"They're going to do a C-section. Trust me," he whispered into my ear.
I tried to smile and shrug it off, but suddenly I realized that was an option. None of my nightmares had me having a C-section. My dad unknowingly calmed my nerves.
Seated on a gurney in the maternity receiving area, I watched as the monitors displayed mine and the baby's activity.
"Excuse me, nurse? Can you tell me what this flashing red line is?" I asked.
"Sure," she smiled sweetly. "When it increases like it is now, it's saying you're having a contraction. How do you feel?"
I shrugged. "Same as before really. I feel fine."
"Well, sometimes that measurement isn't accurate. Your doctor should be here any minute now. If you need anything, just call for me. I'm Toni."
"Thanks."
Toni was thin, with dark skin and shoulder length dark hair. She wore blue patterned scrubs and even though I knew it was a cute pattern, I was so worried I couldn't focus on what it was. There was something soothing about Toni, and I was grateful each time she came to check on us.
Near the doorway, I heard a man's voice. Xander and I exchanged a look, knowing what the other was thinking. That sounded like the doctor.
Dr. Grossman appeared wearing light green hospital scrubs. His curly salt and pepper hair still showed the marks from his surgical mask.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ashley. I was in surgery this morning. I looked over your chart, and your blood pressure is pretty high. Are you nervous?" he asked. Dr. Grossman always had a kind face, but this time it also wore lines of concern.
"Yes, but I doubt it’s any more than anyone else being told to come to a hospital while pregnant." I smiled and hoped I came across as myself, despite feeling like I wasn't there.
"It's still not down and you've been here over an hour now. I'm not going to lie, it's troublesome. I'd like to keep you overnight for observation, and I'd like to run a blood panel. Let me get the nurse, I'll be right back."
As he walked away, Xander took my hand and smiled. It amazed me that so many months before he was a wreck, but now when I really needed him, he was calm. Having my hand engulfed by his warm hand, I felt calm, too. I needed that because Dr. Grossman turned back around before getting Toni.
"I'm sorry, I have this nagging feeling. You've had a great pregnancy so far. It would be a shame for anything to happen at the end. Tomorrow will be thirty-eight weeks. I'd like to talk to you about some options."
He moved closer to my gurney, and my breath caught as I waited for him to continue. At that moment, there was nothing else in the room with us. The beeps of the machines had stopped. Nothing else was there except for the doctor and Xander's comforting hand.
"I think we need to get the baby out. The choice is up to you. We can induce, but he's really high up right now, I'm not sure he'll come down. You've made a comfy place in there for him." He smiled warmly. "Or you can choose a C-section and we can have him out within the hour. I'm worried it’s your placenta. It might have abrupted and your blood is pooling. There's no way to tell otherwise."
I didn't need to think. I already knew my answer based on my recurring nightmares. I took in a deep breath and for the first time since we arrived, I felt like myself again.
"I don't want to risk anything. I'll do the C-section."
He nodded as he noted my decision in the chart. Then he leaned in a little closer.
"That's your father out there, isn't it? You look like him. If you were my daughter, I would've suggested the C-section." He smiled softly and patted mine and Xander's hands. "You'll be awake the entire time." He looked up at Xander. "You won't ever have to let go of her hand."
* * *
After they wheeled me into recovery, I watched as Toni wheeled in the small plastic bassinet that held our baby wrapped tightly in a white and blue blanket.
"He's amazing! I've never seen such an alert newborn," she said. "He's just hanging out and looking around the room. Those are your parents, right? They're so cute. They watched as I bathed him. I asked your dad if he wanted to hold him, but he said no. I think he was afraid to," Toni said and laughed.
"Yup, that sounds about right." I laughed too.
"Would you like me to get them?" She parked the baby next to me, beside where Xander stood, having never left my side except to see his son get weighed and measured.
"Are they allowed back here?"
"No, but I won't tell if you won't. Does this little guy have a name yet?"
