Chapter Thirteen
Omen
S ITTING AT THE clubhouse after having a meeting with the fire chief to go over the design of the bike with him for the final approval, I’m listening to my parents talk about the baby Oaklynn’s carrying and what they’ve bought her for the baby shower my mom and Melissa are planning to throw. It will also be a gender reveal party and I know my dad is doing something for it. I’m not sure exactly what they’re planning but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in the details as I listen while letting my mind try to form a plan to go to Oaklynn and talk to her about everything. I’ve been riding by her house daily and I have every intention of stopping to see if she’ll talk to me but I always chicken out at the last second and just ride by. My dad has been on my ass, asking me almost daily since our talk if I’ve talked to her or not. The look of disappointment in his eyes when I tell him no kills me because I hate disappointing my parents more than anything else.
“Kellan, do you want to be part of the gender reveal?” my mom asks me, a wavering smile on her face as I look at her and try to process her words.
“Yeah. I want to be there and a part of that day,” I answer honestly as my mom’s smile gets even brighter while my dad nods his head in approval. “When are you havin’ the party?”
“Next weekend. Melissa, Kimber, and I are gonna decorate the clubhouse the day before the party and make sure everything is ready to go. We’ll pick up Oaklynn and bring her here since it’s so hard for her to drive. I’m honestly surprised she’s going out on her own today. But she’s been in the cottage for weeks, only going outside to her backyard. So, she wants to go get groceries today. I hate her driving herself but I was busy with the paperwork at the salon earlier today and Melissa has something going on so neither one of us could take her. I know Jace is at work and she won’t ask anyone to take a day off to help her,” my mom answers, surprising me as I sit up straighter in my seat.
“Why can’t Oaklynn drive? Has somethin’ happened to her or the baby?” I question her, worry filling me as I prepare to jump out of my seat and go to the woman who’s consumed my thoughts as she carries my baby.
“Nothing has happened to her or the baby, Kellan. Her stomach is too big to fit behind the steering wheel comfortably. She’s had to move her seat back and it’s hard for her to reach the pedals to drive long distances. Really, she shouldn’t be driving herself around at all, but she’s stubborn and the doctor hasn’t told her not to drive at this point,” my mom answers me, her smile vanishing because she’s worried about the woman who has wormed her way into all of our lives without even trying to do so.
“What about havin’ a Prospect drive her around?” I ask, already thinking of who I’d trust with her and my unborn baby.
“She won’t let it happen. I’ve already made the suggestion to her more than once and Oaklynn turns me down every single time. It’s hard enough to get her to let Melissa or me drive her anywhere,” Mom states, her voice slightly harder than before because she cares about Oaklynn and is only trying to help her.
Before I can respond, my mom’s phone rings and she picks it up from the table. A smile forms on her face as she answers the call.
“Oaklynn, what’s going on? Are you shopping?” my mom answers her phone, the smile vanishing immediately as she locks her attention on me and her eyes fill with tears and fear. “Is she okay? What hospital is she going to?”
I’m out of my seat in seconds, waiting to hear the answers to my mom’s questions as my dad also goes on high alert. Time seems to slow down as the fear filling me goes higher and higher until I feel as if I’ll explode with how tense my body is. With each passing second, my mom’s face goes pale and tears start to roll slowly down her cheeks to land on the table in front of her.
“I’ll be right there,” my mom finally says, hanging up the phone.
“What’s goin’ on?” my dad questions her before I can as several members in the common room stop what they’re doing to find out what’s the matter with my mom.
“Those fucking bitches attacked Oaklynn again while she was at the grocery store. The guy who called me said it was two women wearing barely any clothing and they were verbally attacking Oaklynn before he went over to kick them out of the store. As they were walking by, they shoved her into the shelves and Oaklynn hit stomach first. She immediately collapsed to the floor and is bleeding and her water broke. She’s in labor and they don’t know if her or the baby are okay. An ambulance has been called and it’s on the way as we speak,” my mom says, barely finishing speaking before I’m running from the room and heading straight for my bike.
Rage and fear consume me, fighting for domination in my body as I straddle my bike and start the engine, taking off immediately. I don’t give a fuck if anyone else is following me or not right now. The only thing I can think about is getting to Oaklynn and being there for her. If it weren’t for me, Darian and Meisha wouldn’t have started fucking with her to begin with.
Racing through the gate of the compound, I head for the grocery store and hope I can get there before the ambulance leaves with her. I speed through the streets of Frostford and almost get hit by two different cars in my haste to get to the grocery store. By the time I pull into the parking lot, the ambulance has arrived and I watch as they wheel Oaklynn out on a stretcher. I pull my bike up right behind the ambulance and shut the engine off as I put the kickstand down. Getting off my bike, I race to the back of the ambulance where they’re loading Oaklynn inside.
