“I will,” she said softly. “Don’t worry.”
A long moment passed, then Richard sighed and stood again.
“I’m gone,” he said. “I’ll call you tonight from the hotel.”
“’Bye.”
When Richard left the apartment and closed the door behind him, a heavy silence fell over the room, and Brenda frowned. She splayed her hands on her stomach.
“Well, here we are, Angela Jane. Want to watch Casablanca? Angela Jane what…? Your daddy and I still haven’t settled on how to handle your last name. Angela Jane Henderson-MacAllister? That’s an awfully big title for a little girl. Oh, well, there’s still plenty of time left to get that figured out.”
Brenda shifted her gaze to the Christmas tree.
If things were different, she thought, they would all be MacAllisters. Brenda, Richard and Angela MacAllister. A family. A mother, father and baby. A wife, husband and daughter. A—no, there was no sense dwelling on what wasn’t going to be.
“Just don’t go there, Brenda,” she said, then picked up one of the magazines from the stack next to her. “Oh, mercy, look at all that yummy holiday food. Forget it. I’m going to watch my movie.”
Later that night, Brenda smiled as she replaced the telephone receiver after a long conversation with Richard. She snapped off the light on the nightstand next to the bed and wiggled until she was in a comfortable position.
Richard had sounded so pleased with himself, she thought, staring up into the darkness. The man he’d met with was going to talk to his wife about moving to Ventura, a plan that the guy thought would be well received since his family had had enough of Minnesota winters.
She’d humored Richard by telling him everything she’d done since he’d left and detailed every morsel of salt-free food she’d placed in her mouth.
His San Francisco trivia had been terrific. There were 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball. Fascinating. Richard sure was a pro at trivia.
Brenda yawned, then her lashes drifted down as she floated off to sleep.
Three hours later Brenda opened her eyes and wondered foggily why she was awake. In the next moment she gasped as a sharp pain sliced low and deep through her body.
As the pain eased, she took a steadying breath and willed her racing heart to slow its wild tempo.
Whatever that had been, she thought, it was over. She would just blank her mind and go back to sleep and—
“Oh!” she said, as another pain rocketed through her.
She gripped the blankets tightly until the agony stopped, then leveled herself up to the side of the bed. As she got to her feet, a rush of liquid soaked her nightgown and the carpet where she was standing.
“Oh, God, no,” she said, her voice trembling. “My water broke.” She splayed her hands on her stomach. “Angela, no, not yet, baby. It’s too soon. You can’t come yet. Richard. Oh, God, Richard, I need you. Please, Richard?”
Calm down, Brenda, she told herself, as she turned on the light.
She sat down on the bed, took an address book from the nightstand drawer, then picked up the receiver to the telephone with a shaking hand. She opened the book, pressed the numbers written on the page, made a mistake that caused her to whimper, then tried again. A telephone rang on the other end of the line.
“Dr. MacAllister.”
“Kara?” Brenda said. “It’s Brenda. Oh, Kara, my water broke, and I’m having sharp pains, and it’s too early for Angela to be born and—”
“Easy, easy,” Kara said. “Have Richard bring you to the hospital right away. I’ll meet you there.”
“Richard isn’t here,” Brenda said, her eyes filling with tears. “He had to fly to San Francisco and… He’s not here, Kara.”
“Darn it,” Kara said. “Okay. Brenda, don’t panic, all right? I’m going to have an ambulance come for you. That’s the safest way to do this. Unlock the door so the paramedics can get in. Don’t bother getting fully dressed, just put on a fresh nightgown. Are you with me here?”
“Unlock the door. Fresh nightgown,” Brenda said, nodding. “But what about the baby? She isn’t supposed to be born yet, Kara.”
“Angela obviously doesn’t want to miss the Christmas festivities,” Kara said. “She’s definitely about to greet the world. I’ll have the preemie team standing by, Bren. Angela will get the very best care there is, I promise. Now, hang up the phone so we can get this show on the road.”
“I…yes…’bye.”