She lifted him up and put him in my arms, careful to not get tangled in the wires and drips still attached to me. He was beautiful. Absolutely perfect. He had black fuzz on his head and large, plump cheeks. His eyes were as dark as night.
"Jacob Alexander," I said softly as Xander slipped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of our baby's head.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Samantha
It had been a week since I saw Drake, and I'd be a liar if I said I didn't think about him constantly. Even to say I only thought about him felt like a lie. He consumed my thoughts.
I knew I should call him, but I couldn't. Even I could see how stubborn I was being. This wasn't even about the baby, I finally realized I had been pushing away the man I was crazy about my entire life for no reason.
Was Drake mean to me when I was a kid? Sure, but he was a kid, too. I was ready to move past that and I knew he was, too. Was. I didn't know if his feelings for me changed now that I was pregnant. I expected to hear from him after the shower, but nothing. Why did he have to choose now to listen to me?
I grabbed my phone and dialed his number then quickly hung up. I needed to talk to him. I at least needed to apologize for acting like a child. He couldn't hold me responsible for how crazy he made me…could he? Dialing the number again, I realized I didn't hear a dial tone. The line was dead.
"Hello?" I said, confused.
"It's Drake. Any chance we could go somewhere and talk?"
"What? How? Wait a second, I didn't think the call went through."
"What do you mean? I called you."
I laughed. "I guessed we were calling each other at the same time."
"You were going to call me? This must be my lucky day."
"Don't press your luck, buddy!"
"Does that mean you'll say yes? Let me take you out to dinner. I know this great Italian place by the beach."
"Um sure, okay. When?"
"How about now? I'm right outside your apartment."
I got up from the couch and made the short trek to the window. Pushing open the blinds, I peeked out to see a long black stretch limousine idling at the curb. Slowly, the sunroof slid open and Drake popped up through it, looking towards my building as he shielded his eyes from the sun. At first I thought he was wearing a black suit, but then I realized it was a tux.
"What are you doing? Seriously, a tuxedo? Can't you ever be normal? I'm not going out if you're dressed like that. I'll look like a bum. I have nothing to wear."
"I knew you'd say that," he said as he smiled slyly. "Answer the door."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door. I opened it while still holding the phone to my ear. Standing in the hallway was a short girl with a jet-black bob and ivory skin. She had a similar body type to mine, but her clothes seemed to fit her perfectly, hugging each curve down to the plunging dark blue neckline of her top.
"Hi, I'm Deborah. Not to rush you, but we need to get you changed." She walked into my apartment and grabbed the phone from my hand. "Fifteen minutes," she said into the phone before hanging up. "We don't have a lot of time. Put this on."
She handed me a dress bag I didn't notice she had slung over her shoulder, then gently pushed me. It was what I needed. Shocked by everything, my legs had been glued to the floor.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Deborah. Jeez, Drake didn't mention you were slow," she said with a crooked smile. "I'm Ashley's assistant at the museum. I'll explain everything as you
change."
Nodding, I brought her to my bedroom. I laid the bag on the bed and she immediately picked it up, unzipped it, and pulled out an emerald green organza dress and hung it from the closet door. From a small train case, she pulled out a measuring tape.
"Can you explain now?" I asked.
She started measuring me quickly. "Drake came into the museum earlier in the week. He has been quite the asshole lately, I'm not going to lie." She made a face as she measured my length.
"What is it?"
"He described you as about my size but around Ashley's height. You're taller, which is fine. I didn't finish the hem, but it'll take me a little longer now because I banked on her height so now I need to redo it."
"Sorry."
"No, he's the idiot. You're like a goddess. You're so freaking tall." She laughed. "Anyway, I lost my cool with him and the next thing, I know he's telling me everything. And I mean everything. Just spilling his guts."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Completely opened up. Happens to me a lot. No idea why." She stood up, done with her measurements, and dropped the tape back into her bag. "Anyway, he was really upset that you want nothing to do with him. Blah blah you're pregnant blah blah. You get the idea. So I told him to grow a pair and do something about it. Told him to take what he wants and that I'd help him out." She shrugged and handed me the dress. "Put it on." She turned around and dug into her bag again.
