by Thornton, EJ
They got to the nurse's station on the labor and delivery floor. A nurse walked them down to their room and Jeannie was handed a gown and instructed to change behind some curtains. Jeremi was told to leave the room, so he did. He went to the nurse's station and asked about Anne's whereabouts. Luckily, she was already at the hospital, working only one floor up from labor and delivery. So he called her. Pearl had already contacted Robin. So Anne was right by the phone when it rang.
When Jeremi was allowed back into the room, Jeannie was hooked up to several monitors. The nurse was reading the tapes. "Ooo, that was a good one," the nurse said.
Jeannie let out a breath. "You're telling me," she said to the nurse, who turned from Jeannie and smiled to herself.
"We'll just watch you for a little while and check your progress. Just press the blue button if you need us," the nurse told her and left.
Jeremi pulled up a chair and held her hand. "Are you all right?" He asked gently. Jeannie nodded. "Thank you for letting me be here with you. I've been so worried about you." Jeannie nodded as another contraction hit her. They breathed together. He held her hand; she squeezed it. Jeremi winced.
"Ooo, that's the hand he hurt in the rush to the door," I said.
"Yup. if he knows what's good for him, he'll just keep quiet about that," George answered.
Jeremi sat back down after the contraction was over and asked her, "Do you know what?"
"What?"
"All that time in detox made me realize something," he continued. She looked at him, waiting for him to tell her. "That I love you and I love the girls and that I love this baby. Nothing's ever going to come between us ever again. I came so close to losing you all and I'm never going to risk that again for anything. I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you."
As he said that, another contraction started and she still had hold of his hand, so she squeezed. From the look on Jeremi's face, I think she squeezed a lot harder this time. They breathed together. He showed his pain to her this time. As soon as the contraction was over, she let go. He shook out his hand. and said, "Remind to keep my hands to myself if I talk about that again while you're having contactions. I really do feel your pain now."
"Did that hurt?" Jeannie asked.
"Yeah."
"Good," she said, then looked at Jeremi and they both laughed. She waited a couple of seconds and then said, "I'm sorry." Then under her breath, she added, "Kinda."
"It's okay," Jeremi replied. Then, in an act of real trust, he put his hand back in her hand again.
The contractions continued to be ten minutes apart for about another hour. In between, Jeremi told her what he'd thought about at the Hope Center about how he wanted to be a family and stay with her and the girls and the new baby forever.
As the contractions started to get more intense and closer together, there was a light knock on the door. Robin appeared when Anne opened the door. Anne hugged Jeannie and acknowledged Jeremi. She went over to the monitors to read the tape.
"They're pretty steady. This looks like the real thing," Anne said.
"I hope so," Jeannie said. "I'd hate to think somebody might be kidding me."
"Kid-ding! That's a good one," Anne said. Jeannie rolled her eyes. "Sorry, nurse humor."
Jeannie had another contraction and both Anne and Jeremi held her hands and breathed with her. Anne watched Jeremi more than Jeannie. After the contraction was over, Anne called Jeremi to the side.
"Can I talk to you in the hallway, please?" she said. It was a question, but it came out more like a command. They went out into the hallway. "Listen, Jeremi, that's my best friend in the world in there. I've known her for ten years and in all that time combined, I've never seen her cry as much as I have these past few days. If you're back, great! Go, be there for her. If you hurt her again, you will answer to me."
Jeremi looked down at his feet. "You're right, I've screwed up and I know it's been hard on her." He stared Anne down. Then he added, "But I'm different now. I swear her heart is safe with me."
They were both silent and stern during the rest of the stare-down.
Then Anne shook it off, obviously taken in by what he'd said. "Do you know what you're doing in there? I mean, being a coach?"
"Some," Jeremi admitted.
"Then get ready for a crash course." They both went back in to Jeannie.
As soon as they arrived back by Jeannie's side, she started another contraction. "Okay, keep breathing with her, he-he-who, he-he-who," Anne instructed. Jeremi and Jeannie made eye contact and breathed the way Anne instructed. When the contraction ended, Anne went on, "Okay, big cleansing breath." They all did one.
"Now, for the rest of the time, Jeremi, you just make her as comfortable as possible. Rub whatever she wants rubbed. Get her ice chips, if she wants ice chips. She's the boss, you just listen to her and the doctor."
