by Judith Keim
Grace gave Carol Ann a sweet kiss on the cheek. “See you at the hospital a little later. I have to go back to work, too.”
Carol Ann looked at Tiffany. “Are you sure you don’t mind driving me to the hospital?”
Tiffany grinned. “Mind? I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I’m so excited for you, Carol Ann. And you won’t be alone. I’ll stay with you the whole time.”
“Thanks.” Carol Ann thought of the one person she wanted to call, but he wouldn’t even answer her texts. Trying to hide her disappointment, she climbed into Tiffany’s car.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
TIFFANY
Though her heart pounded with nervous excitement, Tiffany reminded herself to drive slowly to the hospital. Memories of Vanna’s birth tugged at her mind. She’d been so alone, so scared until she found Kevin to help her. She pulled up to the emergency entrance of the Northwest Regional Hospital and dropped Carol Ann under the porte-cochere. Tiffany waited until Carol Ann went inside before pulling into a parking space and calling Hildie to tell her she’d be late getting home. Then, she called Kevin.
When she entered the hospital, she saw Carol Ann talking with an admitting clerk. Tiffany filled with determination. Before she could change her mind, she went to Carol Ann and asked if she could use her phone. Phone in hand, Tiffany returned to the waiting area and punched in the number she was looking for. As she waited for the message machine to come on, a male voice said, “Hello?”
“Ed? This is Tiffany Wright, a friend of Carol Ann’s. I know it may not be any of my business, but I thought you’d want to know she’s at the Northwest Regional Hospital about to deliver her baby.”
“Really? But ... but the baby’s not due for another couple of weeks.”
“The baby apparently doesn’t know that,” said Tiffany with a touch of sarcasm. “It’s happening as we speak.” She looked up to see Carol Ann waving her over. “Sorry. I’ve got to go.” She clicked off the call.
“Sorry to disturb you, but they’re going to take me up to the maternity ward,” said Carol Ann when she approached her. “Will you come with me?”
Tiffany gave Carol Ann’s cold fingers a squeeze. “Sure, hon.”
###
Tiffany was standing at the window of Carol Ann’s hospital room when Dr. Davis walked in. A jolly, gray-haired man, he was a comforting figure.
“Hi, Dr. Davis.”
“Tiffany, good to see you again. How’s that baby girl of yours?”
“Fine, thank you. I’m hoping Carol Ann is going to have a little girl for Vanna to play with.”
His blue eyes twinkled. “Well, now, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Dr. Davis took hold of Carol Ann’s hand. “Let’s check and see how far along you are. I understand your water has broken.”
“Do you want me to leave?” said Tiffany.
“No, don’t go. Stay here with me,” said Carol Ann.
Tiffany walked over to Carol Ann and, taking hold of her hand, stood by her head.
After Dr. Davis did an exam, he straightened. “Eight centimeters. Sometimes these little ones can fool us, but I don’t think it’s going to be too long. I’ve got another patient about to deliver, but we’ll keep an eye on you.”
He gave them a nod and left.
“Wow, Carol Ann. It’s happening pretty fast.” Tiffany grinned. “I can’t wait to see the baby.”
“I just want this over,” said Carol Ann. “My back feels as if it’s going to break.”
“Do you want some music on?” Tiffany asked. The birthing room looked like someone’s bedroom instead of an ordinary hospital room. A comfortable-looking couch sat against a wall, and a rocking chair was placed near the window in the room. A large soaking tub could be seen through the door to the bathroom.
Tiffany turned on the television and tuned it to a music channel for soothing music.
“Ah, nice,” said Carol Ann, removing her clothes so she could put on the gown that had been laid out for her.
Sukie arrived a short time later. “Sorry, I couldn’t get here sooner. I’ve packed the nightgown you wanted, Carol Ann, along with your toiletries. I also stopped and bought a few extra things I thought you might need. How are you doing, sweetie?”
“I’m a little scared. I just want to make sure the baby is all right.”
“The doctor was here a bit ago. He told us he didn’t think it would be long. But the contractions seemed to have slowed down,” said Tiffany, trying not to sound too concerned.
