Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Nina had to be okay. Not only for me but for our son and daughter.
A flash of her beautiful smile from when she first woke up this morning hit me. Life had changed in an instant.
It wasn’t possible to imagine life without her. Before today, I thought I understood how strong my love for her was. Faced with the threat of losing her forever, the depth of that love was truly realized. Because even with my healthy baby girl and son at home, the future was blank without Nina. I didn’t just love her. To me, she was love, was life.
My life started the day she entered it. It would end the day she left it. There was no gap between where I began and she ended. We were one.
I’d always accepted whatever hand I’d been dealt, especially with Ivy. I never blamed God or anyone else for the tragedies in my life. But if something happened to Nina, I knew I would never recover. I wouldn’t be able to forgive Him. And that terrified me, what that would mean for my kids if their father was just an empty shell for the rest of their lives.
For the first time in my life, I was truly scared.
“Mr. Green?”
My head flew upward as I stood up to meet the doctor’s face which held an indecipherable expression. My heart was struggling to keep up with the fear driving it to beat faster than what it could sustain.
“Your wife is stable.”
Stable
Alive.
Every muscle in my body relaxed at once as the breaths I’d been holding for what seemed like an eternity released out of me.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
“As you know, there was an excessive amount of bleeding from the hemorrhaging. We were able to compress the arteries supplying blood to the uterus without having to do a hysterectomy. There shouldn’t be any long-term implications on fertility. She is very lucky to be alive given the circumstances you were found in.”
“She’s conscious now?”
“Yes. The fainting happened because of a sudden drop in blood pressure as a result of the bleeding.”
“Can I see her?”
“Yes. But she should get some rest soon after. We had to give her oxytocin to help the uterus contract in order to stop the bleeding that ensued after the placental delivery, so she’ll be tired from the drug not to mention the ordeal. We’ll be keeping her here a couple of extra days over the norm for observation.”
“Thank you, doctor. God, thank you so much. You saved her life. I could never repay you. Never.”
“No need for thanks. It’s what I do.” He smiled. “I’m told your daughter is doing just fine, too. You’re a lucky man, Mr. Green.” He gave me a single pat on the shoulder and said, “Follow me.”
Eagerly following the path to Nina’s room, I said a silent prayer to the man upstairs for coming through when I needed Him most.
Her hair was splayed across the pillow, and her eyes were closed. An IV was connected to her arm. My poor baby was exhausted.
Exhausted but alive.
I wanted to be strong. She’d been through enough without seeing me break down. But the moment my face landed in the crook of her neck, I came apart. Smelling the scent of her skin, listening to the breaths I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to hear again, my body shook. An endless flow of tears poured from my eyes and onto her hospital gown.
“Jake…”
“Shh. Yes, baby. I’m here. You don’t have to say anything.”
“Is the baby okay?”
“Baby’s great.”
“Why are you crying?”
“Because I love you.”
“I don’t remember much after I blacked out. Am I gonna be okay?”
“Yes. They stopped the bleeding and fixed it.”
“Can I still have babies?”
“Yes. That’s what the doctor said.” I held her tighter. “You mean, you would want another one after all this?”
“Only with you.” Teardrops were streaming down her cheeks. “You were amazing. You delivered our baby!”
“Nina…you were the amazing one, so brave. We have a daughter. I couldn’t even truly appreciate her because I was so terrified to lose you.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s in the nursery. I haven’t checked on her because I couldn’t move from outside the operating room until I knew you were okay.”
“I want to see her.”
“I’ll go check if they can bring her to us.”
The door opened just as I was getting up. A nurse carried our baby girl who was swaddled in a blanket. She was wearing a pink hat and had white mittens covering her hands.
Nina cradled the baby to her chest. Our daughter immediately started to search with her mouth for sustenance, her little head twisting back and forth over Nina’s breast as she tried to locate the goods.
“Look at her!” Nina laughed. “She knows who her Mama is. She’s not wasting any time.”
“She’s like her Daddy that way.”
The nurse coughed and smiled awkwardly. “Are you planning to breastfeed?”