by CeeCee James
“Rescued me. You’ve always done that. When am I going to get the chance to rescue you?”
He paused half-way through the parking garage. “Are you serious?” he asked, staring intently into her eyes. “Baby, I’d be nothing without you. You rescued me the day that you said you loved me.” He kissed her softly and his heart melted as she snuggled into his shoulder.
The ER was filled with empty seats. People would rather stay home sick then chance this storm, I guess. The triage nurse, an elderly woman, took one look at the purple, swollen ankle and quickly admitted them.
Another nurse, this one with short brown hair and reindeer-patterned scrubs, brought over a wheelchair. Her name tag said Cheryl and hung from a necklace of tiny blinking Christmas lights.
“Cute.” Miranda gestured to the lights.
“Thanks! We all need a little of that Christmas cheer. Especially in here.” Cheryl pulled the brake as soon as Miranda was settled into the chair and pushed her through the waiting room. “I just heard on the radio that Santa’s in the air. They saw him over New York City,” the nurse said loudly as they passed a mom sitting with her young son. The little boy’s face flushed with excitement, and he bounced in his seat.
The hall lights glowed at fifty-percent, turning everything nicotine yellow. “I’ve seen this before, in the beginning of a horror film,” Miranda muttered to Jason as Cheryl whisked back a curtain to an empty bed. He gave Miranda a wink and helped her scoot onto the bed.
Cheryl took Miranda’s vitals and then tucked a warm blanket over her legs. “Not a fun way to end a night of sledding,” she said with a sympathetic look.
“I’d rather have eggnog,” Miranda answered glumly. “Or even a lump of coal.”
“Well, we’ll get you fixed up. The doctor will be in here to see you soon.” Cheryl pulled the privacy curtain around the bed before leaving the room.
Jason walked over to the table and studied the instruments. His fingers tapped against his leg.
“Jason! Get over here!” Miranda hissed.
He grabbed the ear scope and peered through it at her, emitting a sharp point of light.
“Put that down!” Miranda’s cheeks filled with pink. “They’re going to come in here and catch you!”
Chuckling, he set it down and wandered over, not before giving the blood pressure bulb a few squeezes on his way past.
Miranda scooted to provide Jason space, and he sat on the edge of the bed. He gave her a wink. “You know, you’re beautiful even with a banged-up ankle.”
“It’s the fluorescent lights. They bring out my best features.” Miranda batted her eyelashes at him.
A few minutes later the doctor walked in wearing a red hat. “Ho! Ho! Ho!” he shouted.
Miranda’s eyes crinkled. Young, and slim, the doctor was visually the opposite of Santa Claus in every way. “Nice try, Santa,” she laughed.
The doctor’s eyes narrowed. “You know what happens to people when they quit believing in Santa Claus,” he warned, holding up a finger. “They get things like socks for Christmas. Now, let’s see what’s going on here.” He felt around her ankle, noting when she grimaced. “Okay. We’re going to get this X-rayed and I’m putting in a call to the surgeon just in case.”
“Surgeon?” Miranda’s face drained of color, making her under-eye area appear bruised. She swallowed and reached for Jason’s hand.
“Don’t you worry. We want to keep you in top dancing form.” The doctor patted her uninjured foot before leaving the room.
Jason covered his mouth to hide his smile. Definitely not the right time for a joke.
“What?” Miranda shot a sidewise glare at him.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t you tell me nothing. I can tell by looking at you—”
“It’s just that when he referenced you dancing I pictured that time you fell over doing that weird exercise DVD.”
“It was Zumba, and I tripped,” she whispered fiercely. “I can still dance better than you any day.”
He raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“Most days,” she amended and turned her attention back to the curtain as the nurse walked in.
“You do cut a mean Carlton,” Jason agreed.
Cheryl carried a stack of linens and a tray. “What’s this? A Carlton?” She looked between the couple who stared silently back. “Okay, never mind then. Let’s just get you into some party clothes.” The nurse set the tray on the table and helped Miranda into a blue hospital gown. After tying it, the nurse wrapped the blanket back around Miranda’s legs. “You cold, honey?” As Miranda nodded, Cheryl reached for Miranda’s hand and wrapped a green rubber band around her arm.
