Welcome Home, Little Baby by Sandy Brannan
Pamela reached around and grabbed at her back. She’d been feeling the pains on and off all day, and she knew it was time to make their way to the hospital. Calling for Steve, she had to smile when she saw fear make its way across his face. She hadn’t realized she would be the calm one, but she knew he would be steady for her when it mattered.
Making their way to the hospital a few minutes later, she reached over the gear shift and grabbed his hand. When he looked at her, she knew he was feeling the same way she was. Before she could open her mouth to speak, another pain hit her, her soft cry drowning out the thoughts that had almost found their way to words.
It didn’t take long to reach the hospital, to get settled in a room, to have the doctor tell them what they already knew. Their baby was on her way, and the excitement of knowing they would soon meet her was almost more than Pamela and Steve could bear.
When the soft cries of their baby reached their ears a few hours later, Pamela stole a look at her husband. The way he smiled through his tears reminded her once again why she had said yes when he had asked her to marry him so long ago. Glancing down at the soft black hair of the little girl the doctor had just placed in her arms, Pamela felt peace flood over her, all thoughts of the pain she had just endured slipping away as this love for her child consumed her.
She knew the doctor was still working on her and she could hear the nurse talking to him, but everything was a blur except what was right in front of her.
Seeing her husband and her baby together with her felt right, felt like what she had been waiting for her entire life without even knowing it.
Steve watched as his wife’s face seemed to glow. He had loved her before but seeing her hold their baby made him feel a new kind of love for her. She was going to be the best mommy to their little girl, and he could only hope to be a good daddy. For just a second, he felt the fear return, but looking into Pamela’s eyes took it away in an instant.
Lucy didn’t know her name yet, but she understood what she was feeling. The love that had washed over her for the past several months now held her in its arms. She knew she was home, knew she was with the love she had been dreaming of as she had grown. Hearing their familiar voices warmed her. Daring to open her eyes, she saw two blurry faces full of smiles and tears. Letting a gentle sigh escape her tiny pink mouth, Lucy let herself drift to sleep, feeling the peacefulness of being safe in arms, arms that she knew would never let her go.
The doctor and nurse smiled at each other, watching this little family come together like they had so many others. They had a good feeling about this young couple, making them happy for the part they had played in it all, for the way they had helped bring this little baby to her loving parents.
Pamela and Steve looked up when the nurse asked for their baby. Understanding that she was not taking Lucy away but was simply going to help her, they were able to let her go even though they never let their eyes drift away from her.
“She’s a doll baby.” The nurse smiled at Pamela as she said this, looking up from the baby into the eyes of the new parents who couldn’t stop the looks of joy covering their faces even if they had wanted to.
Steve felt his breath catch in his chest. How many times had he heard his grandfather call his mother a doll baby? Although it had been years since he had last seen his grandparents, he suddenly felt them, realized their memory had always been there. He knew they would be proud of the man he had become.
Reaching down to grab his wife’s hand, Steve smiled before bending to kiss her lightly on her cheek. He knew their life as a family had just begun, and he had never felt more excited in his life. He knew Pamela felt the same way too, and somehow he knew Lucy was feeling it too. Looking around the room, he knew it wouldn’t be long before they would head home, ready to start a lifetime full of love together. He suddenly realized his entire life had been leading him here to this exact time, and he couldn’t wait to get started.