I quickly put the dress on. It was a soft smooth material. The dress was empire waist and sleeveless. She wasn't kidding when she said the word goddess. If the dress was white, it would've looked like something worn by a Greek goddess. I loved it.
"Okay, it's on."
She spun around and began reworking the seams of the dress. She fitted the high empire waist over my small belly bump, disguising it. Then she adjusted the straps. Lastly, she knelt on the floor as she fixed the bottom hem.
"It's not perfect, but it looks good on you. That is definitely your color. Matches your eyes. At least he got that right," she said and grinned.
Once she was done, I quickly let my hair loose and shook my curls so they untangled and put on a little lip gloss and mascara.
"Sorry, we took longer than fifteen minutes."
"Oh, I knew we would, but every woman should be fashionably late," she said. "You look beautiful. Go enjoy yourself, and don't make me have to show up here again." She smiled and gave me a quick hug before we left the apartment.
Deborah hopped into a taxi and waved before it sped away. Drake stood outside the limo looking like a movie star on the red carpet. His tux was perfectly tailored, his dirty blond hair slicked back from his forehead. The shirt collar was open at the top and he didn't wear a tie. A huge smile spread across his face as he looked at me.
"You're gorgeous," he said.
Taking my hand, he kissed my cheek and opened the door to the limo for me to get in. The car smoothly made its way through the streets and I looked down at his hand, still holding mine, and noticed a smudge of pale green paint by his thumb.
"Were you painting?"
He looked at his hand, embarrassed. "I thought I got it all. I saw a few areas that needed a touch-up as I was leaving. You do like Italian, right? I remember you saying something once."
"Yes, it's my favorite," I looked at him, trying to figure him out. "You're acting so weird. What's going on?"
He didn't answer. I turned to look out the window and noticed we were on the canyon road heading towards the beach. The sun was just beginning to set, giving the mountains a soft golden glow.
My head spun. Looking down at the dress, I couldn't believe the trouble he went through. I was speechless. Never in a million years did I ever think Drake Winslow would do something special for me.
I thought back to all the years I had a crush on him. How I never thought he'd look at me as anything more than some bratty kid with freckles and wished I had a time machine to go back to tell myself to be patient and not so damned stubborn.
The limo stopped. I looked out the window and started laughing when I saw we were on a residential street that ran along the ocean.
"Are you kidding me? This isn't a restaurant. This is your house!"
The chauffeur opened Drake's door and once he was out of the car, Drake helped me out. He still didn't say a word, and I began to feel my temper gurgle. I convinced myself to be patient as he brought me into his home.
The aromas from the kitchen were the first thing that struck me. A mixture of garlic, tomato, and cheese filled the air. From the small kitchen, a large man in his chef whites stepped out of the kitchen. I recognized him immediately. It was Chef Andolini, one of my idols.
"Dinner is almost ready. I've taken the liberty of creating an antipasto for you two to enjoy," he said in a thick Italian accent I recognized from watching his shows.
I turned to Drake. "Now I'm impressed."
"There's more. He's agreed to stay after dinner and answer any questions you have. If you want, he'll even give you a lesson."
"That's incredible! I…I don't know what to say. I don't even know how you knew."
"Come with me."
He led me upstairs and just when I expected him to take me to his bedroom, he surprised me by stopping in front of a door I didn't notice the night I snuck out of his house.
He took a deep breath and opened the door. Still holding my hand, we stepped inside. I was blown away.
Drake had started creating a nursery. Looking around, I recognized the pale green on the walls from what was on his hands. I couldn't believe he painted it himself.
In the corner of the room stood the only piece of furniture, an old wooden crib with ornate carvings. It looked recently stained. I walked over and touched it.
