Benny walked into his sister's hospital room to find her asleep. Jason was sitting beside her bed in a rocking chair cuddling his newborn daughter.
"Fatherhood looks good on you Bull. It's like you were always meant for this moment." Benny smiled.
"All thanks to this little girl right here." Jason looked down at the baby nestled in his arms before teasing Benny. "When are you going to meet a nice woman and give Sophia some cousins?"
Benny rolled his eyes and ignored Jason's attempt at a joke.
"May I?" Benny reached his arms out to the baby.
Jason held the baby out to Benny.
"She's absolutely stunning." Benny could feel the tears threatening to fall. His sister was a mother finally ... to this gorgeous, perfect little girl.
Benny stayed with Jason for a while, holding baby Sophia before finally deciding to give her back to her father.
"Well I better get back to the office. Please let Izzy know I was here." Benny said looking over at his still sleeping sister.
"Of course." Jason smiled as he took his baby girl back.
It was a few more hours before Izzy started to come around. She found her baby girl snuggled up in her daddy's arms, sound asleep. Jason had his head leaned back and was snoring himself.
"I hope Sophia doesn't sleep like her daddy. The man snores like a train." Izzy thought to herself.
She decided it was her turn to hold her baby girl.
"Are you going to hold her all day or does her mom get to spend some time with her?" Izzy asked.
The sound of Izzy's voice woke Jason up.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Jason asked sheepishly.
"Would be better if I was holding our daughter. Now hand her over." Izzy commanded with a smile.
Jason stood up and placed Sophia in her mom's arms.
"Come here, sweet girl." Izzy said as she repositioned the baby.
When a nurse realized Izzy was awake, she came in and started teaching Izzy about how to breastfeed. Jason sat in awe of the fact that he and Izzy were parents. After the newborn got her tummy full, she yawned and fell asleep in her mother's arms as Izzy couldn't put their baby girl down.
"You know motherhood looks great on you Iz." Jason smiled.
"Oh Jason, stop it. That sounds like something my brother would say." Izzy laughed.
"Ok then. Wife and mother really looks great on you?" Jason smirked.
"What?" Izzy exclaimed.
Jason got down on one knee beside Izzy's hospital bed with a small jewler's box in his hand.
"I know you told me 'no' before, but Isabella Colon I love you, and I love our daughter. I know it didn't work out the first time, but I would love to make it work forever this time. Izzy…will you please marry me?" Jason opened the small black box.
Placed neatly in the box was a beautiful diamond ring.
"Jason, is that the engagement ring you gave me when you first proposed to me?" Izzy gasped.
"It is. When you filed for the divorce and threw your wedding rings in my face, I couldn't get rid of them. I put them away and on the lonely nights I would look at them and remember what we had. Longing for the days that had past when I had you in my arms. I never realized that we would get back together all these years later and have a beautiful daughter." Jason could feel the tears coming to his eyes.
"Yes." Izzy replied softly, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Excuse me? Did you just say 'yes'?" Jason couldn't believe his ears.
"You big goof. Yes, I will marry you." Izzy told him with a smirk as she blinked away the tears.
Jason quickly got off his knee and made his way up to sit on the side of the hospital bed to kiss Izzy. A tiny little groan escaped from their daughter.
"I think Miss Sophia approves of her mommy and daddy getting married." Jason smiled.
Jason helped Izzy put the ring on her finger.
Over the next few days, the team would come in and see Izzy and the baby. During the down time when there were no visitors and Sophia was sleeping, Izzy was planning her and Jason's wedding. She started looking at venues and looking at wedding dresses. Jason hadn't seen Izzy this happy in a long, long time.
Finally, after Izzy spent 4 days in the hospital, the day came for the Bull family to go home. Jason's driver picked them up at the hospital, car seat already installed in the back. Jason helped Izzy get into the car before he buckled their tiny newborn into her seat.
Once they arrived home, Jason helped Izzy out of the car before he got their daughter, car seat and all out. As they walked through the door, they were taken aback.
"Surprise!" the TAC team yelled.
"What is all this?" Jason said looking around his and Izzy's home.
His team had gone above and beyond decorating the place with pink balloons and streamers. A sign hung above the kitchen table reading 'Welcome Home Izzy and Sophia.'
"Guys this is so sweet!" Izzy said, looking like she was about to cry as she hugged the members of the TAC team.
"Well, is Aunt Marissa going to get to see this baby girl or not?" Marissa smirked as she took Sophia from Jason.
Izzy and Jason marveled at how their house felt like a home with Sophia in it.
