The contraction passed and I fell back against my pillows. My face was on fire and my feet were freezing.
“I know, sweetheart,” Vivi reassured me wiping my forehead with the cool cloth. “You
are
a princess. Sonny will be here before you know it.”
The door flew open and in came the nurse with a bucket of ice cubes. But she never made it to me.
“Good Lord!” She said as she tripped over the chair now in its new home—in front of the door, spilling all the ice cubes everywhere as she stumbled.
“Why the hell is that chair in front of the door? She shouted.
“Evidentially the room had bad flow,” Vivi explained.
“Well, it’s certainly got flow now, with all this ice. I’ll be right back.” The nurse headed back to the hall, rubbing her knee and limping as she went.
The door opened again slowly as Wanda Jo poked her head in. Wanda Jo was Harry’s and my secretary at our law office. She was middle-aged with salt and pepper hair and average sized. She had been by our side from the day we had opened our practice about eight years ago. Wanda Jo had been handling the office while I had been out this week. Things had slowed down there since Harry won the election and I became pregnant. Still, I couldn’t believe she was bringing me a file when I was fixin’ to give birth.
“Hey Miss Blake, look at you. All ready to bring us a new baby. I’m so happy for you.” She walked over sweetly and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I felt something was wrong as I looked at her eyes. They were brimming with tears.
“I hate this more than I can say-- but I think this is what you’ve been waiting for.” She handed me a manila file folder. I had no idea what this was but hoped that maybe one of my cases finally settled. I opened the file and saw the words at the top.
Blake O’Hara Heart vs. Harry Heart in the dissolution of marriage.
I could barely speak. There it was, the words cutting through me like a cold knife. This was it. The universe had cooperated and it would finally be over. Was this just what I wanted?
Vivi realized what I had in my hands. She quietly ushered out the Fru Fru’s and Kitty. Wanda Jo looked sullen. Harry and I were like her kids. She had taken care of both of us for so long. She smiled weakly at me and backed out of the room into the hallway. Harry came in as she left. He knew.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” Vivi said, heading over toward the door. “I think you two need a minute.”
I had no idea what to even say. I could feel my baby pushing his way here. This was his day. His birthday. Would I always remember that this too was the day I ended my marriage to what was once my best friend and partner? I didn’t know what to do, let alone what to say.
“So this is it.” Harry thankfully spoke first, a small smile on his clean-shaven face.
“Yeah. It looks that way.”
He stood there, hands in his pockets. He was dressed in a navy suit with a perfectly starched bright white oxford, his initials embroidered on his cuffs, and his gold cuff links shimmering in the afternoon light streaming in through the window. Harry was the best-dressed man I had ever known. His dark brunette hair, strands of silver glistened around his temples. It was styled like a model, pushed back over his forehead highlighting those steal gray-blue eyes. I looked into them, as he stood unable to say much more.
“Thank you, Blake,” he said finally.
“For what?”
“For all the good years. There was a time when what we had was the best there was.” His eyes were now wet with memories.
“It was, Harry. It was.”
“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I want you to know it was all me. You did nothing wrong. You gave me everything and I couldn’t see it. I was blinded by ambition. I don’t blame you one bit for running to Sonny. He’s a good man, Blake. Just know this. I wasn’t lying when I told you I still loved you the other day. I do. I will, for as long as I live. I will always love you.”
My heart was in my throat. I couldn’t believe how loving and decent he was. This was the Harry I married. He had so long been gone from me. I knew I would love him forever too. But I had a new life in front of me. And a love with Sonny that was so deep and solid. I knew I also wanted to not be married to another man when I pushed this precious baby into the world. He belonged to Sonny. And there was no room now for Harry in this picture. As much as I loved Harry and knew I would miss his fabulous style and confidence, I knew it was time. Time to sign and let the past fade as I turned the page.
“I will always love you too, Harry. Now go take care of us back here at home by being the best damn senator we ever sent to Washington.” I wiped my eyes and handed him the file. He walked over to the table and took out his silver pen from his inside coat pocket. He paused for one more second, one more glance at me. He smiled with his lips pursed together and signed his name on the bottom line. Nothing was contested and we weren’t fighting over anything. All of it had been what they call an amicable divorce—whatever that really means.
He walked back to my bedside, putting the file down on the tray table in front of me. He stared at me sweetly and handed me his pen.
