Chapter 35
Noah
"Noah Lawson," I answer, trying so hard to remain calm.
"Mr. Lawson, this is Dr. Lydia Chen from St. Grace's Memorial Hospital," the doctor begins. My heart picks up speed, and my palms begin to sweat. "I have some good news. Ms. Sterling is awake.”
Stunned, I try to speak several times but fail to get the words out. "Em... Emma.. she's awake?" The words felt surreal leaving my lips.
"Yes," the doctor continues, "but she is.. well, understandably confused and upset. She's asking for her baby."
My breath hitches. "We're on our way now, tell her not to worry."
"Actually, Mr. Lawson," she sighs. My heart feels like it might jump out of my chest with anxiety.
"What is it?" I demand.
"She was pretty hysterical when we told her the baby was checked out of the hospital with her father. She claims he passed away several months ago. Do you know anything about this?"
Shit. "She's just confused. Let me talk to her, and everything will be okay. I'm on my way." I don't wait for a response before I hang up.
I can't believe she's awake. I've been waiting for this moment every second of every day. My excitement and relief quickly turns to worry and doubt as I start imagining how the conversation will go. Not sure how to explain to her how I kidnapped her baby from the hospital, but I pray to God she will understand.
———
I arrive at the hospital that I’ve become all too familiar with and let the valet take my car, not wanting to waste even an extra second trying to find a parking space. Carrying the car seat in the crook of my arm, I press the elevator button for the second floor. The elevator is painfully slow, and the doors seem like they're never going to open.
My heart pounds in rhythm with my hurried footsteps until I reach her room. Stepping into the room, I'm not sure what to expect, but the moment our eyes meet I feel an unbelievable amount of relief.
"Noah?" she whispers, her voice raspy and cute.
"Emma," I breathe out. Setting the car seat carefully on the floor, I rush towards her. Tucking her hair behind her ear, I kiss her forehead and feel myself relax for the first time in days. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. I'm so sorry," I say over and over.
"Where's my baby?" Panic laces her words, her eyes wide as she searches my face for answers. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, she's okay. She is perfect, actually." Leaving the bed, I bend down and unbuckle the sleeping beauty. As I carefully hand her over to Emma, her eyes begin flooding with tears.
"They said her father checked her out of the hospital. I thought someone stole her!" she cries, careful not to jostle the baby in her arms.
"Shhhhh,” I murmur, perching back on the side of the bed, pulling her closer. “No one stole her, she has been perfectly safe this entire time. I promise you." Wrapping my arms around both of them, I savor the feeling of their warm bodies next to mine.
"I don't understand," she sniffles, wiping her tears with her free hand.
"Things got complicated while you were asleep...” I hesitate. Her eyes bore into mine, waiting for me to explain. "I visited her in the nursery constantly, I knew you wouldn't want her to be alone. I held her, fed her, and…” I take a breath. “I even fell in love with her."
"What?" she whispers, the tears returning back to her eyes.
"When they told me it was time for her to go home, I panicked. I was afraid she would go into CPS's custody, or Lucas's parents would get her and take her back to their home state. I couldn't let that happen to her. I couldn't risk her being taken so far away from you." I grab her hand, squeezing gently. My eyes watering as I confess the crazy sins I've committed in the past two days. "So, I lied… They already assumed I was her father, and I just went along with it. I signed the birth certificate and took her home—to your house."
"Noah," she whispers, tilting her head in disbelief. She looks at me with pure love in her eyes. "You've been taking care of her this whole time?"
I nod, my heart filled with pride and sorrow. "With a little help from Marcus. It has been extremely difficult without you, but we managed." I smile down at the little girl I've come to love. "I took her to the pediatrician this morning for her first check up. She’s doing great. Healthy and perfect."
"I can't believe you did that for us..." she continues, staring intently at my profile. I focus on the baby in her arms, struggling to keep my emotions at bay and maintain my composure.
"I would do anything for you two. I know that now. I fell in love with her while you were unconscious, but I also fell in love with you, too," I finally admit out loud. "It took almost losing you for me to finally realize how I feel. I love you," I confess. My heart races as I stare into those dark eyes of hers and wait for her to respond.
"I love you, too," she whispers.
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, just staring down at the perfect life she created. The soft rise and fall of the baby’s breathing is the only sound in the room, filling our hearts with warmth.
"I want you to tell me everything I missed. Start from the beginning. The last thing I remember is being loaded up in the ambulance."
"Em... “ I hesitate, my heart aching at the thought of revisiting those painful moments. “Let’s skip past the tragic parts of the story," I plead.
"No. I want to know everything. Please, Noah. I missed so much, and I want to know what happened." Her eyes are fierce yet vulnerable, and I can’t deny her anything after what she’s been through.
"Alright..." I sigh, preparing to dive into a tale that feels heavy but necessary. As I settle onto the bed, drawing her closer, I launch into the details beginning with me trailing behind the ambulance after leaving her house.
Her body tenses through the more stressful parts of the story. But when I get to the details of the baby, she smiles and chuckles through her tears.
"I can't believe this little girl tortured you all through the night like that," she says teasingly. "I'm so glad Marcus was there for you."
"Yeah. Me too,” I nod, feeling a flood of gratitude for my brother. He has always been there through my darkest moments.
As we talk, I catch a glimpse of my hand resting on the bed, the wedding ring I forgot I was wearing glints in the light. Emma’s gaze suddenly shifts to it, confusion flickering across her features. “Noah... Are you wearing a wedding ring?” Her brow furrows, uncertainty clouding her beautiful face.
My heart stutters for a moment as I realize what I’m going to do. “About that,” I chuckle nervously. “My backup plan was to pretend we’re married in case Lucas‘s parents start asking questions. I got rings for both of us just before you woke up.” I pull the ring off my finger, feeling its weight in my palm. “But maybe it’s time to make this real instead of just pretend.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the small velvet box, my hands trembling slightly. Emma's eyes widen as the box opens, revealing an oval-shaped diamond engagement ring. “Emma,” I say, my voice steadying, “I know this isn’t the most romantic time or place to propose, but life is fleeting and unpredictable, and I want you by my side through it all. I want to be a family with you and this little girl. Will you marry me—for real?”
The air thickens with the weight of my words. I see her eyes welling up with tears, a cascade of emotions washing over her. “Noah... are you serious?” she whispers, her voice barely above a breath.
I nod, my heart racing as I take her hand gently. “With everything that’s happened, I’ve realized just how precious our time together is. I don’t want to waste any more time without you.”
Emma holds her breath, her eyes darting between the ring and my face, reading the sincerity that lies bare in my gaze. Tears spill over from her eyes, shimmering like tiny diamonds in the soft light. “Oh Noah… Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
I slip the ring onto her finger and it fits perfectly, just as I knew it would. She gasps softly, staring down at the diamond that captures every glimmer of light. Her smile illuminates her face with a happiness I had desperately hoped to see.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Emma murmurs, her eyes shimmering with joy as she looks up at me. “We’re really doing this.”
“Together, no matter what comes our way.” I lean in, capturing her lips with mine, sealing our promise with a tender kiss.
Just as I deepen the kiss, the baby stirs in Emma’s arm, pulling us back to reality.
"Any idea what you're going to name her?”
"I've always loved the name Penelope. What do you think?" She looks up at me for approval, those beautiful eyes brimming with hope, and my heart swells at her wanting my opinion.
"I think Penelope is perfect. It fits her." With a smile, I imagine Penelope growing, her laughter echoing through our home, filling it with so much joy. The future seems brighter, and for the first time in my life, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace wash over me.