Chapter 13 #2
She sent a thumbs-up, touched that he cared enough to want to know how it went when he hadn’t even met Corey yet.
He’d started to feel like a “partner in crime” to her, and it was kind of nice to have someone to talk to about everything that was going on.
While she continued to tell herself that developing feelings for a man she worked with was inadvisable, the feelings were happening regardless of those inner warnings.
He was a nice guy, a decent guy, someone who understood the world in which she lived and worked, and who’d offered support on multiple occasions in the short time she’d known him.
Sure, she had Teresa and Arnelle and the rest of the staff as well as her sisters and family to rely on, but for some reason, talking about it with Brayden made her feel like she had her very own confidant.
It was all so confusing. On the one hand, she wanted to be as professional as possible. On the other hand, she was struggling with life-and-death issues on a daily basis, and having someone like him around to lean on made the burden feel lighter than it had been before he came along.
She went to bed feeling conflicted about the clash of personal versus professional and hoping she wasn’t creating a disaster for herself—and the program—by relying on the very sexy Brayden Thomas.
Maggie woke to a sunrise photo from Key West and a text that said, Wasting away in Margaritaville. He’d included sun, sunglasses, palm tree, beach ball and cocktail emojis.
She smiled and typed her reply. It’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta do it.
The reply bubbles appeared immediately, and she waited, breathless, to see what he would say. You know it! Good luck with everything today. I’ll be thinking of you while I’m fishing, soaking up the sun and drinking beer.
Now you’re just being mean. Haha! But thanks for the good luck. I need it today.
You got this. Let me know how it goes.
I will. Have fun fishing. Send pics. I’m living vicariously!
Will do.
Maggie appreciated the boost the exchange with him had given to what would be a tough morning.
Looking forward to sharing the details with him later made it seem more bearable.
She got dressed in comfortable jeans and a lightweight top as the temperature was set to top seventy-five.
She’d been warned to expect a humid summer that would make the humidity at home in Rhode Island seem tame by comparison.
Until then, she was enjoying the warmth and the sunshine and the occasional rainy day that kept the grass green and lush. While she missed living at the coast, she’d come to appreciate views of a different sort since she’d moved to Tennessee.
After checking in with everyone at Matthews and helping to see the children off to school, Maggie headed out to the hospital to pick up Corey. On the way, she prepared herself for the emotional battering she was about to endure so she could be ready to support Corey in any way necessary.
When Maggie got to Corey’s room shortly after ten, she found the young woman almost exactly where she’d left her the day before—on her side in bed, facing away from the door—but she was dressed in street clothes, and her bag was sitting on the bedside table.
“Hi, Corey.”
“Hey.”
“Are you ready to go?”
Corey didn’t answer, so Maggie walked around the bed and sat in the visitor chair, which put her at the other woman’s eye level. “You want to talk about it?”
“Nothing to say.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
Corey gave a subtle shake of her head.
They sat together in silence until a nurse named Eleanor came in with discharge paperwork and a wheelchair. The woman was in her fifties, with dark hair and kind eyes. “You’re all set to go, Ms. Corey. Can I help you up?”
Corey fisted the blanket and began to cry. “I don’t want to leave him.”
Maggie felt helpless in the face of the other woman’s heartbreak. She wished there was something she could do for her.
“Would you like to visit him before you leave?” Eleanor asked.
Corey visibly brightened at the prospect of seeing her baby. “I can do that?”
“I’m sure we can arrange it.”
Corey looked to Maggie. “Do you think I should?”
Oh God, what to say? “If you see him, will that make it harder to leave?”
“I don’t know.” Corey sat up, moving carefully and slowly. She glanced at Eleanor. “What do people usually do?”
“Some want to see the babies while others prefer not to.” Eleanor sat next to Corey and took hold of her hand. “Personally, I think it might help you to see him once, so you have an image of him to take with you when you leave.”
Maggie wasn’t sure she agreed with that, but it wasn’t up to her.
“I… I think I’d like to do that. T-to see him. Just once.” To Maggie, she said, “Will you come with me?”
“Of course.” Maggie told herself she could handle this, but in fact, she wasn’t at all sure she could.
Nowhere in the job description Kate and Reid had given her was the sentence “go with heartbroken mom to see child being given up for adoption for the last time.” She grabbed Corey’s bag and discharge paperwork and followed them out of the room.
Thank goodness for Eleanor, who had obviously done this before and pushed Corey in the wheelchair to the NICU.
Bringing the chair to a stop outside the door, Eleanor went around to squat in front of Corey, laying her hand over the young woman’s.
“He’s going to be attached to a lot of tubes and machines.
It’ll be frightening to look at, but he’s stable and doing as well as can be expected. ”
Corey stared at the double doors to the NICU, her expression unreadable.
“Are you sure you want to do this, honey?” Eleanor asked.
Corey nodded.
Eleanor stood and pressed a button on the wall that brought another nurse to the door. The two women conferred before the one inside the NICU stepped aside to hold the door to admit the wheelchair.
Maggie brought up the rear, her heart in her throat as she took in the bright lights, the tiny incubators, the machines, the tubes, the quiet urgency of life-and-death struggles. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep it together for Corey, to get her through this. That was Maggie’s only goal.
Eleanor parked the wheelchair next to one of the incubators.
Maggie noted the label: Baby Boy Gellar.
Corey had told Maggie the day before that she hadn’t given him a name, choosing to allow his adoptive parents to name him.
Raising her hand, Corey touched the outside of the incubator and leaned in for a closer look at the baby.
His chest rose and fell in rapid succession.
Maggie had never seen a premature baby, except for on television, and was unprepared for the sight of such a tiny human. She blinked back tears as she watched Corey stare at the baby.
“Do you have any questions?” the NICU nurse asked.
“Is he going to make it?”
“I can’t say for sure yet, but he’s stable, which is a very good sign.”
Corey seemed satisfied with that response. “Someone will want him, right?”
“Absolutely,” Eleanor said. “The social workers have already reached out to several agencies. I expect they’ll have someone in the next day or two.”
“Will I be notified?”
“If you’d like to be.”
“I would. I want to know he has someone.”
“I’ll make sure you’re told.”
That seemed to pacify Corey. “I think I’m ready to go now.” She kept her gaze fixed on the baby until Eleanor moved the chair toward the door and she had no choice but to look away.
In the elevator, Maggie noticed tears rolling down Corey’s cheeks, but the young woman didn’t make a sound as she stared straight ahead. Eleanor waited with Corey while Maggie went to get the car.
With Corey loaded into the passenger seat, Eleanor leaned in to grasp the young woman’s hand. “I’ll pray for you and for your baby.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“You’re a great mom to do what’s best for him, even if it’s breaking your heart.”
Corey nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Eleanor stepped back and closed the door. She handed a business card to Maggie. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Eleanor. You’re very good at your job.”
“Some cases are more difficult than others, which I’m sure you’re learning in your job.”
“For sure.”
“She’ll be all right. It’ll take some time, but she’ll bounce back.”
“We’ll take good care of her.”
“She’s lucky to have y’all at Matthews. I’m sure I’ll see you around before much longer.”
“No doubt. See you.”