Chapter 10
"Can I come with you Mommy?" Sara asked as Lucy prepared to leave for the hospital.
Lucy turned to her daughter, "not yet, honey, and besides you have school today."
"Do I have to go?" Sara whined, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub.
Lucy smiled gently at Sara through the mirror, "yep," she replied.
"When will Adam come to school with me."
Lucy laughed, "not for awhile honey."
"Can I bring him for show and tell?"
"Sure, someday when he's bigger," Lucy replied, still laughing.
"Are you going to go see him today?"
"Right after I drop you off."
"Are you going to come to my parent-teacher conference?"
Lucy put her hand on her forehead, "oh, I forgot about that, do you know what time it is."
Sara's face immediately filled with disappointment, "it says on the paper you hung on the fridge."
Lucy quickly finished her mascara and walked into the kitchen, "Three- thirty, I wonder if Grandma can watch you," Lucy said as she grabbed her cell phone, dialing Annie's number as she and Sara walked out the door.
"Hello?"
"Hey mom, It's Lucy."
"Oh, Lucy how are you?"
"I'm okay, Sara has parent teacher conferences today, I was wondering if you could watch her while Kevin and I go?"
"Sure, Eric's taking Sam and David to basketball practice, so why don't I pick her up from school and she can have dinner with us."
"That would be great, if you don't mind."
"No, of course not."
"Thanks mom."
"No problem, and Luce?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care."
"I will, bye mom."
"Bye."
Lucy turned to Sara just as they were pulling up to the school, "Grandma's going to pick you up from school okay?"
Sara nodded and quickly climbed out of the car.
Lucy waved goodbye then quickly drove to the hospital, just as she reached the maternity ward her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" she answered, quietly.
"Hey sweetie, it's me."
Lucy smiled at the phone, "what's up?" she asked.
"Nothing, I just wanted to see how you were."
Lucy laughed, it was Kevin's first day back at work, and already he was worrying about her.
"I'm fine, but we forgot that Sara has parent-teacher conferences today."
"Tuesday right, do you want me to go, and you can stay home with her."
"No, that's okay, I called my mom, she's going to pick her up from school, so we can both go."
"Okay, are you at the hospital."
"Yeah, I just got here."
"How about I come over around 2:30, then we can go to the conference together and then come back to the hospital to say goodnight to Adam."
Lucy laughed, "okay, I'll see you then."
"Bye, I love you."
"I love you too."
Lucy quickly placed the phone in her purse and walked into the NICU.
"How is he?" she asked a nearby nurse.
The nurse smiled, "he's doing really well."
"Can I hold him?" Lucy asked, knowing the answer would be, 'not yet.' Which it was.
Lucy sat for a few minutes just staring into the incubator. After a moment, she leaned closer and began to sing softly,
"Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day,
and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all
How will you make it on your own?
This world is awfully big,
girl this time you're all alone
But it's time you started living
It's time you let someone else do some giving
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all"
The nurse who was standing nearby smiled gently at Lucy, "you have a beautiful voice."
Lucy smiled back, "thank you, that song is kind of a tradition in my family, but Adam never got his song."
The nurse smiled gently, "you're really lucky you know."
Lucy nodded, "I know," she replied as the nurse sat down next to her.
"I've seen so many babies die, and it's so hard, Adam is just so, so perfect, I think he'll be fine."
Lucy smiled, "yeah he is, and thanks."
~
"Sara!" Annie called from where she was standing near her mini-van.
Sara quickly sad goodbye to her friends and walked over to her grandmother.
"How are you?" Annie asked, embracing her granddaughter.
"I'm good," Sara replied, "do you want to see, the picture I made today?"
"Sure, I'd love to!"
A bright smile immediately appeared on Sara's face, "really, you have time?"
Annie laughed, "I have all the time in the world for you."
~
Kevin and Lucy walked hand in hand to Sara's classroom.
"Oh you must me Mr. and Mrs. Kinkirk," the teacher said, standing up to greet them.
They nodded, "It's nice to meet you," Lucy replied, as they shook hands.
"I'm glad you could make it, Sara told me about her little brother."
Lucy and Kevin nodded, "we just came from the hospital."
