I have to find her.
My eyes scan the sides of the road, looking for her car all while praying I don’t find her broken down or worse. I grip the wheel tighter, so tight my knuckles are white, but I don’t let go. Instead, I press harder on the accelerator, pushing the limits of the law, and my truck. I don’t give a fuck. I’m not stopping for anyone but my wife. Not until I find her. My heart hammers in my chest as my fear of something happening to her grows. I try to tamp it down, but the anxiety is tangible, and it’s taken root.
About a block away from the gym, I see a car coming toward me that looks like hers. I slow as it passes and I know it’s hers, but she’s not driving, Chase is. His hand is out the window flagging me down. I slam on the brakes and do a U-turn. I couldn’t give a fuck that I’m breaking the law. Chase is pulled off on the side of the road, and already walking toward my truck when I pull in behind him.
“Where is she?” I ask, not bothering to get out of my truck. I can clearly see she’s not in the car with him.
“Gabby took her to the hospital. Her water broke,” he says.
I put the truck in reverse and begin to back up. “Meet me there!” I yell out the window. Shifting the truck into drive, I pull out onto the road. I don’t bother to look if there are any cars coming. Thankfully there aren’t. It’s reckless, I know, but I have to get to her. I refuse to miss my baby girl being born, and my wife needs me. They both do.
I’m dazed as I drive to the hospital. The fear of not knowing where she was or if she was okay is replaced by the fear of the unknown. I know women have been having babies for centuries, but with her gestational diabetes, I worry. She’s also a week early. Something Dr. Taylor told us could happen, but I worry about Sophia. Is she okay? A million fears and concerns race through my mind. When I finally reach the hospital, I take the first spot I can find. After yanking the keys from the ignition, I run as fast as my legs will carry me to the main entrance.
“Sir,” an older lady greets me at the front desk. “Can I help you?” she offers politely.
“My wife,” I pant. “Her water broke. She’s here.” I manage to find my words.
“Of course, how exciting,” she says. Her calmness is like a balm to my fear, and I suck in a deep breath. “What’s your wife’s name?”
“Gwendolyn Drake,” I say on exhale.
“She’s in the maternity ward.” She continues to tell me the room number.
“Thank you,” I rush to say, and jog off toward the elevators. I hit the button for the fifth floor and watch as the elevator seems to climb at a snail’s pace. At the fourth floor, I move close to the door, and as soon as they slide open on the fifth, I’m rushing out and down the hall. Her room is at the end of the hall, the door is closed, but that does nothing to hide her screams. I push open the door and take in the scene before me.
Gabby is by her side, holding her hand and her leg, while there is a nurse on the other side. Dr. Taylor is between her legs that are in stirrups. I’ve read that this takes hours, but as I process what I’m seeing, I realize the books aren’t always right.
“Harrison,” Winnie cries, and I rush to her. The nurse steps out of the way as I move in close and press my lips to hers.
“I’m sorry, baby. Everything was so messed up,” I rush to explain.
“Dad,” the nurse says, placing her hand on my arm. “We’re going to need you to hold her hand and her leg. She’s going to need help. It’s almost time to push again.”
I nod, my eyes finding Dr. Taylor’s. “You’re just in time, Harrison. You ready to meet your baby girl?”
Emotion clogs my throat as I nod. It’s impossible for me to speak. I almost missed this. Turning my attention back to my wife, I bend and press my lips to her forehead. “I-I love you,” I croak out.
She smiles. “I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t want to do this with-o-out y-ou,” she pants as Dr. Taylor tells her to push.
“You’re doing great,” Gabby says soothingly.
Winnie’s grip on my hand is tight as she bears down with all her might. The contraction passes, and she slumps back against the bed. Again, I bend down to kiss her. Needing that contact, that connection that flows between us. This time, I linger, resting my forehead against hers. “Thank you,” I whisper softly. There is no time to reply as another contraction comes and she’s being told to push.
“Grab her leg, Dad,” the nurse instructs.
Looking over at Gabby, I copy what she’s doing. Holding Winnie’s hand tightly in mine, I pull back on her leg, assisting her with the other.