"This is amazing. It's stunning. Is it an antique? Where did you get it?"
"From my parents. It was my crib. I wanted our child to use it, too."
I was touched that he put so much time and thought into this. Just the fact that he went through so much to surprise me. I understood why he didn't call after the shower – he had been very busy.
"I know we haven't technically dated, but we know each other," he said. "I'm confident we can make this work. I've never felt so strongly about anyone before. I love you, Sam. I want you to move in as soon as you're ready. I want us to start a life together."
Speechless, I smiled at him, feeling like the lovesick puppy I was as a kid again. I was sure I looked like an idiot with the dumb grin on my face, but I didn't care. He smiled softly at me and then wrapped his arms around me, engulfing me in his warmth.
For the first time, I didn't think about pushing him away or if he was full of crap or planning to use me. I knew Drake was sincere. Deep down, I knew he loved me. Closing my arms tightly around him, I finally relaxed. I was where I was meant to be. I was home.
"I love you too, Drake. I always have."
Epilogue
Ashley
The room was dark when I woke. I felt more rested than I had in a while, and that made me worry. Something wasn’t right. I wasn't used to waking up on my own.
Since Jacob had been born eight weeks ago, I consistently woke at 5am each day just before he wanted his first feeding. I squinted and rubbed my eyes as I looked at the amber glow of the digital clock. 5:10 am. That couldn't be right.
I leaned over to peek into the bassinet Jacob slept in beside our bed and my stomach dropped. A tightness seized my chest and I couldn't breathe. The baby was gone!
Sitting up, I looked over at Xander's side of the bed to wake him. He was missing, too. Could Jacob have woken up without my hearing him?
I smoothed down my purple knit teddy which hit about mid-thigh and headed down the hall. As I approached the circular study, I saw the gentle glow of the sunrise begin to lighten the room.
It brought me back to my days working for Xander. My mornings started by watching the sunrise up from behind the trees that lined The Manor's enormous property. The study hadn't changed sin
ce then. The oversized armchair still sat in the middle of the room facing the rear dome-shaped window.
As I focused on the armchair I saw Xander, his head tilted to one side as he looked at Jacob. He lay in Xander's arms, asleep with the sweetest smile on his angelic face.
Xander held him with his blue and yellow duckie blanket wrapped loosely around him. His small chubby arms stuck out from the blankets, showing the pale blue sleeves of his sleeper. His tiny hands were over the blanket with his fingers sticking straight out. Beside Xander, between the chair and his thigh, was an empty bottle.
I walked over quietly, not wanting to wake Jacob. As I approached, Xander looked up and smiled.
"I heard him fidget a little and wanted to let you sleep," he whispered, his voice husky yet soft.
"You didn't have to. I know you've been busy working with all those new investors wanting to do business with you. Plus we have Drake and Samantha's wedding later."
"The investors aren't important. They'll always be there. This is fleeting. We'll never get this time back and before we know it, he'll be too big to wrap in a blanket. I'd give it all up just to be here with the two of you."
My eyes filled with tears and I turned away, embarrassed that I was still so emotional. I heard Jacob begin to fidget and turned back to catch him let out a big yawn.
"He's just like his mommy. Wakes up on time to watch the sunrise," Xander whispered. "Are you going to join us?"
Opening his arms, he easily held the baby in one arm as he grabbed my hand with the other. I curled up on his lap and then took Jacob from him. As I held him, he nestled into me and fell back into a deep sleep as Xander wrapped his strong arms around us.
Resting my head on Xander's shoulder, we watched as the sky slowly lightened from deep purple to blue as the sun made its way up from behind the trees. So many mornings the sunrise brought me comfort of what my new life could be.
Now the sun began the first of many new days with my perfect family. Yes, I married a billionaire. Yes, my life completely changed from what I ever dreamed it would be, but that was only because I never dared to dream I would find the kind of love Xander and I shared or that that love could create anything as extraordinary as our son.
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