A Home for Her Baby

by Gabrielle Meyer

  “Hush,” Mrs. Evans said, coming to Piper’s side. “Don’t even give it another thought, Piper. I’m here for you. Nothing is more important than you and the baby right now.”

  “Thank you.” She closed her eyes to try to focus. Everything was happening so quickly. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She had a wedding to coordinate today—she needed the money desperately, but what choice did she have? “I need to call Liv and tell her what’s happening, she’ll need to oversee the Custer wedding—”

  “I’ll call her.”

  “And Mrs. Anderson needs to know what’s happening—”

  “I’ll call her, too. And, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to get the prayer chain started for you at church.” She waited for Piper to nod, and then she said, “You just rest, Piper.” She ran her hand over Piper’s forehead and moved aside some hair that had fallen out of place. “Try not to worry, sweetie. You’re in good hands. Whenever you start to be afraid, turn your worries into prayers. God’s not surprised this is happening. Let’s pray that He guides the hands and the minds of the doctors as they make decisions for you and the baby.”

  Piper nodded. “And will you come with me to Minneapolis?” She couldn’t handle the idea of going through this alone.

  “I’d be honored, Piper.”

  Another contraction overcame Piper and she pressed her lips together as the pain twisted her stomach. Mrs. Evans stood beside her, rubbing her back and reassuring her with her words until it passed.

  “I’ll try getting ahold of Max again,” Mrs. Evans said as soon as Piper had recovered from the contraction. “He’ll be so upset when he finds out he missed our calls.”

  Piper couldn’t think about Max right now. All she could think about was the baby.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The two-hour ride to the Twin Cities was the longest ride of Max’s life. After he chastised Margo for telling Piper they were a couple, she became angry and refused to talk to him. She was hurt that she’d come all this way thinking he’d fall back at her feet, only to find he wanted nothing to do with her.

  “Daddy will not be happy with you,” Margo said as she pulled up to the players’ entrance at the stadium in Minneapolis. “He told me you had a bright career and he could foresee you doing amazing things. He even said he has connections to get you a coaching job, whether at a college or professional level.”

  “I don’t want any of those things, Margo.” Max sat in the passenger seat, angry that she finally wanted to talk now, when he was so close to the stadium and his team was inside warming up. “I have no desire to coach college level or professional level football.”

  “What about the job Daddy offered you?”

  Max knew he was blowing his one shot, but he didn’t care. There was so much more to life than football. He was ready to do something different with his life. He was happy with the profit he was making at the bed-and-breakfast and wanted to look into other businesses he could invest in. He wanted to give back to Timber Falls and help it grow. He wanted to continue coaching the Timber Falls Lumberjacks, if they’d have him. It was just enough football to satisfy his desire for the game—but not so much it controlled every aspect of his life.

  And, more than anything, he wanted to start a life with Piper. His desire to be with her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was a deeper, richer longing than when they were in high school.

  “I plan to call your dad and tell him thanks, but I’ll have to pass up his offer.” Max opened the door and pulled his duffel bag out of the back seat. “I appreciate the effort you took to come here, Margo, but this chapter of my life is closed and I’m ready to start the next one.”

  Margo let out an angry cry and pressed her foot to the gas pedal. The passenger door slammed shut as she spun out of the stadium lot.

  Max was never so happy to see someone walk out of his life.

  He jogged to the players’ entrance and showed his credentials to the guard at the door. As he walked down the hall, it felt kind of strange to be back at the stadium where his career had ended.

  And as he walked onto the field, where the Lumberjacks were warming up, he couldn’t have been happier that it was his hometown team who had brought him back to this enormous stadium.

  “Coach!” Several players noticed his arrival and it was like a collective sigh of relief passed through them.

  “Max.” Greg jogged up to Max. “Have you checked your phone?”

  “No.” It was in his duffel bag. He thought he heard it vibrate a couple times on the drive to the stadium, but he hadn’t reached back to check it. “Why?”

  “You’ll want to call your mom.”

  Tad was the second person to jog over to Max. He was in his full uniform, but he didn’t look ready to play. Fear and uncertainty lined his face. “Something’s wrong with Piper and the baby. Mom called me a couple times and said they’re airlifting Piper to Abbott Northwestern here in Minneapolis.”

  Max frowned. “What?” He couldn’t seem to make sense of what Tad had said. He just saw Piper two hours ago and everything was fine—how could things change so quickly?

  “Call Mom,” Tad said. “I talked to her about an hour ago and they were just getting Piper into the medicopter. Something’s wrong, but she couldn’t talk.”

  Max dropped his duffel bag and knelt on the ground. He ripped open the zipper and tore through his things, trying to find his phone. His hands shook and his heart raced. What if something happened to Piper or the baby?

  He couldn’t even think straight as he finally found his phone and turned it on.

  He’d missed ten calls from his mom.

  The reality of the situation made his stomach turn and he pressed Call, then fumbled to his feet and walked away from the noise of the field.

  “Max!” His mom’s voice was frantic as she answered the phone. “I’m so relieved that you finally called.”