“There you go, Gwen. Keep pushing. You’re almost there.”
Everything seems to happen at once as time stands still. Winnie exhales in relief as the cries of our baby girl fill the room. “It’s a girl,” Dr. Taylor announces.
Winnie flops back against the pillows, and her smile is radiant. “You hear that, Winnie? You did it, baby. You did it,” I say, kissing her lips.
When I pull back, her palm rests against my cheek. “You’re crying,” she says through her own tears.
“It’s not every day the woman I love makes me a father,” I tell her, not bothering to wipe my tears. I know there are more to be shed.
“Harrison.” Dr. Taylor pulls my attention away from my wife. “You want to cut the cord?”
I look down at Winnie, and she nods. With shaking hands, I make my way to the end of the bed. Dr. Taylor is holding my daughter. The nurse hands me a pair of scissors and explains to me what I need to do. My hands are shaking so badly, I have to use both of them to operate the scissors. As soon as my job is complete, the nurse takes my daughter. I don’t take my eyes off them as they clean her up and call out some kind of score. My head is too jumbled to understand. I watch as they place her on a scale and she cries, not liking that one bit. I want to step in, but I hold still. One nurse stretches her out while the other calls out her length. I watch as they prick the heel of her tiny feet making her cry. I knew this was going to happen, Dr. Taylor warned us that they would need to check her sugar right away. However, that doesn’t make it any easy to watch them draw blood from her tiny foot. Once they’re done, they then wrap her up in a blanket, place a hat on her head, and walk her to Winnie. Gabby steps back, tears streaming down her face.
“Here you go, Mommy. Her levels are good. We’ll need to test her again after she eats.” The nurse smiles as she hands Sophia, our daughter, to Winnie.
Our daughter.
Holy shit!
I’m a father.
“She’s so tiny,” Winnie says, unwrapping her and counting all ten fingers and toes. “Hey, angel, I’m your mommy,” she says as Sophia’s tiny hand wraps around her finger.
“Thank you, Winnie,” I kiss the top of her head and then turn my attention to my daughter. She’s so damn tiny, and the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.
“Seven pounds, eight ounces, and nineteen inches long,” the nurse tells us. “She passed her Apgar scores with flying colors,” she adds. “We need to feed her.”
I watch as the nurse shows Winnie how to help our baby girl latch onto her breasts. Baby girl is a champ, at least that’s what the nurse tells us and she begins to eat. The sight of my wife breastfeeding our newborn daughter is not something I was prepared for. I feel hot tears prick my eyes, but I blink them away. These two ladies, they are my entire world. I stare at them in wonder, until Sophia’s little belly is full. The nurse takes her to again test her sugar, then brings her back to Winnie.
Winnie looks up at me, our daughter belly full, and sleeping in her arms, and I can only imagine that the wonder on her face is the same that’s reflected to her on mine. “She’s beautiful.” I lean down and kiss the top of Sophia’s tiny head, before kissing my wife on her lips. “Just like her momma.”
“You want to hold her?” she asks.
I nod. I’m scared to death I’m going to break her. She’s so damn tiny, but at the same time, I’ve been waiting months to hold her in my arms. My
baby girl. My palms are sweaty, and my hands are shaking. If Winnie notices, she doesn’t mention it. She lifts her arms, and I scoop mine underneath, taking Sophia from her. “Hey, baby girl,” I choke out. “I’m your daddy.”
I lift her head to place another soft kiss there. Never in a million years did I think I could love anyone the way I love Winnie. This tiny little pink bundle, who has her little fist wrapped around my pinky, also has my heart in the palm of her hands, just like her momma. “You’re beautiful,” I whisper to her. “Not dating until you’re thirty,” I say, causing everyone in the room to crack up laughing. Lifting my head, I see Winnie smiling, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I told you this already,” I remind her.
“That you did,” she agrees.
“Congratulations, you guys,” Gabby says, wiping her eyes.
“Hey, Soph,” I say to my daughter. “You ready to meet your Aunt Gabby?” I stand tall, and carefully pass her over the bed to Gabby.
