Page 117 of Sweet Escape
Chapter 33
Twice in a Lifetime
?Like I’m Gonna Lose You - Jasmine Thompson
Olivia
I blink my eyes open,adjusting to the harsh light of the hospital room. There’s a steady beeping sound from a heart monitor audible beneath the incessant pulsing in my head. “Ouch.”
“Liv? Russell, get the doctor. She’s waking up.”
I turn my face to the voice of Evelyn Hayes. Her hand has mine in a vise grip. “Can you hear me, sweet girl?”
Her blurry figure slowly comes into focus, and I instinctively search the room for the man I love, coming up empty.
“He’s with Gracie,” Evelyn says. “She’s perfect, Liv. You did good.”
“Wh-where?” My voice cracks.
Evelyn swoops in with a cup of water, supporting me as I sit up long enough to take a drink. “She’s in the NICU. As soon as the doctor gives the okay, we’ll take you to meet your girl.”
A tear tracks down my cheek, and I reach for my stomach. I wish I could still feel her there, safe and sound, where I can protect her. I couldn’t even get that right, could I?We almost lost her.
A loud thud causes my head to turn toward the door. My mom is standing there with trembling hands and a watery smile. “Liv! My God. My baby!” She rushes into the room and cradles my face, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We almost lost you.”
“Mommy.” My bottom lip trembles as I bury my face against her shoulder and let the tears come. I see it now; I understand her pain in a way I never did before. I understand Jess, now, too. I understand that every moment with her daughter was worth it in the end. I could’ve died, and I would still be grateful for that one fleeting moment when I held her in my arms and looked into those familiar blue eyes, that face so like Wilder’s that it stole my breath. It makes this second chance that much more meaningful. It makes every moment from here on outmore meaningful.
The need to go to her—tothem—almost overwhelms me, and before I know it, I’m throwing back the covers, trying to get out of this bed that’s holding me hostage.
“Calm down, Liv,” my mom says. “You’ll rip your stitches.”
“I need to see her. Please.” My voice is small. Pleading.
Doctor Patel comes in, her expression unreadable as she steps up beside my mom. “You gave us quite a scare, Olivia.”
Mom moves out of the way so the doctor can take my vitals and discuss my recovery. Doctor Patel explains that I experienced a postpartum hemorrhage due to a placental abruption, but I’m only half listening, waiting for the moment I can lay eyes on my baby.
“Gracie has been taken to the NICU for observation since she’s a premie,but she’s doing well, and you’ll be able to see her as soon as the nurse comes back with the wheelchair.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when Cara walks in, pushing a wheelchair with my dad coming in just behind her.
“How are you feeling?”Dad asks.
“Bit like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
He smoothes a hand over my hair and kisses my forehead. “My girl. You’ve always been a fighter.” Dad’s throat bobs, and there’s a line of tears gathering along his lashes as he exhales a long breath. It’s more emotion than I’ve ever seen from this giant of a man in my entire life. “Love you, kiddo.”
“Love you, too, but if you don’t get out of my way and let Cara take me to see Gracie, I might need to be sedated again.”
A deep chuckle reverberates through his chest, and he offers a hand to help me out of bed, settling me in the wheelchair. He reaches for my mom, bringing their joined hands to his lips. “We’ll be in the waiting room.”
Evelyn crouches beside my chair, worry lining her features. “Wilder’s a mess. Be patient with him.”
I nod and motion for Cara to take me to them. I want his mess: his past, future, and everything in between. I want the tattered tapestry that makes up the man I love more than I ever thought possible. He’s the only person who truly understandsmymess and accepts who I am with no reservations.
When I enter the sterile room, Wilder is there with his back turned, his finger held in her little fist as he looks down upon our daughter asleep in the clear bassinet. The moment he senses my presence, his spine straightens.
Cara stops the wheelchair, and I stand on wobbly legs, banding my arms around his waist from behind. I soak in his warmth as if we’re the only people in the room. His free hand comes over mine, clutching me tighter, and his body shakes, his head slumping between his shoulders. I rest my cheek against his back,letting his emotions flow through me, my tears soaking into his shirt.
