It’s a girl!
Jason Davenport
Everyone in the waiting room stood to their feet when the doctor walked in.
The only thing I could hear was the beating of my heart as I waited for the doctor to update us.
He glanced at each of us and then cleared his throat. “Who’s the father?”
Before any one could protest, I moved forward. “I am.”
The death stares from Adrian and Mel’s friends pierced my back but I held my ground. No one uttered a word.
The doctor finally took off his mask and smiled. “It’s a girl!”
Everyone gave a sigh of relief in unison, which quickly turned into a cheer. Amelia’s grandmother slumped into her chair and began to sob. Adrian signed some words to her which probably made her feel better because she began to laugh.
“Would you like to see the baby?” The doctor asked me.
I wiped my sweaty palms. I was going to face Amelia again after so many months. I didn’t know what I was going to say.
But I nodded.
The others were too busy talking to notice me leave. As I got to Amelia’s ward, the doctor motioned towards the door and gave me privacy.
For a split second I wanted to call him back, tell him to come with me because I was scared. But I held myself. I took a few deep breaths. This was it.
Slowly, I turned the handle of the door and peeked in.
I sighted Amelia with the baby beside her. She didn’t look happy. But she didn’t look sad either. It was as though she was trying to decide what emotions she was feeling at the moment.
The expression on her face made me want to turn back, run away in shame. I had no right to be here after all that had happened. After all I did.
She looked so frail and tired. What if seeing me triggered her and caused some complications? Was she healthy? Did she even want to see me?
Shutting my eyes and taking one more deep breath, I braced myself and walked in.
Amelia Forbes
I was exhausted.
Childbirth was pure pain. And I thought my period cramps were painful. If I wasn’t so tired I would’ve laughed.
I looked at the baby girl laid next to me. She had his sandy brown hair. And my eyes.
His hair.
My eyes.
I was unsure about how I felt. I didn’t feel angry. I wanted to.
But every time I looked at the baby, I just couldn’t. All I felt was the urge to protect her from everything that had hurt me, every thing I had been through.
I hadn’t touched her yet. I was scared to. One part of me was looking at her as the reason why my life had stopped completely. The reason for my crushed dreams; my dreams for a scholarship and college.
And the other part looked at her as the brightest thing that had come out of my dark, gloomy life.
I still wasn’t sure.
More exhausted than before, I breathed out and placed a hand on my forehead just as the door of my ward swung open.
I held my breath as I faced Jason.
At first I felt nothing. I just stared at him. I’d been right. He was malnourished. I hid my surprise at his much weight he’d lost over the few months. He looked older, and not in a good way.
He stood rooted to the floor without a word, as if he was waiting for my permission.
“May I come in?” He finally said, fidgeting at where he stood.
Jason Davenport was fidgeting?
Again, if I wasn’t so tired I might’ve laughed.
I nodded once.
Yes I hated him. But this child was his too. I couldn’t stop him from seeing the baby.
He walked slowly, deliberately to my bedside where the baby was placed. He outstretched his arms to pick her up and then quickly withdrew them.© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
“May I?”
I wanted to say no. I didn’t want him laying a finger on her. What if he hurt her. Silently, I calmed myself down.
I nodded and turned away, pretending not to see how callused his palms were, or how dirty his nails were.
Carefully, he picked the baby up and gave a wide smile, pinching her cheeks lightly and looking her over.
“She’s so beautiful,” He whispered, almost inaudibly.
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to himself or to me.
After he had cooed her for a while, be turned to me. “Have you picked a name yet?”
I attempted to glare at him but my facial muscles were so weak. So I kept quiet.
“Mel-”
This time I glared at him.
“Amelia, I mean.”
I looked away.
“I’m really sorry about everything,” His voice broke.
“I was a stupid, hate filled child. I-I just… what I did was the most disgusting thing. And I’m willing to spend my entire life trying to make up for it in any way I can.”
I kept my poker face.
“And honestly, Amelia, guilt is not the only reason why I’m here. I just… I truly want to be a part of her life…” He looked at the baby.
“If you’d let me, of course. But I really want to try-”
“Cut it out, Jason,” I snapped. “She’s your daughter. You don’t need my permission to be in her life. So cut it out.”
Talking was painful. I needed to save up all my strength.
“Just leave, please.”
Nodding, he handed the baby back to me. “I’m sorry,” He whimpered. “I really am.”
As he said those words, the baby began to cry. Try as much as I could, she wouldn’t stop crying.
Jason stretched his arms to take her and I reluctantly let him.
Almost immediately, she stopped crying.
I suddenly felt an unnecessary pang of jealousy. So she liked her dad better? Okay.
I sighed silently, knowing I was only sulking.
As I watched Jason coo the baby, I couldn’t help the smile that creeped up my face.