Chapter 35
Penny
Ididn’t watch the monitor when the doctor turned it towards us to look at the baby. Instead, I watched Declan.
Tears welled in his eyes as we listened to the heartbeat, and I could feel tears stream down my cheeks too.
I can’t believe we’re going to be parents, or that we’re twelve weeks pregnant.
They say your whole life flashes before your eyes when you’re on the brink of death, but that’s not what happened to me.
When that bullet hit my shoulder, I turned to look at Declan, who was protecting Autumn, and all I could think was that Autumn was safe and so was he.
I might have done something different if I knew I was pregnant, but I’m glad it happened this way.
And now our little family is growing, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Once the doctor leaves the room, Declan says, “We should tell Autumn when she wakes up. She should know before everyone else.”
I nod in confirmation. “I agree. We should also tell her that we’re married.”
Declan nods and swallows hard. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. But I didn’t know when to bring it up, or when it would even happen… if it would happen because we hadn’t told anyone we were married–”
“Declan,” I interrupt. “What are you trying to say?”
He lets out a breath. “Right. I want to talk to you about the possibility of adopting Autumn. I know we just got married and don’t even live together, but now that we’re pregnant, I don’t want Autumn to feel left out.
I don’t want her to think that we’re having this baby together, and she doesn’t get a dad either.
I was going to ask you eventually, but I don’t want to wait. ”
My nose starts to sting, and I blink a few times before I say anything. “I think… I think you should ask Autumn.”
His face slightly falls. “Oh. Right. Yeah. That’s a good idea. She might not even want that.”
Shit. He misunderstood me. I’m about to say as much when Autumn’s doctor takes the moment to interrupt us. “Your daughter is up. She’s asking for you both. Why don’t I get you a wheelchair, and I’ll take you to her.”
I nod my head, and once I’m all set up in a wheelchair, Declan rolls my IV as the doctor pushes me down the hall to my daughter.
“Mommy!” she exclaims as I enter the room.
“Hi, baby girl.”
The doctor locks my wheels next to the bed, and I stand to plant a kiss on my daughter’s forehead. She wraps her arms around my neck as much as she can without ripping out her IV, and tears start to well in my eyes. Now that she’s here in front of me, I can’t hold back my emotions.
“Declan,” she says a moment later and reaches an arm out for him.
Declan moves in and grabs her hand, and I untangle Autumn from my neck and let Declan move in for a hug.
“How are you doing, baby girl?” I ask when she pulls away from Declan.
“I’m fine. The man let me sleep a lot and fed me a cupcake and a sandwich.”
I nod my head and let out a breath. “Did the man hurt you?” I ask. Even though the doctor said she’s physically fine, I want to make sure.
Autumn shakes her head.
I let out a breath and give her an encouraging smile. “You were so brave.”
“I know, mom,” she says confidently. “He told me his name was Declan, too, and that he was friends with you, mommy. But I knew he was lying when he started to drive far away.”
Declan and I look at each other. So that’s how he lured my daughter in.
Autumn is strong and fierce, and I’m so happy that she’s alive and safe, but I know that this might not be the end of it.
I’m not sure if her night terror was triggered by being kidnapped or if it was just one of those random things.
Either way, I think I’m going to get us a few therapy sessions once we’re discharged.
“What happened to your arm?” she asks next.
“I hurt my shoulder,” I tell her, not wanting to divulge too much information. I know she didn’t wake up through the gunshot or the whole ride to the hospital, and I want to keep her mind as free as I can from the horrors that happened while she was asleep.
“Will you have a scar?” she asks curiously.
I nod my head. “Yep. I’ll have two.”
Her face all of a sudden beams. “Cool! Maybe Declan can give you a pretty tattoo to cover them up, like the one on your arm.”
I look at Declan who is holding back a smile. “I’m sure I can do something cool to make them pretty,” Declan tells her.
“Can I get one too?” she asks next.
“No,” Declan and I chime together, much like the first time when we all met on our shared landing.
She tries to give us the puppy dog eyes, but Declan tells her, “When you turn eighteen, talk to us then.”
She beams at his response.
Now is as good a time as ever to tell Autumn about the baby.
“We have something we want to tell you, Autumn.” I look to Declan, who gives me an encouraging nod.
I let out a breath. I don’t know if there’s a certain way to do this, but I think winging it is our best option. “Mommy’s going to have a baby.”