A nurse entered the room. “How far apart are your pains?”
Carol Ann looked to Tiffany.
“They were four to five minutes.” Tiffany checked her watch. “But she hasn’t had any contractions for over eight minutes.”
“Do you want to get up and walk around?” said Sukie. “I’ve heard that sometimes helps.”
“Yes, that might help,” said the nurse. “But if she does that, you’re both going to need to help her. You have to make sure to have a good hold on her if she has a contraction.”
The nurse helped Carol Ann to her feet. “How does that feel?”
“Okay, I guess. OHHH, here comes another one.”
Sukie and Tiffany rushed to her side. “That’s it, breathe deeply,” coached Sukie.
“I want to get back in bed,” said Carol Ann.
They’d just helped her onto the bed when there was a commotion at the doorway. Tiffany turned to see and gasped.
Ed walked into the room.
“Carol Ann?” he rushed to her bedside.
Tiffany and Sukie backed away.
“Ed? You’re here. I thought you were still in Baltimore. What does this mean?” said Carol Ann, too shocked to cry.
He shook his head. “It means I’ve been a damn, selfish fool.” He drew Carol Ann into his arms.
As Carol Ann began to sob, Tiffany and Sukie silently slipped out of the room.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CAROL ANN
In Ed’s embrace, Carol Ann let out all her fears, all her relief in racking sobs.
“But you’re supposed to be with Lee. She flew up to Baltimore to be with you,” she managed to say when she’d calmed down.
“Why would she do that?” Ed said.
“But ... but ...” sputtered Carol Ann.
“She’s my boss. Nothing more. You have nothing to worry about from her,” Ed said with a firmness Carol Ann recognized. “We had dinner together one night when she was moving in. That’s it.”
Carol Ann studied him a moment, searching for clues. “How was Baltimore? And all those tests? Are you all right?”
“We’ll talk about it later, but, yes, I’m going to be able to deal with this disease. I may have relapses from time to time, but medicines can help control that.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. “Even if you don’t want to marry me, Carol Ann, I’ll always be here for you.”
Carol Ann propped up on her elbows, furious. “Are you crazy? Of course, I want to marry you. Don’t you have any idea how much I love you? With you gone, I’ve been miserable, totally miserable ... OHHH! ... Here comes another pain!
She gripped Ed’s hands so hard, he let out a small yelp. “Hold on, babe,” he said. “Take a deep breath.”
A nurse rushed into the room. “I heard your cry. Has the baby decided to come after all?”
“Help! Another contraction,” cried Carol Ann. “Ohhh. Ed, help me!”
“I’m here, babe. I’m here.” He clung to Carol Ann’s hands as the nurse checked Carol Ann and then turned to an assistant. “Get Dr. Davis, please.”
“Oh my God! Is something wrong?” said Carol Ann.
“No, but you’re about to deliver. I can see the baby’s head now. Hold on to your husband’s hands and take a deep breath until the doctor is here. Steady now.”
Dr. Davis appeared. “Are we ready now? Let’s see. Ah, yes. Here we go.”
Though she felt as if her insides were ripping, Carol Ann gave one last push. Beads of
sweat formed on her brow. Tears slid down her cheeks.
“Good girl,” said the nurse to Carol Ann. “We’re almost there.”
Moments later, the doctor placed a baby on Carol Ann’s chest. “You’ve got a beautiful little ...”
“It’s a girl!” cried Ed. “Just like we wanted.” Tears streamed down his face.
In a fog of happiness, Carol Ann held the baby close to her chest, studying the little red face, the fluffy dark hair on her baby’s head. She was perfect, absolutely perfect.
###
Cleaned up and in her pretty pink gown, Carol Ann sat in the rocking chair in the room. Ed had gone home to change his clothes. The baby had been placed temporarily in an incubator in the neonatal unit to make sure she was kept warm.
Sukie walked into the room, carrying a bunch of pink balloons. Tiffany followed behind, holding a basket of pink lilies.
“Hi, Mom!” Tiffany said, giving her a hug.
Sukie tied the balloons to the back of her chair. “We stopped to get a look at the baby through the window. She’s beautiful, Carol Ann.”