"Actually if you don't mind, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure." Lucy replied, wondering what this was about.
"Would you mind telling me the story about how you adopted Sara?"
Lucy smiled, "I volunteered at Floyd School as a teaching assistant, and I met her there. We kind of became friends and I gave her and a friend my phone number and told them that if they ever needed help or wanted to talk they could call me. That night at like two in the morning, her friend called me and told me that Sara's mom was." Lucy paused, trying not to remember, "was beating here. Kevin was working the night shift so I ran across the street and got my brother in law and we drove over there. I also called Kevin in the car. When I got there the woman was." Lucy's voice trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Kevin gently squeezed her hand and continued the story, "Lucy immediately pulled the woman off Sara, but she was drunk and started to attack Lucy. Anyways they both ended up in the hospital. Sara's dad was already in jail and her mom of course was sentenced. I was talking to the social worker and she said that Sara was going to have to go into foster care."
"So you adopted her?" the teacher asked.
Lucy and Kevin nodded, wondering where she was leading with this.
"Does she call you mom and dad?"
The nodded again, "we told her she didn't have to, but she wanted to." Lucy added.
"How does she feel about Adam?"
Lucy and Kevin looked at each other realizing that the hadn't paid much attention to Sara since the birth, "Umm.she um." Lucy's voice trailed off as she thought about how Sara must be feeling.
"It's okay," the teacher replied, "my son was born three months premature, and I know what it's like, but I have something I think you should see."
Lucy and Kevin looked at her nervously as the teacher handed them a few sheets of lined paper.
"The assignment was to write a story about something that was important to them and why."
A cuPPle montHs ago my mommy reScud me from my other mommy. Last week my baby brutHer was born 3 monthS Premucher. Before He waS born me and mommy and daddy did alot of thingS togethor. We used to go out for diner and to movieS. Now tHey go to the HoSpitol every day. THey used to tuk me in at nite and mommy wuld read me a storie, but now they juSt Say its bed time. THey dont have enuf time four me anemore. I dont tHink they want me anemore. THis is important becuS I love them and I want to Stay in there family. But I dont tHink tHey want me anemore.
"Can I come with you Mommy?" Sara asked as Lucy prepared to leave for the hospital.
Lucy turned to her daughter, "not yet, honey, and besides you have school today."
"Do I have to go?" Sara whined, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub.
Lucy smiled gently at Sara through the mirror, "yep," she replied.
"When will Adam come to school with me."
Lucy laughed, "not for awhile honey."
"Can I bring him for show and tell?"
"Sure, someday when he's bigger," Lucy replied, still laughing.
"Are you going to go see him today?"
"Right after I drop you off."
"Are you going to come to my parent-teacher conference?"
Lucy put her hand on her forehead, "oh, I forgot about that, do you know what time it is."
Sara's face immediately filled with disappointment, "it says on the paper you hung on the fridge."
Lucy quickly finished her mascara and walked into the kitchen, "Three- thirty, I wonder if Grandma can watch you," Lucy said as she grabbed her cell phone, dialing Annie's number as she and Sara walked out the door.
"Hello?"
"Hey mom, It's Lucy."
"Oh, Lucy how are you?"
"I'm okay, Sara has parent teacher conferences today, I was wondering if you could watch her while Kevin and I go?"
"Sure, Eric's taking Sam and David to basketball practice, so why don't I pick her up from school and she can have dinner with us."
"That would be great, if you don't mind."
"No, of course not."
"Thanks mom."
"No problem, and Luce?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care."
"I will, bye mom."
"Bye."
Lucy turned to Sara just as they were pulling up to the school, "Grandma's going to pick you up from school okay?"
Sara nodded and quickly climbed out of the car.
Lucy waved goodbye then quickly drove to the hospital, just as she reached the maternity ward her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" she answered, quietly.
"Hey sweetie, it's me."
Lucy smiled at the phone, "what's up?" she asked.
"Nothing, I just wanted to see how you were."
Lucy laughed, it was Kevin's first day back at work, and already he was worrying about her.
"I'm fine, but we forgot that Sara has parent-teacher conferences today."
"Tuesday right, do you want me to go, and you can stay home with her."
