“Let’s not take any chances. If a Csection’s smarter, let’s do it.”
Before she could make sense of what was going on, she was being wheeled into a small room with bright lights. Someone placed a mask over her face and told her to breathe normally. Only then did it dawn on her what was taking place.
She had survived! Someone was saying something about dropping pressures, about a danger of something Ashley couldn’t quite make out. But none of that mattered.
She was here, and she was having her baby.
But something wasn’t right. Once more she could feel herself slipping away, feel the life being sucked from her. God, I know You can hear me! Please, God …
The words no longer formed, but she knew what she was praying for. Another chance, more time with Landon and Cole and this new baby. A miracle.
Then, slowly, her vision cleared. The voices around her grew gradually clear again, and she could hear Landon standing over her.
“It’s okay, Ashley … your blood pressure’s coming back. God’s working everything out.”
Tears burned her eyes and slid down the sides of her face. She couldn’t talk, not with the mask on, and she couldn’t put her arms around Landon the way she wanted to. But that was okay. If Landon said she was making a recovery, then she was. Thank You, God … thank You so much.
She blinked slowly, and over the next minute the staff in the room became clear.
But this time Landon was gone. She shifted her gaze, and there was her father, looking down at her.
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“Dad … where’s Landon?” Her words got trapped in her mask and sounded like a garbled moaning.
Her dad leaned closer, wanting to understand.
An idea hit her. She lifted her left hand and pointed to her wedding ring.
Her father grinned. “Landon? He’s talking to Cole. Erin’s cell phone works, so he has a way to tell everyone back home that you’re okay.” Her father gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll get him.” He held up a finger, then hurried off.
Less than a minute later he returned.
Landon was with him. He took her hand. “Sorry, baby … I’m here. I won’t go anywhere.”
Someone rolled her onto her side and gave her a shot near her spine, and then they returned her to her back. She was having a Csection; that’s what was happening. One of her dad’s colleagues set up a screen over her chest area so she couldn’t see the operation. Off to the other side, her father took his position, ready in case she needed him for anything at all.
It was happening-it actually was. She and Landon were about to have a baby together, and God was being gracious enough to let her live to see it happen.
She willed herself to relax. There was no pain now, and her breathing was much easier than before.
In minutes, she felt a strong pulling sensation, a tugging almost. Landon still had hold of her hand, but he had moved far enough down the length of her to see the delivery. Watching his reaction was like watching the birth herself. His eyes glowed and sparkled, and then he looked at her, awe and amazement shining on his face.
Their baby’s first cry filled the room-a healthy, lusty wail that told her everything she already knew. That the problems were behind them.
“Ashley…” Landon’s eyes were wet. “It’s a boy. He’s … he’s beautiful.”
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The doctor held him up, and for the first time Ashley saw for herself. She brought her fingers to her mouth. “He’s perfect.” Her words were barely a whisper, mixed with tears and joy and a lifetime of hoping that somehow, someday she might share a moment like this with the man she loved more than life itself.
A nurse took the baby a few feet away, where she cleaned him and wrapped him in a blanket. The whole time, Ashley allowed herself to be lost in Landon’s eyes, in the miracle they’d just witnessed. Not just that she had survived and lived to see her baby’s birth. But that God had used the love between her and Landon to bring this precious child into being.
When their baby was ready, the nurse handed him to Landon.
“Congratulations!” Her father came up beside them and peered over Landon’s shoulder. “He’s perfect.”
Ashley’s tears came in earnest then, because her mother should be here too.
Standing nearby, sharing this moment with them. “I wish … Mom were here.”
Her father came a step closer and took her hand. “She is, honey.”
Sorrow and great happiness more than she’d ever known mingled and fell like rain from Ashley’s eyes. Her dad was right. Somewhere in heaven, her mother was rejoicing with her over this new little boy, this child who was God’s blessing to her and Landon, His way of saying that every bit of struggle along the way had been worth it because here they were.
Landon brought their tiny son closer, and the three of them huddled together.
