I don't own any of the SSD characters as they belong to Martha Williamson. Enjoy and please review!
Chapter 2:
Shane:
Shane drove along the highway trying to focus on the road. She couldn't stop thinking about Savannah and Oliver. She prayed out loud in the car. "Dear God, please protect my family. Let Savannah be in as little pain as possible. Help Oliver remember her stuffed owl to comfort her, and please let them return safely and peacefully from the hospital. Amen." It was a simple prayer, but Shane still wasn't as good at praying as Oliver. He always told her that God doesn't judge how you pray, He's just glad to hear from you. Oliver always told her to talk to God like how she would talk to anyone else too. That's all she knew how to do, so that's what she did. She didn't know how to be profound like Oliver. But she was soon taken out of her thoughts because all of a sudden the objects outside the windshield started to blur. Shane couldn't tell if she was crying or if it was raining, but when she heard the thunder, she knew it was both. Luckily she was pulling into the adoption agency parking lot at the exact same time. She saw Rita's car parked a few spaces over. Today Rita was a adopting a 5 year old girl from Japan. Shane didn't bother rushing inside. She didn't have the energy in her to try to avoid the rain. By the time she had walked the short distance to the door, she was soaked.
Oliver:
Oliver had a tote bag packed full of things that might be needed at the hospital; snacks Savannah liked (since she's a picky eater like him), water bottles, Savannah's stuffed owl. Oliver even packed one of Shane's gym shirts because when Savannah got her cast, her arm wouldn't fit in her tiny sleeves anymore. Shane's shirt would definitely look like a huge dress on her tiny figure, but it was the best he could do. Oliver tiptoed downstairs with the tote bag - Shane's tote bag. He liked having it with him. He walked into the living room and gently rubbed Savannah's hair. She didn't wake up. She was a deep sleeper like her mom. Oliver loved that Savannah had a combination of both his and Shane's personalities. She was the spitting image of her mom though, her wavy blonde hair framed her face as she slept. Shane called her a daddy's girl. Oliver certainly didn't mind that. Savannah had always wanted him to hold her when she was a baby. And she always wanted Oliver to be the grizzly bear in their bedtime stories instead of Shane. Oliver chuckled at that as he rubbed Savannah's back to wake her up. Savannah's eyes fluttered and she tried to raise her arm to rub her eyes until she remembered it was hurt. She started to cry again. Oliver picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Come here sweetheart, daddy's got you. It's okay."
"Daddy where we go?" Savannah asked through tears.
"We are going to see Dr. Smiley," Oliver replied. The doctor's name was actually Dr. Similee, but when Savannah saw him when she got the flu she called him Dr. Smiley and it just stuck. He made all his patients call him Dr. Smiley now. Savannah cheered right up at the sound of that. "Dr. Smiley, yay!" Oliver carried her outside, strapped her in her carseat, set the tote bag in the passenger seat, and buckled himself up. He briefly glanced over at the passenger seat wishing Shane filled it instead of just her tote bag. He missed her and he was worried about her.
Shane:
Shane spotted Rita in the waiting room in a big red armchair. Her cheeks were red and she looked as if she had been crying. Shane pulled Rita out of her thoughts. "Rita, are you okay?"
"Hi Shane… oh. What happened to you?"
"Oh it's just raining. I didn't have an umbrella."
"Shane you look like you've been crying."
"Well so do you Rita," Shane replied a little too snarky, causing her to regret it immediately. "I'm sorry Rita. I'm just stressed and worried. Savannah broke her arm just before I left. Oliver should be at the hospital with her right now."
"Oh Shane, I hope she's okay. I'm sorry." Rita pulled Shane in for a hug that it seemed they both needed. "Thank you for coming Shane. I have been crying too actually. I just miss Norman and wish he could be here for this. It's a milestone in our life that he won't be here for and get to experience with me."
"Rita, I'm sorry Norman isn't here. But I am here for you. You just have to trust the timing. Norman wishes he could be here but God just has a different plan for him. When Norman gets here, he will love your new daughter as if he did look at her with you the moment she arrived."
"Thank you Shane," was all Rita could muster. Just then a woman in the hallway called Rita's name. "Rita Dorman?" Rita walked up to a short brunette with chin length hair and bright red glasses. She appeared to be in her mid forties. Her name tag read Mrs. Sprouts. She had been the agent helping Rita and Norman along the adoption process.