Her eyes are closed and her face is so white her skin is almost translucent. Tears streak down her cheeks and roll down to her neck before soaking the pillow under her head. Her body is shaking and I take in the blood covering her lower body as her wet clothing clings to her. She has no clue I’m here with her.
“Oaklynn, Baby Girl, I’m here,” I state, my voice hoarse with all the pent-up emotion I’m trying to hold in.
Oaklynn’s eyes slowly slide open and flutter before closing again. My name is whispered as the paramedics finish loading her into the back of the ambulance. I go to climb in and one of them tries to stop me.
“She’s carryin’ my baby and won’t be goin’ to the hospital the fuck alone. I’m goin’ with her and I dare you to try and fuckin’ stop me,” I growl out from clenched teeth while glaring at the young EMT.
“Let him in. Omen won’t cause any problems on the way to the hospital,” another one of the paramedics states as he rushes to the driver’s door and I climb in and take a seat next to Oaklynn, taking her hand in mine despite not even knowing if she’ll realize I’m here with her.
I watch every move the EMT in back with us makes as he starts an IV and hooks Oaklynn up to monitors. The steady beat of her heart does little to calm me down as I keep my eyes locked on the scene in front of me. I barely register the deafening roar of bikes surrounding the ambulance as we race to the hospital while the paramedic in back with me calls out various information to the driver and other paramedic in front so they can inform the hospital of what’s going on with Oaklynn. Tears fill my eyes as I pray for the first time in my life that Oaklynn and our baby are okay.
***
W e’ve been at the hospital for several hours now. Oaklynn woke up shortly after we arrived and her panic filled the hospital room. By the time she woke up, we were already up on the labor and delivery floor and she was in a room hooked up to all sorts of monitors. I heard her heartbeat along with the baby’s as I sat by her side and held her hand, wishing and praying for her to wake up as nurses and her doctor rushed in and out of the room while they contemplated what was going to happen to safely deliver the baby with Oaklynn being unconscious.
Oaklynn ended up having to have an emergency cesarean section because the baby was stressed and its heartbeat kept dropping. She cried as they prepared her for surgery while I rushed to get the scrubs on over my clothes. I left her side for two seconds to hand over my cut to my dad so it wouldn’t get lost or taken while we were in the operating room. It also allowed me to give a quick update to my parents, Melissa, Grudge, and everyone else filling the waiting room. After that brief minute in the waiting room with our family, I quickly rushed to the room to be at Oaklynn’s side. I knew she’d want everyone to know what was going on and I told her I updated everyone. From there, everything moved faster than hell. We were taken to the operating room after she was given an epidural and I sat at her side and held her hand through the entire process as our baby was delivered and the staff rushed to take care of her. Oaklynn gave me a daughter as tears filled our eyes and rolled down our faces the second we heard her cry fill the room.
Now, we’re back in the hospital room and Oaklynn is pretty much out of it. She’s sleeping but I’ve been reassured that it’s normal after everything she’s been through. I’m currently holding my daughter in my arms and staring down at her as I sit by Oaklynn’s side. Our little angel is the perfect combination of her mama and me. She’s got my darker colored hair right now. she’s got a headful of hair. For the brief seconds her eyes were open, I saw almost a turquoise color. It’s a mix of my blue eyes and Oaklynn’s green ones. I’ve never seen eyes the color of hers and I hope they don’t change because I love them. They make our little one even more special than she already was.
The second my daughter was placed in my arms after I removed my shirt for some skin on skin time with her, my entire world went silent. There was no chaos or angst over what’s been happening over the last several months. For the first time since I was with Oaklynn, I feel completely at peace. The fear I’ve felt when it comes to these two disappeared and I knew deep in my soul that I’d never let either one of them go. I haven’t ever felt peace like I did as my daughter’s small body rested against my chest and I kept her blanket wrapped around her. I only changed things up and wrapped her up when she started to shiver in my arms despite the body heat from me wrapping around her.
For the first time in my life, I want to be the best version of myself for the baby girl in my arms. I want to be a man she can be proud of and one who she knows will have her back no matter what is going on in her life. I’m going to be there every single day of her life and make sure her and Oaklynn know they are my world. From the second I heard her cry, my heart exploded and I fell in love without even seeing her. The unconditional love I’ve heard my parents and Homicide talk about and never believed until that very second. My attention was on Oaklynn at my side as they continued to work on her and finish doing what they had to do while taking care of our girl. I was honestly torn in two. Part of me wanted to be with Oaklynn while the other part of me needed to be with our daughter. I’ve never felt such strong emotion in my life and I know this is the change I need to step up and be the man both of my girls need me to be.