Brenda replaced the receiver, then wrapped her arms around her stomach and bent over as another pain assaulted her. When the pain subsided, she picked up a piece of paper from the nightstand. A few moments later she burst into tears when Richard answered the ringing on the line with a mumbled “What!”
“Richard? Oh, God, Richard, the baby is coming,” she said, a sob catching in her throat. “Now. My water broke and Kara is sending an ambulance, and I’m so scared because Angela is too early. It’s not time yet, Richard, and she’ll be so small and—”
“Brenda, are you sure that— Ah, damn, of course, you are. Your water broke. I’m on my way…somehow. I’ll get on a plane if I have to hijack one. Oh, God, Bren, I’m so sorry I’m not there with you. I’m so, so sorry, Bren, and I love you so much, and I’ll be there just as quickly as I can, and Angela will be fine…you’ll see. I love you, Brenda, with all my heart, mind and soul.”
“I love you, too, Richard,” Brenda said, crying openly. “I love you so very much. I need you here with me, because you’re my soul mate and this is our baby and…hurry, Richard. Please.”
“Yes,” he said, then slammed down the receiver.
“Your daddy is coming home,” Brenda said, sobbing as she patted her stomach. “He’s on his way to help us, Angela. Unlock the door. Put on a clean nightie. I can do that. And Richard will be here…soon.”
Four hours later Richard dashed out of the elevator on the maternity floor of Mercy Hospital and ran down the corridor to the nurses’ station. His hair was tousled, and his shirttail was hanging out beneath his short winter jacket. He skidded to a halt at the counter and leaned forward.
“I’m Brenda,” he said breathlessly. “No, that’s not right. I’m Richard. Richard MacAllister, and I’m here. I made it. Chartered a plane and— Where’s Brenda? I have to go to her, be with her, let her know I’m here for her and— Where did you put Brenda?”
The nurse behind the counter smiled. “Get a grip, Dad, or we’ll end up with you in a hospital bed, too.” She glanced at a piece of paper on her desk. “I don’t have a Brenda MacAllister on this floor.”
“No, no,” Richard said, “she’s Brenda Henderson. My sister is her doctor… Kara MacAllister.”
“Ah,” the nurse said, nodding. “Yes, Brenda Henderson. Here she is.” She looked at Richard again. “If you’ll go into the waiting room right across the hall, there, I’ll inform Dr. MacAllister that you’re here.”
“But…” Richard drummed his fingers on the countertop. “Okay, okay, but hurry, all right? Please?”
“Yes, I’ll hurry.” The nurse pointed to the waiting room. “Go.”
Richard spun around and strode across the hallway, muttering under his breath as he went. He entered the room and stopped so suddenly he staggered slightly.
They were all there. The MacAllisters. A representative from each of the families, plus his parents and his aunt Margaret and uncle Robert.
Richard’s heart thudded in his chest and he shook his head, unable to speak for a moment. His mother came to him and gave him a hug.
“You made it, dear,” she said. “That’s wonderful. It will mean so much to Brenda.”
“Do you know anything?” Richard said. “What’s going on? How’s Brenda? Ah, man, where is Brenda? Damn it, I should never have left her alone. She’s so scared, so— And the baby— It’s too soon for Angela to be born, Mom. She’ll be so small and—”
“Whoa, brother,” Jack said, crossing the room. “Take it easy, Richard. You won’t d
o Brenda any good if you’re falling apart. Kara was here for a moment and said she has the preemie team standing by to tend to the baby the minute she’s born. Brenda’s labor was moving right along with no complications.”
“But…” Richard said.
“Richard MacAllister?” a nurse said from the doorway.
“Me!” he yelled, turning in the direction of the voice.
The nurse held up a green scrub top that had ties along the back. “There’s no time for you to change into the full garb. Stick your arms in this and follow me into the delivery room. You’re about two contractions away from becoming a father.”
“Ohmigod,” Richard whispered.
“Move,” Jack said, whopping his brother on the back.
It was a blur. Richard was vaguely aware of putting on the green top, rushing after the nurse, then entering a brightly lit room that seemed to be overflowing with people in white uniforms. Someone pressed on his shoulders, he sat down on a stool, then blinked as he found himself staring at Brenda.
