Epilogue

A month before the baby was due, Dr. Stevens put Teri in the hospital; her blood pressure was dangerously high. All of her other tests had come back fine, and the baby was a normal healthy fetus, but things could change in an instant. The doctor wanted her where he could keep an eye on her.

Teri spent many an evening gripping Tim’s hand. “Oh, god, could I die?” Then she would cry and he would try to calm her down.

One evening, Tim walked into her room and gingerly eased down into the chair. He took her hand and squeezed it. “Babe, I decided I don’t want to lose you and I do want to continue to make love to you, so I got snipped. I figured it was easier for me, and you’ve been through enough all ready.”

Teri didn’t know what to say. “But then you can’t have any more children.”

“You’re more important to me. Besides,” he said with a smile, “we’re getting too old for this.”

“Does it hurt much?”

“I’ll have to sit on an ice pack for a day or two.”

Teri gazed at this man she adored. He was willing to go through pain for her. “I love you so much.” And she squeezed his hand back.

Dr. Stevens decided to do a caesarian. He said it would be dangerous for both Teri and the baby if they waited any longer.

On September tenth, Teri delivered a healthy baby boy. They had previously discussed a name, and Teri wanted to name him after her father, so Theodore Darden Olson came to be.

Six months later, Teri found Tim standing over the crib, watching their sleeping son. She came up behind Tim and put her arms around him. “I wondered where you were. He looks so peaceful now, doesn’t he?” she said with her voice lowered.

Tim nodded. “Teddy can be quite a handful at times.”

“He looks a lot like my dad’s baby pictures. He had red-gold hair most of his life. But Teddy got your beautiful green eyes.”

Tim turned and kissed her on the forehead. “And your dazzling smile. He’s going to be a heartbreaker someday.”

They stood for some time, watching their miracle.