“Hey, sweet girl. I’m your Aunt Gabby,” she introduces herself. “You have a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl,” she murmurs. “What’s her middle name? Have you all decided?” she asks, not taking her eyes off my daughter.
Winnie looks up at me, and I nod. We talked about it a few days ago. It was my suggestion, and she loved it. “We have,” I tell her.
“Well, are you going to tell me?” She finally looks up.
“I mean, do you really want to know?” I tease.
“Your Daddy and your Uncle Chase, they like to tease me. I’m glad you’re a girl. We need more women to drown them out,” she tells my sleeping daughter. “Gwenny?”
Winnie chuckles through her smile. “Her name is Sophia Gabrielle Drake.”
I watch Gabby as she processes what Winnie just said. “What?” she asks, her voice almost inaudible.
“We’d like for you to be her godmother. If something were to ever happen to us, we want to know she’s loved and well cared for.”
“Of course she is,” Gabby says, and bites down on her bottom lip.
The nursing team have finished up and tell us they’ll be back in a few so that Winnie can feed Sophia. Funny, I didn’t even really register that they were still in the room with us. As they filter out, there’s a knock at the door.
“Can I come in?” Chase asks.
“No,” Gabby says, as Winnie and I both say yes.
“Hey,” he says softly, stopping to stand next to Gabby. “You did good, Gwen.” He smiles.
“Hello?” I say, as if I’m offended.
“Come on, Drake, you and I both know that beauty comes from your wife,” he jokes.
“You want to hold her?” Winnie asks him.
“She’s pretty small. Maybe I should wait.”
“Sit down,” Gabby instructs. For the first time ever, I watch as he does what she tells him without giving her any lip. Once he’s seated, Gabby transfers Sophia to his arms. “Make sure you’re supporting her head.” Gabby stands beside him, her hand on his shoulder, watching with a grin tilting her lips.
“Hey, Soph, I’m your Uncle Chase. Daddy and I already talked about it and no dating until you’re thirty,” he tells her. Gabby smacks his shoulder playfully, and it doesn’t faze him.
“Hey, Chase,” Winnie says to get his attention.
I watch as he struggles to pull his gaze from my daughter to address my wife. “Yeah?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Shoot,” he says, eyes questioning.
Winnie looks up at me and I nod. “We were hoping you’ll be her godfather.”
I watch my best friend as he swallows hard. He opens his mouth to speak but closes it and swallows again. “What?” he asks quietly.
“If something were to happen to us, we want to know she’s loved and well taken care of. That means you,” I tell him. “And you,” I say, nodding at Gabby.
Chase looks up at Gabby, and something I can’t explain passes between them. “I don’t know what to say, man. This is— I’m honored.”
“Say yes,” Winnie prompts.
“Yes.” He lifts my daughter and bends his head to whisper in her ear. We can’t hear what he says, but from the look on Gabby’s face, the emotional side of my best friend, the one he tries so hard to hide, is showing. Gabby’s eyes well with tears.
“All right, Momma. Time to eat,” a nurse says, barging into the room.
“We’re going to give you some time,” Gabby says.
Chase stands and carefully passes Sophia to Winnie, who’s sitting up in bed. I know she’s exhausted. We’ve both been up since two this morning, but it never shows. She’s all smiles as she takes our baby girl into her arms.
Once Gabby and Chase leave, I take the chair next to the bed, and watch as the nurse instructs my wife on breastfeeding. “Don’t get discouraged,” she tells her. “Sometimes it takes a few tries for them to latch on.”
I take in every word, my eyes memorizing every move. The nurse helps Winnie pull down her gown and guide Sophia to her breast. “Look at that,” the nurse coos. “She’s a natural.”
“How do I know if she’s getting enough?”
“That’s trickier.” She goes on to tell us about wet diapers, poopy diapers, if she’s gaining weight, and that Winnie’s breasts will feel less full. “I’ll leave you to it. Press the button if you need anything.” With a final reminder to burp her often, she leaves us alone.
