Page 49 of Jeremy
“Twoand a half pounds,” the nurse says. “Which is pretty good for twenty-sevenweeks.” She moves a chair beside the incubator. “You can stay for a fewminutes.”
“CanI touch him?” I choke out the words, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Sheopens the incubator. “Very lightly.”
Alayer of white hair covers his body. “Why is he so fuzzy?”
“It’scalled lanugo. It helps protect their skin in utero. He’ll lose it soon.” Shegrins at me. “Do you have a name?”
“No,”I whisper. “We thought we had plenty of time.”
“Youstill do,” she assures me.
Ican’t see his eyes, but he moves his leg when I run a finger across his foot. Afeeling I’ve never imagined floods through me. He’s not my blood, but he’s myson. From this moment forward, he’s mine, just like his mother.
#
WhenI return to Melissa’s room, she’s lying in bed, asleep. Dark circles ring hereyes, but her skin isn’t as pale as it was before. She still looks so fraillying there, nothing like the fierce little thing who told me to sit my assdown and eat when I kept refusing her dinner invitations.
Hereyes open when I brush her hair off her face. “Jeremy, how is he?” she murmurs.
“He’sperfect. I just saw him. Look.” I pull up the pictures I took of him on myphone and sit beside her on the bed. I took a picture from every angle I couldimagine, plus close ups of his little feet and hands. There’s no hiding all themachinery that’s keeping him alive though.
Asob shakes her body, and I wrap my arms around her. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.He’s doing okay. I know this isn’t how it was supposed to be, but he’s aliveand waiting to meet you.”
Shecalms down a bit, and I run my fingers through her hair. “They asked me about aname.”
“Ihaven’t decided yet. I wanted to see him first. I had a name book in my babybag in my closet at home.”
“There’sno hurry. I’ll bring it to you.”
Herhand wraps around my arm. “Don’t leave.”
“I’mnot going anywhere. Get some rest, and I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Hereyes fall closed, and her breathing evens out. Justus sticks his head in theroom, and I nod to him to come in.
“Zoeand Leah are on their way. Is there anything we can do?”
Myhands fumble to remove Melissa’s house key from the keyring. “She has a bagpacked in her closet that was supposed to come to the hospital with her.”
“I’llget it,” Justus says. “Landon is going back to work on the cult accounts, butI’ll be back.”
“Thankyou. There’s no hurry. It’s late, and she’ll probably be out for a while. Gocrash and we’ll see you in the morning.”
“Ifanything changes with her or the baby, call me.” His eyes scan over her.“Sometimes, I’m so happy I was born with a dick.”
“Metoo, man,” I sigh.
Imanage to get out of bed without waking Melissa and move to the little sofa afew feet away from her. It’s been such a long day. It started out so well, andI had plans to take her to dinner after the gallery. I sure didn’t expect toend the night by becoming a father.
Thesofa isn’t too uncomfortable, so I stretch out to try to rest. Despite the warof emotions raging inside me and the tangle of thoughts running through myhead, sleep pulls me under.
Thenext two days pass by slowly. Mel is getting stronger and today they had herget up and walk around a little. I wheel her down to the NICU to visit our sonas often as they’ll let us, and so far, he’s doing as well as can be expected.
Tonightis our last night at the hospital. Mel is being discharged and she’sunderstandably distraught at leaving the baby here without her.
We’recuddled up in her bed, her head resting on my chest. The nurses gave up tryingto keep me out of her bed after the first night.