"Hello Mrs. Sprouts. All the papers are signed right? Unfortunately Norman couldn't be here today. His flight got canceled at the last minute. But I have my best friend Shane here with me instead." Rita gestured towards Shane who stepped forward and shook Mrs. Sprout's hand.
"Shane O'Toole. Hello."
"Hello Mrs. O'Toole. Glad you could come for Rita. She is going to be an amazing adoptive mother." Rita's cheeks turned a bright pink. "Thank you Mrs. Sprouts."
"All the papers are signed Rita. She is waiting back there for you. I will bring her out."
Rita waited excitedly at the end of the hall for Mrs. Sprouts to return with her little girl. Shane stood off to the side staring at her phone. Rita didn't know why she wasn't paying attention. A few minutes later Mrs. Sprouts brought out a small girl with shiny black hair, velvet brown eyes, and the cutest little toothy grin you'd ever seen. Rita beamed as she crouched down and hugged the girl, crying while she did so. It had taken her and Norman three years to get this adoption finalized. Shane stood behind Rita and said "Norman, can you see?"
Norman stuttered through tears, "Yes, I can see. Hello Caroline. I'm Norman - your new dad." Rita looked up to see her husband's face on Shane's cell phone.
"Norman!" Rita picked up Caroline so she could see her new dad's face. "Say hi to daddy Caroline," Rita said as she waved with Caroline to Norman. "That's daddy Norman and I'm mommy Rita." Caroline was still a little shy but she kept waving her hand excitedly at Norman's small face on the screen. "Norman and Rita," Caroline shouted.
"Yes that's right!" Rita exclaimed. She squeezed her new daughter. "And Caroline, this beautiful lady is your Aunt Shane. You get to be a big cousin to her daughter Savannah."
"Hi Caroline," Shane said as she smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you." Shane handed her phone over to Rita so she could talk to Norman. She looked over at Rita holding her new daughter and a sense of longing filled her heart. She wished her own daughter was in her arms.
Oliver:
Oliver pulled into the hospital parking lot and carried Savannah into the emergency room. Not too long after they checked in, Dr. Smiley called them back. Oliver gently set Savannah down on the squishy doctor's table covered in crinkly white paper. "Well hello again little Savannah. I heard you took a tumble and hurt your arm. Let's take a look." Dr. Smiley had informed Oliver that in order to get proper x-rays he was going to have to move Savannah's arm in a way that might hurt. Oliver understood, but became much more nervous. He decided to call Shane.
Shane:
Back at the adoption agency Shane's phone started to ring in Rita's hand during her FaceTime call with Norman. "Oh, Norman, Shane's phone is ringing. I have to go. Say bye Caroline."
"Bye Norman," squealed Caroline.
"Bye Norman, I love you," Rita added.
"Goodbye. I love you both!" Norman waved and blew Rita and Caroline a kiss. Rita hung up and handed Shane her phone. It had already stopped ringing, but Rita told Shane that Oliver had called and Shane saw the recent call in her notifications. Shane immediately clicked Oliver's number in the "favorites" section of her contacts. "Oliver what's wrong? What's going on?" Shane said in a panicked tone.
"Shane breathe sweetheart, everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you that Dr. Smiley has to move Savannah's arm in order to get the x-rays. But everything is fine. I will keep you updated okay? I love you."
"Yes, okay Oliver. I love you too. Drive safely, and tell Savannah I love her. Bye." Shane hung up abruptly because she just couldn't bear to let Oliver hear her cry again. Rita came over with Caroline and put a hand on Shane's back. "Is everything okay Shane? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, Rita it's okay. But I don't feel well and I want to start heading home so I can see Oliver and Savannah. I need to stop to eat something too. I haven't eaten all day. Will you and Caroline be okay if I go?"
"Yes, go Shane. We'll be fine. Thank you for coming." Rita hugged Shane while holding Caroline. Caroline said "Bye Aunt Shane. Don't cry."
"Bye sweet pea. Aunt Shane will see you soon," Shane replied. Shane ran back out to her car as the tears started flowing more heavily. Shane missed her baby and husband something fierce. She couldn't stop thinking about what Oliver had said. Savannah must have been in so much pain and she hadn't been there. Shane wept all alone in her car. She felt like such a failed mother. She had to get home to her family. But first, she needed some serious, serious chocolate and a skinny vanilla latte so she didn't pass out on the highway. But then again maybe it wasn't a good idea to have coffee.