“Bren?” he said tentatively.
Brenda turned her head. “Oh, Richard. Oh, Richard, you’re here.” She raised one hand, and he grasped it in both of his. “I’m so glad to see you. Don’t leave me, Richard, please.”
“Never,” he said, tightening his hold on her hand.
“Welcome to the party, big brother,” Kara said from the other end of the delivery table. “You cut it close, but you made it.”
“Ohhh,” Brenda moaned, attempting to sit up.
Richard’s eyes widened. “Bren? What? What?”
“Support her back, Richard,” Kara said. “Okay, Brenda, this is it. Push for me now, sweetie. That’s it. A little more. Here…she…comes. Yes!”
With a swoop, Kara laid the wailing baby on Brenda’s stomach.
“Oh, Richard,” Brenda said, tears streaming down her face as she touched one of the baby’s tiny hands, “look at her. She’s here. Our Angela. Our miracle.”
“Yeah,” Richard said, awe ringing in his voice as he made no attempt to hide the tears shimmering in his own eyes. “Our daughter.”
A group of people moved forward, and the baby was whisked quickly away. Richard eased Brenda back to lie down, then wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
“She’s so tiny,” Brenda said, her voice trembling. “She came too soon, Richard, and—” Tears choked off her words.
“Five pounds, one ounce,” someone called from across the room.
“Fantastic,” Kara said, then stood and walked to the head of the table. “You did beautifully, Brenda.”
“Angela?” Brenda said.
“She’s a good weight,” Kara said. “Excellent. Our concern is her lungs because she came so early. She’s being checked over now, head to toe, by the experts. From the sound of her none-too-quiet arrival, I’d say her lungs are fine, but we have to be certain. We’ll have a complete report in a little while.”
“How long is a little while?” Richard said.
“Soon,” Kara said, smiling. “Richard, go tell the family the news while we finish up here, then you can see Brenda in her room in a bit.”
“How long is a bit?” Richard said.
“Get out of here,” Kara said, laughing. “Give Brenda a kiss, thank her for your lovely daughter, then go.”
“Oh.” Richard gave Brenda a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you for our lovely daughter, then go.” He shook his head slightly. “I don’t feel very well.”
“Mick,” Kara called, “we’ve got a daddy turning out the lights over here.”
A big, burly man ran across the room and caught Richard just as he toppled backward off the stool.
“Richard?” Brenda said, raising up on one elbow.
Mick hoisted Richard over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and left the delivery room.
“Richard!” Brenda yelled.
Kara laughed and patted Brenda on the shoulder, urging her to lie flat again. “He’ll be fine, Bren. His biggest problem will be that he’ll never live this down. The MacAllister clan is going to have a field day with this one.”
“Poor Richard,” Brenda said. “Kara, do you really think Angela is all right?”
“We’ll know soon. Just relax.”
As Kara returned to the other end of the table, tears filled Brenda’s eyes again.
“But how long is soon?” she whispered.
After Richard was deposited in the waiting room by Mick, and the nurse on duty told the group to hold down the noise created by their hooting and hollering over Richard’s performance, the family grew serious, waiting for word on the baby.
Kara finally appeared and motioned to a pale Richard to follow her as she told the family she’d be right back to bring them up to date.
In Brenda’s room, where she was propped up against the pillows on the bed, Kara told the new parents that Angela Jane was absolutely fine. She was going to be in an incubator for the next twenty-four hours just as a safety precaution. Kara explained that newborns usually lose weight at first, and Angela could go home once she was a steady five pounds.
“Any questions?” she said to Brenda and Richard.
“No,” Brenda said. “Thank you so much, Kara.”
“I’ll go tell the family,” Kara said, “give them a peek at Angela, then send everyone home. Richard, you have ten minutes, then Brenda is going to get some well-deserved rest.”
After Kara left, a silence fell over the room that stretched from one minute into an uncomfortable two, then three.
