Promise Me

Glancing down at my hands I decided I to go to the bathroom first. I looked at my face in the mirror while the water ran over my hands. Then I watched the pink tinged water run down the drain. Drying my hands, I told myself to just breathe. When I got outside, my truck was gone. I went back to the desk and the girl told me that my parents parked it for me. I should meet them in maternity. They had my keys.

I took the elevators up to the maternity wing. There sat my parents with Tegan and Rhett. My brothers Fionn and Ciaran. My grandfather. Skylar’s grandparents, Bobby and Shay. I stopped at the entrance to the waiting area overwhelmed with emotion. The birth of my son wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t due for three more weeks. There wasn’t supposed to be blood and fear. Only happiness. What if I lost them both? I pressed my fingers into my eyes and tried not to cry.

Mom walked over to me. “Come sit down and tell us what happened. Sky just said she was going to the hospital.”

I sat between her and Rhett. I leaned on my knees and clasped my hands between my legs to stop them from shaking. Her blood was on my shirt I realized that is how they knew something was wrong. “She was in the bathroom and screamed for me.” She was afraid. So was I.

“I called her doctor who said to bring her in.” I was dressing as quickly as I could. Was it fast enough? I glanced at the clock on the wall. Only forty-five minutes passed since she woke me. We had been here a good ten, I thought. Maybe longer. “She said it was only light bleeding.” I rubbed my hand across my face. “The kids went to the farm while we came to the hospital.”

“Aine texted me they got there okay,” Fionn told me knowing I would be worried about them too.

I glanced up at him. “Thanks man.” One less thing to worry about. “Then we were about five minutes away when she told me the bleeding was worse. A lot worse.” I drove as fast as I could. Didn’t I? “I carried her inside and they took her from me. I don’t even know what is going on.”

Mom got up. “Let me see what I can find out Ronan.”

She disappeared for about five minutes. When she returned, I jumped up from my chair. “What is it?” I asked.

“Honey, relax. They have Skylar in an OR. They are doing an emergency C-Section.”

“Why?” I can’t lose her. “Is she all right? Is Luke?”

“We’ll know soon. Twenty minutes, I promise,” Mom informed me.

I sat back down in the chair where I was sitting and I focused on the wall clock. My eyes never left the ticking hand. In my head, I begged god to not take Sky or Luke from me. He gave me this second chance to do something right. I wouldn’t survive without them. I knew it wasn’t fair to put my recovery on them but I needed them. I loved them both so much. I just kept praying.

Rhett took my hand and squeezed it. She smiled at me. “Everything will be okay Ronan.”

“Promise me?” I asked.

She nodded.

Tegan paced. Dad was pale. “Dad are you all right?” I asked.

“Yeah, I told you I thought I might be coming down with something. Chest feels tight.”

Mom looked at Dad. “Are you sure Declan?”

“Sure, I’m sure,” he replied. “I won’t get to hold my grandson today but soon.”

I hoped they were right. Close to when Mom said I would know. The doctor appeared. “Ronan,” I jumped out of my chair and was immediately surrounded by my family. Mom’s comforting hand rested on my arm. Rhett took my hand.

“They’re both okay. We put Skylar under to do the C-Section. There was a small tear in the placenta that started the bleeding so heavily by the time you got here. We delivered a healthy baby boy. A good sized one too. He’s seven pounds and two ounces. For three weeks early, that is amazing.”

I almost crumpled to the ground with relief. “When can I see him and Skylar?”

“She’s still under,” the doctor told me.

“Is he breathing on his own?” My mother asked. Always the nurse; knowing the right questions to ask.

“Yes, he’s great. No problems at all. He’s on his way to the nursery. I would suggest you go there and see him while Skylar is in recovery. Ronan, by the time you come back to recovery she should be waking and you can see her too.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

Mom guided me to the nursery. She pecked on the window. The nurse knew her and waved. She went to my son’s crib and picked him up, bringing him to the window for us to see. Gramps grabbed my shoulder and gripped it tight. He looked a lot like him. I turned and smiled. “He looks like you,” I said.

“He looks like me and my Pa,” he agreed.

The nurse motioned for me to come in. I went to the door and showed her my wrist band not that I needed to. She knew I was Stevie Moore’s son, Ronan. She guided me to a rocking chair near the window where everyone could see me holding him. Once I was situated in the chair she laid Luke in my arms. His eyes were closed at first and when they opened I cried like a heartbroken man.