Chapter Twenty-Nine

Robyn came to with a big gulp of air. She looked around, trying to place herself in the unfamiliar surroundings. All she could see was bright lights, white walls. Something beeped from her side.

 

Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She groaned. God, a glass of water would be nice.

 

Except she couldn’t move. She squinted, trying to push herself up. Her legs. They were just… non-responsive.

 

And that’s when the memories came flooding back.

 

She was in the surgical ward at the hospital. She’d been put under for an emergency C-section. Holy shit. She’d given birth.

 

A nurse stood over her, a big grin on her face. Behind her, doctors and nurses moved in an unknown dance, the rhythm of the delivery ward. “Robyn, meet your baby girl.”

 

Robyn’s mouth fell open as the wriggling, squirming child was placed on her chest. She was small, so very small, but perfectly beautiful with a head full of dark hair. Four weeks early. It had actually happened. She blinked in disbelief as the baby let out a fierce cry. Her toothless mouth pulled open in a long, loud wail.

 

Tears cascaded down Robyn’s cheeks as she held her baby girl. It had all happened so fast. From the stairwell of her apartment, she’d called 911, and then Alicia; Alicia had shown up just in time to hitch a ride in the back of the ambulance with Robyn. They got to the hospital just as her water broke. And from there it was a roller coaster ride of decisions and action: the nurses taking her blood pressure, the anesthesiologist being summoned, the doctors giving her a quick rundown of procedures and consent forms.

 

The last thing she’d thought of before slipping under was Avon – wishing he could be there to see his baby girl be born. Maybe he’d scrub up, and get a front row seat to the show.

 

The worry and anxiety came back to her again, prickling through her arms and up her spine. Where the fuck was he? What had happened? It didn’t seem fair that she could be there, celebrating new life, while he was out potentially sacrificing his own. Tears pricked her eyes again but for a different reason this time.

 

“I love you, my little baby girl,” Robyn whispered, pressing a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “I’m your mommy, and I love you. And you have a daddy, and he loves you too.”

 

A nurse pressed a gloved hand to her forearm.

 

“We need to take her for monitoring since she’s slightly premature,” the nurse explained. “But we don’t expect any issues. You were thirty-six weeks pregnant, and full-term is considered thirty-seven. You were almost there.”

 

Robyn heaved a sigh of relief. She relished the feel of the baby against her bare skin for a few moments longer. The baby started rooting against her chest, searching for a nipple.

 

The nurse nodded, urging her along. “Go ahead. Try to breastfeed if she wants it.”

 

Robyn blinked with disbelief as she guided the baby’s mouth toward her breast. The little lips found their target and latched perfectly.

 

“You’re lucky,” the nurse mused out loud. “Neither of mine latched instantly like that. Had to fight for both of them to nurse.”

 

The little girl suckled happily while Robyn stared in disbelief. If only Avon could be there. He would be so upset to have missed this. Her throat tightened. Was he okay? Had he saved Matt? Questions pummeled her. She drew a deep breath, refocusing on her suckling infant. She needed to get the anxiety under control. Anxiety had driven her to deliver early. Anxiety could very well be the end of her.

 

The doors clanged open. Heavy boots thudded against the ground. Something deep inside of her perked up.

 

“Sir, this way,” a soft nurse voice said.

 

A moment later, Avon was beaming down at her, his hair crazy, like he’d just taken a breakneck motorcycle ride. That heartbreaking grin on his face was just the sight every cell of her body had been craving. Tears filled his eyes, and he scooped her hand into his, bringing it to his lips.

 

“Oh my God,” she whispered, staring up at him through a veil of tears. “You’re alive. Please tell me you brought Matt with you.”

 

He laughed, but it broke with the emotion in his voice. “I did, sweets. Matt’s right here.” Avon stepped aside, revealing Matt at his side. The two of them were in bright blue surgical scrubs. “And of course I’m alive. Not gonna die the day my daughter is born.” He bit his top lip, drawing a shaky breath. “She’s so beautiful, Robyn.”

 

“I know. She’s perfect.” Robyn dragged her fingers over the baby’s tiny little butt. A nurse had already snapped a hospital band around her tiny wrist. “What do you think, Matt? Isn’t this cool?”

 

Matt watched shyly from Avon’s side.

 

Robyn beamed at the two of them. “What are we gonna name her?”

 

“Hope,” Avon said softly, his gaze bouncing between the baby and Robyn. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “She’s given us hope. She is the hope in our lives.”

 

Robyn pinched her eyes shut, a few tears escaping. It was too perfect.

 

“Our baby Hope.” Robyn pressed a kiss to the top of Hope’s head. “Can you believe it? We’re parents now.” A knot of emotion clogged her throat as her gaze fell to Matt. “We’re the parents of Hope and Matt.”

 

Avon laughed, leaning down to press a kiss to baby Hope’s head too. A tear slid down his cheek, and he wiped it away.

 

“I saw that,” she whispered, sending him a coy look.

 

“Hey, I’m man enough to cry the day my daughter’s born.” He wiped his eyes, sniffing hard. “Can I hold her?”

 

Robyn nodded. The baby had let go of her nipple, so she passed the bundle over to Avon. The sight of him holding Hope in his bulky arms was a sight too precious for words. She rolled her lips inward, fighting a wave of emotion, as she watched the sight of father and daughter together for the first time ever. Pregnancy hormones were bad, but maybe just-gave-birth hormones were worse.

 

“You are going to be such a good daddy,” she said, unable to stop the tears. A small hiccup escaped her.

 

“Excuse me? Robyn?” A nurse came up to the bedside. “We need to take the baby for monitoring.”

 

“And this guy has an appointment too,” Avon said, squeezing Matt’s shoulder. “Just to make sure he’s okay after the crash.”

 

Robyn nodded, then leaned forward. “Wait! Hand her to me.”

 

Avon passed Hope into Robyn’s arms. The baby wriggled gently in her embrace. The weight of Hope in her arms was as natural as could be, like the baby had been made to be held by Robyn.

 

“Come here,” Robyn whispered, looking at Avon and Matt. “Both of you. I want all of us together. Our family.”

 

Avon wrapped an arm around her, the other around Matt. Matt climbed onto the bed, snuggling next to Robyn above the blankets. He rested his hand on little Hope’s back.

 

“Here we are,” Avon whispered, his eyes shining again. “Our family. All together.”

 

“The four of us,” Robyn said, tilting her head back to look at Avon. She couldn’t have imagined the blessings that one-night stand in the back of her car had in store for her. Because of Avon, because of a bad choice that ended up being the best choice, she had a family. “Forevermore.”