Dear heaven, Brenda thought frantically, she’d told Richard that she loved him, and he had said that he loved her and…not best-friend love, but in love love. That was what they’d declared for each other on the telephone.
They’d both been very upset and scared and…people said things under stressful circumstances that they really didn’t mean and shouldn’t be held accountable for and—
Oh, God, who was she kidding?
She did love Richard MacAllister. She was in love with him. When it had actually happened, she didn’t know. All she was certain of was that she loved Richard with all her heart. Her best friend was her soul mate, just as the MacAllisters had tried to explain.
But Richard mustn’t know how she felt. It would ruin everything, put such a strain on their friendship, their relationship, as they raised Angela. She would keep her secret wrapped tightly in her heart.
“Bren,” Richard said, breaking the heavy silence and causing Brenda to jerk at the sudden sound of his voice. “We need to talk about what we said to each other on the phone when you called to tell me that Angela was on the way.”
“Oh, that,” Brenda said, waving one hand breezily in the air. “Wasn’t that silly? There’s probably some trivia recorded somewhere about how many people blither nonsense when they’re stressed to the max. Don’t give it another thought, Richard. I certainly won’t.
“Well, it’s been quite a night, and I’m exhausted. I’m so grateful that Angela is going to be all right. I can hardly wait to hold her and—” tears filled Brenda’s eyes “—I think…you’d better go.”
Brenda met Richard’s gaze for the first time since Kara had left the room and frowned when she saw what appeared to be a flicker of…what? What was that? Sadness…pain…in his dark, expressive MacAllister eyes? No, he was just tired after all that had transpired tonight.
“Well,” Richard said, then drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes. You want me to go, so… I’ll shove off. We got ourselves quite a Christmas present, didn’t we? Angela Jane… We never did figure out what we were going to do about her last name. I guess…I guess you’d really like it to be Henderson, huh?” He cleared his throat. “Good night, Brenda.”
Richard hurried from the room, and two tears spilled onto Brenda’s cheeks.
“I want Angela’s name to be MacAllister,” she said, sniffling, “and I want my name to be MacAllister. I want us all to be MacAllisters, a family. I love you with in-love kind of
love, Richard, but you only love me with best-friend love and— Aaakk!”
Brenda shrieked as Richard came barreling back into the room.
“Damn it, Brenda,” Richard said, “I can’t carry this around inside me because I’ll explode.”
“What are you talking about?” she said, staring at him with wide eyes.
“I meant every word I said to you on the telephone,” he said, volume on high. “I didn’t know I meant it when I said it, I just said it, then I had that awful ten-year-long flight in that skinny little plane to get here, and I thought about it, really thought about it, and…
“Ah, Bren, I do love you so damn much. You’re my best friend in the whole world, and you’re also my soul mate, my other half, the mother of my child and the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.
“I’m in love with you, Bren, and I know that gums up the works, and I pray this won’t ruin our friendship, our raising Angela together, but— I apologize for not sticking to our program, but…good night, Brenda.”
Richard got as far as grabbing the handle on the door.
“I love you, too, Richard MacAllister,” Brenda said, a sob catching in her throat. “I meant what I said on the phone. You’re my best friend, will always be my best friend, but you’re also the man I love with every breath in my body. I’m in love with you, Richard MacAllister.”
Richard turned around slowly and raised one finger in the air.
“Say that again,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m in love with you, Richard.”
“Ah, Bren. Does this mean you’ll marry me? Be my wife? Does it?”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Richard closed the distance between them, cradled Brenda’s face in his hands and kissed her.
It was a kiss of tenderness, of heartfelt devotion, of commitment, and the blending so perfectly together of the essence of friendship and the love between a man and a woman that would withstand the rigors of time.
It was a kiss of forever.
“Oops, excuse me,” Kara said, coming into the room. “I came to boot you out of here, Richard, because I had a feeling you wouldn’t leave in ten minutes. I also brought you two a picture of Angela, since she can’t come visit you right now.” She paused. “Could you come up for air and take this picture?”
Baby: MacAllister-Made Page 14