The Exception to the Rule (38 page)
It was a small wedding with just a few close friends and family. I remembered giving myself one last look in the full-length mirror of Charles and Claire’s guest room. I wore a plain white strapless sheath-style dress which was accented with pearls at the waistline. My hair was half up in big loose waves.
I got butterflies in my stomach when I looked out the window taking a sneak peek at Julian. I was marrying the handsomest man in the world. He was dressed in a black suit and looking just as beautiful as the first day I had met him. Matty was his best man, and he too was dressed in a suit similar to Julian’s. His hair had grown back and his blue eyes sparkled. He looked like a miniature clone of Julian as the two of them stood together.
I remembered how badly I had wished my mom and dad could have been there. I knew that my dad would have been beaming with pride walking me down the aisle. I also knew that he would have been equally as proud with my choice of husband.
“Are you ready?” Charles asked as he entered the room.
I took a deep breath, “Yes,” I said nervously.
“You look beautiful,” Charles said as his eyes began to tear up.
“Thank you - thank you for everything, I don’t know how I would have gotten through everything if it weren’t for you and Claire,” I said sincerely.
“Well, we couldn’t have asked for a better ‘daughter’ than you,” he said.
Now it was me who was beginning to tear up as I gave him a hug. “Let’s go before my mascara starts to run,” I laughed.
Charles took my arm as we made our way out the door. I looked up at the bright blue sky scattered with big puffy clouds throughout. The last thought I had before I walked down the aisle was that my dad had been right. Everything did happen for a reason. I thought of everything that Julian and I had been through. My dad’s death led Julian to come and comfort me, resulting in Matty; the greatest gift of all. It took something as horrible as Matty’s sickness to bring us back together again. I smiled up at the sky, touching the diamond pendant hanging from my neck. I knew my mom and dad were there with me; I could feel them. “I found my ‘one,’ Dad,” I whispered.
I felt my knees shaking; my nerves were getting the best of me as we made our way down the aisle. I concentrated on the one person who could always put me at ease – Julian. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen as my eyes met his. My heart raced as I smiled and cried at the same time. I was feeling so blessed. All of my fears washed away as I focused on nothing else but the two loves of my life - Julian and Matty.
I was hastily broken from my daydreaming when I felt a contraction.
“Ouch,” I said, trying to breathe through it.
Julian quickly got up from his seat and sat down on the bed next to me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, they’re just starting to come a little closer now,” I said, catching my breath.
“Where’s Matty?” I asked, realizing he was no longer in the room.
“He went with Charles and Claire to get lunch,” he answered. “You go easy on your mom,” Julian said as put his head on my belly giving it a kiss. We didn’t find out the sex; Julian didn’t want to know. Matty was so excited about being a big brother. He wanted a little brother but said that he would love the baby just as much even if it were a girl. I didn’t care one way or the other. After everything that Matty had been through I knew that all that mattered was that the baby was healthy.
I laughed at Julian as he lifted his head from my belly. He sat next to me and gave me a kiss on my head.
“I was just having the best daydream ever,” I said.
“Oh yeah, what was that?” he asked.
“Our wedding day.” I smiled.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For opening my eyes to what really matters. You guys are the most important thing in my life.”
I pulled him closer to me and kissed him on the cheek. He rested his head on my shoulder and rubbed my arm lightly. I thought back to the day Matty was born and how I yearned to have him by my side. I was filled with happiness having him here with me now. I squeezed his hand through another contraction.
“That was a bad one,” I said, releasing his hand once it was over.
He gently rubbed my back as he looked at me compassionately. Before I knew it another one was coming; this one even stronger than the last.
“I think you better go tell them to get my doctor.” I was now having an intense desire to push. Julian was able to handle anything, but for some reason this scared him to death. He stood up staring at me blankly.
“Julian, it’s time,” I said, working through another contraction. He finally broke from his trance when the nurse entered the room.
“How are you feeling, honey?” She checked the monitor for my contraction activity.
“Oh boy, I think you’re ready.” She said as she ran to get the doctor.
I looked at Julian who was standing there, dazed. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked. “You look like you’re going to pass out.” I felt another contraction coming on.
“No, I’ll be fine,” he reassured me as he rushed over to comfort me through it.
My doctor finally arrived. She examined me and confirmed that I was ten centimeters dilated. She told me that I could push whenever I felt the urge. I grabbed Julian’s hand as I bore down and pushed. The pain seemed more intense than it had been with Matty. I looked into Julian’s eyes that were filled with emotion.
“Come on, Kat, you’re almost there,” he reassured me.
I took a deep breath, never breaking eye contact with him, and pushed as hard as I could. The cries of my newborn baby filled the room.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor said, holding up the baby.
Julian was beaming as he leaned over to give me a kiss. “I love you so much, Kat.”
“I love you too,” I said, anxiously waiting to see my baby.
I patiently waited for them to clean her up and take her vitals. The nurse brought her over to me. She was wrapped in a blanket wearing a little pink knit hat. I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as Matty. Holding her for the very first time, I realized it was. I stared at her intently and kissed her head—she was perfect. She didn’t look at all like Julian or Matty. Instead, she looked more like me.
“Meet your daddy,” I said, placing her in Julian’s arms for the very first time. He was unable to wipe the smile from his face.
“She’s so beautiful,” he said, kissing her head.
I smiled in delight. I was enjoying every second of his bonding time with his daughter. I had denied him this moment with Matty and had every intention of making sure that he got to experience this now. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and she seemed so content in his arms. I could tell he was instantly in love.
He sat down on the bed next to me. “Olivia Hope Kiron,” I said, looking down at her in his arms.
Julian smiled in agreement. “Thank you so much,” he said, kissing me on the forehead. “I have two beautiful children and a beautiful wife; I don’t need anything else.”
“But that was my dream, Julian.” I smiled.
“You helped me realize that it’s mine too. You were the exception to the rule. You were the one person who made me rethink everything I ever believed in and I’m so happy that you did.”
The exception to the rule—I was taken back in time for a brief moment to a handsome blue-eyed stranger that I had just met, comforting me over losing a patient. So much had happened since then. It seemed like a lifetime ago. I took his hand in mine and kissed it. “I love you so much, Julian.”
“I love you too, baby,” he said, squeezing my hand gently.
Julian gave the baby her first bottle as she fell asleep in his arms. Matty finally appeared in the doorway, with Charles and Claire behind him.
“Matty, meet your sister,” Julian said, bringing the baby over to him.
His smile lit up the room. “Wow!” he said as he sat down in the chair and Julian placed her in his arms. I felt myself tearing up watching him with her – my brave little boy with his new baby sister. It didn’t get much better than this.
“Hi baby sister, I’m your big brother; I love you so much,” he said leaning down to kiss her. Julian turned around and looked at me. He seemed just as touched by this interaction as I was.
“We need a picture,” Claire shouted, taking her camera from her purse. She began snapping pictures of Matty and Olivia. Matty posed so proudly for everyone. “Let me get a family picture.” Claire placed the baby in my arms while Julian sat next to me on the bed with Matty on his lap.
“Everyone ready?” she asked before taking the picture.
“Absolutely beautiful,” Claire said, looking at the screen on her camera.
She walked over to show it to me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the camera screen. It was the most perfect picture, one that would be etched into my memory forever. I had a family, it was a long harrowing journey to get there, but I was living out my dream. I had two precious children with the love of my life - my life was finally complete.
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