She kissed his minutes-old cheek and nuzzled against his face. Then she kissed Landon. “I can’t believe it.”
“I’ll remember this …” Landon kissed her again; then tenderly he stared at their son. “I’ll remember it as long as I live.”
The nurse was waiting; Landon gave their son one last kiss before handing him over. The infant needed to be weighed and checked, cleaned more thoroughly, and run through a host of
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tests. But before the nurse left she grinned at them. “He’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Her father went with the woman, leaving the two of them alone with the other doctor.
Ashley lifted her eyes to Landon’s. “You’re a daddy!”
His eyes held more depth and meaning than she had believed possible. “Yes.” His smile held an understanding. “For the second time.”
Right then, Ashley knew she was part of not just one miracle but a series of miracles. She had survived, and the baby was healthy. But even more, she was married to a man who loved her precious Cole and had been a father to him as far back as she could remember.
For this was the greatest miracle: that somehow, out of billions of people in the world, Landon Blake had found her and loved her totally.
Cole was the first to see the new baby.
The entire Baxter family-even the children-were in the waiting area down the hall with Landon’s parents. But Ashley had asked her dad to bring Cole in before the others so they could have a few minutes as a family. Ashley was propped up in bed, their baby bundled in her arms and Landon at her side, when Cole came bounding into the room.
He was breathless and red-cheeked, and the moment he saw the infant cradled against her chest, he stopped. Ashley watched the transition happen in his heart. For years, he hadn’t needed to share his mommy with anyone. Now, though, the picture of life as he knew it had changed forever. He didn’t look jealous or angry, just aware, understanding that things were different now. Then just as quickly, he flashed his parents his biggest grin and hurried to her side. “Papa said it’s a boy!”
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“He is.” Landon let him squeeze in front. He put Jiis hands on Cole’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “He looks just like you.”
Cole angled his face, studying the baby. “He’s redder than me.”
“Yes.” Ashley bit her lip to keep from giggling. “I think Daddy means his eyes.
He has your eyes, Cole.”
“Yeah.” Cole leaned in. “Hi, little brother!” He brushed his finger across the baby’s cheek. “I knew you were going to be a boy.”
Neither of them could argue with that. “God mu^t’ve known you needed a brother, Coley.” Ashley reached 0r him and pulled him close. “Brothers are very special.”
“I know.” Cole hugged her, then straightened-His eyes danced. ‘“Cause we already have Maddie and Hayley and Jessie.” He wrinkled his nose at Landon.
“That’s probably enough girls, don’t you think?”
“And Chloe, Clarisse, Amy, Heidi, and Malin.” Cole smacked himself on his forehead. “I forget about all those ones.”
They all laughed, and Cole leaned toward the baby again. “He sure has little fingers.” His expression was earnest. “I don’t think he can throw a ball for a long time, Mommy.” He lifted his little brother’s arm. “They don’t make balls small enough* for hands like that.”
Ashley savored every moment of this first meeting, trie first time the four of them were together as a family. “Your daddy and I picked a name for him. Wanna know what it is?”
“Not Brent, right? ‘Cause Brent at school made that a bad name, I think.”
Landon coughed to cover his laugh.
Ashley swapped a grin with him, and then she Wked at her older son. “No, Coley, not Brent.”
“We named him Devin Anthony Blake.”
“Hmm. Devin is nice. The best soccer player in jail of fifth 292
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grade is named Devin.” Cole nodded and brought his face close to the baby’s once more. “Hi, little Devin … grow up fast, okay? I wanna teach you how to throw a ball with me and Daddy.”
Ashley felt a tug on her heart. Because Cole didn’t need to worry. Devin Anthony would grow up fast, just the way Cole had. Too fast. But there would always be a considerable age difference between the boys. When Devin was five, Cole would be starting middle school. She ran her fingers along Cole’s brow. “I pray you’ll always be the best of friends, Cole.”
“We will.” He smiled at his tiny brother, and it was the smile of an angel.
Her father poked his head into the room. “Ready for the others? They want to come in groups of four or five.”
Ashley laughed. “Even that’ll take an hour.”
