Love You to Death
Page 24
“Shut up, Cort!” everyone chorused. I almost laughed. This was so typical of my family.
Gideon and I had gotten married a month ago under the cover of a huge white tent on the farm. I wanted to wait until after the baby was born so I wouldn’t be an elephant bride, but Gideon insisted. He said he wanted us to be legal before the baby was born.
Getting married had been really easy since Cass was dead. It turned out that I inherited everything he had because we were still married when he died. I was blown away by his substantial bank account, almost seventy-five thousand dollars. But I didn’t want anything that had belonged to him. I signed everything over to his parents and promptly forgot ever knowing him.
Even as we rushed to Clark Regional Medical Center, with Gideon breaking every vehicular law known to man, I barely registered that I ever had any other life. These last months have been a blissful blur and as I feel my child forcing its way into this world I can’t help but feel a sense of completeness.
“One more big push, Mrs. Shepherd!” the nurse cheered.
“I’m too tired,” I whined.
“One more, babe...You can do it.” Gideon kissed my sweaty forehead.
“This is the last one!” I shouted at him. He smiled at me. “Stop smiling!” I said, taking a deep breath and pushing.
“One, two, three, four...” Gideon counted down.
Suddenly the pressure was gone. I fell back onto the mattress. Seconds ticked by. I started to worry. Then the lusty wails of my newborn echoed around the room.
“It’s a boy!” the doctor announced.
I cried. Gideon cried. He kissed me soundly on the lips.
“You did it!” he said, wiping his eyes.
“We did it,” I corrected, still catching my breath.
Gideon cut the cord. The nurses took the baby to clean him up. Gideon left to break the good news to the family waiting down the hall. The nurse who’d been cheering me on carried the baby to me, firmly swaddled in a standard blue hospital blanket, and placed him in my arms.
He had his father’s coloring and my nose. I kissed his cheeks, unwrapping him to count his fingers and toes.
They cleaned me up and wheeled us to my room. We were barely settled when Sissy, followed by Gideon and the rest of the family, filed in to stand around the bed and meet the newest member.
“Well, what’d ya think?” Sissy said, narrowing her gaze. “You didn’t die, but you sure thought you might, right?”
“Pretty much.” I laughed, wincing.
“But he’s worth every minute.” Aurora sighed.
“Absolutely,” I said, handing the baby into Sissy’s reaching arms. “Benjamin Joseph Shepherd, meet Maw-Maw.”
Everyone laughed, even Sissy.
I looked around at the faces I’d come to love. This was my family. This was my heart. It was a bittersweet moment for me. My mom wasn’t here. She’d never see my precious little baby. Never hold his hand or push him on a swing or read him a bedtime story.
“She’s looking down from heaven,” Gideon whispered into the shell of my ear. He knew me so well. “She’s smiling at how handsome he is and how wonderful you are.”
“Thanks.” I nuzzled against his arm.
“Can I hold my brother now?” Stewie asked.
“He’s not your brother,” Maggie corrected with exasperation.
“Yes, he is,” Stewie insisted. “Tell her, Cherry.”
“We’re all family,” I said, not bothering to try to explain the situation to him again. We were a family. That was all he needed to know.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you Jesus for making all my dreams come true!
Thanks to Jules. You don’t appreciate the writing process but you appreciate me—like a good husband should—Food Marie!
My little man, Chaz, I’m just thankful for you.
To my sister, Erin Adams, and my niece, Lily Hoover, THANKS for being so excited for me!
And a BIG thanks to Nancy Schumacher and the team at Melange Books, LLC—you took a chance on an unknown author and helped her reach the stars.
I’m so grateful for all of you!
About the Author
Melissa March lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and young son.
Between the housewife gig, the toddler taxi service, getting her website up and trying to be all writery on it, she is usually nose deep in a book or up to her elbows at the keyboard. (Some things don't change.)
She reads many different genres, but seems to gravitate towards YA.
Love You To Death is her first published novel. She is currently working on a series of YA fantasy and an adult mystery.
www.melissamarch16.com
www.facebook.com/melissa.march.963
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