  “What’s happening?” he asked, breathless. “How are Piper and the baby?”

  “We got to Abbott Northwestern about ten minutes ago. They’re getting Piper checked in and ready for surgery. The baby isn’t stable enough for a regular delivery.” Mom was usually the calmest person in a crisis, but her voice cracked and she was crying. “Piper’s scared, Max. I wish you were here with her. I can go into the operating room with her, but she needs you.”

  And Max needed Piper, too. He needed to be there with her, to hold her hand and to reassure her that she wasn’t alone. That he would be there for her, no matter what happened.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Hurry. They want to get her into the operating room as soon as possible.”

  Max ran to a group of stadium employees. “How far is Abbott Northwestern Hospital from here?”

  “About a mile,” one of them said, a frown on his face. “Does one of the players need a doctor?”

  “No.” Max shook his head. “My friend was just airlifted there and I need to be by her side.”

  “I can call an Uber for you,” the employee said.

  “It’ll take too long.” Max shook his head. “I’ll run.”

  Tad and Greg had gathered up Max’s things and brought them to him. That was when Max remembered why he was at the stadium and his heart fell. “I’m so sorry,” he said to Tad.

  “Don’t worry about it, Max. You need to be with Piper.”

  “Go,” Greg said. “We’ve got this. Don’t worry about us.”

  “Are you sure?” This was why Max had come back to Timber Falls—to get a championship win for his team.

  “This is just the semifinal,” Tad said with a shrug. “You won’t have any excuse not to be with us in two weeks when we come back here for the championship game. That’s the one we’ll need you for.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked again.

  “Go!” Tad and Gre
g said at the same time.

  “We can manage without you right now,” Tad said. “I don’t think Piper can.”

  It was all he needed to say. Max grabbed his bag and ran.

  The employees pointed him in the direction of the hospital down Chicago Avenue.

  Max had never run so fast in his life. In less than ten minutes, he entered the Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, out of breath, but ready to run as far as it would take.

  A nurse was waiting for him at the entrance. “I can tell by the frenzied look on your face that you’re Max.”

  He nodded, his heart pounding harder than it had ever pounded before. “Where’s Piper? Can I see her?”

  “Your mother told us you’d be coming,” she said as she quickly led Max through some double doors into the birthing center. “Here’s some hospital scrubs,” she said as she handed Max a stack of clothing. “You can put them over your outside clothes.” She stopped at a room and nodded toward the door. “You may change in here and then I’ll bring you to Mrs. Connelly. She approved your mother to go into the operating room with her, but your mother has assured us Mrs. Connelly will want you there. Of course, we’ll check with her before we let you enter the OR.”

  Max didn’t even question her or try to explain as he slipped into a room and put the protective clothing over his athletic gear. He was dressed to coach his football game, but as soon as he put on the hospital garb, he was ready to coach a different team.

  “You can keep the mask off until we enter the OR,” the nurse said to him from the other side of a curtain. “I’m sure Mrs. Connelly will want to see your face before we head in.”

  All Max could think about was Piper and the baby. He needed to see her, to touch her, to reassure her—if for no other reason than to reassure himself.

  * * *

  “It’ll just be a few more minutes, Mrs. Connelly,” a nurse said as she came into the prep room where Piper was waiting. “They’re preparing the OR right now.”

  Piper nodded and forced herself to breathe deeply. She hadn’t seen Mrs. Evans since they’d arrived at the hospital, but she’d been reassured that they wouldn’t start without her.

  Now that all the commotion had eased, and Piper was in the hospital gown, ready to go into surgery, she couldn’t think of anything except Max. Where was he? Had he and Margo reconciled?

  She forced herself to stop thinking about him as a shiver passed through her. It was so cold, and even though a nurse had brought her a warm blanket, she couldn’t stop shivering.

  “Right in here, Mr. Evans,” a nurse said a moment before Max came around the corner and entered the prep room.

  Piper’s heart started to pound at the sight of him. She’d never seen anything so wonderful in her life.

  He stood in blue hospital scrubs, with a mask hanging on his chest. His brown eyes locked with hers and tears stung the backs of her eyes.

  He’d come. He’d left the game and Margo, and he had come.

  “Piper.” He rushed to her side and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’m so happy I made it in time.”

  The tears fell down her cheeks as she received his kiss. Suddenly, she wasn’t as afraid to go into the operating room. Having Max by her side made her feel like she could do almost anything. Knowing he’d be there to watch over her and her baby gave her courage. She didn’t have to bear this alone.

  Her best friend had come to support her.

  “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you, Piper,” he said as he knelt by her side.

  She shook her head and placed another kiss on his lips. “It’s not your fault, Max. I’m just so happy you’re here. But what about the game?”

  “They can handle things without me. I have a more important team that needs me right now.”

  She did feel like a team with Max by her side.

  “Is this the young fellow who will accompany you into the OR?” a nurse asked Piper.

  “Yes.” Piper nodded, having no doubt in her mind. There was no one else she’d rather have in the operating room.