"I got it," Jeremi said.
"Okay, I'll swing back by after I get off shift." She hugged Jeannie one more time and stared Jeremi down.
"We'll be fine," Jeremi told her.
Anne left.
"How are you holding up?" Pearl asked me.
"Yeah, you're about to graduate," George added. "From Angel-in-Training to full-fledged Guardian."
"I guess I'm doing okay," I said. "I just want these guys to be all right."
"That's what an angel does," Pearl said.
"So when do you take over for your new charge, George?" Pearl asked.
"As soon as the baby is born."
"That soon?" I asked.
"Yes. That soon."
"But what about Jeremi?" I asked. "Who's going to watch over him, if I take over for the baby and you have a new charge?"
George smiled and said, "He'll get a new angel, if and when he's proven he deserves a new angel. He's on the right track. It'll just be a matter of time now."
"How much time?" I asked.
"God knows," George answered.
"Well, if Jeremi stays close, then I'll help take care of both of them. He'll be all right. I'll just watch out for him, too. I can do that," I plotted. Then I looked at George and he was silent. "I can do that, right?"
"You must always watch over your charge first. That is your duty. If you go thinking you can save the world, Martin, you could compromise Marshal's safety. He is your primary responsibility now," George instructed.
"Then what can I do about Jeremi?"
"Let God handle it," George counseled me. "Proverbs 3:5. Remember?"
"'Trust in God with all your heart.' Yes, I remember."
The doctor was in with them now. He said Jeannie was dilated to five centimeters and that he'd break her water, if he still needed to in about an hour. This was it. The doctor gave her a pain block. She looked much better as soon as it took effect.
She and Jeremi were mostly quiet now. They just watched each other. Neither one said much.
Jeannie broke the silence and said softly, "I like the name Marshal, with one 'l'."
"You do?" Jeremi lit up.
"Yes, I really do. It's sweet the way you came up with it."
"But what if it's a girl?"
"He's a boy. He's a boy - trust me."
Jeremi talked to Jeannie's belly. "Hey, Marshal. Son, let's give your mom a break, okay? Come out and see us now." Jeremi rubbed Jeannie's stomach and leaned over and kissed it.
Jeannie's water broke right then and Jeannie commanded, "Call the nurse!"
"What did I do?" Jeremi ran around panicked and almost slipped in the puddle on the floor.
"Watch out!" I yelled at him. He spun around and got back where he belonged.
Pearl took my hand and patted it. "Your baby is almost here, Guardian," she said to me.
I patted her hand back.
We watched as the doctor came back in and took up residency. Anne had gotten off shift and helped where she could. Jeannie progressed quickly and the pushing began. Poor Jeannie, she worked so hard. Jeremi held her up from the back when she needed more strength t
o push. They worked together to bring the baby into the world.
"It's a boy!" the doctor announced.
"His name is Marshal," Jeannie said. Jeremi kissed Jeannie on the forehead. "With one 'l'," she added.
"Well, Dad, do you want to come and cut the cord?" the doctor asked of Jeremi.
Jeremi got in position and cut the cord. He looked so proud as he looked at his son.
"This is so amazing," I said. My new grandson was here. I was his Guardian Angel. His father was right beside him, just the way we prayed for it to be.
"Ahem, Martin," George said.
"George! This is good-bye? Really? I, ah, What can I say? What's appropriate? Thank you? Is that what you say to someone who's protected you and taught you as much as you've taught me?" We embraced. "I hope your new charge knows how lucky he is to have you as his angel."
"I loved being your angel, Martin, but that time has passed. You've been a good student and you're going to make a great Guardian. Remember, Proverbs 3:5. You need to go to your charge, Martin, and I need to go to mine."
"Good-bye," I said. George smiled, waved and disappeared.
I gathered my strength and focused on Marshal. They cleaned him up and took his measurements. He was eight pounds even and twenty-one inches long. He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. "You missed a spot," I told the nurse, who then cleaned a wad of goo out from behind his ear. I shined my angel light on it, as did her angel and the nurse cleaned it right up. They wrapped Marshal up in a blanket and brought him back over to Jeannie, who held him and kissed him. She smiled and cried and cried and smiled. It was wonderful.
