Angel Baby (25 page)
Authors: Leslie Kelly
“I guess I actually did fall asleep,” she murmured aloud.
Chase had urged her to get some rest earlier in the
afternoon. Michael had been born at six-thirty in the morning, about fifteen
minutes after they’d arrived at the hospital, and Claudia had been too excited
to relax all day. Melanie had called half a dozen times, wanting every detail
of the labor since her own baby was due in just a few weeks. Chase had spoken
to Ryan, telling him what to expect from a woman in labor, and laughed when
Ryan told him the adoption of their son Bradley the previous summer had been
the easier way.
Claudia had also called her mother to tell her of Michael's
birth. They'd spoken a few times in the past year, ever since Claudia—with
Chase’s support and encouragement—had first extended the olive branch and
reached out to her distant family. With each conversation Claudia felt more
warmth between them. It wasn't the kind of mother-daughter relationship she'd
ever want with her own child, but it was more than she'd expected.
Finally, at around three, Chase insisted that she let him
walk the baby down to the nursery so she could sleep. Remembering her last
hospital stay, Claudia knew she would later be grateful for the nap. She would
keep Michael in her room throughout the night, and when the baby’s cries to be
fed didn’t wake her, the nurses shaking her to take her blood pressure or
temperature surely would. At least, that’s what she remembered of her brief
stay after Sarah’s birth.
“Sarah,” she gasped aloud, remembering suddenly that Dorien
had promised to bring the child to the hospital after dinner to meet her new
brother.
Sliding her legs gingerly out the side of the bed, Claudia
carefully stood. She wasn’t too sore, luckily, and felt a lot better than she
had after Sarah’s birth. Pulling on her robe which lay draped over a chair, she
slowly walked out of her room toward the nursery. A young nurse smiled and
nodded as she passed the desk, but for the most part the hall was quiet and
deserted.
Rounding a corner, Claudia stopped when she saw Chase
staring into the plate glass nursery window, holding Sarah tightly in his arms.
“See Sarah? There he is. That’s our little Michael,” Chase
said softly.
Sarah leaned her face forward and pressed her forehead
against the glass, staring at the few babies in the nursery. Claudia watched as
she frowned and looked up into Chase’s face.
“Baby cwyin,” Sarah said firmly.
Chase nodded at her and replied, “I think he’s getting
hungry. Would you like to take him down to Mommy so she can feed him?”
“Pizza?”
Chase’s soft laughter drifted over as he said, “No, Michael
can’t have pizza yet. When he’s a little bigger, you can introduce him to
pizza...and lots of other wonderful things. Like...blowing bubbles outside on a
summer evening, and chasing butterflies, and taking your shoes off to walk in
the stream.”
“Swings?” the toddler asked.
“Oh, yes, swings that go high enough that your feet can
almost touch the clouds, just like we have in our back yard,” Chase answered.
“You and Michael will always have each other, he’ll always be your little
brother, and he’ll always love you, just like Mommy and Daddy will always love
you.”
“I love dat baby,” Sarah said with a stiff nod, causing a
red-brown curl to fall across her forehead. Claudia bit back a smile as her
daughter blew at the hair and gave her head a hard shake. Still silent, she
felt tears come to her eyes as she watched Chase lift his strong fingers to
deftly brush back the curl with a father’s gentle, loving touch. She nearly
felt the contact as he traced Sarah’s chubby cheek with his fingertip, then
bent forward to give her their traditional butterfly and Eskimo kisses.
“And I love you, Daddy!”
“Daddy loves you, too, sweet angel,” Chase assured her as he
drew her higher into his arms so she could give him a tight hug.
Claudia felt the tears falling down her cheeks at the tender
scene she’d just witnessed. How foolish she’d been to ever question Chase’s
ability to love another man’s child. This man was capable of immense love. A
deep feeling of gratitude washed over her with the knowledge that she and her
children were the ones receiving it, and would every day as long as they lived.
Life was good. So very good. And with a broad smile on her
face, Claudia walked toward her husband and their children, ready to move
forward with the family she’d always dreamed about.
THE END
Did you enjoy this sexy-but-tender romance from Leslie
Kelly? Then be sure to watch for COMING HOME, Leslie’s next exclusive
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