Deacon wasn't sure what to expect as he drove the 5 miles to Vanderbilt hospital at 3:30am. Rayna had been so adamant about Teddy being Maddie's father. He wondered if Teddy was there too?
"Was he just supposed to sit in the waiting room as uncle?" he wondered as he put the truck in park in the parking deck
He climbed out, slipping his keys into his coat pocket, crossing the deck in the chilly march morning air. He was nervous. Not sure what to expect as he asked the information desk where to go.
"uuhh…yeah…I need to find Rayna Wyatt or her sister Tandy Hampton?" Deacon asked a nurse as he approached the maternity/ delivery area
"Oh, you're the father! Yes, Rayna's expecting you. Let's get you in a gown and sterilized for your baby's delivery. She's due any second." The woman rushed Deacon into a prep room
"uuhhh…OK, I guess…I wasn't sure she wanted me in the delivery room?" Deacon asked a bit confused once he was dressed and sterile
"Deacon Claybourne, right?" the nurse asked
"Yeah, that's me."
"Yes, she specifically asked that you be brought into the delivery room as soon as you arrived. Come on. You're baby's in a hurry. Rayna's already pushing." The woman smiled ushering Deacon quickly down the hallway to delivery room 6
Rayna looked exhausted already as Deacon entered. She smiled and he immediately took her hand.
"You're here?" her voice cracked and tears pricked her eyes as she squeezed his hand
"Yeah, I'm here. Not so tight…I am a guitarist." He joked as a painful contraction hit and Rayna tightened her grip on his hand
"I'm sorry." She stammered through tears as he gently pushed sweaty red locks from her forehead
"Shhhh, it's OK, baby. Let's just get you through this right now, OK? We'll worry about the rest later."
"OK, Rayna…I need a deep breath and one more big push." The doctor asked as Rayna struggled through another contraction
"I thought she had an epidural, why is she in so much pain?" Tandy asked from the corner where she'd stepped after Deacon arrived to take over at Rayna's side
"Maddie kinda caught us off guard with a quicker than expected arrival. I think the epidural only took on one side. She's feeling everything on her left side." The doctor answered
"Is that dangerous? Is she gonna be OK?" Deacon asked worried
"It happens and is common when they're already pretty dilated during the epidural. Just makes delivery a little rough, but we'll get her something for pain as soon as we get miss Maddie out here." The doctor explained
"Come on, Rayna…one more push should do it." And with that Maddie was in the doctors hands. He quickly cleared mucus from her mouth before handing her to Deacon screaming her head off
"She's already got my temper." Deacon teared up as he held his newborn baby girl for the first time
"Here ya go, sweetie. Here's mama." He cooed to the baby as he put her in Rayna's arms after the cord had been cut
"Maddelynn Grace Claybourne has a nice ring to it, huh?" Rayna smiled watching Deacons every facial expression as he looked at Maddie
"Damn near perfect, just like her." Deacon was happier than Rayna had ever seen him
"Thank you, Ray…for letting me be here for this."
"She's your daughter, Deacon. You have every right to be here. I'm soo sorry I told you otherwise. Can you ever forgive me?"
"I think this moment makes up for just about every fight, or disagreement we've ever had."
"Sorry to interrupt. We'll give her right back, but we need to clean Maddie up and run a few tests." One of the nurses said as she reached for Maddie
A couple hours later Maddie was peacefully sleeping in Deacon's arms in Rayna's hospital room. He hadn't let go since the nurses gave her back. Rayna was exhausted and sound asleep after some drugs for pain a few feet away. He was still a little confused and wasn't sure what to expect as far as the future, but holding Maddie was all that mattered for now.
"Do I get to hold her?" Rayna sleepily asked after another hour had passed
"Oh, hey…how long you been awake?" Deacon smiled as he placed Maddie in Rayna's arms
"A little while. I was just watching you with her. You're a natural already, Deacon. She barely stirs in your arms. I think she already knows how loved and safe she is with her daddy."
"Is that what you want me to be, Ray? Her daddy?" Deacon cautiously asked
"Yeah, you are her daddy, Deacon. I never should have tried to say you weren't. She needs you, and I know you need her too."
"You won't regret it, Ray. I'll never do anything to hurt her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'll never let her down."
