Chapter Sixteen
It was so nice to finally be able to go outside and do things on my own again. You take advantage of little things like this, but when you can't do them anymore, it's frustrating. Logan and I had a lovely day together, we stayed outside for quite some time, but I needed the fresh air and I'm sure Julianna enjoyed it too.
Afterward, Katie came to visit for a bit, then we went to bed. As always, Logan slept with me and refused to go home. Not that I minded, of course, but I'm sure he'd like to sleep in a comfortable bed. Hospital beds are made for one person, not two, but he insisted. We may have been a little crowded, but we managed.
"Care? Time to get up." Logan says, shaking me. My eyes fluttered open as I looked at the time, "Logan, it's five in the morning?"
"I know exactly what time it is and you need to get up and get ready to go." As soon as I heard 'go', I sat up, "Go where?"
He smirks, "I just talked to Dr. Salins and she said you and Julianna did very well yesterday. She's allowing us to go to the beach house-"
I shriek in excitement. "Seriously? We're leaving right now?"
"Yes, but there are conditions. She made it very clear that we were only to stay one night and we had to be back here by tomorrow evening."
"I have no problem with that! I'll get ready!" Within fifteen minutes, I was ready to go. Logan said that had to be a record and it probably was. I just wanted to get away from the hospital and relax. I just wanted it to be Logan and me, after all, this was probably the last time we'd be alone for a long time...
On the way out of town, Logan stopped by a local ice cream parlor and got us both a milkshake. We've gotten to know each other so well now, that we don’t even have to talk to one another, we know exactly what the other is thinking. I kind of enjoyed that part of marriage. Not only was he my husband, but he was also my best friend. I could count on him no matter what.
It seemed like it took forever to get to the beach. It was only an hour away, but I guess the excitement had gotten to me and it seemed like time passed so slowly. But eventually, the white, two-story house came into view. It felt like I hadn’t been here in ages, when really, it hadn’t even been a year.
When Logan parked the SUV, which we both called the Pacifier now, I nearly jumped out of my seat. I was the first one to the door and when I unlocked it and walked in, I felt like we had never left. Everything was exactly the way we had left it, it even smelled the same. I went over to the couch and laid down. I threw my keys on the end table and just relaxed.
When Logan came in with our luggage, he groaned. "Ah, come on, Care. I didn't bring you here just to lay around all day." He pushed my legs aside and sat down at the end of the couch.
"I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet."
"And how long is this going to take?" He asks.
I looked up at him, "Why?"
He smirked. "I had other things in mind."
I rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what that meant, but I knew it wasn't a good idea. "Logan, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be calm and take it easy. Remember, I'm supposed to avoid going into labor, not be thrown into it."
Apparently, he hadn't thought of that. "Okay... Then we'll just enjoy each others company." I knew he didn't want to make me feel bad, but I kind of did. This was supposed to be our time and honestly, if I hadn't of went into labor already, I wouldn't have said a word, but I knew it was too early to have her right now and anything could start the labor again. "Hey, I have an idea... You stay in here until I come and get you, alright?"
I nodded as he went into the kitchen. Wonder what he's up to...
It was almost an hour later before he came back, he lead me outside to the beach, where he had sat up a picnic. It was cute and I enjoyed our little outing. After we finished eating, we laid back and watched the sun come up. I felt like I was at a spa, Logan definitely spoiled me that day, but I needed it.
That night we cuddled by the fireplace and watched some of our old favorite movies. After the first, I began feeling a little odd and had a sudden sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I didn't want to scare Logan, so I excused myself and went into the bathroom. I realized that I was bleeding, pretty heavily, and had to change clothes. I thought nothing of it, it was just one of those pregnancy things that came up here and there.
Once I cleaned myself up, I started to go back out to Logan, but I didn't make it... As soon as I stepped foot back into the hallway, my vision became blurry and dark spots took over. I was getting dizzy and I reached out for the wall to keep me upright, but I missed and fell to the ground. I tried to cry out for Logan, but my voice was gone.
I saw nothing but darkness.
Logan’s Point of View
It seemed like we had only been here a few hours when really we'd been here all day. I was a little upset that we had to leave so soon, but I knew it was best for Caroline and Julianna this way...
I had just started the second movie when Caroline left to go to the bathroom. I watched it for a few minutes but paused it after I noticed she had been gone for quite some time. Suddenly, I got a really bad feeling and that's when I heard it.
It sounded like something had fallen... Or rather someone. I jumped up off the bed and started calling out to her, "Caroline? Did you drop something?" I asked but no one responded. When I turned the corner to the hallway, my worst nightmare lay in front of me. Caroline was on the floor, face down. "Care? Care!" I ran over to her and flipped her over. I watched as her chest rose up and down very slowly. She was alive, thank God!
