Chapter 34 Cate ~ Early Fall
Cate ~ Early Fall
Cate Conway always thought of hospitals as thresholds.
You entered as one person and left as another, even if you were just visiting.
Tonight was certainly a threshold for her family.
The waiting room for the birthing suites hummed with that suspended energy that came from too much…
too much coffee and too much time waiting.
She wished she’d worn her sunglasses. The room seemed too bright and too quiet.
Knowing that her nieces thought of her as an anchor, she sat there with Seth beside her, trying to exude an air of calmness.
Sam kept pacing, picking up a magazine and then jamming it back in the rack.
Brad sat slumped over, a Wall Street Journal rolled up in one hand.
He’d never looked at it. Every so often he glanced at his watch.
Izzy was in the delivery room with Skipper.
Marlowe had said that was okay and he’d really wanted to be there.
Cate wondered how he was holding up. “I want to see our little dude from the very first moment,” he’d told Cate.
Understandable. Who wouldn’t want to see the miracle of birth?
Well, Cate might be in the group that would rather take a pass.
They’d arrived at the hospital around four o’clock in late afternoon because Marlowe wanted to wait until “I’m ready to pop.
” Marlowe’s words. What that meant, Cate did not know.
But she thought it referred to how frequent the contractions were.
In her niece’s hand was the stopwatch she used when running.
Marlowe had been such a trooper. Through all the nausea, the back pain, the changing of her wonderful athletic body, she’d never complained.
It was as if this was another one of her science projects, only it was taking place inside her.
She’d told Cate that it was the little things that had bothered her, like having to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Now she could get back to her life––running and Brad. Especially Brad. The next few months were bound to be exciting for her. She wanted to wear her engagement ring proudly, without being pregnant and without answering questions. Cate couldn’t blame her.
Skipper and Izzy had such great access to Marlowe during the pregnancy, which would not have been the case with the usual surrogate who was not part of the family and usually lived in a different city. Toward the end Holly even had her chance to feel the baby move.
“Aunt Marlowe is fat,” she’d told them toward the end of the pregnancy. Then the toddler shook her head as if this was unacceptable. That led to an explanation, which led to more questions. Holly was with Skipper’s mom today. Cate imagined that house was full of excitement tonight.
Time passed. At one point Brad’s sister peeked in, but he only shook his head.
Nicole was wearing a nurse’s uniform so she was probably working a shift.
Eventually the lights dimmed and the hospital seemed to quiet down.
Visiting hour hours were over. Seth had taken her outside more than once to walk around the parking lot and gaze at the lake below.
She’d tried to persuade Brad into going out with them but he absolutely would not.
“The nurse might come with some word.” Brad was looking like a haggard father.
“I wouldn’t want to miss any news.” So they’d gone out alone.
A few deep breaths and a nice walk outside and they returned to the waiting room to page through old magazines.
Seth had brought his Kindle and he calmly flipped the pages.
The nurse had come out twice to tell them Marlowe was doing well.
That was a great relief for Brad. He stopped jiggling that one knee.
He belonged here as Marlowe’s fiancé, and yet his role was undefined in a pregnancy that had asked so much of everyone involved.
Just as Cate was nodding off on Seth’s shoulder, the doors opened. This time Izzy stepped out. Cate stumbled to her feet so quickly her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Izzy’s face was wet with tears, one hand clamped over her mouth, her whole body trembling.
“What?” Cate asked, concerned by her expression. “Izzy…”
When Izzy shook her head, her fierce sob almost sounded like a laugh. Sam was with her in a second and Izzy fell into her sister’s arms.
“He’s so beautiful,” Izzy said in a choked voice, happy tears brimming in her eyes. “She did it. And he’s perfect.”
Relief broke through the room like a summer wave. Now it was Sam’s turn to break into tears.
“And Marlowe?” Brad asked, coming closer. “How’s she doing?”
“Fine. She did great. A champion, as usual.” Izzy sniffed and Cate handed her a handkerchief. She’d grabbed a couple from her drawer on her way out the door. “They’re cleaning her up now and then you can go in.”
“That’s great. Wonderful.” Brad looked so relieved.
The poor man tossed the mangled newspaper into the trash.
Cate noticed that Brad glanced at the door like a quarterback considering charging into the end zone.
Then he seemed to reconsider. When he turned away, his shoulders shook a little.
