Adopting Katie

by Allysa Hart

  “I need the epidural now. Please! It hurts.” Katie cried out, squeezing Rose’s hand as the excruciating contraction struck her body.

  “I called the anesthesiologist. She is on her way. Breathe… focus…” The nurse coached sympathetically.

  “Can’t she move any faster? Look at the pain she’s in. This is so unnecessary.” Rose’s frustration reflected in the volume and impatience of her voice.

  “I’ll call again. Just hang on, honey. I’ll be right back.” The nurse left quickly.

  “It hurts, Auntie.” Katie sobbed. She had been trying so hard to control her little side, but the pain was so extensive that she felt the control slipping from between her fingers.

  “I know, baby. We are going to get it fixed soon. I promise.”

  The door swung open and slammed against the wall as Keith rushed in with panic written on his face. “I’m so sorry it took me so long. Am I too late? Is she okay?”

  “She’s in a lot of pain, but the doctor is coming.” Rose received a quick peck to the cheek before Katie reached for him.

  “Uncle, I don’t wanna do this anymore. It hurts. I don’t wanna have a baby. Make it stop. I changed my mind.”

  “I’m afraid it’s a little too late to change your mind,” he said with a kind chuckle as he kissed her hand to offer comfort. “I’m sorry it hurts. It will feel better soon.”

  “No one told me it would be this bad,” the girl cried as another contraction began. “Do something!”

  “What?” He looked helpless as he glanced at Rose.

  “You’re a Dom! Order the pain to stop or something,” Katie hissed, trying to breathe.

  Keith grinned. “Somehow I doubt that you would follow my orders any better now than you usually do. The doctor is coming. Just try to stay calm.”

  “Bite me!” she panted.

  “What did you say?”

  “Sorry! Bite me, Sir!”

  “That’s better. Now breathe…”

  ***

  Katie slept as the needle on the contraction monitor jumped showing a consistent increase in activity.

  “Should we wake her?” Rose sat on the edge of her seat unable to take her eyes off the screen.

  “The nurse said to let her sleep, honey. The epidural eased her pain, and now we need to let them do their job.” Keith’s gravelly voice rumbled in frustration. Rose had been in full ‘mama bear’ mode since she had joined Katie at her bedside, and Keith had warned her that he would take her into the private bathroom to calm her if she did not get some control. She did not think she would be able to submit to him at the moment, so she decided to do her best to keep her composure. Sitting back in the chair, she kept her eyes glued to the monitor.

  Katie woke with a panicked look on her face and Rose grabbed her hand. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “Auntie, somethings wrong. I just felt that! I’m not supposed to feel those anymore.” Her face was white with terror.

  “Shh, we will see what’s going on.”

  The doctor entered with the nurse by her side and smiled calmly. “You’re fully dilated, and the baby is crowning. It’s time, sweetheart. Keep taking deep breaths. Everything is going to be fine.”

  “I want more drugs. I don’t want to feel any of this.” Katie’s face was white as a ghost. “Make it stop! Please!”

  “Doctor, is this necessary? Why can’t she have more medication? There’s no reason for her to suffer.” Rose’s voice rose as she clutched Katie’s hand.

  Keith kissed his wife’s neck and whispered in her ear. “Deep breath, woman. Let’s work together to get our girl through this. She needs our strength right now.”

  Rose took a deep breath and did what she could to infuse Katie with her love and support, trying to keep her words from trembling as the staff prepared for the arrival of the baby. “We’re right here, sweetheart. Listen to the doctor. Watch my face and breath with me.”

  “He’s almost here. When I tell you, I want you to take a deep breath and push to my count. You’re about to become a mommy,” the doctor announced to Katie.

  Rose looked at Keith, her eyes shining with excitement. In a few minutes, they would be welcoming a baby boy into their special little family.

  ***

  Holding her newborn infant in her arms for the first time was a surreal experience. Tears of relief and joy, coupled with a heady dose of love and fear overwhelmed her. Her body shook when the nurse gently removed her precious bundle from her arms.