"I know, Deacon. I believe you. I know how hard you're trying, and I'm so proud of you."
"That means a lot, Ray. I should probably go home. You and Maddie need your rest. It's been a long day. Can I come back 1st thing tomorrow?"
"You are welcome in our lives anytime, Deacon. We'll see you in the morning." Rayna sleepily smiled as Deacon bent to kiss Maddie.
"I'll put her in her bed. She's out, and you look pretty close to it." Deacon gently placed Maddie in her bed next to Rayna's bed.
Rayna was sound asleep as he quietly slipped out of the room. He was exhausted, but on cloud nine as he drove home that afternoon. Not completely sure what everything meant, or where it would all go, but hopeful about the future again. He hadn't missed Teddy's absence at the hospital, but had decided that was a talk for another time. As far as he knew Rayna and Teddy had been married a few weeks. He'd been avoiding all news and sources of gossip so he was unaware Rayna had called off a second wedding.
Tandy and Lamar had been less than thrilled with Deacon's presence at the hospital, but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered to him was that Rayna was giving him the chance to really be Maddie's father. Suddenly nothing else mattered. Maddie was already his world after just a few hours. In the back of his mind he still held out hope that maybe Rayna would give him another chance somehow, maybe someday.
After a decent night's sleep and an AA meeting he was back at the hospital around 9am the following morning. He had a teddy bear for Maddie and roses for Rayna.
"She's more alert today, huh?" he smiled as he grabbed Maddie from her bed
"Yeah, I think we have a night owl! She barely slept all night. She's been napping since about 6am. Now she's wide awake again." Rayna looked exhausted as Deacon sat in the chair next to her bed with Maddie on his lap
"Hey, baby girl. Look at you all awake this morning. I think you kept mama up past her bedtime though." Deacon held Maddie to his chest patting her back like he'd been doing it for years
"Are we ready to try a bottle?" A nurse asked entering the room with a tiny baby bottle
"Yeah, I guess. We're not breast feeding? I read in one of them baby magazines it's best." Deacon asked
"You're reading magazines about breast feeding?" Rayna laughed
"Hey, I've never done this. I need all the help and advice I can get." Deacon smiled as he took the bottle and let the nurse help him get Maddie situated on is lap for a meal
"You keep surprising me, Deacon Claybourne!" Rayna laughed again at how much he wanted to learn and be a good father
"Actually this is breast milk in the bottle. Rayna pumped this morning. She thought you might like to feed Maddie too."
"Thanks, Ray. I do wanna be part of everything."
"Remember that when she needs a diaper change in a little while or spits up all over your dress shirt." Rayan laughed knowing Deacon didn't have a clue about what was coming, and wore one of his best shirts
"OK, she's had about 2 ounces now. That's good for a newborn feeding. Sit her up and pat her back until she burps." The nurse helped Deacon learn to burp Maddie after feeding
Rayna fell back asleep after the nurse left. Deacon just sat for hours holding Maddie. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful baby he'd ever seen. By late afternoon she was a little fussy. Rayna woke to Deacon pacing the room with her, quietly singing and cooing to calm her. She just watched for a while before telling him she was awake.
"You're already the best father I've ever seen, Deacon. I'm soo sorry I ever doubted you."
"I didn't give you much reason to think otherwise, Ray. I understand. It's OK. You were just protecting our little girl."
"Do you think I could get her back for a little bit?" Rayna asked
"Oh, yeah…I guess I have been a baby hog today." He smiled as he gently placed Maddie in Rayna's arms again
"She looks so much like you, Deacon. All that dark hair, and same facial features."
"I think there's a lot of you in her too, Ray. Let's hope she got the best of us. I already know she has my temper. That might not be pretty in a couple years when the terrible two's set in." Deacon joked
"You seem to have mellowed out with fatherhood. Let's hope some of that calmer, Deacon rubs off on her."
"I hope so. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance with my temper and your diva ways all in one." He laughed
"I am not a diva, thank you very much!"
"How about we just agree to disagree on that note." He smiled gently brushing Maddie's dark locks
"I've never seen you like this, Deacon. I think fatherhood suits you."
"I should probably go, Ray. You and Maddie need some time. I'll be back soon. When do you get outta here? A week or so?" Deacon asked
"No, Deacon." Rayna just laughed
"What?" he asked confused
"They get you out pretty quick. We'll be released tomorrow morning."
