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Just over three years ago:
Birch peeked through the open doorway of the hospital room. He didn’t want to enter if Carly was asleep. Tanya had warned him not to come, because Carly would be exhausted. Her labor had been long and difficult. As planned, Tanya and his mom had stood in as birthing coaches.
He could hardly believe the baby was here. Carly sat up in bed, her face glowing with happiness as she stared down at the pink wrapped bundle in her arms. Her hair was a rat’s nest of knots and untidy curls. She had dark circles under her eyes. She was, beyond doubt, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
She glanced up from the baby and saw him. “Birch! Come in. Come meet Layla.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you.” He hovered in the doorway, torn between entering and retreating to protect his heart. Carly already had his heart. Seeing her sweet child would only make it worse.
“Don’t be silly. I had a nap. I could use some company.” Her brilliant smile faltered.
“Are you okay?” He strode in, hiding a bouquet of bright daisies behind his back. “You look sad.”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “This should be the happiest day of my life and it’s tainted because Little Bean’s father is an idiot. No, that’s not right. He’s an addict and can’t beat it.”
“I’m sorry. How can I make it better? Will this help?” He produced the flowers with a magician’s flourish.
“Oh! Thank you. They’re lovely. I’ll need something to put them in.” She looked around as if a vase would appear out of thin air.
“I’ve handled that.” He handed over the gift bag he had in his other hand. “Something for the flowers. Something for the baby. And something for you.”
She dug in and pulled out a cut crystal vase exactly the right size for the flowers. “Oh, Birch, it’s lovely. You shouldn’t have.” She peeked inside before pulling out a set of three pink and white sleepers and a matching knit cap. “You didn’t have to do this. This is too much.”
“I wanted to. I know you didn’t learn Little Bean’s, I mean Layla’s, gender before delivery. You only have neutral baby clothing according to Tanya. Now Layla has something special to wear home. Keep digging.” He waved at the bag to distract her from realizing he knew so much about her.
She pushed aside some tissue and gasped. “What?”
“For you.” He held his breath. Hopefully she didn’t think it was too much. “Every new mom deserves something special on the day they deliver. Giving birth is amazing.” If only she understood how amazing she was all the time.
She pulled the shiny gold chain from the bag and stared at the puffy heart pendant dangling from it. “Is that a diamond?” she gasped. “I hope not.”
“It is not. It’s a synthetic one, but the importance of what you’ve done is real.” It was real, but he wasn’t telling her that. “Do you want help to put it on?”
“Please.” She lifted her hair with one hand while the other arm cuddled Layla close. He stepped to the side of the bed and slipped the chain around her neck. He nearly dropped it twice when his fingers fumbled from her nearness and the sweet softness of her skin. He finally managed to get it fastened. “There you go.”
“Thank you, Birch. You’ve made today extra special.” The pendant lay low on her chest, right near her heart.
“You know what’s even more special?” he asked.
“What?” She giggled and the hairs on his arm stood up and trembled.
“I heard a rumor that any minute now, Tanya will be here with butter chicken and rice.” He grinned.
“Oh. That’s awesome. Birch, you are the greatest friend I ever had.”
“Hey, that’s Tan’s doing, not mine. But I’ll take that compliment anyhow. “He hugged her praise to his heart. Someday, when she was back to a normal routine, he’d ask her out.
♥♥♥
“DID YOU WANT TO HOLD Layla?” Carly asked uncertainly, looking up at the large man standing beside her bed. Birch was so sweet, but she’d never seen him around babies. Would he even know what to do? She was nervous but asking him felt right.
“Are you sure? I’d love to if you show me how.” His eyes lit with eagerness.
She patted the bed. “Sit here.” Careful not to strain anything, she scooted over so he’d have more room. He sat facing her, one leg bent up, the other foot planted firmly on the floor.
“Her neck is weak. You have to support it at all times. Put your arm like this.” She bent her elbow to show him how. With a deep breath, she gently placed the baby in his arms.
His huge body dwarfed the tiny bundle and he stared at her, his jaw slack, his eyes bright. He seemed awestruck. His free hand cupped Layla’s cheek. “She’s almost as beautiful as her mother,” he whispered.
“Thank you. She’s pretty special.” She didn’t want to think about Birch calling her beautiful. He was being nice. That’s all. She touched the lovely pendant he’d given her and smiled.
“Did you know Layla was my grandmother’s name?” he asked without looking up.
“I did,” she whispered past the lump in her throat. “Your family has done so much for me. You welcomed me when I moved to town six years ago. You supported me while my marriage fell apart. You moved me. You fixed my car. Thanks again for that. You’ve helped me in so many ways. I wanted to do something to show your family how much they mean to me, and to Layla.”
“We’re honored.” He cleared his throat. “Honored.”
“Thank you, Birch. For everything.” They sat staring at the baby for a long time. They were still staring when Tanya arrived with dinner.
“Okay. I have to run,” Birch blurted. He gently placed Layla back in her arms, stood and left in such a hurry he nearly knocked over his sister.
“What was he doing here?” Tanya asked. “He suggested I should get food for you. I didn’t expect him to be here.”
“He came to drop off sleepers for Layla.” She didn’t mention anything else.
“And flowers?” Tanya asked, her eyes wide.
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
“Wow, what?” Carly asked. The gesture was sweet, something a family friend might do. Why was Tanya making a big deal of it? She shifted so the necklace slid under her loose top. No sense in letting Tanya notice that too. It felt special, like something just for her and not for sharing.
