Page 83 of Alexander's Heart

“We went on a mission as you know, we finally got the information out of Trickle on Rob’s location,” Caroline gasps, eyes wide and frightened, “breathe baby, when we got there, we had to do recon and when we finally went in late last night. There was chaos, nothing we couldn’t handle but when entering Chief heard a female scream and charged ahead to investigate.”

Caroline looks to me with wide eyes and a more tears escape, “Is h-he, o-okay? God no, Eli, please tell me Alexander’s okay.”

I let out a sob, I can’t help it, but Tiny gently grabs her chin and turns her head from me and continues.

“Chief was hurt, but he is okay, trust me when I say you can’t keep that man down, he walked out the damn recovery room. He found the little girl and was protecting her when he got injured, when we got into the room, I removed her from Harrington’s protective hold while Doc here, saved our Chief, and I never let her go.”

Caroline looks to me with tears flowing freely, “I-I’m s-sorry Eli, I’m s-sorry Alexander w-was hurt.”

“It’s okay, Caro, this is what these men do, did it frighten me to death, yes, I’m not going to lie but he is alive and walking around like nothing happened, Doc here is a brilliant surgeon and neither Alexander nor I would be here without him,” I say wiping my tears.

“None of us would be here without him,” Tiny chimes in.

“Just doing my job Tiny,” Doc states not liking all the attention.

“Now, Caroline, how are you feeling emotionally? Eve doesn’t know about you yet, we wanted to tell you first and gauge your reaction and I must say, sweetheart, you’re doing so much better than I think any of us expected, I’m proud of you.”

Caroline looks to me and I smile warmly, “I think you should meet your baby girl, if you feel ready to. But please know she is happy with Alexa and they are snuggled up in bed together, watching Frozen, they’re best friends already and the rest of team are with them.”

Caroline starts to smile then looks to Doc worrying her bottom lip, “Am I allowed to go to her, maybe see her from a distance to see for myself first?”

“Yes, would you like to go now?” Doc asks softly.

“I’d like that,” Caroline whispers.

I’m standing next Caroline in the hospital corridor and holding my breath as Caroline approaches the window of the room where her daughter, Eve, sits. She is nestled next to Alexa in bed with their arms linked, completely absorbed in the movie. I can clearly see Eve’s little face illuminated by the soft glow of the screen offering Caroline a perfect view. Eve already looks so at ease with all that’s going on around her, I have a feeling Alexa bursting in when she did made Eve comfortable and now seeing them snuggled up like Caroline and I used to do is a heartwarming sight.

The rest of the team fills the room with animated conversation and smiles, their easy camaraderie a testament to the bond the brothers share. As Caroline gazes through the glass, I can feel the emotions swirling within her, joy, wonder, perhaps a hint of disbelief at the surreal turn her life is taking.

“Eli, she looks just like us,” Caroline whispers.

Tears start streaming down her face and I wrap my arms around her and just hold her tight.

“She really does, Caro. Would you like to go in?” I whisper as I kiss her cheek.

Caroline pulls back and looks up to me with trepidation, hope and... love that I feel inside my own chest.

We softly giggle when the babies decide to give a kick out as if pushing Caroline to take the leap. There’s a poignant beauty in this moment, as Caroline takes in the scene before her. It’s a snapshot of a newfound family coming together, of bonds forged in unexpected circumstances. I can see the love and longing in Caroline’s eyes, a reflection of the deep connection she hopes to have with her child.

“Okay, I’m ready to go in,” she whispers.

As Caroline and I step into the hospital room, there’s a collective shift in attention. Eve, engrossed in the movie doesn’t notice us. Alexa looks up first, her eyes widening with surprise as she sees the both of us enter.

“Hi Mommy, Auntie Cawo,” Alexa says, her voice filled with excitement as she jumps down from the bed and runs full speed to greet us.

“Aunty Cawo, do you wants to meet my new fwiend, she’s so nice, come meet Evie,” Alexa says grabbing hold of Caroline’s hand, pulling her straight to the chair beside the bed.

Caroline’s expression softens as she comes face to face with her child for the very first time. The room is filled with a sense of anticipation and joy as Caroline and Eve’s eyes find each other and take each other in. I move to stand beside Alexander with tears rolling down my face, and he pulls me in front of him and wraps me in his strong arms so I can see Caroline and Eve’s exchange unfold.

“Aunty Cawo, this is my new fwiend Evie, she loves to colow, and Evie, this is my mommy’s sistaw Auntie Cawo.” Alexa says while climbing back onto the bed to be next to Eve.

Eve’s looking between Caroline and me and then she smiles.

“Hi,” she whispers, “you look the same as Lily,” Eve notes.

Caroline lip quirks, “That’s because we’re identical twins, which means we look the same, but we are a little different now that we’re older.”

Eve turns to Alexa in awe but with a hint of sadness in her voice when she says, “Wow,” she shakes her little head, “you’re so lucky Lexi, you have a Mommy and an Auntie.”

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