As little Jameson begins day number seven in North Kansas City Hospital, an alert signals I have a text messages from Bethany.
Bethany: going home today
Bethany: Jami weighs 5 lbs this morning
Bethany: mom going to stay until weekend
Bethany: then Troy will be home
Bethany: please give us day or 2 to settle in
Bethany: then we will text/call u
Bethany: (heart emoji)
In the weeks that follow, Bethany continues her video calls to see Liberty. Now, I also get to see Jami during our calls. Bethany is the mother I always knew she would be. She’s bubbly all the time. She makes her own wet wipes which probably means she will make her own baby food in the months to come. She even uses cloth diapers—I cringe at the thought. As a stay-at-home mom she is able to spend much more time on parenting than I was. I am happy for her.
She continues to care for two other children during week days. She shares Troy loves the police academy and shares stories of bruises from handcuff training, as well as, the pain of pepper spray training. His training runs from 8-5 every week day. The toughest part is the three hours he spends on the road each day. He’s committed to making it work for the 23-week course. Then he will wait two months for his twenty-first birthday to be eligible to work as a police officer. The Athens police department plans to give him more hours as a dispatcher while he waits. His dream is becoming a reality.
I’m happy that busy with his long days of training, Troy now enjoys time with his wife and daughter instead of his former overprotective ways. The new parents enjoy every moment of parenthood. Troy jokes about the long nights, dirty diapers, and spit-up. With large families nearby and frequent visits from friends Bethany and Troy overcame the heartache of a miscarriage and now have found their happily ever after.