“You don’t have to do it,” he teased lightening the mood a bit. But he knew. I signed my name as Blake O’Hara Heart for the last time. Our divorce was final. I closed the file and handed Harry back his expensive pen. Harry’s eyes brimmed over, a teardrop falling from his cheek and hitting my forearm. With quivering lips, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, soft and slow. His tear stained cheek now pressed to mine.
“Have a good and happy life, my sweetheart. I’ll always be here for you.” The emotion was stuck in his throat.
“I’ll miss you,” I said, tears now flowing down my face as well. “And Harry, you have a happy life too. I want that for you.” He rested his face against mine one last time before he pulled away. And with a squeeze of my hand, he was gone.
CHAPTER 23
“Okay Blake, it’s not gonna be long now,” Doctor Partlow informed me.
“No! Sonny isn’t back yet,” I explained. “This baby cannot come into this world with his daddy not here. I refuse to let him out. Somebody call him now!” I was headin’ toward a complete conniption. “Get Vivi in here,” I ordered.
Vivi came rushing in. “Good God that baby’s in a hurry.”
“I know it. Call Sonny. He’s gonna miss it. Oh, Vivi he can’t miss it! He just can’t. What am I gonna do?” I whined. “I need him. What in the hell could be taking him so long?”
“I’m callin’ him right now,” Vivi comforted. “I know he’s bound to be back here any minute. Probably out there parking the car. Now calm down, it’s not good for the baby.”
“Arrrgggghhhh,” I screamed. Another contraction. “He’s comin’. The baby’s not waitin’ on his daddy.”
“No answer, sweetie. I’m sure Sonny’s almost here.”
“I need my fuzzy socks,
NOW!
” I was becoming Pregnant-Zilla. I was missing my whole princess-giving-birth moment.
“Oh my Lord, where in hell have you been?” Vivi shouted as soon as Sonny ran through the door.
“I’m so sorry babe,” he uttered out of breath. “I didn’t see a bag by the door except for this one by the back door. I went as fast as I could.” He looked flustered and a nervous wreck.
“Sonny, he’s comin’ right now! I tried so hard to wait for you but I couldn’t wait a bit longer. Thank God you’re here!” I was panting and puffing. I couldn’t stand this much longer.
Sonny stepped over to my bedside, clutched my hand and smiled reassuringly.
“Okay, where’s my cute socks and my satin blue robe?” I was determined to be the princess. “Bring my bag over here, okay? Before another contraction hits me.”
“Okay baby,” Sonny said. He bent over and opened the bag. “Aw shit,” Sonny blurted.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re not ev’n gonna believe this.”
“What? What?”
“Will a wrench do? Maybe some needle nose pliers?”
“No joking right now, please! You will not be using some tool set to help me birth this baby. Now just bring me my socks. And grab that body cream too.”
“I wish I could, baby but the closest thing I got in here to body cream and socks is WD40 and some gloves. Shit! I’m so sorry. I grabbed my tool bag by mistake.”
“Aggggghhhhhhh!”
“Please don’t scream at me, sweetie-pie. It was dark in there and I was in a hurry. I’m here and how ‘bout I just rub your feet instead?”
With that last contraction, Dr. Partlow announced, “Just a few minutes and we’re gonna have us a new Alabama quarterback!” Nurses rushed in and everyone took their places. “Here we go y’all. Sonny, take your place and help her breathe. Just like we learned in class.”
Sonny stood right by my head and counted the breaths with me.
“I love you, baby.” He whispered. “You’re doin great.”
“I wanted my socks. I wanted to be a princess.”
“You
are
my princess,” he whispered.
I could have smacked him if he wasn’t so cute. I could feel his cheek on mine, his end of the day beard scratchy and warm.
Vivi stood by with her took over with camera on her phone and recorded the entire thing from a discreet location.
Dr. Partlow positioned herself to catch my baby, like a quarterback waiting for the snap.
“Come on Blake, he’s almost here. Push! I can see the head. I need another big push.”
Aarrrgh! I yelled as I pushed my baby boy into the world.
“He’s here, baby! Our boy! Our son! Ohmygod! I can’t even believe this!” Sonny’s face was wet with tears and rosy red. He had pushed with me the entire time.