“Absolutely gorgeous,” said Tiffany. “And she doesn’t look that small.”
Carol Ann laughed. “She’s over six pounds, surprising everyone, but me. I swear I felt every ounce of her inside me this past week.”
Sukie hugged Carol Ann. “You did a wonderful job.”
Grace and Lynetta burst into the room together. After hugs were exchanged, Grace handed Carol Ann a little box tied with ribbon. “Thought you might like these special cookies for nursing mothers.”
“And I brought you some organic body lotion.” Lynetta laughed. “I was going to give it to you at the baby shower, but there’s no point in saving it until then.”
Carol Ann clapped her hands. “Thank you, everyone. I’m so glad it’s a girl. Another girl for the Fat Fridays group.”
“She’ll get all of Vanna’s hand-me-downs,” said Tiffany. “As we know, Muffy may be a bitch, but she has good taste.”
Carol Ann joined in the laughter. Caught up in the moment, she felt her heart fill with love for these women.
“What are you going to name her?” said Sukie. “We’ve never talked about it because you didn’t want to jinx having a girl.”
Carol Ann smiled. “When Ed gave me his mother’s ring, he said she’d be so happy to know he was with me. He doesn’t know it yet, but I want to name my baby after her. I want to call her Carolina. We can shorten it to Lina.”
“Oh, I love it!” said Tiffany. “Lina and Vanna. Perfect.”
The others murmured their agreement.
At the sound of a knock at the door, Carol Ann looked up and smiled. “Hi, Ed. Come in. You know everyone here.”
“Hello.” He walked past them over to Carol Ann, and kissed her on the lips. “I think you’re missing something,” he murmured. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the large diamond ring, and slid it on her finger. “There, that’s better.”
She smiled at him. “Yes, that’s a lot better. We still need to talk about it, though. And I just told my friends what I would like to name the baby. What do you think of Carolina Ann? We can call her Lina.”
His eyes filled. “Really? I don’t know what to say. It’s such a nice thing to do, Carol Ann.”
“I’m happy you like it. We’ve got a beautiful little girl.” She chuckled. “She’s not as little as we thought she’d be. I’m told she should be able to go home late tomorrow if everything goes well.”
A nurse came into the room. “Ready to get some lessons on keeping your baby warm and happy?”
“Sure,” said Carol Ann. “I want my fiancé to see too.”
“I’ll leave you two alone with the nurse,” said Sukie, gathering her purse.
“Yes, and I’ll check in with you tomorrow,” Tiffany said.
Grace blew a kiss to Carol Ann. “Call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“I’m happy to help,” said Lynetta. “I’ve got the weekend ahead of me.”
After the women left, Carol Ann listened and watched as the nurse demonstrated the kangaroo technique of keeping a baby warm, should she show signs of being cold.
“I want to cuddle her anyway,” Carol Ann said.
The nurse gave her a look of approval. “Yes, babies need to be cuddled, especially in the early days following birth. It’s so important for her to bond with you not only during nursing but at other times too.” She glanced at Ed. “And for fathers too.”
Carol Ann was amused at his startled look.
Another nurse brought in her baby. “Hi, I’m the lactation specialist. Thought you might want to get in a little practice nursing your baby.”
As Carol Ann went through the process of getting Lina to latch on, she happened to glance at Ed. Admiration coated his features. She smiled. He’d gone from single, to engaged, to being a father in a matter of hours.
When he caught her smiling at him, his face lit with love.
She glanced down at the little girl in her arms. They were two of the luckiest girls in the world.
CHAPTER SIXTY
SUKIE
Sukie checked her cell phone, surprised to see that it was Ed calling her. Worried something might be wrong with Carol Ann, she snatched up the phone.
“Hi, Ed? Is everything all right?”
“It’s great. I’m wondering if you and the other ladies of Fat Fridays would be willing to help me. Carol Ann spent the night at the hospital to be with the baby. I want to surprise her by bringing her and the baby right to our condo instead of taking them to her apartment. I’ve arranged to have someone help me move the baby’s furniture from there to the nursery we set up here. But I need your help. I want it to look nice. I need you to bring and settle Carol Ann’s things here.”
