Chapter 32
HEALING TOGETHER
NATALIE
The door to the recovery room creaked open as the nurse led me inside, and there she was, my baby, looking impossibly small in the hospital bed.
Her dark lashes rested against pale cheeks, and the soft beep of the monitors filled the room.
Her hair was tucked back, a stark white bandage peeking out from under her hospital gown.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I whispered, my voice catching as I moved to her side.
Her eyes fluttered open, slow and heavy, and for a second, she just blinked at me. Then, a faint, sleepy smile tugged at her lips.
“Mommy,” she croaked, her voice scratchy.
I sank into the chair beside her bed, taking her hand carefully in mine, like she might break if I wasn’t gentle enough. Tears burned at the edges of my eyes, but I blinked them back. She was okay. My baby was okay.
“I’m here, Bebe. Everything went great. The doctors said you’ll be back to running circles around me in no time.”
She tried to smile again but winced slightly. Her other hand crept up to her stomach.
“It hurts a little.”
“I know, sweetheart. That’s normal, but they’ve got medicine for the pain. Just rest for now, okay?”
Her head barely moved in a nod before her eyelids drooped shut again, her tiny hand still resting in mine.
The nurse reappeared, her smile soft. “She’ll drift in and out for a bit. She can have another visitor soon. Do you want me to let her father come back?”
I hesitated, brushing a stray strand of hair off Bebe’s forehead. Part of me wanted to keep this moment to myself a little longer, but I nodded.
“Sure.”
Jason stepped into the room, his usual composed expression softened. He glanced at me, and for once, there wasn’t any tension between us. We were just parents, sharing a moment of gratitude that our daughter was safe.
“She’s still groggy,” I said quietly, stepping aside to let him approach the bed.
Jason moved to her side, his large hand dwarfing hers as he gently stroked the back of it.
“Hey, princess,” he murmured, leaning down so his voice didn’t carry. “You gave us a little scare there, but you’re so brave.”
A nurse brought Meredith in not long after, her arms full of bags and looking slightly breathless.
“I ran home and grabbed a few things,” she said, dropping the bags on the chair. “Some pajamas, toothbrush, snacks, and your phone charger. Oh, and I grabbed a few things for Bebe too—a cozy blanket and her stuffed unicorn.”
I blinked at her, overwhelmed. “Mer, you didn’t have to do all that.”
“Yes, I did,” she said firmly, waving me off. “I wasn’t going to let you sit here all night with nothing but hospital coffee and fluorescent lighting.”
The lump in my throat that I’d been holding back all night started to rise again. I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing tight.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice breaking. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You won’t have to find out,” she said, pulling back and giving me a knowing smile. “Now go through the bag and tell me if I forgot anything. I can always run out again.”
Jason glanced at the bags, his lips twitching into a small smile.
“That was quick. I didn’t even notice you were gone,” he said to Meredith.
“Will let me use his car and I slipped out while Natalie went in to see her,” she replied. “Didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”
Jason’s attention was on Bebe. He leaned down, brushing a kiss on her forehead, and straightened up.
I sat down, still holding Bebe’s hand in mine, and opened the bag, my chest heavy with gratitude. I felt like everything might just be okay.
The nurse reappeared, holding a clipboard and glancing between us.
“We’ve set Bebe up in a private room for the night,” she said. “There’s enough space for both parents to stay if you’d like, though it’s a bit tight. There’s a recliner and a sofa bed.”
Jason looked at me and raised a brow. “Do you want to stay?”
“Of course.” Then I turned to him. “I mean, if you want to stay too, that’s fine. I’m sure she’d feel better having us both here.”
Jason nodded, his expression unreadable. “I’ll stay.”
Meredith smiled and gave me a squeeze on the arm. “See? Everything’s handled. I’ll be back first thing in the morning with coffee and breakfast for you guys.”
“Thank you for everything, Meredith,” I said, my voice catching.
“Thanks for taking care of everything, Mer,” Jason said.
“Oh, and I’ll let the others know what’s going on,” she said. “Call if you need anything. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Once we settled into the private room, Jason pulled the recliner closer to Bebe’s bed while I stretched out on the small sofa bed, the bags Meredith brought tucked under the table.
The room felt peaceful, even if we were in a hospital room, as the events of the day finally started to settle.
It reminded me of when Bebe was born and the three of us crammed in a small room.
Jason glanced at me over his shoulder, his voice quiet. “She’s lucky to have you.”
I looked back at Bebe, her small chest rising and falling steadily. “She’s lucky to have us both.”
It wasn’t perfect, but for tonight, it felt like enough.