“I don’t know,” the nurse said soothingly. “I just got a room number. Don’t worry, it’s in the regular OB area. I’ll get you to her.”
I sagged against the chair, trying not to cry. I was so worried as the elevator seemed to take forever and a day to get us there. When the door opened, we turned right, the nurse pointing out the room to me. “Stop,” I said, holding up my hand. “I can walk into the room. I insist.”
The nurse looked like she was about to argue, but she stopped the wheelchair, helping me to my feet. “I’ll wait right here if you need assistance.”
I nodded gratefully and opened the door. The first sound I heard was sobbing, and my heart stopped in my chest as I saw Bella bent over something, a nightmare flashing through my head in an instant. “Bella? Oh no, baby, what happened?”
Bella looked up, tears streaming down her face, but instead of looking sad, she looked . . . joyous.
It was then that I noticed the doctor and two nurses in there with Bella, and all of them were smiling too.
“Look, Stefan,” she cooed, holding out the bundle of joy that she held in her arms. “Isn’t he beautiful?”
I stopped, all my pain forgotten as I saw a squirm and then a sleeping little face surrounded by swaddling clothes in her hands. I stepped forward, taking him in my arms and looking into his face. “You mean . . .?”
Bella nodded, sobbing and laughing for joy. “Say hello to your son, Daddy.”
Chapter 40
Bella
“He’s gorgeous,” my mom murmured, peering down into my arms.
“Little Rylan Livingston,” I said proudly from my hospital bed, beaming so hard that it felt like my face would crack.
Just before Stefan had shown up in my hospital room, the nurses had arrived with my baby wrapped up in blankets, and I was shocked to find out that he’d survived the crash. Apparently, the impact had induced labor, but other than that, he was fine. He was a fighter, just like his dad.
The doctors had been forced to perform an emergency C-section on me. I wasn’t pleased with the large scar it had left. In fact, my stomach and waist area felt like hell, but they’d given me a shot of something that was taking care of the worst of it. The doctors told me if I was attentive to the area when I left the hospital and put a lot of oils and Vitamin-E on it, it would most likely heal and leave very little scar tissue because of my young age.
My first thought was that I hoped she was right, but then the newer voice, the voice that had been growing inside me since Stefan held me and told me that he loved me no matter what, said that I could live with the scar. After all, it was where the precious bundle in my arms had come from.
Then, shortly after Stefan had shown up, my parents rushed into the room frantically, worried about our well-being. They received the shock of their life when they saw me, Stefan, and the baby, though.
Not all of it was me and Rylan, although we were getting most of the attention. The car had hit us on Stefan’s side, which probably saved our baby’s life, as all I got were the effects of a seatbelt being jerked into my body. Still, all the athletic ability in the world couldn’t save Stefan from looking like he’d taken a beating. The list was pretty impressive—a broken cheekbone, a broken nose, a dislocated left shoulder with a torn muscle that I didn’t know how to pronounce, and two cracked ribs. Guess airbags aren’t perfect after all.
My mother tore her eyes from the baby and nodded approvingly. “That’s a good name,” she complimented. There was the sound of bitter sweetness in her voice. In a way, I knew she was happy that she had a grandbaby, but in another way, she wasn’t happy about how he came to be. Also, it sounded like there was a note of regret in her voice. I hoped it was regret for the way she’d been acting. We couldn’t rewind the past to let her be a part of my pregnancy, but I hoped she could be part of Rylan’s life.
The best thing about it was that I understood where she was coming from. I’d missed her too. And even though I felt like she’d deserted me when I really needed her, I was happy that she’d cared enough to be here with me now.
She brought her eyes back to the bundle. “He looks just like Stefan.”
I nodded, smiling, unable to hide my joy, even from my slightly disapproving mother. I think Mom was hoping Rylan had a few more of my features, but they were there. They were just a little deeper. “He does.”
“And he’ll be an All-Star athlete,” Stefan chimed in. “Like me. And he’s going to be smart like his mother, just you wait and see.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Terry muttered, eyeing the baby with a stoic expression.