  “Wait, where are you going? Don’t take my baby! Rose, go with him!” Her voice rose in panic and Rose immediately stepped closer to the baby and nurse.

  Keith put his hands on Katie’s cheeks and pulled her forehead to touch his. “Hey, kid, chill. They aren’t taking him anywhere. Look—they are right there checking him out and will give him back as soon as they’re done.”

  “I want to know what they are doing to him.” She tried to push Keith away to look around him, but he held her firmly.

  “Rose is right there with him and watching everything. Let the nurse do her job, and you focus on doing yours.”

  “Mine?” Katie asked. “I have a job?”

  “Yes, you have a job. Start by calming yourself. Here are some ice chips.” He held a glass to her lips. “You’ll get your little angel back in a couple of minutes, and he doesn’t need his mama to be freaking out. Got me?”

  Katie took a deep shuddering breath. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good girl.” He kissed her nose and backed away, but kept one hand on her with reassurance as he looked around the room at his beautiful family. A single tear of pride traveled down his cheek as he silently thanked Mark for the gifts he gave both him and Rose.

  ***

  The sound of the doorbell jarred Katie out of her television induced trance while Noah slept peacefully. She laid still for a second, not wanting to be bothered, but finally realized that no one was going to answer the door. With a frustrated sigh, she stomped to the doorway, unlocked the deadbolt and flung the door open in a snit. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Jeff on her front porch. She wasn’t attired for entertaining company, dressed in faded pajama shorts and an old ratty tank top, but it didn’t make a difference since Jeff’s back was to the door as he gave himself a pep talk.

  “You can do this, dude. You’re not in high school anymore so man-the-fuck-up!”

  Katie placed her hands on her hips and giggled. The sound of her laughter must have startled Jeff because he stopped mid-rant and turned quickly. Having both been caught off guard, she was positive that his blush rivaled her own.

  “Hello, Jeff. What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her tone as she heard Noah start to cry. She turned back to the house to retrieve the baby from the bassinet.

  His words were slightly muffled as he looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake him up. I ran into Keith at the gym the other day, and he invited me over to meet the baby and suggested I drop by and see you.” Finally looking up at her, he finished. “I hope that’s alright.”

  “Oh, sure. I was surprised to open the door and see you; that’s all.”

  Suddenly, he stood a little taller, and his body stiffened. “Did you even look out the window before you opened the door?” Jeff’s tone was foreboding, and she almost dropped her chin in shock at his unexpected display. More astonishing was the way she felt her body respond to the commanding presence of the strikingly gorgeous specimen of manhood that had followed her into the house. Her cheeks flushed, and it took all the strength she could muster not to lower her eyes in instant submission.

  “I had other things on my mind. My hands have been a bit full nowadays,” she stated.

  “Even more of a reason to check to see who is at the door before you unlock it. You have both yourself and the baby to protect now.”

  At that moment, she heard Keith’s voice as he and Rose entered the house and walked into the living room. “She left the door wide
open again, too. This carelessness is a bad habit we’ve been trying to curb for a while.” Keith patted her bottom, and she jumped away from his unspoken warning.

  “Stop that!” she scolded, turning away from him with the baby in her arms.

  Keith chuckled and turned to Jeff. “Hey buddy, I’m glad you came by. Have a seat.”

  “Close your mouth, Katie; you’re drooling,” Rose whispered softly in her ear.

  Shaking her head at Rose, Katie quickly changed the channel and parked herself on the couch with Noah cradled in her arms. Confusion engulfed her as she realized that she had been caught in her pajamas and watching cartoons by the handsome man. Why did she care what he thought? Jeff sat next to her and touched Noah’s little hand.

  “This must be the newest family member. What’s his name?”

  “Noah John Summers. After our fathers.”

  “I love family names. Gives so much more meaning, don’t you think? How’s the new mama feeling?” he asked, aiming a breathtaking smile directly at her.

  Her mouth went dry as his eyebrows rose, waiting for an answer.

