Epilogue
Today has beenone of the most joyous and scariest days of my life.
It started off like any other day. Breakfast with my girls, work, and then after lunch, while in the middle of a presentation, Lee’s water broke. The office exploded into a cacophony of shouts, cheers, all while I panicked.
The doctor met us in the emergency room, and we were rushed up to labor and delivery. Just in time too. Within the hour of getting here, she was hooked up to monitors, and then the doctor was called because the baby was crowning.
I was not proud of what happened at that moment. I looked, and I swore that was not something you could ever unsee. I didn’t pass out though. I got brownie points for that. I did have to sit down for a few seconds. I needed my head in the game.
Twenty minutes later, give or take, the doctor was holding up our daughter.
Quinn Emerson Whitman was perfect. A thick head of light brown hair, blue eyes, and as wrinkled as an old man. Absolutely perfect. She and her mama spent some time skin to skin, I got to hold her for a bit, then they whisked her off to the nursery.
So here I sat watching my wife sleep, waiting for the nurse to bring my daughter back to me. My heart was so full of joy, love, and worry. I guess that came with the title of parent. I wanted to make sure my kids had all they would ever want and need, all while showing them the value of working hard. I didn’t want to mess them up. Again, I thought that was what every parent feared.
I leaned over and kissed Lee’s nose and then moved to stretch out on the couch in her room. With my hands propped behind my head, I looked out at the night sky. The stars were bright, and the moon was shining down on us. I said a prayer that I hoped went far.
The soft knock on the door had me sitting up. The nurse, Alicia, rolled the baby back in and said, “She’s starting to get a little fussy. Did Mom still want to try and breastfeed?”
“Yes,” a groggy voice came from the bed. I turned to her. “I did it with our first daughter.”
I scooped up the little bundle and carried her to her mama.
“Grumpy when she’s hungry. Hm. Wonder where she gets that from,” I teased.
“You,” she shot back.
I chuckled. “I think it’s a draw, love.”
“That’s fair.” She smiled as I transferred Quinn into her arms.
“She’s so beautiful. Looks like her mama.”
“You’re biased.”
“Probably, but that doesn’t mean I’m not right.” I leaned in and kissed her softly. “I love you, Mrs. Whitman.”
“I love you, too, Mr. Whitman.”
We were ending this day as a family of four. I was still waiting to be awoken from this dream. How I’d gotten this lucky, only the heavens knew. I might not understand a lot about this universe and why things happened, but I was for sure grateful. Not only for my wife and kids, but for the life that we got to live. Together.
Happiness was all we needed to make it through the hard times. Love could get us through everything else.