CHAPTER 15
Gloria
“…want to live.”
“Angel!”
That voice! That name! I fluttered my eyes open. Everything was a blur. People were clamoring around me, but in the dimness, I could only make out one face. One person. My beloved Jaime. He was sitting on the bed next to me, caressing my face. I could feel the warmth of his fingertips and the heat of his breath. I was alive! I was his angel on Earth.
“Hi.” My voice was barely above a whisper. It took all my effort to say that one little word.
“Hi.” His eyes held my gaze in his. It was so good to see those beautiful denim blues again. But they were unlike I’d ever seen them. They glistened with tears. One escaped and fell onto my cheek. To me, it felt magical. Like holy water. I was glad he didn’t brush it away. My own tears spilled and mingled with his. He let the tears fall, and stroking my hair, planted a warm kiss on my forehead.
“Oh, my angel. I thought I was going to lose you.” His voice was watery.
“You gave us quite a scare,” said another voice I didn’t recognize.
Blinking several times, my vision became clearer. I was in a small sterile room hooked up to a myriad of IVs and monitors and scuttling around my bed was a doctor and several nurses. The events of the last twenty-four hours bombarded my head. I’d gone into labor at the Gloria’s Secret Fashion Show and on the way to the hospital, had given birth on Robertson Boulevard. The rest was a blank.
The doctor continued. “I think we’ve got everything under control here. Someone will be back to check on you in a little while. And later this morning, Dr. Bernstein will be here.” He and the nurses headed toward the door.
“What happened?” I rasped after they were gone.
Tenderly stroking my face, Jaime explained to me that I’d gone into shock after giving birth to Payton from the huge amount of blood I’d lost, and that just minutes ago, I’d gone into cardiac arrest. He also told me I’d had a partial hysterectomy. Besides him, there was only one thing I cared about.
“The babies…?”
That dazzling smile I loved so much flashed on his gorgeous face. “They’re good. In fact, they’re great.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I twitched a small, happy smile. Madame Paulette hadn’t lied to me.
“Baby, could I please have some water?”
My mouth was as dry as cardboard. Jaime silently grabbed a plastic cup with a straw off the nightstand and held it to my lips. I sipped the beverage while his other hand held mine. The refreshing cool liquid combined with the warmth of his touch infused me with strength.
“I met your father.”
He stroked my hair again. “Shh, my angel. You have to save your strength. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and lost a lot of blood.”
The expression on his face told me he didn’t believe me. “But I did. He looks so much like you except his eyes are darker. And he told me how much our little boy looks like you.”
Jaime blinked as if in disbelief. “How could you know that?”
“And Madame Paulette told me that our little girl is the spitting image of me. With a feisty temperament to match.”
Jaime’s eyes widened.
“Mon amour, I came back for you. For them. Your father told me I’d made a promise. And that I had to keep it.”
“Shh.” Leaning into me, he silenced me with an all-consuming passionate kiss. It started off slow, then deepened, pouring strength into my bloodstream Oh, God! How divine it felt to have his lips back on mine. And to hear my heart beat against his.
A cheerful voice cut our kiss short. “You have some little visitors.”
My jaw dropped. A new rush of tears sprung to my eyes. I clapped the hand that didn’t have IVs poked into it to my mouth as two smiling nurses pushed a pair of petite see-thru carts into my room. They slid them so that they were perpendicular to my bed. Two little bundles of joy faced me. Both wrapped up in pastel-striped blankets, one wearing a little pink knit cap, the other a powder blue one.
“Oh my God!” I sobbed. “Our babies! They’re beautiful!”
Jaime lowered my hand and held it in his. “Yes, my angel. Meet Paulette and Payton.”
“I want to hold them.”
Jaime looked at the nurses beseechingly. “Is she strong enough?”
“Please,” I begged through my tears.
The bubbly nurse, whose name was Kashunna, smiled. “I think it’ll be fine.”
“But let’s get her situated,” chimed in the other.
I could not hold back a big smile as the nurses worked together, cranking up my bed and adjusting my pillows. My pulse sped up with anticipation and excitement. Jaime squeezed my hand.
