Mercedes lay in the hospital bed listening to the beep beep beep of the fetal monitor. Beep beep beep. Was it her imagination or was there a slight pause between two of those beeps? She listened carefully. Beep beep beep. No, it's nothing. Ten minutes later it happened again. The nurses had explained how this was all a formality, and in any case they can monitor everything from the nurses station. It was nothing. Another pause, longer than the other time. She buzzed the nurse, no harm in checking.

"Yes, Mercedes, that's perfectly normal. You can call anytime but-" this time the baby's heart skipped a beat and a buzzer went off. Then all hell broke loose. Nobody panicked, but they definitely snapped to attention and moved with a brisk efficiency.

"My mom-"

"She's just went to the cafeteria. She's on here way up now."

"It's too early. I have to wait another 3 weeks."

"Looks like somebody's got their own plans." An oxygen mask was put on her face. "Come on darling, it's showtime!"

When she woke up she was sitting on a pier. This must be real, the water was warm against her legs. She could see her feet, the fish in the water, the rocks on the lake floor. She could feel the wooden pier against the back of her legs. She could feel the touch of a familiar hand in hers, she looked at the muscular legs covered in blond peach fuzz.

"Hey, darling." Sam said.

"Where are we baby?" she asked looking into those familiar green eyes, that same big grin.

"I don't know. I've never been here before." He leaned over and kissed her. "How are you feeling?"

"I think I'm dead."

He laughed and looked around again. "I don't think so. It's a harbor. See that boat way out there?"

"Take off your shirt." she said urgently.

"You don't have to ask me twice!" he pulled off his shirt and threw it in the water.

She pulled in into an embrace, kissing him while running her hands up and down his back. She'd made a mental map of his back, of his whole body. She felt the scar from surgery he'd had as a kid. She felt the area around his shoulder blades carefully.

"Looking for the stubs from my wings?" he kissed her again, this time his tongue probing her mouth. "I'm no angel, darling." Then he did a weird thing. He slide out of focus, for just a second.

When he came back into focus they were naked, laying on a blanket in a field of wildflowers. Mercedes didn't look around, she just looked at Sam. They started to make love, like the last time they'd made love. That had been on their "Reverse Honeymoon", the day he left Ohio. Reverse Honeymoon, an ending, not a beginning. That time, they'd gone slowly, as if they controlled the pace of time. As if the longer they held out the more time they'd have together.

Of course, time flows in one direction at a constant speed. Of course, they were 17 years old and couldn't hold off forever. When she was done, and he was done, they held each other and cried. Then they got dressed and went to the airport. This time was like that time, only when they were done Sam laughed victoriously, like he'd just won a prize. He was ecstatically happy and he kissed her breasts. First the left then the right. Then he licked her nipples and said "You're going to need those!" Then he slide out of focus again.

They were sitting on a park bench in Lima. She recognized it right away because they used to watch the sunset from here, back when they were happy. Today they were watching the sunrise. They hardly ever did that.

"Do you remember the last time we watched the sunrise together?" he asked her.

"Yes. You said it was something you never wanted to see, the sun rising on our last day together." she clenched his hand, hard. She didn't know why but she knew she needed to.

"I'm sorry I left you, darling."

"I know you couldn't help it, baby." she squeezed his hand again, even harder.

"I'm still sorry. You've been so alone. I love you."

"I know. I love you to." Squeeze. Hold. Release.

"Mercy, I have go again. But if you every need me, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you?"

"You're quoting old movies?" she said laughing. "Lauren Bacall to Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not. Just put your lips together and...blow."

Sam pressed his lips against hers and blew softly into her mouth. "I love you, darling." He was looking at her, he was looking though her, he was looking past her. "Oh my God! That's the most awesome thing I've ever seen! You did that? It's beautiful!"

She turned her head to see what he was looking at. Nothing. She turned back to look at him. Nothing. He was gone for good this time.

When she woke up she was in the hospital. Her mom on wiping her face with a washcloth. "Merry Christmas, sunshine." Her mother was smiling, happy.

"Hi, mama. Everything okay?"

"Better than okay." her mother kissed her forehead. "Want to see?" She picked up the baby from the bassinet next to Mercedes. "Meet Jack Samuel Evans Jones." She kissed the baby. "And you can call her mama."

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