by Tory Baker
I didn’t wait for an ambulance, knowing I could get her to the hospital faster than they would. I made phone calls the entire way, one to her obstetrician—when you have money, they give you their private lines without blinking, and I used it. He was five minutes out and said he would see us as soon as we got there. Then I called Michelle’s parents and my own. I was brief, wanting my eyes on the road and my hand holding hers the whole time. She was semi-coherent, but nothing like she usually was, and she was quiet, so fucking quiet, it terrified me.
“Michelle, baby, stay with me. Don’t you leave me. We have Jake to raise together, many years to live. I love you, baby.” I’m trying to hold it together when really, I’m ready to crumble.
“I love you, Devon,” she mumbles as we pull up to the emergency room. I slam my truck in park and fly around to Michelle. A nurse is already bringing out a wheelchair.
“Go park your car. I’ll come get you right away,” she suggests. “If you leave it here, it’ll be towed, and they’ll still need you. Two minutes is all it will take, and you’ll be back with her.” I do what she says, even though I hate it more than life itself.
As I park my car, I see Tony and Sydney, and I walk toward them. We’re all solemn as we walk inside the hospital.
“There you are, Mr. Anderson. Come right this way, and you can be with your wife.” We did the small Las Vegas chapel thing with both our families two weeks after we were engaged.
“I’ll come and get you as soon as I know something,” I tell her parents, who are huddled together.
“That won’t be necessary. The nurse will come get them. We’re prepping Michelle for an emergency cesarean section. I need you to scrub in,” Dr. Smith says.
“Is that normal?” I ask as I follow him.
“It’s a little tricky, but nothing too bad. Her blood pressure was extremely high, and this is the safest for both mother and child.”
I nod, trying to keep up with him in thoughts and walking. A nurse leads me to where I need to put on booties, a cap, and this god-awful blue paper-like gown to cover myself. I rush through the entire process, needing to be with Michelle.
When I’m finally led into the operating room, they have Michelle on the table. Her arms are tied down, and she’s on oxygen with the tube under her nose.
“Baby.” I rush to her.
“I’m okay, I promise, but I guess Jake couldn’t resist coming early. He’s like his daddy, always rushing to the finish line,” she jokes.
It causes me to snort. “Wait until you’re healed, then I’ll show you who rushes.”
I kiss her forehead, my eyes on hers until the doctor lets us know she’ll feel a tug. We hold our breath until our son comes out screeching his lungs off.
“He’s so beautiful, Devon.” Michelle’s voice is in awe.
“Yeah, he is, just like you. You did so good, baby.”
“We did good. Go tend to our son while they fix me up, please? I need someone to be with him. I don’t want him alone,” she pleads. I reluctantly leave her side for a few moments, watching as they do his testing, thankful as hell that he passes his tests with flying colors.
When they put Jake in my arms, I’m back at her side, leaning Jake toward her so she can see him. The three of us huddle together as the nurse takes pictures of us.
Our life is beyond beautiful, and I’d go through hell again as long as it leads me right where I belong.
Epilogue
Michelle
Two Years Later
I was gutted when the doctor suggested my body may not be able to handle another pregnancy full-term. I mean, thirty-six weeks was pushing it. We were lucky Jake came out perfectly healthy.
On the upside, though, we started the adoption process last year. Even with money on our side, Devon and I were put through the ringer when it came to the application process. Not to mention, the countless interviews. We were to the point of fostering a little boy, but his mom got her life together and decided to keep him. My hopes were already up. I still, until this day, pray for that little boy, even though we didn’t even know his name.
Today, we’re celebrating, though. Not only is it Jake’s second birthday, but we got the call that our daughter is ready to come home from the hospital. She was born dependent on drugs from her mother. When the caseworker told us she could have many health problems, we didn’t care. We’d take her any way we could get her. The odds were in our favor, and she’s healthy and so damn beautiful. We’ll have our hands full with Jake and Ella. In the past two weeks, I was basically admitted into the hospital. I missed our home, not to mention tucking Jake into bed nightly. Devon and our parents are the real MVPs, Devon working from home while taking care of Jake the majority of the time, and our parents picking up so he could come up here or bringing him up here so he could meet his sister. It was the sweetest thing to watch the two of them together, even if all he was doing was holding her.
“Ready to take our princess home?” Devon comes into the hospital room.
“I’m beyond that and ready to celebrate Jake’s birthday. It’s the best of both worlds. We are so unbelievably blessed. Have I told you lately how much I love you and how thankful I am to have you in my life?”
“We truly are, and no, I don’t suppose I’ve heard that lately,” he says with a smirk, knowing damned good and well how much I love him and how thankful I am. I mean, sure, being in the hospital puts a damper on some things, but once we’re home and settled, I plan on showing him just how much I love him.
“We’re a team, baby, and you know I love you more than anything.” His lips press a kiss to my forehead. “We have quite the crowd at our home; I hope you don’t mind. Between our parents and Lincoln with his clan, it may not be quiet today or even tonight.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I think we can make something work. There’s always a shower, Mr. Anderson,” I offer.
“Yes, there is, Mrs. Anderson, and I know just how to keep my mouth shut.” I wink at him. He knows exactly what I’m referring to. In fact, before we got the call about Ella, I had him in my mouth, tasting everything he had to give me.
“Oh, if we’re going there, I have a place you can sit.” He licks his lips. There isn’t much that will make me blush, but that definitely will.
“You win. Let’s get our bundle of joy home to meet her family.”
“Baby, I won the day I walked into your salon. Every day after has been icing on the cake.” We leave, heading home to work on our happily ever after as a family of four.
Our lives have been more than amazing, and I can’t wait to see what the years bring us along the way.
About the Author
Tory Baker is a devoted mother living in sunny Florida who spends her alone time writing about Alpha men who love their women and put them first in everything they do.
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