“It’s your fault.” Landon swept her hair off her forehead, his voice full of teasing. “You’re the one who moved the reunion to the hospital.”
After Landon’s parents had a chance to meet their new grandson, Luke and Reagan were the first of the Baxters to come in. Malin was in Reagan’s arms, and Tommy held Luke’s hand.
Luke blinked and gave his sister a wide grin. “He’s a little miracle; that’s for sure.”
Reagan took a turn. “He looks like Cole.”
“But redder,” Cole interjected. “I’m not that red.”
Laughter filled the room, and Luke caught them up on the news outside the hospital. Seven people were confirmed dead in Bloomington, mostly residents of a trailer park that had been straight in the path of the F-4. Six people were still missing, but police expected to find them alive.
The Autumn Trace area, just outside of downtown, had taken the hardest hit. But, fortunately, everyone there had had time to take cover.
“We ran into Katy Hart in the lobby.”
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“Katy?” Concern sounded in Ashley’s tone. Katy had dealt with enough lately.
“Why is she here?”
“One of the CKT families-the Reeds, I think she said-lived in Autumn Trace.
Their house was leveled, everything destroyed. For a while the whole family was missing. She was at the scene when they were found.”
The enormity of the storm was something Ashley hadn’t thought about since waking up. All that mattered in her own little world were her baby and sharing him with the people she loved. But outside these hospital walls, the people of Bloomington were reeling. She knew the Reeds, of course. They were a wonderful family, and now-though they were all alive-they had lost everything.
Ashley’s heart hurt for them. “Please, Luke, tell Katy to stop in later. Tell her I’m glad everyone’s okay.”
The visits from her siblings continued in a stream of congratulations and admiration. Little Devin did indeed look like Cole, but he looked like his daddy too. It was something they had both noticed, and she found herself praying that he would be like his daddy in other ways also.
Finally, after everyone had met the newest member of the family, the Baxters headed home. The reunion agenda was a little altered now. They had already missed church and instead of a game day, they were going to check out the Baxter house and begin making whatever repairs were needed.
When they were gone, Landon pulled up a chair and settled in beside Ashley, and a nurse brought in a portable bassinette for the baby. Only then did Ashley realize something. In the craziness of the night, her father hadn’t had time to tell her siblings about their older brother.
The only Baxter who didn’t know there was a new little addition to the family.
She thought about asking Landon to call her father. Maybe they could set up a meeting tonight in her hospital room, and
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her dad could carry on with the news the way he’d planned. But she gradually let the idea go. They couldn’t squeeze more than twenty people into the room, and even if they could, this wasn’t the time for a conversation like that.
Next to her, Landon dozed. Poor guy. He was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of last night. Same with her father. No, this wasn’t the time for her siblings to find out about their parents’ secret.
And maybe that was part of God’s plan too. Her father had wanted more time, hadn’t he? Well… now he had it. Another year could pass before they were all together again, but so what? Maybe by then their older brother would change his mind and want to meet them, want to take his place at their family reunion. God had worked one miracle after another in their lives, hadn’t He?
Maybe a year from now He would work another.
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Dayne was sound asleep when the phone next to his bed started to ring. “Ughh.”
He rolled over and squinted at the clock. Seven thirty. Who would be calling so early?
He’d been doing reshoots with Angie until ten the night before, and after working with the director in the editing room, he didn’t get home until after one in the morning. It had to be work related, because his friends always called his cell.
He reached for the phone and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Dayne … Mitch Henry here.” There was an urgency in the man’s voice, which was often the case.
Still, the director’s tone made Dayne sit up on his elbows. “You woke me. What’s going on?”
“You’re lazy, you know that, Matthews? We working slobs are in the office by seven but not you A-listers.” He chuckled. “Want me to call you back?”
“No. I’m awake now.” Dayne sat up a little more. “Let me guess; you’re casting a movie and you want me to go to Bloomington to find a woman with pale blonde hair and transparent blue eyes, right?” He yawned. “A woman whose innocence is as genuine as summer.”