PHILIP

It took three and half hours to fly from San Antonio to New York City.  We were met at the airport by a driver and a limousine.  The driver handed me a package that contained a new, charged iPhone with all of my data.  I was relieved to be connected to the world again.  During the hour drive to the hospital, I checked my email and messages, and fortunately there was nothing that I couldn’t ignore for another day.

I saw Winnie watching me.  She asked, “Are you a workaholic?”

“That depends on your definition.  My father thinks I am.”

She said, “Shawn is a workaholic, too.”

Shawn.  The name of her fiancé was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head.  I needed to remember that she was getting married in six weeks.  I smiled.  “What about you?” I asked casually.  “Are you a workaholic, too?”

“I don’t think I am.  When I leave work, I rarely think about it at home.  But I suppose I get obsessive sometimes and stay up too late working on my YouTube channel.”

I remembered the name of her channel:  Pretty City Gal.  I looked it up online and watched one of her videos.  Winnie was darling: cute and funny as she talked about different ways to tie a scarf.

“You’re good at this,” I said.  I was surprised that she had only a few thousand followers.  “Maybe I should hire you to do some of Nilsson’s commercials.”

Winnie blushed.  “Please, don’t watch them when I’m here.  It’s embarrassing.  I never know what to say.”

I said, “In the video you told viewers to always carry a scarf.  Do you have one with you today?”

She smiled.  “Of course I do.”

“Let’s see it then.  Prove it.”

She opened her purse and withdrew a folded scarf – a large white square with navy polka dots.  As I watched, she tied it over her hair and wrapped it around her neck, tucking in the corners somehow.  She said, “This is an Audrey Hepburn look with a little bow in the side. See?”

“Nice,” I said, amazed that any woman could look so pretty after a long day.  Winnie had the most expressive eyes and a cute plump mouth that was made for kissing.

But her mouth was not for me.

She smiled and looked out the limousine windows.  “How soon will we get there?”

“Maybe ten minutes,” I said and looked away, telling myself not to stare at her.

When we got to the hospital, it was almost midnight, but Jenna was waiting for us in a private room.  Jenna looked quite a bit like Winnie with blonde hair and similar features.  She was pale and wore a hospital gown that tied in the back.  She lay on a bed and had an IV drip attached to her hand.  There were machines that showed her heart rate and what I assumed was the baby’s heart rate.  Jenna beamed and held out her arms when she saw Winnie.  “You came!” she exclaimed.  “I was getting worried.”

“Of course, I came,” Winne said as she hugged her.  “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”  Winnie had to bend down to hug her sister, and since we were still connected, I was right next to the bed and had to lean in close as well.

Jenna looked at me, somewhat surprised.  “Is this Shawn?”

“Oh, no,” Winnie said brightly.  “This is Philip Nilsson.  My boss’s boss’s boss.”

Jenna was confused.  “Your new job?  Nilsson as in Nilsson hotels?”

I held out my right hand to shake hers.  “Yes.  I’m the Vice President of Business Development and Winnie works for me.  We are currently handcuffed together as part of a team building exercise.”  I lifted my left arm to show her the handcuffs.

Winnie said, “It’s only for twenty-four hours, and we’re more than half-way through.”

Jenna frowned.  “I don’t understand.  It’s very strange.  Did you fly handcuffed?”

“Well, it’s a long story,” Winnie said while I pulled up two chairs by the hospital bed, so we could sit by her sister.  “And I’ll tell you everything later.  But don’t worry about it.  Just know that I’m here for you.  How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling great now that the epidural has kicked in.”

Winnie smiled.  “So you’re having actual contractions – not just the Braxton Hicks kind?”

“Yes, and they’ve been monitoring me and the baby.  Every half hour, a nurse checks on me.”

“What does the doctor say?”

“She says we’ll need to do the c-section soon, but she was willing to wait for you to show up.”

Winnie smiled.  “I’m glad.  So, are you ready?  Let’s get this show on the road,” she joked.

Jenna laughed a little, then winced at a pain and rubbed her rounded stomach.  “I’m not ready, but I really don’t have a choice now.”  She clung to Winnie’s free hand.

“Are you scared?” Winnie asked.

Jenna nodded.  “A little.  I mean, I trust my doctor, but sometimes bad things happen during childbirth.”