Sitting in this hospital room watching my wife breastfeed our newborn baby daughter does something to me. “You’ve never looked more beautiful,” I say, moving my chair as close as I can get it. One hand cradles Winnie’s cheek while the other rests on Sophia.
“I’m a mess. You can be real with me, Harrison.”
“I’ve never said truer words. We made this tiny human. This little miracle, and to watch you nurture her… it’s a vision that in all my life I’ll never forget. I’ll never forget a single moment of this day.”
“We did it.” She smiles.
“You did it, baby. You did all the work, and I’m so damn proud of you. I’m honored you’ve chosen me for this gift.”
“Gift?”
“This life with you. The fact that I get to call you my wife. I get to live each day with you by my side, and this little one. You gave me another present. I never thought the gift of your love could be topped. It’s a close race.” I grin at her.
“I agree with you that she’s a miracle, in more ways than one. I agree in the sense that she was created out of the love that we share. Also, she brought you back to me. It might have taken us a while, and we’ve had some bumps in the road, but we’re finally on steady ground. We have this little angel to thank for that.”
“I’d like to think it would have happened. I was coming for you. However, Soph here had other plans. I wasn’t acting fast enough.” I chuckle softly. I watch as she removes our daughter from her breast and brings her to her shoulder to burp her. It takes a few minutes, but a sound I never expected from my sweet angel echoes in the small room, making us both laugh. Winnie tries to get her to latch on again, but she’s snoozing away and wants no part of it.
“She said we should nap when she does.” I stand and take Sophia from her, settling back in the chair.
“You have to be exhausted too,” she says over a yawn.
“Yeah, but I’m too keyed-up to sleep. Get some rest, baby. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
She nods. “I love you, Harrison Drake.”
“I love you too, and you too, baby girl,” I tell our daughter. She’s sleeping—oblivious—but that’s okay. She’s had a big day just like her momma. I watch as Winnie slowly closes her eyes as exhaustion claims her. “Your momma, she’s a special person,” I tell my daughter. “There aren’t enough words to describe how much I love you. Don’t ever settle, Sophia. When you’re allowed to date at thirty, make sure the man you gift your heart to will cherish it always.” I feel sleep taking hold so I place Sophia in her bed, no
t willing to risk falling asleep with her in my arms.
A soft cry pulls me from sleep. My eyes pop open, and I see Winnie watching as Gabby changes Sophia’s diaper. “Hey,” I say, my voice gruff.
“Feel better?” Winnie asks.
“Yeah, what time is it?”
“Late, after midnight.”
“I’m sorry I dozed off.”
“We all did. It’s time to feed her again.”
“Is there anything I can do?” I ask, standing to stretch.
“Nope.” My wife grins.
The door opens, and Chase pops his head in. “Is it safe?” he asks.
I look at Winnie, and she tosses a soft pink blanket over our daughter and nods. “Yeah,” I tell him.
He enters carrying a bag from Taco Bell. “Not many options this late at night.” He begins setting everything on the small table in the corner. He turns to face us, and that’s when he realizes that Winnie is feeding Sophia. “I can go,” he says, his cheeks turning red.
“Aww, are you embarrassed?” Gabby coos.
“No, but this is… private.”
“You’re family,” Winnie counters. “Besides, it’s not like you can see anything.”
“Yeah.” He swallows hard and looks over at me. In a couple of strides, he’s standing next to me, where I’m leaning against the windowsill. “How do you do it?” he asks, just low enough for me to hear.
“Do what?”
“That’s hot,” he says, pointing to Winnie and Soph.
“Fucker, she’s feeding our daughter.” I don’t take my eyes off them. Memorizing yet another moment.
“I know. I get it. I’m also a man. I know,” he says, wagging his eyebrows.
I don’t deny it. He’s right. He doesn’t need me to tell him he is.
“So what happened at the gym?” Winnie asks. “We’ve all been here. What’s going on?”
“It’s out of our hands,” Chase explains. “The fire marshal is performing an investigation. No one is allowed in until it’s complete. It’s a waiting game.”
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 24