She stares at me with a blank face and then looks at my stomach, not saying a word.
“You’re going to be a big sister,” Declan says.
Autumn’s gaze shoots to him. “A big sister? So, you’ll be the baby’s daddy but not mine?” Autumn’s bottom lip starts to wobble.
I hold my breath while Declan answers. “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Would you want…” He pauses. I can tell he’s nervous about asking her the next question. “Would you like it if I were your dad, too?”
Autumn chews on her bottom lip, and she looks from me to him. “You can be my daddy too?” she asks, her question full of vulnerability.
Declan lets out a breath and nods his head. “Yeah. I can. But only if that’s what you want.”
She nods her head and flings herself at him. I can see a tear streak down Declan’s cheek, and a moment later, I feel a matching one stream down mine.
We both wipe our faces, and when Autumn pulls back, she says, “You can take me to the father-daughter dance and be my real daddy then!”
She’s beaming as she makes the statement, and I watch Declan swallow through a knot in his throat.
“But you aren’t married,” she says a moment later, breaking the spell.
~ ~ ~
I’ve spent three days at the hospital, and I’ve finally been given the go-ahead to be discharged.
The police have come and talked to Autumn, Declan, and me, and told us that Brad is in custody.
They asked us what the senator’s involvement was, but Autumn was asleep when she showed up at the house, and I told them that she was trying to get Brad to do the right thing.
I’m not sure if she’s getting charged; I highly doubt it, but at least her son is behind bars for the time being.
At the recommendation of Phillip’s lawyer, Carlisle, he said that we should try and get full charges brought against Brad, so he doesn’t do something like this again.
I fully agreed. I also asked Carlisle if we could get Brad to sign over his parental rights, and he told me it shouldn’t be a problem.
I feel like I can finally move on with my life without worrying about Brad anymore.
Even though I hadn’t seen him in years, he was slowly sucking the life out of me. It’s a huge relief to be past this now.
My parents and Phillip came to the hospital, and when we told them of our pregnancy, all three cried.
To say they were supportive was an understatement.
I think my parents are most happy about the fact that I won’t be alone this time around.
Phillip is a man of few words, but I could tell he was the most affected by the news.
He pulled Declan aside to tell him that he was going to try harder, asking if we could get together from time to time so he could get to know me and Autumn, too.
Declan seemed skeptical but agreed. I know he has a lot of resentment towards his father, and rightfully so, but he told me he was willing to take a chance considering all the help he’s given us this week, and what Kate has said about him.
“Let’s go see Wren before we head back,” Declan says as he wheels me out of the hospital room.
I nod my head in agreement, and he turns down the hallway.
Wren is still here, waiting for her sister to wake from the medically induced coma the doctors put her in.
She didn’t say much about what happened, but we know her mother is dead, and her younger sister was injured very badly.
My heart breaks for my quiet barista. She’s become like family over the last few months, and I want her to be able to lean on us for whatever she needs.
Declan knocks on the door frame and pushes us into the room. Wren’s sitting in a chair next to her sister and gives us a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“We’re headed out,” I tell her. “We just wanted to see if you needed anything before we go.”
She shakes her head. “No. We’re okay.”
I look at her sister, who is hooked up to multiple machines and tubes.
“Are you sure there isn’t someone we can call for you?” Declan asks.
Her eyes dim even further, and she turns her head back towards her sister. “No,” she whispers.
Declan and I look at each other, and the worry etched in his brows mirrors mine.
Wren is naturally quiet, but this is different.
She’s barely said anything to anyone since she arrived.
The only reason we know her mother is gone is because Jordan was with her when the doctor told her as much.
My parents came by and visited her and told her to take as much time off as she needed.
I’ve never seen her this resigned before, though, and if there isn’t anyone else we can call, that means Wren is all alone.
I get to my feet and wrap my uninjured arm around her shoulder, letting her know that I’m here, that she has a support system.
It takes her a moment, but she wraps her arms around my waist and then starts to cry.
That’s when I know we’re going to have to keep an eye on her.
She’s going to have to make preparations for her mother, and also take care of her sister, when and if she comes out of the coma.
It’s too much for one person to take on, and I refuse to let her do this by herself.
We take care of our own in Daybreak, and Wren is about to find out just how not alone she really is.