  “I’m feeling fine. Just tired, but I have a lot of help.” She shot Rose a dirty look as the woman giggled at her stumbling words.

  “He is beautiful. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. He looks just like his daddy. He even has the same color eyes.” She felt her cheeks warm again and hugged the baby closer. “If I had known that company was coming over, I would have gotten out of my pajamas.” The next dirty look was aimed at the smugly smiling Keith.

  “Sorry, that’s my fault,” Jeff admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was supposed to work today, but my schedule changed at the last minute, and I wanted to meet this little dude.”

  “I just would have liked a little heads up; that’s all. I look like crap.” She pulled at the hem of her shorts.

  Abruptly, Keith stood. “Rose? Would you put together some snacks while I grab some drinks? Jeff? Would you like a beer?”

  “No thanks, I’m good.”

  An uncomfortable silence filled the room when the two were left alone.

  “I brought something for you and the baby,” Jeff spoke way louder than necessary and the baby startled in his sleep. “Oops, I’m so sorry.”

  “He’s getting used to it. We aren’t exactly the quietest bunch.” She tucked the blanket tighter around the slumbering bundle as Jeff held the bag out to her. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. It’s nothing much.”

  Katie had to keep her little side under control, but the excitement at receiving a present pushed that control to its limit. When she took it from his outstretched hand, the weight of it surprised her. The first thing she pulled out was a light blue stuffed dinosaur. It was so soft that she had to refrain from nuzzling it against her face. Reaching in again, she pulled out a bottle of her favorite wine and some natural bath salts.

  “Wow, Jeff. Thank you!” she exclaimed, tucking the stuffed animal into the bassinet.

  “You’re welcome. The wine and bath stuff were my sister’s go-to after she had her baby. I figured you would like something to help you relax.”

  “Thanks for thinking of me.” Shyness overtook her, and she glanced to see if Keith and Rose had returned yet. She had a sinking suspicion that she had been set up, and it did not please her.

  “Katelyn, I’m going to be honest here. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since we met at the event last month. I ran into Keith at the gym, and I chatted with him. He thought it was a good idea for me to come by and surprise you because he was afraid that you would find an excuse to avoid me.”

  That rat! She was going to make sure that Keith got an earful of her opinion regarding his interference as soon as the handsome man left, and there was no way that she was going to be quiet about it. How dare he be so presumptuous? Besides, Jeff was not her ‘type.’

  Still, she couldn’t deny her attraction to the man, but comparing him to her late husband was a very bad idea. Thoughts of her prior life could easily take her down a path that she did not want to go. She had been down that road too many times and all it led to was darkness and sorrow.

  “Katelyn?”

  “Sorry, did you say something?”

  “You looked like you were so far away there for a second.” He reached for her hand, but she instinctively pulled back.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I was. I told you that I was tired.” How long would that excuse work before she was forced to be honest with him and herself?

  “I understand. I should let you rest. Before I go, would you please do me a favor?”

  “It depends. What do you want?”

  He spoke quickly. “When you are ready to start getting back into the world and want to live again, would you keep me in mind?”

  She felt a spark of anger well inside of her. “Live again? What makes you think that I’m not living?”

  “You’re so afraid to laugh. I can see it in your eyes. I’m betting that you think that to enjoy life betrays Mark’s memories, but is this how he would want you to live?” He put his hand up between them, halting the words even before she had a chance to argue. “Don’t answer me right now. Just think about it, please. I enjoyed our short time together, and I don’t believe in chance meetings. Everything happens for a reason.”

  “I’m not afraid,” she mumbled.

  He patted her thigh and stood up. “There is nothing wrong with being afraid. The problem happens when we allow that fear to keep us from being happy and feeling fulfilled. You stay here with the baby and relax. I’ll show myself out.”

  Unsure how to respond, she cuddled Noah closer to her chest like a shield. “Well, thank you again for the gifts.”

  “No problem. You get some rest. The best way to take care of a baby is to make sure the mama is taking care of herself. Call me if you ever need anything.”

  Katie saluted. “Aye, aye captain.”