I continued to talk to her, but she wouldn't come to. I grabbed my cell phone and called 911 as fast as I could. They kept assuring me that they were only minutes away, but those minutes seemed like forever. After I unlocked the front door, I went back to her and kept trying to wake her up, "You can't do this to me, Caroline! You've got to wake up!" Nothing seemed to work and after the EMT's finally arrived, they asked me a ton of questions like how far along she was, had she had any medical problems, was she complaining about anything when she passed out. I answered them all, the best I could.
They quickly put her on a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over her face. Once they picked her up, we all noticed a pool of blood where she had laid. The EMT's looked at one another and started moving faster than before. I knew that wasn't good and by the time we got into the ambulance, the guy quickly started driving as the female tried to get an IV started all while she talked to the hospital. "Pregnant female. Approximately twenty-five years old. Husband found her unresponsive in the hallway right after he heard her fall. The patient was lying in a pool of blood, suspecting possible hemorrhage."
Hemorrhage? Oh, God. I knew what that was and it was never good... I kept watching her, not knowing what to do, I grabbed her hand. I kept praying she'd be alright, I can't lose her, she's all I have. I love her.
We arrived at the hospital in about six minutes, they rolled her out of the ambulance and into the ER entrance. That's when I had to let her go. I watched them as they disappeared down a hall. I looked up and the sign said OR. They were going to take the baby.
Why didn't I talk her out of this? Why didn't we just stay at the hospital? I rested my back against the wall and slid down onto the floor. I knew I had to call my mom and Katie. I did, but I couldn't even tell them what was wrong. I was at a loss for words and that's when they realized it was bad. They promised they'd be here as quick as they could but I didn't care. I needed her to be okay. She was my Caroline... My sweet, sweet Caroline.
"Please, dear God, don't let me lose her. I need her." I prayed over and over. "Nick, buddy, if you're listening, please watch over her... Don't let me lose her yet, please!"
Caroline's Point of View
Where in the world was I? I looked around and saw the bridge... Wait, the bridge? Wasn't I at the beach house? Then it all hit me... The blood... The dizziness. I looked down at myself and saw that my baby bump was gone, I was dressed in white and almost glowing. When
I looked back up, I saw someone with their back turned to me... "Nick?" I muttered out loud.
He turned quickly and looked at me. Then he began to panic, "Caroline? What are you doing here? No. No! Go back!" He cried.
I shook my head, "What are you talking about? Why are you in my dreams?"
A tear escaped his eyes, "Care, you're not dreaming... You're really here... You're dying..." He whispered, then all of a sudden, his voice became fierce, "Go back! You can't leave him like this! This was your happy ending, don’t you see? He needs you, Caroline... Julianna needs you."
"Julianna?"
"They just took her from you, you were suffering from a severe hemorrhage. They had no choice. She’s fine, don't worry... I can't say the same for you..."
"But, Nick, I don’t want to leave him..." I cry.
"Then don't! Fight back! Open your eyes, Care! Wake up!"
Nick? What's happening? I felt like I was falling and then all of a sudden it stopped.
"Please, Care. Wake up..." Logan mutters. I felt him grasping my hand. Wasn't I dead? "Julianna's beautiful... She looks just like you... They said she would be fine after a few weeks in the NICU." I heard his breath catch. He was crying. Over me. "Please, Caroline. Don't leave me here, I can't go through this again. You're my life. I need you here with me. Now, wake up!" He begs and kisses my hand, "You'll always be the one, Care. No one else will ever matter to me."
I smile, "And you'll always be mine." Finally! My body was cooperating with me! My eyes fluttered open as I looked at him. It felt like the first time all over again. I actually got butterflies.
He smiled at me, "You're alive? Mom!" He cried.
"Why on earth would you even think I'd ever leave you, Captain?" He laughs as Helen, Alex, the General and Katie entered the room. They all had been crying, you could tell, and at that very moment, I had never felt more loved in all my life, but at the same time, I just wanted to see my baby.
"I want to see her." I looked at Logan as he nodded. He left the room momentarily and when he returned, he was pushing an incubator. "I think Julianna Nicole wants to meet Mommy..." She looked perfect. She was swaddled up in a pink blanket with a little pink hat. She was my life now.
I finally had a family.
Epilogue
After two weeks of being in the hospital, Julianna got to come home. The Doctor's were pretty surprised that she had done so well, but even after being born nearly two months early, she weighed about seven pounds, a pretty healthy weight for a newborn. She didn't appear to have any health problems and neither did I. After she was born, I didn't have any seizures or any bleeding problems like they had expected. The worst part was probably healing up after a C-section, that was a little painful.