“Do you want me to say a prayer?” Winnie asked.

Jenna eyes filled with tears.  “Yes, please.”

Jenna clasped her hands together and Winnie placed her hand on her sisters’.  They both closed their eyes.  Instead of closing my eyes, I watched them.

“Dear Lord,” Winnie said quietly.  “We love you and we honor you.  We appreciate all the many blessings that you have given us, and we acknowledge your hand in our lives.  Thank you, Lord.”

I watched as Winnie prayed and realized that she spoke to God as if he was a dear friend.

She continued, “We approach you now, asking for your blessing of peace, comfort and strength upon Jenna and her new baby.  Help them both.  Help Jenna to have a healthy birth and for the baby to be fine.  Please bless the doctor.  Guide her hands that she will do all that is needed.  And please bless Eric while he is gone, that he too will feel thy love and be comforted as he is separated from his family.  Bless and protect him so he may return to see his child live and grow.”

“Amen,” Jenna murmured.

Winnie said, “And bless us, Lord, that we may do thy will and love and serve our fellow men.  Again, we love you, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“Amen,” I said quietly.

Winnie opened her eyes and smiled at me.  “Are you a believer?”

I nodded.  I might not have as much faith as Winnie, but I did believe in God and I was touched by her prayer.

Winnie then turned to Jenna and patted her hands.  Jenna said, “I need a tissue.”

Winnie found a box of tissues on a side table and handed it to her.  Jenna wiped her eyes and blew her nose.  “Thank you,” she said to Winnie.  “I feel better now.”

Winnie nodded.  “So do I.”  They both smiled at each other.

At this point, one of the nurses came into the room.  She adjusted a monitor on Jenna’s stomach and then asked us to leave the room.  “Just have to check a few things,” she said calmly.

Winnie squeezed her sister’s hand.  “We’ll be right outside,” she assured her.

We stood outside the hospital room, waiting for several minutes.  We could hear some of the equipment beeping.  “Thank you again for bringing me here,” Winnie said.

Suddenly two other medical personnel came to Jenna’s doorway and Jenna was being wheeled from the room.  Her face looked pale.  “Excuse us,” one of the workers said.

“What’s happening?” Winnie demanded.

Jenna touched Winnie’s hand briefly as she was being wheeled away.  “They say the baby’s in distress, so it’s time for the c-section.”

“Can I come with her?” Winnie asked the nurse.

“No time,” one of the workers said briskly and left us behind.

For a few minutes, we just stood in the hallway, not sure where we should go, but after a while, one of the nurses approached us.  “Are you here with Mrs. Prewitt?”

“Yes,” Winnie said.

“If you want, you can watch the procedure from a viewing gallery just off the operating room.”

Winnie turned to me.  “Do you mind?”

“Whatever you want is fine with me,” I said.

“Yes,” Winnie said to the nurse.  “I’d like that.”

We walked hand in hand down two corridors and took an elevator.  Winnie asked the nurse what being in distress meant.  “The baby’s heart beat slowed down.”  Eventually we were led to a room that looked onto an operating room.  Jenna lay on a table on her back with her feet in stirrups.  Her lower body was draped so we couldn’t see everything.  That was a relief.

She was surrounded by nurses and various equipment.  We watched as the doctor operated and then after a few minutes, the doctor held up a red baby.

I said my own silent prayer.  Thank you, God.

Later, we met up with Jenna in the recovery room.

She looked exhausted, sweaty, and tired, but she was happier.  The baby was in another room.  “I already got to hold him,” Jenna said.

Winnie leaned down to hug her gently.  “You were wonderful.  So brave.”

Jenna said, “I’m so glad you came.  I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Winnie smiled.  “You’re welcome, but if the truth be told, you would have survived even without me.  You’re tough.”

“I don’t feel tough.  I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”  Jenna started to laugh, then stopped, wincing.  “Don’t make me laugh.”

“I won’t,” Winnie promised.

“I just want to thank you again.”

Thank Philip,” Winnie said.  “If it weren’t for him, I might still be in the airport figuring out a flight.”

“Thank you,” Jenna said to me.

“I was glad to do it,” I said and smiled at them both.  I could tell that they wanted to talk more, but with me there, it made conversation awkward.  I said to Winnie, “Can I talk to you for a moment privately?”