  The responding laugh came from somewhere deep inside him, and it rumbled through Katie like an earthquake. She was unable to tear her eyes away from him as he departed.

  “Is he leaving already?” Keith asked, finally emerging from the kitchen.

  “Yes, he wants me to rest. FYI, you and I are fighting, but I’m too tired to deal with you. So just know—we’re fighting.” Settling back onto the couch, she flipped on her cartoons, completely disregarding the scowling man standing behind her.

  Epilogue

  The soothing sound of the soft music and the gentle rocking motion of the chair had Katie in a daze. She had never felt so tired in all her life yet was filled with pure joy as she stared down at her precious baby boy and the peacefulness of his tiny round face. Their future together held so many unknowns and would require so many choices for her to make. For the first time, that fact didn’t terrify her and she would never again have to worry about facing it alone.

  “He’s amazing.”

  A familiar whisper in her ear startled her out of her thoughts. “Mark? Is that you? Are you here?” She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her fist, craning her head as far as she could without moving.

  “You’re dreaming, baby. I had to come see our son.” The whispering continued as his image slowly materialized. Putting his finger to his lips, he gestured at the sleeping baby in her arms.

  “He looks just like you,” she whispered, not taking her eyes off of Mark’s face. “He even has your dimples.”

  “Well, let’s hope he has his Mama’s mind and spirit.” His smile and wink warmed her from the inside out.

  Katie giggled. “You want him to run roughshod all over me?”

  “Baby, if he is anything like me as a boy, you will have your hands full.” He chuckled. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “It’s hard to do this without you, but you left us in good hands. Thank you.” Katie tried to be strong, but when she saw the telltale shine of tears form in his eyes, she had to blink back her own
.

  “Just be happy and safe, my love. Raise him to be a good man and remember, no pink. I don’t care if it shows that he is secure in his manhood. No son of mine will be traipsing around dressing like Keith, got it?”

  The quirked eyebrow made her laugh out loud. Her eyes opened wide as Noah squirmed a bit. When he settled back down without waking, she was able to release the breath she did not realize she had been holding. Looking up into Mark’s tear-streaked face, her heart skipped a beat.

  “I have to go, baby. Make me a promise, please?” His words were broken as he seemed to be struggling with what to say.

  “Anything, Mark.”

  “Live your life, baby. Find your happiness again. Don’t harbor any guilt for moving on. I know you and how your brain works. You need to allow yourself to let me go.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” Suddenly the brimming tears spilled from her eyes.

  “You can because you are going to promise me right now. If you break that promise, I swear I will haunt Keith’s dreams until he blisters your hide, do you understand me?” His words did not match the sorrow of his expression.

  Despite her sadness at the idea of letting him go and moving on, her heart was bursting with love. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good girl. I love you, so much. Nothing will ever change that.” He leaned in and kissed Noah’s forehead.

  “I love you, too.” She closed her eyes as he leaned closer to her, hoping to feel his lips on hers.

  The hand on her shoulder and gentle kiss on her forehead woke her up.

  “Why don’t you put Noah down and get some rest, sweetie,” Keith whispered.

  Katie sighed wishing with all of her might that she had not been disturbed at that last moment. “I will. Just five more minutes.”

  He nodded. “Have you been crying?”

  “They’re happy tears, Keith. Don’t worry.” Her words reassured him enough, and he shrugged.

  “If you say so. Sweet dreams.” He left the room, silently shutting the door behind him.

  Closing her eyes again, she leaned her head back.

  “Be a good girl.” She heard the soft whisper as a warm tingle spread across her lips. The silent sobs broke free as she realized that Mark was letting her go. He wanted her to move on, and to be happy and whole. Her thoughts swung to Jeff as she laid Noah in his bassinet and climbed into bed. Was Jeff the one that could help her achieve that? Settling herself into the pillows and tucking the blanket around her, she allowed the final tears of closure to cleanse her soul. The last thought she had before fading into dreamland was of a tall, dark, and handsome prince riding in on his stallion to sweep her up and take her away.