, she thought with a smirk.
As they neared the clinic, Ana took an adjacent path, saying that she'd probably see them later. Lindsey gave the woman a quick wave and jogged after the wild toddlers. She caught up to them when the clinic came into view, along with Andrew, Zoey and Tyler.
"Daddy!" Jacob squealed, running up to the older man.
Andrew was describing something to Tyler but stopped when he heard his son's excited voice. His focused expression broke and a wide smile peeked out from under his beard as he bent over and picked up the boy. "Hey, buddy."
Hannah eventually caught up and stood at her father's feet, her large brown eyes shining up at him. "Da-da…" she babbled, hugging his sturdy leg with her petite arms.
"Hey," he said, his smile growing. "Come here." He secured Jacob against his hip and groaned as he strained to pick up Hannah in his opposite arm. "You're both getting so big! You'll have to start carrying me around soon."
"Nooo!" Jacob said, laughing, as if the idea was preposterous.
As Andrew chuckled, Lindsey glanced at the others. "How's it coming? Do you think it's going to work?" she asked, referring to the small makeshift windmill behind them.
Tyler nodded. "Wind turbines are not as complicated as many people might think. They have a pretty basic structure. Once we get a couple of these going we may be able to do away with the clinic's gas-operated generator altogether."
"That's awesome. You taking notes, Zoey?" Lindsey asked the teenager.
"Don't have to... Tyler's been talking me through it. I set up all the wiring today," she said proudly.
Lindsey gave her an impressed nod. "Very cool. Sounds like you've found your calling."
Before the topic could be discussed any further, Jacob hung his face in front of Andrew's, forcing the man to look at him. "We going to the beach now, Daddy? Please, please, please…"
"Oookaaay," the man conceded. "Can we finish this tomorrow, Tyler?"
"Sure thing, boss."
_____
&nbs
p; After stopping at home to change and get their bags, the family of five strode down to the beach. Not a cloud hung in the sky, rendering the summer sun extra hot, but a pleasant sea breeze made it feel just right.
When they reached the sandy dunes, Andrew and Lindsey paused to remove their shoes. Zoey stayed with her siblings and helped find a good place for their blankets. She wound up choosing a spot between the water and the tree line. They also happened to be by Robert, Caren and Eric, who were building an epic sand castle.
As Zoey spread out on her beach towel with a tattered book, Lindsey unfolded a plaid blanket and laid it on the scorching sand. She greeted the other family with a warm smile and watched the little ones immediately join Eric in his wet sand adventure. Andrew joined Lindsey on the blanket and put his arm around her in a comfortable gesture of affection.
"Hey, do you remember that day on the way to New Canaan when we stopped at the beach and I asked if you thought everyday could be like that?" she asked out of the blue.
"I do," Andrew replied.
She directed a look at him and her soft eyes said everything.
We made it.
Andrew acknowledged her thought with a kiss, his mouth brushing against her parted lips in an unhurried fashion, as if they had all the time in the world.
After parting, Lindsey leaned into his chest and he pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "Do you think the world is going to change?" she whispered.
"That remains to be seen, but what we have here…it's enough for me." He let his gaze wander over the carefree group of children as they dug their shovels into the soggy ground. At the same time, Charlie and Ana crested the hill and made their way toward the group. Both adults wore humored expressions, as if they'd just shared a joke. Andrew took in the beautiful scenery surrounding his beautiful family and said, "It's enough."
Lindsey admired the same sight and smiled as she melted into her husband's embrace. "It is."
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Amy Anderson for gracing my book covers with her talent and vision. I could picture how I wanted each cover to look and she always knocked it out of the park. You've been a wonderful friend and supporter. I don't know what I would do without you!
