Her Motherhood Wish (Parent Portal 3)

“Have you called your mother?” Wood held her hand, hooked a chair with his foot and pulled it closer as he asked the question.

She was so tired. And completely wound up, too. Her eyes ached as she looked at him. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Yes. And I also think your mother would want to know what’s going on.”

“I already called her,” she said. “A nurse helped me get an outside line while I was waiting for them to come get me to bring me here. She’s getting the next flight out and will get a cab to the hospital. She’s going to call when she lands. I...gave her your number.”

“Good.”

She sipped at the orange juice they’d left on her tray for her, and he asked how she was feeling. If she was in pain. She felt surprisingly not horrible, physically. Sore, of course, but nothing like she’d have expected, having felt as though she was being ripped in half such a short time before. Because the baby had come so quickly, the doctor had explained. She’d likely dilated from three to ten in minutes instead of hours.

She mentioned needing her things, her bag at the house. Some underwear. Her cell phone. Her satchel, which had her keys in it. He gave her his phone to call her paralegal to see if she’d mind seeing to all of it. Marilyn had been panic stricken as they’d driven away, Wood told her, and was overjoyed to hear from Cassie and know that she was okay. And to bring whatever she needed to the hospital.

Wood wasn’t planning on leaving. Cassie didn’t argue. He was Alan’s father. He should be there.

And he wasn’t her...anything but her sperm donor. And friend. She might not remember some things about that morning, but she very clearly recalled her deal with the waves. Alan had to be okay. And Cassie had to give up, once and for all, any wayward hope that Wood would ever be more than a dear friend to her.

No matter how much she might love him. Because she did. Having him there in her worst moment...she’d known, as clearly as she’d ever known anything in her life, the man was her one and only.

She was pretty sure she’d agreed to give up any future husband as well, but she didn’t see that as much of a problem.

A dietitian came in and offered them lunch. Wood insisted that they accept. That she at least try to eat.

“If you’re going to be breastfeeding, you need to tend to your own nutrition,” he told her. They both knew not all women were able to breastfeed or even pump to provide milk for their children. But she nodded. Ordered a cheeseburger and ate half of it.

And every thirty seconds or so, she looked from the door to Wood’s face. Scared to death, and finding her calm. Her son was already a couple of hours old, and she hadn’t even seen him.

A knock came on the door shortly after they finished eating. She called for whoever it was to come in, afraid she was going to lose her lunch in the seconds it took for her to see who was there. A doctor with good news?

Bad news?

How did a woman just lay there and wait to hear the fate of her baby?

Could Alan be on the other side of the door? Would they just bring him in to her if he was well enough?

And if he wasn’t... The terror in her chest was blocking all air.

The door pushed open and she didn’t recognize the stunning woman who came through, but she saw the white coat and everything in her clenched for the bad news. They would get through this. Her baby and her. He was alive. She knew that much. And they were strong. They’d make a plan and deal with things one at a time...

/> The doctor smiled at Wood. Walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hi, Cassie,” she said. “I’m Elaina, Wood’s sister-in-law. It’s good to finally meet you.” The brown eyes were kind looking. Compassionate.

Cassie liked the woman on sight. But then, Wood had married her—she had to be an amazing person. She also felt a pang to her heart like none other. That hand on Wood’s shoulder...looked so natural, like it was no big deal. Casual. Allowed.

Cassie had just had his baby, but had no right to touch his shoulder like that.

“I just wanted to let you both know...the doctor will be coming down to see you shortly. He got called in to an emergency when I was in the nursery asking about Alan, and he said I could give you a preliminary rundown until he can make it here. Because he knows you’re worried...”

“And?” Wood’s tone with Elaina was different than Cassie was used to. Not warmer. Or more distant. Just...different.

Elaina’s smile reached out to Cassie. “He’s a beautiful baby and going to be just fine,” she said. “They were preparing to do a red blood cell transfusion. The red cells transport oxygen to other parts of the body, but his numbers have all leveled out. They’re still monitoring him, working on him, and will be keeping him a bit longer, but he might even be in here by nightfall. If not, they’ll take you to see him.”

She started to cry. She was all alone, with this former couple who’d been family for a long time and, even after a failed marriage, still had each other. But she didn’t begrudge them their togetherness, or feel jealous at the fact that she couldn’t be a part of them.

Her prayer had been answered.

Her son was healthy.

* * *