She could only imagine his relief. Cate held Izzy tight, her own tears blurring everything.
“Wait ‘til you see his hair.” Izzy pulled back, her eyes shining. “A whole bunch of it. Dark blond. Just like Skipper’s. And blue eyes.”
Cate laughed then, a soft, reverent sound. Of course he did. Of course the child would arrive bearing proof of the love that had made him, even though another woman had escorted him into the world.
“What’s his name?” Seth asked, coming up behind Cate.
“Cooper,” Izzy said with a big smile. “Cooper Malone. Skipper didn’t want a name that could be shortened.
“Hmm. I love it.” But she thought she heard Seth murmur “Coop” as he went back to sit down.
Their phones pinged. Skipper was texting pictures of Marlowe holding the baby.
Wrapped in a blue blanket, Cooper wore a tiny blue cap.
He seemed to be crying, mouth a tiny oval.
Sam visibly tensed. That girl needed to get some sleep.
She’d told her family that she was volunteering in the nursery that day.
But she wasn’t on the schedule. No, she intended to spend time with Marlowe and the baby.
But maybe she should take a long nap first. Marlowe would probably be coming home the next day and so would the baby.
But of course Izzy would be taking the baby home the next day.
Cate did wonder how Marlowe would feel about that.
Her face as she looked down at Cooper held such adoration.
Izzy, Skipper and Marlowe had gone to the hospital classes for new parents.
Marlowe and Izzy had made the joint decision not to nurse.
The process would be too complicated, especially with Marlowe working.
Izzy would be taking six weeks maternity leave and Skipper’s sister had agreed to work in the bakery, with Debbie picking up some extra hours.
Izzy went back to Marlowe’s room. Brad shifted to sit beside Cate. He probably just wanted to be closer to the door. Before too long, the nurse came. They could visit in pairs but not too long. So they took turns seeing the new addition to the family—tiny and amazing with that head of hair.
Brad went in with Cate and he looked overcome at the sight of Marlowe against the pillows.
Skipper whisked the cap off for a second so they could all admire the crazy head of hair.
Brad gave the baby a quick look and then went to hold Marlowe’s hand.
They beamed at each other, almost as if this was their baby.
Cate stood at the edge of the room taking it all in.
I wish you could see this, Jo. Your family is thriving.
I know you’re here. Love filled the room and Cate felt it wash over her with the strength of summer waves.
She didn’t stay long. Resting against the pillows, Marlowe looked radiant but very tired.
“You did beautifully,” Cate told her niece, meaning it in every possible way.
Marlowe smiled, weary and satisfied. “Worth it,” she said simply. Brad smoothed a wisp of her hair back. Another teary smile between them made Cate turn just as Sam showed up.
She must have sweet talked the nurse and it was wonderful to have everyone there.
She didn’t want to think about how this would have been if they had not moved to Charlevoix.
She would have flown here, but she wasn’t sure about her nieces.
And then of course, Marlowe probably never would have been involved. Everything happened as it should,
Leaving the group, she said good-bye. Seth was in the middle of a big yawn when she reached the waiting room.
None of them had much sleep the night before.
Marlowe had alerted them that it was starting midmorning.
She immediately began to walk a long route around the house.
Her extensive reading had indicated walking might help shorten her labor. That girl had always been so smart.
Cate took the seat next to Seth. “I suppose you’ve seen all this before.” Seth’s son Tyler was in college.
“Certainly have. And it’s amazing. Everyone doing well?”
All she could do was nod. “Wonderful. They’re all wonderful.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Ready to go home and get some rest?”
She sat up straighter and tried to look perky.
“I’m fine, but yes. No sense taking up this room.
” Another family had arrived. Texting the girls, she told them she’d be at home.
Time to leave the hospital, and she felt some relief.
The hospital served as a reminder of doctors and quiet offices.
Of words spoken carefully. Words she carried like a stone in her pocket.
Not tonight, she told herself. She would not think about that tonight. Not on this happy September day. Dr. Fielding had been very encouraging. Very positive, in fact. Very positive didn’t mean certain, but it did carry hope. And Cate had always been a woman who believed in hope.
This child had arrived wrapped in love, generosity and faith in one another.
Your girls did great, Jo. She felt the fullness of her sister’s love.
Today belonged to this tiny boy with his father’s hair and his mother’s tears of joy.
Today belonged to sisters who had found a new way to love each other. Today belonged to beginnings.