My eyes stayed riveted on the duo as they carefully lifted the two little bundles from the carts and gently placed them in my arms. With tears still streaming, I gazed down at the precious tiny lifeforms. My lips quivered. A feeling of joy like no other swept over me. I touched down my lips first on little Payton’s forehead, and then on Paulette’s. My eyes met Jaime’s. My alpha man was now smiling. His eyes twinkled. His loving expression made me even more overwhelmed with emotion. My love for him at this very moment could not be surpassed. It belonged in The Guinness Book of Records.
I gazed down again at my two little miracles. My beautiful Paulette and Payton. “Hi,” I said softly. “I’m your mommy.” I swore they blinked their blue eyes as if they recognized me, and I knew they say newborns can’t smile, but they did.
I looked up. And gasped. I had more company. Hovering over me were Madame Paulette, Henri, and Payton.
“They’re here!” I cried out.
“Who?” asked Jaime, his eyes darting around the room, filled with alarm.
“Madame, Henri, and your father!”
Jaime let out a resigned sigh. “Angel, you’re still seeing things. No one’s here but the nurses and me.”
I blinked my eyes, and in a flash, they were gone. Our children’s guardian angels. I didn’t have the energy to argue with Jaime nor did I want to. This moment was too perfect. My two little angels lowered their eyelids and fell fast asleep.
“When will I be able to breastfeed them?” I asked the nurses.
“In a few days, dear,” replied the redheaded one. “You need to get your strength back and wait for your milk to come in.”
“Oh,” I said with more than a hint of disappointment.
“But we’ll be sure to bring them by frequently so that you can bottle-feed them in the meantime.”
A small smile crossed my face. At least, I would be able to hold them and feed them. I vowed to get strong fast. I’d always been a fighter. And this time was no different.
Jaime’s virile voice cut into my thoughts. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my angel.”
My mind did a little shuffle. I’d totally lost track of time. Yesterday, was the Gloria’s Secret Fashion Show. And yes, today was Valentine’s Day.
I smiled warmly at him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.”
My eyes stayed on him as he reached into a pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a small red gift-wrapped box and handed it to me. “Open it, Gloria,” he said softly, bringing me back into the moment.
With the babies still in my arms, I unwrapped it. My heartbeat sped up. Under the paper was a scarlet velvet box. Though definitely not vintage, it reminded me of the life-changing little box he’d given me in Paris aboard the Grand Roue. I glanced down at my breathtaking engagement ring still on my finger. The unforgettable memory of that night flashed into my head. He’d lit up both my body and heart.
Holding the box in my palm, I snapped the lid open. And then my jaw went slack. Sparkling before me was a magnificent pair of earrings—two dangling diamond hearts that matched the entwined hearts of my ring.
“Oh, Jaime! They’re beautiful,” I gasped. And yes, more tears.
He beamed. “I had them made. They’re the two beating hearts of our babies.”
“AWW!” sighed the nurses in unison.
Mr. Creativity! “Put them on me.” My arms were folded around my little ones. I didn’t want to let them go.
Jaime stood up and bent over me. One after another, he inserted the earrings into my lobes while the hearts of my little darlings beat beneath my palms.
Nurse Kashunna padded over to the dresser and returned with a hand mirror. “Take a look, honey.” She held the mirror up to my face. My pale reflection startled me, but the earrings were indeed exquisite. I gave my head a little shake and stared in awe as the two diamonds danced and reflected the early morning sunlight beaming through the window. Yes, they embodied everything my children would be. Vibrant and sparkly. Full of life and sunshine. Two little gems.
Jaime glowed. “You look beautiful in them.”
He could have said they look beautiful on you. But instead, he told me I looked beautiful in them. Only my man could make me feel beautiful inside and out no matter what I looked like. I thanked him and then suddenly I felt bad. “Mon amour, I don’t have anything for you.” Confession: I’d planned to cook him a romantic meal in some sexy red lingerie, rub his back, rub his cock, and spend the night making love.
He held me soulfully in his gaze. “That’s not true. I have the heart I almost lost. And now, I have two more I will cherish forever.”
With that, his lips crashed onto mine. With our babies still sound asleep in my arms, I could have no better Valentine’s Day.