"No, that's okay, I called my mom, she's going to pick her up from school, so we can both go."
"Okay, are you at the hospital."
"Yeah, I just got here."
"How about I come over around 2:30, then we can go to the conference together and then come back to the hospital to say goodnight to Adam."
Lucy laughed, "okay, I'll see you then."
"Bye, I love you."
"I love you too."
Lucy quickly placed the phone in her purse and walked into the NICU.
"How is he?" she asked a nearby nurse.
The nurse smiled, "he's doing really well."
"Can I hold him?" Lucy asked, knowing the answer would be, 'not yet.' Which it was.
Lucy sat for a few minutes just staring into the incubator. After a moment, she leaned closer and began to sing softly,
"Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day,
and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all
How will you make it on your own?
This world is awfully big,
girl this time you're all alone
But it's time you started living
It's time you let someone else do some giving
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all"
The nurse who was standing nearby smiled gently at Lucy, "you have a beautiful voice."
Lucy smiled back, "thank you, that song is kind of a tradition in my family, but Adam never got his song."
The nurse smiled gently, "you're really lucky you know."
Lucy nodded, "I know," she replied as the nurse sat down next to her.
"I've seen so many babies die, and it's so hard, Adam is just so, so perfect, I think he'll be fine."
Lucy smiled, "yeah he is, and thanks."
~
"Sara!" Annie called from where she was standing near her mini-van.
Sara quickly sad goodbye to her friends and walked over to her grandmother.
"How are you?" Annie asked, embracing her granddaughter.
"I'm good," Sara replied, "do you want to see, the picture I made today?"
"Sure, I'd love to!"
A bright smile immediately appeared on Sara's face, "really, you have time?"
Annie laughed, "I have all the time in the world for you."
~
Kevin and Lucy walked hand in hand to Sara's classroom.
"Oh you must me Mr. and Mrs. Kinkirk," the teacher said, standing up to greet them.
They nodded, "It's nice to meet you," Lucy replied, as they shook hands.
"I'm glad you could make it, Sara told me about her little brother."
Lucy and Kevin nodded, "we just came from the hospital."
"Actually if you don't mind, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure." Lucy replied, wondering what this was about.
"Would you mind telling me the story about how you adopted Sara?"
Lucy smiled, "I volunteered at Floyd School as a teaching assistant, and I met her there. We kind of became friends and I gave her and a friend my phone number and told them that if they ever needed help or wanted to talk they could call me. That night at like two in the morning, her friend called me and told me that Sara's mom was." Lucy paused, trying not to remember, "was beating here. Kevin was working the night shift so I ran across the street and got my brother in law and we drove over there. I also called Kevin in the car. When I got there the woman was." Lucy's voice trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Kevin gently squeezed her hand and continued the story, "Lucy immediately pulled the woman off Sara, but she was drunk and started to attack Lucy. Anyways they both ended up in the hospital. Sara's dad was already in jail and her mom of course was sentenced. I was talking to the social worker and she said that Sara was going to have to go into foster care."
"So you adopted her?" the teacher asked.
Lucy and Kevin nodded, wondering where she was leading with this.
"Does she call you mom and dad?"
The nodded again, "we told her she didn't have to, but she wanted to." Lucy added.
"How does she feel about Adam?"
Lucy and Kevin looked at each other realizing that the hadn't paid much attention to Sara since the birth, "Umm.she um." Lucy's voice trailed off as she thought about how Sara must be feeling.
"It's okay," the teacher replied, "my son was born three months premature, and I know what it's like, but I have something I think you should see."
Lucy and Kevin looked at her nervously as the teacher handed them a few sheets of lined paper.
"The assignment was to write a story about something that was important to them and why."
A cuPPle montHs ago my mommy reScud me from my other mommy. Last week my baby brutHer was born 3 monthS Premucher. Before He waS born me and mommy and daddy did alot of thingS togethor. We used to go out for diner and to movieS. Now tHey go to the HoSpitol every day. THey used to tuk me in at nite and mommy wuld read me a storie, but now they juSt Say its bed time. THey dont have enuf time four me anemore. I dont tHink they want me anemore. THis is important becuS I love them and I want to Stay in there family. But I dont tHink tHey want me anemore.