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I woke up in a warm bed. In a warm room. My hand was in the warm grasp of my husband’s hand. I saw light enter his eyes. He stood, swept a stray hair off my forehead, and kissed me.
I cleared my throat and forced my lips open. “I’m alive.”
Stephen smiled. “Yeah, you did try to leave me though.”
Hot tears filled my eyes. I felt them slide down the side of my face. “I tried not to.”
My throat was dry. I coughed a few times. He reached for a cup and put the straw in my mouth so I could take a few sips. He raised a hand to my face and pressed his cheek against the opposite side. “Please don’t ever do that to me again.”
I raised an arm and wrapped it around his back. I cried. He whispered tender words in my ear. After a minute, he pulled back, and wiped my tears and his. “We’re at the beginning, Tamar Pierce. You owe me at least fifty years.”
“And I’ll give them to you as soon as I see my baby.”
Stephen looked at his watch. “She’ll be here in five minutes. They took her for a bath.”
It occurred to me that I had more than one child. Sometimes, I was still getting used to being a mother. “Where’s Isaiah?”
He’s with your cousins. They’re having a movie takeover at their house. Whatever that is.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s fun.” I looked around at the walls to see if I could get a clue but saw nothing. “What hospital is this?”
“Bethlehem General.” Stephen’s smile warmed the bland room. “I can’t believe you had our daughter in a church.”
“During a winter storm with very little heat,” I added. “I thought I would die when my water broke.”
“I hate I missed it.”
I pushed the button to raise my bed. “Have you seen the video?”
“What?” Stephen clapped his hands. “I have a video?”
I laughed. “On my phone. I made Clyde record. It was a miracle he didn’t faint. He was about to die. I swear.”
“I know my boy. I can imagine.” Stephen’s eyebrows knit together. “I don’t appreciate him seeing my stuff though.”
“Men.” I rolled my eyes. “Clyde probably won’t want to touch a woman for five years. He is deeply traumatized.”
A knock on the door brought a doctor and nurse into the room. “Mrs. Pierce, you’re awake.” The doctor went on the opposite side of the bed from Stephen. She introduced herself and Stephen moved out of the way while the nurse switched the IV bag. “We were very concerned when you first came in. You lost a considerable amount of blood due to a condition called retained placenta. It means a small piece of the placenta did not come out after the delivery.”
“So, am I going to have to have surgery or something?” Stephen reached for my hand. He pulled my arm up and kissed my clenched fist.
“Already done. We had to operate immediately.” She shined a light in my eyes and did a few other quick checks during her examination. “We went in, removed the piece that was retained and gave you a blood transfusion.”
I didn’t like the idea of a blood transfusion, but I couldn’t dwell on it. I was glad to be alive. “How long will I be in here?”
“Two, maybe three days. We’ll get you home for Christmas.”
There was another knock at the door. A nurse entered carrying our daughter and my heart leapt. My father and Dell were behind her. The doctor and the nurse with her said their goodbyes and left the room.
Stephen moved aside so my father could take my hand. He kissed me. “Baby girl, you scared me to death.”
“I know, Daddy. I think I scared myself.”
The nurse handed Stephen the baby and after a few seconds of cuddling her, he put her in my arms.
I greeted my daughter and placed her cheek next to mine. “Where are Clyde and Kim?”
The door opened again. Kim stepped in backward, turned around and pulled a wheelchair holding Clyde into the room.
My heart smiled. “You’re going to live a long life. I just asked about you.”
“I like that prediction,” Clyde said. “Good to see you awake.”
I hadn’t seen him since our ambulance ride. His face was ruddy from the burns on his cheeks. “How are you?”
He nodded. “They’ve already discharged me. I have to leave in this chair, but I wanted to come see you first.”
“You’re my hero.”
He gave me a thumbs up. “Nothing more than a good workout in the gym.”
Stephen chuckled. “Lies, man. I’ve been in the gym with you. You haven’t worked out that hard since I got out of college.”
“Well, he was in good enough shape when it mattered,” Dell interjected. She looked at me. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“Tired, but better.”
“Warm,” Kim added. “We’re warm and staying that way for the rest of our lives.”
Stephen cocked his head in Kim’s direction. “You’re moving to Jersey. I think you’re going to have to get used to a little cold.”
“I’m having second thoughts. In fact, I might need to go back to Louisiana.”
Clyde looked over his shoulder. “Oh, come on now. The only reason I saved you was because you said you were moving.”
Kim and his eyes locked for a moment. Kim bit her lip before saying, “The move isn’t set in stone.”
Clyde’s eyebrows wrinkled. His disappointment was obvious.
I saved them both from the awkward silence that filled the room. “What’s going on with the wedding plans?”
“We’re going to postpone it until after the holidays,” my father replied.
Dell added. “Our church family is cooking and decorating everything. It’s easy to push it back.”
“No! You will not. Get married. You’ve been waiting for years and planning for months.”
My father shook his head. “Baby girl, this has been a rough week. You need to rest.”
“Daddy, I want you and Dell to get married. I’ll be out of here in three days. If I have to come in a wheelchair, I’ll come, but please do not let Christmas pass without you being married. I will not take no for an answer.”
Dell and my father looked at each other. “Christmas Eve,” Daddy said. Dell smiled and I knew it was settled.
The baby squirmed and wiggled in my arms. Her little mouth opened, and she let out a healthy wail.
“I know that cry,” Kim said. “Somebody is hungry.”
I pulled her higher on my chest.
“We’ll go to the waiting room and give you some privacy,” Dell said. That was everyone’s clue to leave the room.
Once alone, I opened the flap on my hospital gown and pulled the baby to my breast. Stephen removed my phone from his pocket, pulled a chair up to my bed and began to watch the video of the delivery.
“We have to name her.”
Stephen rotated his head from left to right like he was working out kinks. “Yeah, I know, babe.”
“All the names I had on my list went out the window when I looked at her.” I cupped my hand behind her head and repositioned her.
Stephen smiled. “My list disappeared too.”
She latched on beautifully. “You, my little miracle, are worthy of a name that reminds us all of your birth.” She sucked, and her big brown eyes agreed.