“Um,” Miranda chewed her lip nervously. “What are you doing?”
“Just a little IV. You’re looking a little pale and your blood pressure’s pretty low, so we’re going to give you some fluids to keep you hydrated. And then you’ll be ready if they do decide you need surgery.”
Miranda gritted her teeth as Cheryl slid the needle into her vein. The nurse snapped a vacuum tube over the end and extracted a vial of blood. She dropped the red tube on the tray and quickly plugged the IV in. “Okay, you’re all set,” Cheryl said, giving Miranda’s hand a quick pat.
Miranda looked at Jason and gave a shaky sigh. “I hate needles.”
“You did great. Don’t be nervous,” he whispered. He brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss.
“Nothing to be nervous about.” Cheryl said as she gathered everything back on the tray. “Want something special for a cast? We could have the doctor wrap your foot like a candy cane.”
“That would be amazing.” Miranda leaned back and closed her eyes. The paper crinkled under her head.
They both rested quietly. Jason watched the clock on the wall and felt like the second hand was moving backwards. Finally, the Imaging Technician came in to wheel Miranda off to X-ray.
Twenty minutes later, she was wheeled back to her room. Jason tried to hide his concern as he sat on the edge of her bed. He ran his fingers along her arm. “Hey, you okay? How’d it go?”
Before she could answer, the curtain was flung back, rattling hard on its metal track. “Good news,” the doctor announced as he walked in. The white pom-pom on the end of his hat bobbed with each of his steps. “After reading the X-ray, we’re going to be able to set your ankle just fine without surgery.”
He smiled at the relieved expressions on their faces. “You ended up with just a hairline fracture.” He washed his hands as the nurse came in with the a cart. “We’ll have this foot wrapped in no time and you out the door and home for a nice glass of eggnog. Just no more sledding for a while.” He paused, and the corner of his mouth turned up mischievously. “Just one question. You want a pink or blue cast?”
“Uh,” Jason said, his eyebrows slowly rising. What? What the heck does he mean by that?
Miranda froze. Her mouth fell open.
The doctor’s eyes sparkled. “We always run a pregnancy test if there is a chance of surgery. Congratulations. You’re going to be a mom.”
5
Back at home, Miranda rested on the couch in front of the fireplace, her casted foot propped on a pillow on the coffee table. She stared into the crackling flames, appearing lost in thought. Archer wandered over and jumped on the couch next to her. His weight jostled her as he lay down with a sigh. Miranda’s fingers ran through the dog’s dark fur, ruffling it.
Jason walked in from the kitchen with a mug of hot cocoa. “Get down, dog.” He glared at the dog. “I haven’t forgotten what you did earlier.”
After offering a pitiful look, Archer hopped down when he saw that Jason wasn’t going to budge. The dog meandered to the fireplace. After spinning three times, he flopped down on the warm hearth with a nasally sigh.
Miranda leaned back against the couch with her eyes closed. Her bottom lip quivered and tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She covered her mouth as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
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Jason hurried over and set the mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table. “Sweetheart? What’s going on? Are you in pain? What’s the matter?”
She looked at him as he rubbed her leg, tears trickling down her cheeks.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, his voice low.
“I saw them. I swear, I saw them just now.” Miranda reached for Jason’s arm. “My mom came first. I could barely make her out. She looked so out of focus, and for as second a horrible pain stabbed my heart because I couldn’t remember what she looked like. But then, in the next heartbeat, she was there, fully in focus.” Miranda wiggled until her head was against Jason’s shoulder. He drew her close to him protectively. A lump formed in his throat to see her expression of pain.
“I’d forgotten she’d had green eyes. Jason. How could I have forgotten that? She blew me a kiss.” Miranda paused to take a breath. “She was wearing her apron, the one she sometimes wore when I came home from kindergarten. It meant there would be fresh cookies.” Miranda wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “And then, all of a sudden, my dad was standing there next to her. I could feel the love coming off of them. They smiled at me. And then, they just disappeared.” Miranda’s words were hardly more than a whisper.