Sukie smiled at the excitement in his voice. “Oh, Ed! She’ll be thrilled. Of course, I’ll help, and I’m sure the other women will do what they can to help too.”
“Thanks so much, Sukie. You women are the best.”
Wondering if she’d be too bold, Sukie hesitated then blurted out, “I’m so happy you and Carol Ann are back together. And if you ever need help with your situation, you know it’s there from any of us.”
“Yes, thank you,” Ed said. “I appreciate it.”
They arranged to meet at Carol Ann’s apartment, then Sukie hung up and began calling the other women. She was as excited as Ed about surprising Carol Ann.
Mid-morning, the group gathered at Carol Ann’s apartment. Ed had brought several empty boxes and promised to help load them into cars to take to his condo.
“Carol Ann will be so surprised,” said Lynetta, grinning.
“She always wanted to live in that condo,” said Grace.
Tiffany shook her head. “Remember how she thought she and that insurance guy were going to buy it? This is so, so much better for her.”
They went to work. Sukie carefully removed and folded Carol Ann’s items from bureau drawers and placed them in boxes. “She’s going to love having all her things in place at the condo.”
Tiffany and Lynetta carried clothing on hangers to Tiffany’s SUV and gingerly laid them in the back of the car.
Grace worked in the bathroom loading up all of Carol Ann’s personal things. “I think I’ve got everything.”
“No need to pack towels and bedding,” Sukie reminded everyone. “Carol Ann already picked out those things for Ed’s place.”
As she was making a final check of the apartment, Sukie stood looking at the space that had been Karen’s home, then Tiffany’s, and now Carol Ann’s. It had served them all well. Who, she wondered, would move in next?
###
In Carol Ann’s new home, Sukie stood quietly with the other Fat Fridays women in the nursery, waiting for Carol Ann to climb the stairs. The nursery walls, painted in the softest of grays, was the perfect backdrop for the elephant theme Carol Ann had chosen for the baby’s nursery. The baby furniture they’d moved from the apartment
looked great in the room. Everything had been placed like Carol Ann had set it up in the apartment, but now there was a lot more space—plenty enough for the rocking chair Sukie had given Tiffany, who’d passed it along to Carol Ann.
The sound of Carol Ann’s voice came closer and closer. “What surprise are you talking about, Ed?”
“This,” he answered and opened the door to the nursery.
“Surprise,” Sukie cried out with the others, laughing at the bug-eyed look Carol Ann gave them.
“Oh, this is the sweetest thing ever! You did all this?” Holding the baby close, Carol Ann indicated the room with a sweep of her hand. “This is so wonderful! Lina will love it!”
“Ed arranged the surprise,” said Tiffany. “Carol Ann, now that I’ve had a chance to see it, the whole condo looks fabulous. I definitely want you to help decorate my house.”
Carol Ann beamed at Tiffany. “I’d love to do it. But first, I have to give this little girl a good start on life. I won’t be able to do much of anything else for a while.”
“Let’s get a better look at that sweet little girl,” said Lynetta, rubbing her hands together gleefully.
Carol Ann pulled the blanket away from Carolina’s face. Dark eyes opened and then squinted at them before closing. Straight dark hair peeked from beneath a little pink cap. Her skin held a hint of tan.
“She’s beautiful,” said Sukie. “And dainty. Look at those perfect little hands.”
“Know what my mother said when she saw her? ‘She sure don’t look like a Mobley.’” Carol Ann let out a little laugh that held hurt. “I’m glad. I don’t want Carolina to have a life anything like mine.”
Ed put an arm around Carol Ann’s shoulder. “She’s going to have a wonderful life with us.”
Sukie didn’t know Ed all that well, but seeing the way he was with Carol Ann, she liked him a lot. She turned to Carol Ann. “Better get some rest. I have to leave. Chloe has a birthday party to go to. Call me if you need anything.”
The other women said their goodbyes and followed Sukie down the stairs and outside. She’d brought the other women to the condo in her car and then parked it down the street, so Carol Ann wouldn’t see it.