I collapsed back onto the soft pillows of the bed. “He’s beautiful,” I managed, the salty perspiration catching on my lips. Joy filled me like I had never felt before.
Vivi got the whole thing on her camera phone-- my baby’s first breath, and me and Sonny in our first collaboration.
“Oh, baby! I’m so proud of you,” Sonny kissed my lips, his passion overflowed as he pressed his sweet face to mine. Before I knew it the nurse handed me my baby boy. His blue eyes staring into mine, a little stranger in my arms. But with one look into each other’s eyes, I was totally in love. The protector in me came into full bloom, and there was a feeling that there was nothing on earth that I wouldn’t do for this baby. Mama Bear. Now I know why we get called that. I would sacrifice everything for this little pink brown haired blue-eyed bundle. Suddenly I felt it. I had never ever known love like this. This overwhelming magnitude of love enveloped me and could not look up from his innocent blue eyes.
“What’s his name?” Dr. Partlow asked.
I looked up at Sonny and smiled. He nodded. We had decided months ago if we had a boy, his name would be Beau, after Sonny’s grandfather.
“Beau Bartholomew,” Sonny said proudly. “Beau Brandon Bartholomew. BBB.”
“That sure sounds like a ball player to me,” the nurse said as she wrote the name down on my chart and she turned to walk out of the room.
“Oh, Blake he is just gorgeous,” Vivi said leaning down to kiss my forehead. “He looks just like both of y’all.”
With that in came Kitty and Meridee and the Fru Frus. Beau was a healthy eight-pounder and everybody wanted to see him.
The nurse had cleaned Beau immediately and checked him over thoroughly before handing finally back to me. A small crowd had gathered in the room, everyone peering at our precious new addition.
“Is that the most precious baby you have ever seen?” Kitty gushed.
“Oh, my gosh!” Meridee, exclaimed, “that beautiful baby boy looks just like one of mine. He’s just a chubby little fella. And that button nose—Blake, he’s your baby alright.” Meridee took the baby in her arms and nuzzled him to her. I loved that sight--my precious Nanny holding my new favorite person. I was part of the chain now. A link in a long chain of mother’s and babies. Part of yesterday and tomorrow all at once. This was the very most wonderful thing in the whole world. To be a mother, I thought. Whether you give birth like me, or adopt a precious little angel like Dallas, motherhood was a secret society…and now I was in the club. Nothing had ever felt so right in my life.
Suddenly I realized Kitty was a saint. All mothers are saints. And I would go through the swing of hormones, the pressures of being a woman trying to have it all, the frustrations of it all--just so I could experience motherhood. It would all be worth anything to carry life inside me and to give life to my child.
My Child
. I loved the sound of saying it.
Lewis walked in grinning ear to ear. His big dimples deeper than ever, with his little Tallulah in his arms. She was about three months old and looking more and more like her mama every day. Vivi took her little pink sweetheart and introduced her to Beau.
“Sugar, meet your new boyfriend,” Vivi said smiling at me, a tear glistening in her eye. “You are always gonna love this boy. Your mama already does.”
“I’m not so sure he would date an older woman,” I teased Vivi.
“Oh, Blake, we’re mother’s. Can you believe this? I love this day. I have thought of it since we were barely teenagers. I love you so much.” She leaned over and kissed my forehead.
Dallas peeked her head inside the door from the hallway, and clutching her hand to the tiny hand of her little blonde girl, she made her way to my bedside. “I’d like y’all to meet my new daughter, Sara Grace.”
“Oh, Dallas, Congratulations,” I said. That’s wonderful.”
“Your baby is so cute,” Sara Grace said, gently stroking Beau’s forehead.
“Welcome to the family sweetie-pie.” I said smiling at the sweet little child.
“It’s not a hundred percent settled yet with all the papers,” Dallas explained, “but she can live with me until it’s official. She’s finally mine.” Dallas was glowing nearly as much as I was.
“I have to tell you girls, I am pretty proud of us today,” Vivi said joining us. “We pulled off quite the sting. I know people think I’m a tad crazy but, seriously y’all--I think we are quite the investigation team.”
“I’m pretty proud of us myself,” Dallas responded with a grin.
We certainly did make quite a team. Even I was proud of us all pulling this off together to help Harry get back to the Capitol and clear his name. We all smiled at each other in that moment. Sassy Sleuths. Maybe there was a future in that.