“Sure.”

Once we were in the hallway, I lifted our handcuffs and asked, “How do you want to handle this?  Do you want to go back with me to San Antonio later this morning to end the twenty-four hours, make our presentation and then fly back to New York in the afternoon, or do you want to stay here while I go back by myself?”

Winnie said, “I think I should go back, but that’s a lot of flying in one day.”

“Oh, and if you’re wondering, I’ll pay for all the flights.  You don’t have to worry about it.”

Winnie looked relieved.  “Thank you.”

We went back into the recovery room and spoke to Jenna for a few more minutes.  We stayed by her side until she was transported to a private room.  By that time, we were all yawning.  Winnie explained to Jenna that she’d be back at the hospital later that evening and stay for a full week.

“Are you sure you can do that?” Jenna asked.  “I mean, you just started working for Nilsson.”

I interrupted.  “Don’t worry.  Your sister can stay as long as she wants.  Her job is secure.”

Winnie joked, “I have a friend in high places now.”

Jenna looked at her sister.  “And Shawn’s okay with all this?”

Winnie looked uncomfortable.  She said, “It’s going to be fine.”

The sisters talked for a few more minutes and hugged again.  Then Winnie said good-night.

On our way out, we stopped at small shop in the hospital that was open 24/7.  They had cards, flowers, and other gifts on display.  Winnie said, “Just a minute.  I need to send Jenna some flowers from Eric.  When he left, he asked me to do that.  I’m now in charge of getting all the flowers for her birthday, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.”

“Smart man,” I said.

I watched as Winnie looked at the selection and finally chose an arrangement with chrysanthemums and roses.  “Is that your favorite?” I asked.

“No.  I prefer all roses.  I like my flowers classic without all the frou-frou,” she said and wrinkled her nose.  “I can’t stand baby’s breath, but Jenna likes it, so that’s what I’ll get her.”  She spoke to the cashier and arranged for the floral arrangement to be delivered to Jenna’s room in the morning with a card that said, “With all my love, Eric.”

“What now?” I asked as we left the shop.

“The nursery.”  We asked for directions and eventually found Baby Boy Prewitt through a large glass window.  Jenna’s new baby boy was wrapped tightly in a blanket and there was a blue knit cap on his tiny head.  He was asleep in a clear basinet, and it was difficult to see his features.  As far as I could tell, he looked healthy.

Winnie said, “Isn’t he precious?”

I nodded.

She sighed.  She brought out the camera and filmed a few seconds.  She smiled and tapped at the window glass to see if she could wake her nephew.

A nurse inside frowned at her and shook her head, so Winnie pulled her hand away from the glass.  “Sorry,” she mouthed.

“Do you want kids someday?” I asked quietly.  From all I’d seen, I thought she would be a good mother – warm and kind, but willing to discipline when necessary.

“I do.”

For an instant, I wished that Winnie’s babies would be my babies, but that was impossible.  She was engaged to Shawn, getting married in six weeks.  And it was madness for me to be falling in love with woman in less than a day.  It must be the lack of sleep.  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

She asked quietly, “What about you?  Do you want kids?”

“Someday,” I said.  If I could ever find a woman I liked as much as Winnie to be their mother, I thought.

As we left the hospital, I asked Winnie if she wanted to get something to eat.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes.  “I’m more tired than hungry.  What time is it anyway?”

“Nearly three a.m.”

She smiled.  “Great.  That means we only have eight more hours until the handcuffs can come off.”

Was she so eager to get rid of me?  I said, “I’ll talk to Ramon and arrange a flight back.  But first, a nap I think.”

She looked at the chairs in the hospital lobby.  “Where?  Here?  If so, I’ll need a chiropractic visit as well.”

“We’ll get a room.”

She looked uncomfortable.  “A hotel room?  Do you think that’s a good idea?”

I said, “Yes, because I’m exhausted, and I think you are, too.  There are eight Nilsson properties in New York City.  All we have to do is walk into one.  And if you’re worried about propriety, we can ask a concierge to stand on duty while we sleep.”

Winnie blushed.  “I didn’t think you were going to make a pass at me.”

I was glad she trusted me, but I wasn’t so sure I trusted myself.  I yawned.  It was a good thing I was too tired to seduce her.