“Omen?” Oaklynn’s voice is a whisper as she calls my name like she can’t believe I’m here with her.
“I’m here, Baby Girl. Are you okay? Do you need anythin’?” I ask her, sitting up straighter while trying not to jostle the baby too much.
“I’m sore and so tired. Where’s the baby?” she asks, immediately alert as she looks around the room until her eyes land on the bundle cradled against my bare chest.
Oaklynn’s entire body deflates as tears fill her eyes and I reach up to wipe them away.
“She’s okay, Baby Girl. Our little girl is strong and perfect,” I tell her, my voice also barely above a whisper so I don’t wake the baby up. “You did so good. I’m fuckin’ proud of you, Oaklynn.”
“Why are you still here?” she asks me, confusion filling her voice as I stand from the chair I’ve been sitting in and move to hand our baby over to her.
Oaklynn accepts our daughter into her arms and looks down at her. She peels back the blanket and examines our daughter, running her finger down her arm and to her little fingers that are clenched in a fist.
“Where else would I be? The second my mom was called and told us what was goin’ on, I was out the door and headed to the grocery store. I got there as soon as they were loadin’ you into the ambulance. Rode here with you and I’ve been at your side ever since. Other than when I took my cut out to my dad that is. The waitin’ room is full of people waitin’ for an update, but I didn’t want to leave you again,” I tell her, keeping my eyes locked on the two girls who have captured my heart without even trying.
“I didn’t think you’d show up. That you would want to be here for this,” she says, finally taking her eyes off our daughter and looking up at me with suppressed hope filling her eyes.
“There is nowhere else I’d rather be. We have a lot to talk about, Oaklynn. Not today when I know you’re exhausted after everythin’ that’s happened to you and our daughter. For now, our focus will be on her and I’ll be right here unless you tell me to leave,” I state, leaning down and pressing a kiss against the top of her head as she closes her eyes and leans into my touch.
“We’ll talk. I don’t want you to leave, Omen. I want you here with us. Now, we need to think of a name for our daughter. Do you have any idea of what you’d want to call her?” Oaklynn asks me, looking back down at our girl.
“What was your mom’s name?” I ask her, knowing it would mean something to her if our daughter was named after her mom.
“Her middle name was Amanda. What about Amanda Marie for both of our moms?” she asks me, wonder filling her voice as our baby starts to move in her arms and I have a feeling she’ll be waking up to eat.
“I love it. What about her last name? Do you want her to have yours?” I ask, not wanting to hope that she’ll have my last name but wanting that more than anything.
It truly takes seconds to change your entire life and today I’ve realized the fear holding me back doesn’t even begin to compete against the love I have for these girls. I’m not in love with Oaklynn yet, but I’m already halfway there and that’s just from seeing her around the clubhouse and watching her interact with everyone. Now I need to pull my head out of my ass and hope she gives me a chance to be in their lives on a daily basis.
“Amanda Marie Calhoun sounds pretty good to me,” Oaklynn finally says, a tear rolling down her cheek and falling free to land on Amanda’s little hand that’s wiggled free from the blanket wrapped tightly around her little body.
“Thank you, Oaklynn. You’ve given me the best gift a man can get today and even if you don’t remember it, you didn’t push me away and called out for me when you woke up. That means more to me than you’ll ever know,” I say as a knock sounds on her door before it’s pushed open.
A nurse walks in the room as Amanda continues to stir and slowly wake up.
“It’s good to see you up already,” she says, a smile on her face as her complete attention remains on my girls while she ignores me as she should be doing. “When the baby wakes up, are you ready to try breastfeeding? I saw in your chart that you want to breastfeed if possible.”
“Yes, please,” Oaklynn answers as the first whimpers come from Amanda as she squirms in Oaklynn’s arms.
The nurse helps Oaklynn expose her chest and hold our daughter properly so she has the easiest time latching on to her nipple. I sit back in my chair and watch as our daughter feeds from Oaklynn for the first time. The nurse leaves the room after letting us know to call if we need anything. Neither one of us talk as we focus on Amanda as she feeds. I watch Oaklynn know what to do as she burps her and then switches sides to continue feeding our girl. It’s natural and amazing and I know how lucky I am to witness this miracle take place. Relaxing back in my chair, I wait for Oaklynn to be done so I can change Amanda’s diaper and get her back to sleep once again. I might not be able to do as much as Oaklynn for our baby girl, but I’ll do whatever I can to help her out.