Chapter 6 #2
“Bye, Cindy. Stop by and see our baby tomorrow, okay?” Our baby. Felt surreal.
The dry heat of the hospital encased them when they swept into the hallway. “Where should we go?” Connor asked.
“Outside.” Although she’d shed her coat, Amanda still felt sweltering. “Maybe the top level of the garage?”
“Perfect.”
They took the elevator down to three, walked over the bridge and grabbed another elevator to the top floor of the parking garage. McKenna had mentioned she always parked up here. The icy air Amanda complained about all week felt refreshing.
“You okay?” Connor asked, pulling her into a cove behind the elevator shaft.
“Yep. Guess so.” Amanda pressed one hand to her tumbling stomach.
“Still battling the bug, along with half the students and teachers at school…which reminds me.” She was not about to mention ulcers.
Didn’t want to see the I-told-you-so look.
She checked the time on her phone. “I’ll have to call Nancy Sheridan at six thirty so she can find a sub for me. ”
“Don’t worry. They won’t have any trouble getting someone to fill in for you.”
Connor’s gray sweat shirt felt soft against her skin. “Gosh, this will bring me right up to my maternity leave.”
“Maternity leave,” he murmured into her hair. “You’re going to be a mother, Amanda.”
“And you’ll be a dad.” She felt him stiffen and looked up. Her rock of a husband looked a little uncertain. “Connor?”
His jaw shifted. “It’s nothing. I’m, ah….”
She pivoted in his arms to face him. “What’s wrong? Tell me.”
“It’s just that, well, how do I know, Amanda? How do I know I can be a good dad?”
“Why wouldn’t you be? Big Mike was one of the best teachers …and Malcolm and Mark are terrific fathers.”
“They are. And that’s the thing….” Her husband stared out at the city.
“Wait a minute. Are you worried you may not be as good a father as your brothers are?”
The confusion swimming in his liquid brown eyes melted her heart.
“Oh, come on. Of course you will be.” When had she ever seen him this way? She gave him a little shake but it was like trying to budge one of the garage pillars. “I mean, you’ll have to help me. What do I know? I’m an only child!”
Connor’s lips tilted into a grin. “You’re right.” He hugged her closer, resting his chin on her head.
Had she ever loved this man more? She was seeing a whole new side of him.
“We’ll help each other.” He bent his head. Twisting, she swung up on her toes to meet his lips. The kiss sealed a pact.
“Oh, Connor.” She finally pulled away to catch her breath. “Soon it won’t be just the two of us.”
“What? You’re not ready to share?” Mischief danced in his eyes.
“Are you?”
His phone dinged. She held her breath while he read the text. Hadn’t even finished it before he was pulling her back to the elevator.
“Is it Maria?”
Connor nodded just as the doors swept open.
Logan Sinclair stepped out. “Connor? Amanda?”
McKenna’s boyfriend looked tired. Movie star handsome but beat.
“Were you in with McKenna?” Amanda’s mind spun.
“Nope. In the OR delivering a baby.” He ran one hand through his already disheveled hair.
“Angie’s up in the birthing suite with McKenna.” Quickly, Connor filled Logan in. The two got along great, although at first Connor was uncomfortable sharing so much personal stuff with a doctor.
“Sounds like you’ll have a baby for Christmas. How about that?” Logan was beaming.
Did Logan and McKenna have plans for marriage and a family? It had been fun getting to know Logan, not only as her fertility specialist, but also as the guy dating her sister-in-law. Their mission trip together to Guatemala the summer before had pretty much solidified their relationship.
Logan had offered hope when she needed to believe there was a solution.
Another wave of queasiness hit her. She should eat something. Connor was holding the elevator.
“You okay?” Logan asked as he stepped out.
“Touch of the flu. Teaching. You get everything.”
“You sure?” he asked before the doors closed on his puzzled expression.
“What was that about?” Connor punched the buttons.
Her thoughts spun. “Nothing. I have to call school when we get out of this elevator. Could you update my folks? Make sure they don’t come down here, though.”
“I’m on it.”
When the doors opened at the third floor, they exited. She got on her phone, and so did Connor. Nancy Sheridan, principal at Riley High School, answered on the first ring.
“Don’t worry about school,” she assured Amanda. “We’ll get along just fine. Be sure to send us some pictures. This is so exciting, Amanda!”
“And, Nancy? Think you can dig up a copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas? The substitute won’t have a bit of trouble if she reads to my kids.”
“I’m sure I can find one. Don’t worry about us, okay?”
“Are they crazy with excitement?” she asked after Connor ended the call with her parents.
“You got that right.”
McKenna met them in the waiting room. She looked like a balloon about to pop. “Everything’s fine. You have a beautiful baby boy.”
“Really? I can’t believe it.” Her voice was a high squeak. Good thing Connor had a firm grip on her. Her knees started to buckle.
He looked as crazed as she felt. “A baby boy. We’re parents, Amanda.”
McKenna’s eyes were brimming. “Come on, you two. They’re getting Angie settled in her room.”
Amanda hardly heard what McKenna was saying. Somewhere in this hospital, a little bundle waited for them. A lump swelled in her throat.
When the three of them reached the unit, a nurse checked the screen. “Angie’s resting but maybe later, if you come this afternoon, you can pop in. She asked to see you.”
Amanda’s old fears surfaced. “She doesn’t want to talk to us about anything, right?”
“Honey, she probably just wants to say hi.” Connor looked to McKenna as they reached the consult room.
“You’re okay, Amanda,” McKenna said. “I know you can’t believe it, but you’re a mother. This is for real.”
“Okay. It just doesn’t feel real yet.” Felt more like she was in another dream. A good one this time.
The nurse gave them a mysterious smile. “Want to take them to the consult room, McKenna?”
“Sure thing.” McKenna led them down the hall. Amanda collapsed into one of the chairs and Connor sat across from her. McKenna stayed in the doorway staring down the hall.
Amanda froze when Maria entered the room with a very tiny bundle. “Oh, Connor.”
“Do you want to see your son?” Maria asked quietly.
Connor was on his feet in a second. “Sean. His name’s Sean.”
“Would you like to hold him?” Maria asked.
Amanda looked to Connor.
“You do it. I’d probably drop him.” His eyes never left the swaddled infant.
“He’s so tiny.” Heart beating wildly, Amanda held out her arms. Maria settled the baby in them. With his scrunched up red face, he was the size of a loaf of bread. A tiny blue cap covered his head.
He was the most beautiful baby she’d ever seen.
“Pretty big, isn’t he?” Connor could not take his eyes off their new son.
“Oh, Connor. He’s just a tiny thing,” Amanda murmured softly.
“Eight pounds, four ounces. Healthy little boy.” McKenna beamed.
Amanda smiled as the baby fanned one hand into the air. “Hey, little guy.” When she nudged one forefinger in his direction, the baby’s fingers closed around it. He opened his eyes and frowned up at her. “Hi, beautiful boy.”
The frown dissolved. She could swear those shell-like lips tilted. “Oh, Connor. Would you just look at him?”
Blinking furiously, Connor crouched next to her. “He’s really something, isn’t he?”
Even McKenna looked mesmerized and she saw a lot of babies. “Lucky little guy to have you two for parents.”
“Sean Connor Kirkpatrick,” Amanda whispered. “We waited for you so long.”