"Let me see the baby," Naomi said. "I can only stay a minute. Aw, he's precious."
Then Sheila, my mother, father and Grandmama came to peek. So many angels came in so quickly to sneak a peek and kiss the new baby, I lost count. Jack came and some other angels from Jeannie's side of the family. There were so many things happening, I just tried to help hold on to the baby. I was lost in a blur until I heard a voice command, "Watch out for that slick spot, Jeremi!" I turned to see Jeremi jump quickly over the puddle of water still on the floor.
There was George hovering over Jeremi.
When Jeremi got back over close to the baby, I stared George down. "Jeremi's your new charge? You could've told me!" I demanded.
George said, "I told you to trust God and he'd handle it."
Jeremi was George's new charge. George laughed at me, as usual. This, now, was truly perfect.
Jeremi hovered over the baby and Jeannie. George called me over out of the way and said, "I have something for you. Close your eyes." As soon as I complied, George said, "Okay." He grinned from one ear to the other and handed me a big frosty glass--full of lemonade.
I took a sip. It was delicious and sweet. "Ahhh," I said. "We definitely made some sweet lemonade today, George."
George replied, "Why, Martin, I'd have thought you'd figured it out by now, that's how it works when you've got angels on board!"
About the Author
EJ Thornton
EJ has always been spiritual. Angel On Board 'happened to her' several years ago after some stunning events in her life. The character of Jeannie is modeled after EJ.
The writing of this book was inspired by real events in her life. During the period of the pregnancy of her son, EJ felt an extra dimension of protection around her and her unborn child. The pregnancy was unexpected and the grandfather of the baby died just a couple of weeks before the child was conceived. Even though they had never met, the connection EJ felt with the baby's grandfather was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Almost all of the human events in the book depict real events.
EJ is dyslexic and never aspired to be a writer, but this book kept pounding on the inside of her until she let it out. Angels definitely helped her author it and she has many, many stories to tell on that score.
Originally, this book was written to an audience of one, her alcoholic (now-ex) husband. He blamed his abuse of alcohol on his grief. She was certain that his angels were angered being held up as his excuse for his addiction. Luckily, God envisioned a much larger audience.
Quite unexpectedly, EJ started receiving letters from readers who had overcome incredible grief issues, just by reading the book. She holds these most precious letters close to her heart, for from these, she's realized the true audience for the book. It can be just a fun fiction read, but when it is in the hands of one who is grieving, it is truly an incredible comfort.
EJ wrote the book, but she wants everyone to know that her angels helped every step of the way!
Now it's in your hands . . .
EJ's willing to bet that your angels put it there!
Update: August 2007
Recently, EJ's angels inspired her revisit this book. For many years, EJ has been deep in spiritual studies and realizing the power of affirmative statements. She challenged herself to rewrite Angel On Board completely in the affirmative, and as she did it, she realized how easy it really was to eliminate negative words from the book. Because she has Angel On Board now is the Best Angel Book ever written, it is also the Most Positive Book Ever Written !!!
Angel on Board
Real Life Stories
Now, it's your turn to tell your story
EJ's received so many letters detailing readers' similar experiences with angels that there is a new series of books in the process of being published.
Angel On Board, Real Life Stories, is a collection of readers' stories that are so extraordinary that the hand of the angels can clearly be seen. Some are about visions of angels, others about extraordinary people who were nothing short of angels, and others about miraculous events. If you have a "Real Life Story," please submit it for review to:
Angel On Board, Real Life Stories
c/o Profitable Publishing
17011 Lincoln Ave. #408
Parker, Colorado 80134
Stories must be 5000 words or less and must represent a real event in your life and must include your bio and the bio of the angel involved (if known).
To order copies of the book
Angel On Board - Second Edition
$19.97 + 2.50 (S&H)
online at:
GreatAngelBooks.com
by phone: (303) 794-8888
by fax: (720) 863-2013
by mail: send check payable to:
Books To Believe In
17011 Lincoln Ave. #408
Parker, Colorado 80134
if it is temporarily sold out at your favorite bookstore:
have them order more of ISBN: 1-932344-76-4
ISBN (first edition): 0-9670242-0-X