She closed her eyes again and squeezed his arm tight. “Momma,” Miranda whispered. “I love you so much.”
She tipped her head to look at Jason. “I miss them so much. And Jason! They disappeared before I could tell them about the baby.”
Jason rested his chin on top of her head and took a deep breath. “They know, Sweetheart. They know.”
Miranda laid her hand on her tummy, still flat. She sniffed and wiped at her cheek.
He kissed her head, and breathed in her ear, “You aren’t the only one. I was just thinking about my Mom, too. And I was thinking about how this is our chance to do everything that our parents didn’t or couldn’t do for us. Our chance to love our baby the way we wish they’d had time to love us.”
Slowly, he pulled away so he could look into her eyes. Her sweet eyes, so beautiful and full of trust. “I love you so much,” he continued. “You are my heart. You are my family.” He covered her hand with his while his heart felt like it was about to explode from both love and pride. “We are a family. We are going to be good together. I can’t wait.”
A soft flush filled her cheeks as she smiled.
Jason continued, “Pretty awesome, huh? Can you believe it? Our own little family.” He reached for the mug of hot chocolate and handed it to her. “Here you go, Momma.”
She took a sip and replaced it back on the table. “Our own family. You know what. You’re right. We are going to be great. I’m not going to worry anymore what your friends think of us. I’m going to quit caring about other people’s opinions. I’ve got you and that’s all that matters.”
“You’ve got me and our little one here.” He shifted on the couch until his head rested against her belly.
Miranda trailed her fingers through his hair and stared back at the flames, the smile never leaving her lips. “Holy cow. I’m going to have a baby. I can’t believe it!” Her eyes flickered and she continued, her voice tight with anxiety. “I’m scared, Jason.”
“Sweetheart, you are going to be the best mom ever. And we’re going to give our children a life where they don’t feel like the only answer is to run away, like we did. Sure, we’ll make mistakes, but I’m here to help you like you’re here to help me.”
“Pinky promise?” she said, looping her pinky around his.
“You better believe it.” He pressed his lips against her belly. “Hey in there, little guy. Your momma and daddy love you. You just made this the best Christmas ever.”
* * *
The End
Free for those who have kindle unlimited- Find out how Miranda and Jason meet in the first book of this series- Wrecked and Yours
And follow their journey in Out of the Wreckage
Want to learn more about Miranda’s sister, Cassie and her Army boyfriend? Read her story in A Beautiful Wreck
Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season, and it’s a Happy New Year no matter what day it is!
~CeeCee James
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Author Bio-
CeeCee James is a wife, mother, owner of two mini dachshunds, writer, and watercolor artist. Her fictional series, Wrecked and Yours, is about Miranda and Jason, and how they navigate life. It's romantic, uncertain and messy, like life often is. It describes their season to make a choice, "look at life honestly and deal with it, or continue to run away." CeeCee absolutely loved writing it, and hopes it resonates with you because we all have an important story of what we've overcome.
The story about overcoming strife is one that resonates with her. She lived it herself. An advocate for adult survivors of child abuse, her award winning Ghost No More series is her true story of surviving and healing from childhood trauma.
She’s started a new series— Angel Lake Mysteries. These cozy mysteries have been a blast for her to write, in view of their lighter fare. CeeCee loves planting the clues almost as much as she loves the big reveal at the end. Check them out!
Click to read- enrolled and free in kindle unlimited.
Wrecked and Yours: Second Chance Series book 1
Out of the Wreckage: Second Chance Series book 2
A Beautiful Wreck: Second Chance Series book 3
The Sweet Taste Of Murder- An Angel Lake Mystery
The Bitter Taste of Betrayal- An Angel Lake Mystery
Ghost No More: Book 1 of the Ghost No More Series
Lost No More: Book 2 of the Ghost No More Series
Fear No More: Book 3 of the Ghost No More Series