Chapter 17 #2
She found a parking place and grabbed the carryon, supposing it had not only clothes for Autumn but something for Sarah to wear home from the hospital. She said a quick prayer for both mother and child and then entered through the glass doors.
Autumn was nowhere in sight, so she went to the desk. The receptionist asked, “Are you Paisley?” When she nodded, the woman said, “Autumn has already been taken up to L&D. You can meet her up there.”
She gave Paisley the room number, and she went to the bank of elevators, soon finding the room.
A nurse asked her to wait outside for a few minutes while they examined Autumn to see how far she had progressed, and then Paisley was allowed inside the room.
She placed the suitcase in the corner and went to Autumn, who now wore a hospital gown and thick, cotton socks.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed and not in a chair?” she asked, worry filling her.
“I’m able to keep walking for a little bit. That will help labor progress. I’m already dilated to four centimeters.”
Paisley looked at her helplessly. “What does that even mean? I know nothing about giving birth.”
“When your cervix is dilated to ten centimeters, you can begin pushing to ease the baby from you. Labor can slow down if you’re lying in bed, so I want to walk while I can. Would you stay with me until Eli gets here?”
“Of course. I’m here as long as you need me.”
She took Autumn’s arm, and they walked the length of the corridor. They were heading back toward Autumn’s room when Eli came bursting out of the elevator, panic on his face. Then he caught sight of his wife, and it was the warmest smile Paisley had ever seen.
Eli rushed to Autumn and enfolded her in his arms. Paisley stepped away, knowing they needed a private moment.
“Are you all right?” Eli asked. “How many centimeters?”
“Four when they checked,” Autumn responded. “I want to do another lap. More if they’ll let me. It’s helping with the pain to keep moving.”
By now, West and Sawyer had joined them. She went to Sawyer, who slipped an arm about her waist.
“You okay?” he asked, brushing a kiss against her hair.
“I’m a bundle of nerves,” she admitted. “Autumn is completely cool and collected, though. It’s as if she’s had a dozen babies before.”
“She has worked as a nurse in labor and delivery,” Sawyer explained. “I’m just glad you were with her when her water broke and got her to the hospital.”
They looked to the couple, and Autumn said, “You don’t have to stay. It’s going to be hours before the baby comes. We’ll let you know.”
West stepped to his little sister and kissed her brow. “I definitely know how long this can take. Kelby’s at home. Kate just went down for a nap.”
“It’s Labor Day weekend, West. Go enjoy the time off with your wife and baby,” Autumn encouraged. “You’ll be buried during the rest of football season.”
West kissed his sister’s cheek. “Have you let Summer know?”
“I texted her in the car on the way here,” Autumn replied. “She said she and Chance are leaving the horse auction and will be back by tomorrow morning.”
“What about Jace and Darby?” Eli asked his wife.
“I thought you’d want to be the one to text your brother and let him know.”
“I’ll call him now,” Eli said. Looking to her, he said, “Thanks again, Paisley, for bringing Autumn to Triple H.”
“Happy I was there and could help,” she told him.
“I guess we’ll head home,” Sawyer said. “Let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Autumn said.
As they got into the elevator, Sawyer asked, “Do you want to come back to my place for a while?”
“That sounds good. Jen and her firefighter are at the house watching the game now.”
They returned to Sawyer’s house and put on the Cowboys game, but Paisley didn’t really watch it, her thoughts still on Autumn and what her friend was going through.
After the game ended, Sawyer turned off the TV. They sat on the couch, talking quietly, until she took his hand and led him into the bedroom. They disrobed without speaking and made love slowly, drawing comfort from being with one another.
As they lay with limbs entangled afterward, he asked, “Do you want kids?”
“Before I came to Hawthorne, I hadn’t thought much about it. Since then, I find that I really do. It’s been fun holding Kate and listening to her babble. And being around all my students, seeing how unique each of them is, has let me realize that I do want to be a mom in the future.”
He kissed her softly. “I’ve always wanted kids.
It was another reason I came back to Hawthorne.
Not that there’s anything wrong with raising kids in a big city, but Hawthorne is that proverbial village that helps raise a child.
I’d like for my kids to grow up here and have the kind of childhood I did, with everyone looking out for them the way they did me. ”
They held hands, talking about other things, but in the back of her mind, Paisley could see having children with Sawyer.
He would be an ideal father, modeling himself after his own dad.
She, on the other hand, worried about the kind of mother she would be, having had no good role models in her life.
Around eight, they got out of bed and dressed, both hungry. Sawyer made grilled cheese sandwiches, while Paisley heated a can of tomato soup for them to split.
While they were eating, her phone buzzed. Then his did. Quickly, they reached for them, and Paisley saw a picture of a sleeping baby. She had tufts of auburn hair, the same shade as Autumn’s was. Her mouth was in the shape of an O. She read the text message below the picture.
Sarah Elizabeth Carson arrived at 7:15 tonight. She weighs 8 pounds exactly, is 21 inches long, and she’s the most beautiful baby on earth. Both Sarah and Autumn are doing fine.
They both replied to Eli’s text, as did others on the text chain. Sawyer asked if they could come to the hospital tonight, but Eli suggested they visit tomorrow, after Autumn had gotten some rest.
He took Paisley’s hand in his. “Would you like to go together to meet Sarah?”
“I can’t think of a better way to spend Labor Day,” she replied.
The next day, Sawyer took her to breakfast before they went to Triple H. Autumn was sitting up in bed, holding her sleeping daughter in the crook of her arm. They asked how she and the newborn were doing, and Autumn said everything had gone well.
“Mom and Dad came last night. They couldn’t stay away. They should be here in a few minutes,” she told them.
“Then I better ask to hold my new cousin now because Aunt Meg will monopolize her,” Sawyer said. “If that’s okay.”
The new mother smiled gently. “Of course, you can, Sawyer.”
He scooped the tiny bundle from Autumn’s arm and cooed down at the baby. Sarah was awake now, carefully listening to what Sawyer was saying to her. He looked at Paisley, grinning from ear to ear.
“Want to hold her?”
“Absolutely.”
Though she had never felt maternal before this moment, something washed over her now, a sweet tenderness as she took the baby in her arms and looked down into Sarah’s inquisitive eyes. Sawyer put an arm about her, bringing a warmth with the gesture.
In that moment, Paisley knew she wanted to marry this man and have his children.
No one else would ever do.