Logan's anxiousness subsided as soon as we got home. We took turns feeding and changing and ultimately, we did very well. The first couple of weeks were a bit rough, but only because we weren't used to running off of only a few hours of sleep. That took some getting used to, but other than that, we didn't really have any problems.
Now, Julianna's a healthy five-year-old. She's ahead of most of her kindergarten class and by the third month of school, she knew the entire alphabet and could count to fifty all by herself. She was a lot like Logan in many ways. She loved to make people laugh and you couldn't catch her angry very often. She did get a little moody when Daddy wouldn't let her have sour patch kids after dinner...
Wonder who she gets that from?
When Julianna was three years old, Logan and I tried for another baby. We were hesitant at first, considering all the problems that had occurred with Julianna, but after talking with Dr. Salins, she assured me that most women do have trouble with their first child. Logan and I decided that we really did want one more and that following Spring, Jackson Nickolas Cook was born. I didn’t have any issues with him, pregnancy was a breeze that time around and I don't recall having any unusual cravings other than a little ice cream here and there.
Jackson just had his second birthday a few weeks ago, he definitely acts like me. Even at just two years old, he'll speak his mind, that's for sure. Logan tells me all the time he's a momma's boy, I guess he is, but I love both my children equally.
Being a mother was more exciting than I had expected. They could be a handful at times, but they were children, what do you expect? As I predicted, Logan was a wonderful father. Through the summer, every evening, after he got off work, he'd come home and take the kids to the park. That way, we'd both get bonding time.
As for Helen, she and Alex moved to town a few months after Julianna was born. They couldn't stand being half way across the country anymore, so they picked up and moved about ten minutes away from us. I enjoyed having them nearby and Helen loved sending Logan and me on our weekly date night, so she could spend time with the kids.
In other news, Logan is likely to be getting a promotion soon. The General has decided to retire within the next year and he keeps hinting to Logan that he's going to put in a good word for him. Logan was absolutely on cloud nine over this, I was just as happy as he was. His entire career had been based upon the military and I honestly couldn't see him working anywhere else...
After Julianna was born, Nick stopped appearing to me in my dreams. I was a little worried, but right before Jackson was born, he appeared again. He said he knew I was worried, but the only reason he kept seeing me was because I needed him. He said that now, Logan's promise was fulfilled. I was taken care of and Nick wasn't worried. He told me I didn't need him but he would forever watch over us.
He was right, I knew he was there and the funny thing was, right after Jackson's birthday, Logan and I took the kids to Kentucky for a visit. We had some new family photos taken at the bridge and when the photographer sent us the pictures, one in particular caught our attention... Julianna and Jackson were climbing up the railing on the bridge and when we looked in the corner, we saw a white mist. It was Nick, I just knew it. He really was watching over us.
It was still hard for me to believe, that such a tragedy brought Logan and me together. I lost Nick, he lost Julie, but in the end, everything worked out for the best. I met my soul mate and had two of the best children a mother could ask for.
I finally had my fairytale and I hoped it would never end.
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Thank you so much for reading my book. This series was the first novels I ever wrote and I can’t believe their officially published. If you enjoyed them, please do feel free to rate and review them at your favorite retailer!
Thanks!
Cheyenne Barnett
Acknowledgements
To my loving family, thank you for supporting me on what seemed like a never-ending journey. To momma and daddy, for allowing me to be myself and encouraging me to do what I love best. To momma, especially, for reading my books and helping me with editing. To granny and papaw, for raising me to be a strong willed woman.
To Heather, for answering the phone and listening to me babble on and on about each chapter. For being there when I needed her and supporting me in my odd dream.
To all my wonderful fans on Wattpad, for giving me the chance to tell Logan and Caroline’s story and always encouraging me to continue. There would be no sequel without you!
And lastly to you, the reader, you are the reason I’m here, today and tomorrow. Without you, there would be no Cheyenne Barnett, the author. I cannot thank you enough!
About the Author
Cheyenne began writing at an early age. When she was just 11 years old, she began posting fanfictions online, but it wasn't until she was 17, that she finally ventured out and started her very first fiction novel called, What Hurts The Most. She published the army romance novel on Wattpad and it became an instant hit with army wives everywhere. Now, 18, Cheyenne has begun her six-year journey through college, in hopes of becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
Discover Other Titles by Cheyenne Barnett
What Hurts The Most
Don’
t You Remember
Heartbreak Warfare
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