  “Then let’s get you in there.” The nurse came to Piper’s other side and lifted the handrails on the side of the bed.

  Max held Piper’s hand and kissed it as he rose to his feet. “May I pray for you?” he asked Piper.

  She nodded and closed her eyes as Max said a prayer for her and the baby’s safety.

  A few minutes later, he walked by her side, holding her hand, as they wheeled her into the operating room.

  The bright lights hurt her eyes and another contraction gripped her middle, but it was all bearable with Max close at hand. He whispered soothing words to her and kissed her forehead as the nurses waited for the contraction to pass, and then as the anesthesiologist came in and gave her the medicine needed to perform the cesarean section.

  Right behind the anesthesiologist, the doctor she’d met when she’d first arrived came in, dressed in scrubs. His face was covered by his mask, but his eyes were kind as he came to Piper’s side.

  A sheet had been raised in front of Piper, so she could no longer see her stomach. She was now numb from the waist down as Max stood near her head, still holding her hand. His face was also covered, but his beautiful, loving gaze never left her face.

  “Are you ready?” the doctor asked Piper.

  She wasn’t ready—the baby wasn’t ready—but they had little choice. It was best to take the baby now, even if he or she was so early.

  “We have a neonatologist in the room, ready to see to your baby the moment we deliver,” the doctor said in his reassuring voice. “There is also a team of nurses just for the baby, as well as a team of nurses just for you. We’ll have this baby delivered in just a couple minutes.”

  “Thank you,” Piper said.

  “My pleasure,” the doctor responded and then went back to the other side of the sheet.

  The anesthesiologist was close at hand, watching Piper’s vital signs, but it felt as if it was just Max and Piper, since she couldn’t see anyone beyond the screen.

  “Piper,” Max said as he bent close to her. “Ever since that day you walked into Vacation Bible School, I’ve known you could do anything you set your mind to. You’ve proven to me that you’re the bravest, strongest, most courageous woman I’ve ever known and I’m so proud of you.” Tears glistened in his eyes as he spoke to her. “You constantly amaze me.”

  She was too overcome to respond as the machines beeped and the surgical team worked. His words bolstered her and gave her a sense of confidence she hadn’t felt all day.

  A few minutes later, a baby cried, and then the doctor’s voice came to her through the sheet. “You have a beautiful baby girl, Mrs. Connelly.”

  A girl. Piper’s heart broke, knowing Nick would never meet his little girl—but it also soared, knowing her daughter had finally arrived.

  Max looked over the sheet and tears streamed down his face.

  Piper couldn’t see her daughter, but she could see Max, and if the look on his face meant anything, her daughter was absolutely perfect.

  A nurse came to Piper’s side and showed her the tiny little bundle, wrapped in the blanket. Piper cried as she kissed her daughter’s cheek. She was perfect.

  “We need to rush her off to the neonatal unit,” the nurse said, “but you’ll be able to see her as soon as you’re out of recovery.”

  Piper nodded.

  “Mr. Evans is welcome to stay with you,” the nurse said, “or he may come with the baby.”

  Max looked to Piper. “Whatever you want,” he said.

  “Go with her,” Piper said. “I don’t want her to be alone.”

  With a gentle smile, Max kissed Piper again, and then he followed the nurse out of the operating room to be with her daughter.

  “There goes my heart,” Piper whispered to one of the nurses who stayed beh
ind. “My heart and my home.”

  How would she ever say goodbye to Max now?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Max felt helpless as he stood in the neonatal intensive care unit and watched Piper’s little girl being cared for. The doctor and nurses were efficient as they checked the baby’s vitals, gave her oxygen, did a thorough examination, cleaned her and then put a tiny little diaper on her body.

  “Five pounds, three ounces,” the nurse said as she weighed the baby and glanced at Max. “And eighteen inches long.”

  “She’s so small,” Max breathed.

  “Would you like to touch her?” the nurse asked.

  “May I?”

  “Of course. Babies need as much love and attention as possible.”

  Max was instructed to wash his hands and then rub them together to make sure they were warm. He went to the bed where the baby was lying under the warm light. Her eyes were closed, but she moved her arms.

  He took her tiny hand in his and was shocked at how delicate her fingernails were. She squeezed her hand around his finger and his heart clenched in his chest. Tears burned in his eyes and he shook his head. It was hard to believe this was the little blessing pushing against his hand when she was in her mama’s tummy just a couple weeks ago.

  “Hello,” he whispered to the baby, his voice filled with awe.

  “She’s doing really well,” the doctor said to Max when she came up to his side. “Her lungs are nice and strong, which is our biggest concern when they’re born under thirty-seven weeks. Her heart is beating at a hundred and thirty beats per minute, nice and steady.” She put her hand on Max’s arm. “She’s perfect. Congratulations.”

  Max nodded. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll keep her on oxygen for a couple of days and watch her around the clock,” the doctor continued. “It’s a little early to tell now, but if all continues to go well, she’ll probably be able to go home in about two weeks or so.”

  Max nodded again, uncertain what questions he needed to ask.