"That quick? Are you sure, we're ready?" he asked a little scared suddenly
"I've never seen you more ready for anything, Deacon. Could I ask a favor?"
"Anything, Ray?"
"Tandy has meetings all morning. She said she could push some back, but I don't want her to rearrange her schedule. Could you pick us up around 8, and take us home?"
"Sure, I'll be here. Oh…uhhh..the one thing I didn't get was a car seat. You gotta have one of those, right?" he asked
"Yes, You need a car seat until they're like 8." Rayna just laughed again. He was so worried about every little detail and she loved him for it, even if she wasn't ready to say it
"Don't worry, Ray. I'll get one. The lady at baby depot has made a killing in commissions off me. She'll be happy to see me today. I'll see you both in the morning. Bye, Maddie. Daddy misses you already and I haven't even left yet." He gently kissed Maddie's head before leaving
As he drove across town to Baby Depo he wondered where Teddy had been. He still hadn't asked. Obviously, Rayna wanted him to raise Maddie as his daughter and there had been no mention of Teddy. Rayna's jewelry had been on the bedside table in her hospital room. It hadn't escaped Deacon that her engagement ring was missing.
The lady at Baby Depot had been more than happy to sell him the most expensive car seat in the store, saying it had the best safety ratings and was adjustable as Maddie grew so she could use it for a while.
The next morning as promised he was at the hospital, ready to take Rayna and Maddie home. He went to get the truck as a nurse wheeled Rayna to the hospital exit.
He gently took, and placed Maddie in the new car seat, fumbling with the five point harness. It took him so long the nurse had already helped Rayna into the passenger seat.
"DAMMIT….uuhhhh Darn It!" he blushed, looking up at Rayna, realizing he'd need to watch his mouth as Maddie got older
"She's gonna be a little sponge in a year or so, repeating everything you say, Deacon!" Rayna joked thinking how adorable it was that he was already thinking about that
"Yeah, I know. I'm tryin to watch my mouth. I spent an hour tryin to install this da…"crazy" thing before I got here." He smiled catching himself again as he finally got Maddie all secured in her new car seat
"You'll be a pro after a couple car rides." Rayna smiled taking his hand as he slipped in next to her in the driver's seat
He stared into her eyes, confused about where this was going, and what her intentions with him were. After several seconds of awkward silence he finally decided to just ask. He was happy, but needed to know exactly where he stood. The last thing he wanted to do was cross any boundaries.
"Ray…I…couldn't help but notice Teddy has been missing the past couple days. I know he's not Maddie's father and all, but shouldn't your husband have at least been here?" he asked watching her for reaction
"I called off the wedding, AGAIN! We're not married, and I don't think we're even together at this point. I haven't heard from him since the day we were supposed to get married. I hurt him, and…" she trailed off, swallowing a lump
"You care about him. It's OK. I understand. I just…kinda need to know where we stand, ya know? If all you want me to be is Maddie's daddy…I'm good with that…." Before he could say anymore Rayna had leaned over and pulled him to her for a deep, passionate kiss
"You're so much more than Maddie's dad, Deacon. I love you. I've never not loved you, and I'm sorry it took seeing you with Maddie to make me realize how much I need you. Can we try again? I'm soo sorry I doubted you. You've been amazing these last few days, and I…." tears filled her eyes as Deacon pulled her back for another kiss
"I love you too, Ray! We're good. It's gonna be OK, this time. I promise, baby. I'll never give you a reason to doubt me again. We're kinda in a loadin area here. We better go." He started the truck as an impatient driver behind them honked
"So, where to? You never told me where you were livin now. I guess we have a lot of catchin up to do." He smiled wide as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot, thrilled to have both of his girls, and more ready for the future than he'd ever been
"I have an apartment downtown, overlooking the river, but I think we'd like to go home. Maddie would love to spend some time in her new room at your house. Mind if we stay a while?"
"I'd love that, Ray. Home it is. Funny, we've had that house for 9 years, and it's never felt more like a home than it does right now. Wherever my girls are, is where home is from now on." He couldn't help but smile all the way home, as he held Rayna's hand, and watched Maddie in the rearview mirror.
THE END
