by Tracey Smith
“Have a seat and I’ll hand her to you.” The nurse gestured back to the rocking chair and I sat.
She reached down and lifted the small bundle from the incubator and carried her to me. Nervously I reached out and took my child.
I looked down at her small face and was overcome with emotion. She looked just like Katherine. Her pale skin was almost translucent. Dark matted curls stuck to her forehead from underneath her small cap. I examined her delicate features. Her lower lip was slightly fuller than her upper lip and pouted out just the way Katherine’s did. Her eyes were closed and her lavender eyelids seemed paper-thin but were fringed with dark lashes. She was so tiny, so fragile, and absolutely beautiful.
I rocked slowly as I held my daughter. I thought of Katherine. I had always believed that Fate had brought us together. That we were meant to spend our lives together. How could I live without her? She had given meaning to my life. Without her I had no purpose… until now. I was a father now. I looked at my daughter, our daughter, and wondered if this had this been my destiny all along. If she had been the purpose.
“Does she have a name?” The nurse asked quietly watching me.
“Destiny.” I replied automatically. “Destiny Katherine.”
The name came to me as soon as the question was asked, like I had known it all along. I smiled slightly as I remembered how confident Katherine had been that we would think of the right name when the time came.
“That’s beautiful.” The nurse replied approvingly. “Would you like to feed her?”
“Yes.” I choked on the word.
Katherine should be feeding her. She should be helping me name her. She should be here. This wasn’t right. I couldn’t do this without her. I was crying again as the nurse handed me a bottle.
“I’ll give you some time.” She said quietly. “I’ll be back to take her to the nursery in about 30 minutes.” She added then left.
I watched as the tiny bundle in my arms began to stir. Her lavender eyelids fluttered open and deep blue eyes stared back at me. So there was a hint of me in her after all. I held the bottle to her mouth and she latched on quickly. As she sucked on the bottle a tiny hand broke free from the blankets and she reached up and grasped at my hand that held the bottle. I rocked her slowly as I fed her and began humming a lullaby that I remembered from my childhood. A song my mother had sung to me.
My heart ached for Katherine. How could she be taken away from me this way? How could I raise our daughter without her? How could I live without her?
I looked down at my daughter and knew that somehow I could. I had to.
Epilogue
I stood on the cliffs staring down at the water below. The ocean was calm today. Small waves lapped against the shore serenely. It was a beautiful sunny day. The sun glistened off the turquoise waves sparkling like tiny diamonds. A light breeze carried the scent of flowers through the air. I closed my eyes and turned my face up to feel the heat of the sun washing through me as I listened to the soft sound of the waves below. I felt at peace.
“Michael.” Claire’s voice broke through my trance and I turned to face her.
Destiny wriggled in her arms reaching for me. I took my daughter and held her to me, brushing aside her dark curls to kiss her forehead. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and I smiled down at her. I couldn’t help smiling when I looked at her. She looked so much like Katherine.
“It’s time.” Amy said walking up to us.
I kissed Destiny one more time and then handed her back to Claire. I turned from the girls and walked over to stand with Charlie and Dan. Charlie smiled reassuringly and patted me on the back.
“You ready?” he asked.
I nodded.
I looked back over at Claire and Amy. Destiny was playing with a loose strand of Claire’s hair as she held her. I watched my daughter for a moment, still amazed with her existence. Amazed with how perfect and beautiful she was. Amazed with how much I loved this tiny little person.
The priest walked over to join us. I looked around once more at my friends. Amy already had tears welling up in her eyes. Claire stared lovingly down at Destiny. Destiny truly was lucky to have so many people in her life that loved her so profoundly. Charlie and Dan stood at my side smiling at me encouragingly. I knew I too was lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life. They were my family.
The music started and all my attention was instantly focused expectantly on the path ahead. Slowly Katherine walked into view.
She was absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. The delicate white silk clung to her slender body accentuating every curve. Our eyes met and suddenly nothing else existed but her and I and this perfect moment.
She walked toward me, her eyes locked on mine and I was overwhelmed with the joy I felt. Everything I’d ever wanted, ever dreamed of was mine. Fate had brought her to me and she would be from this day forward unconditionally mine. Although in my heart I knew she always had been just as I had always belonged to her.
She took my hand as she stood next to me and we smiled at each other for an endless minute lost in our deep love for one another. Then we turned to face the priest.
******
Read the next chapter in the Love Trilogy:
Love’s Destiny
After the happily ever after, the story continues…
Destiny had always loved the story of how her parents met. How Fate had drawn them together time and again, until they finally found each other and fell madly in love. That was the way love was supposed to be. Someday she knew it would happen for her, someday a handsome mysterious stranger would come into her life and sweep her off her feet. She knew that the first time she saw him she would know he was the one.
Tyler had known Destiny his entire life. She had been his very best friend, but it had been years since he’d seen her. He wasn’t nervous about seeing her again, until he did. She wasn’t the skinny girl he remembered from childhood, and suddenly he found himself anxiously wondering if she would ever be able to see him as anything other than the boy she’d grown up with.
Is it possible to look at someone you’ve known your whole life, and see them for the very first time? Sometimes love doesn’t happen the way you thought it would.
http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Destiny-Love-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B006NZG8N4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325540758&sr=8-1
Also come visit my author page
www.amazon.com/author/traceysmith