After the team left, Izzy settled down and began pumping.
"I thought you were going to breastfeed?" Jason asked.
"I am, I just want to put some up in the freezer for Sophia in case you ever want to feed her." Izzy smiled.
"That is very thoughtful of you." Jason said.
When it came time for bed, Jason found Izzy rocking Sophia in the nursery. Izzy looked up to see Jason in the doorway.
"I still can't believe she's ours." Izzy whispered, as she tried to get their daughter to go to sleep. "It's like a dream. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and she won't be here."
"She's all ours Izzy. And she will be here when we wake up. Come on, let's go lay down. I have the baby monitor on. She will be fine." Jason convinced his fiancee.
Izzy kissed her daughter's forehead before placing her in her crib.
"Good night sweet girl." Izzy said, smoothing down the little girl's headful of hair.
Jason held Izzy that night, thankful for the many blessings he had. He already had TAC but now his life was complete with his beautiful fiancée, and his beautiful daughter.
In the middle of the night, Sophia started screaming and crying. Jason's eyes flew open as did Izzy's , not expecting the noise coming from the baby's room.
"Your daughter is hungry." Jason yawned.
"She's your daughter too." Izzy turned over and placed her head on his chest.
"I can't feed her like you do." Jason said, reaching for the light.
He soon found that Izzy had already fallen back to sleep. He felt bad at how exhausted she was from one day at home. He carefully got up and made his way to the nursery.
"Hey there pretty girl. Mommy is sleeping right now. Let's see what you need." Jason said as he took the little girl out of her crib.
It wasn't long before Jason knew exactly what Sophia needed and made a face. He laid her down on the changing table and about gagged as he opened the diaper.
"And we have a winner." Jason coughed, finding a very full poopy diaper.
He got the little girl cleaned up and then fed her a bottle from the breastmilk in the freezer. He buroed his daughter and then held her close.
"Daddy loves you sweet girl." He said before placing her back in her crib. He watched her as she settled back into sleep.
Jason made his way back to bed and held Izzy in his arms and kissed her cheek.
The next morning, Izzy took care of Sophia before getting a shower. Jason made breakfast for the two of them and had planned to bring it into the bedroom and surprise Izzy. Instead, Jason was the one to get the surprise. He found Izzy dressed and she was struggling with her shoes. She dropped the shoe that was in her left hand.
'That's odd.' Jason thought.
"Izzy?" Jason asked.
Izzy slowly turned to look at Jason before losing her balance.
"Whoa, easy there." Jason said catching Izzy.
He helped her lay down. He looked at her. The left side of her face was drooping.
"Jaaa…bay-bee" Izzy slurred.
"She's fine. I am going to text Marissa to come and watch her. You just relax."
Jason found his phone and called 911. He was scared. He sat on the bed next to Izzy who was out of it.
"911 what's your emergency?" the dispatcher asked.
"I think my fiancée is having a stroke. She just had a baby earlier this week." Jason explained.
After he finished his call to 911, he texted Benny and Marissa. They both rushed over to Jason and Izzy's apartment just as the paramedics were loading Izzy into the back of the ambulance.
"You two go. I will watch Sophia. Let me know how she's doing." Marissa said as she pushed Benny and Jason out the door.
The ride to the hospital was made mostly in silence. Jason kept his eyes glued to the ambulance in front of them. He longed to be right there by Izzy's side, comforting her. When they arrived at the hospital, Jason and Benny were ushered into the emergency waiting room.
"I can't believe this is happening. She was fine. She got up, got a shower. I was making breakfast. We had planned on taking Sophia over to Bella Colon today for Izzy's co-workers to meet her. But Benny it was weird. It was like the left side of Izzy went weak. I helped her lay down and it was like she was there, but she wasn't there." Jason said in shock.
"Ah I know my sister. She's a fighter. We've learned we have to be. We have nothing but each other now. Izzy wouldn't leave me, and she sure wouldn't leave her baby girl." Benny said confidently.
Benny and Jason sat in the waiting room, waiting for any word on Izzy. Jason was texting Marissa for an update on the baby when a doctor walked out.
"Family of Isabella Colon?" a doctor said.
"That's us!" Benny said standing up.
"Are both of you family?" the doctor asked.
"I'm her fiancée and this is her brother." Jason said putting a hand on Benny's shoulder.
"I'm Dr. Josiah Stafford, I'm the one that worked on Isabella." Dr. Stafford said.
"How is she doing doc?" Jason asked.
Jason desperately wanted to bust through the doors and be by Izzy's side. Let her know everything was going to be ok.
"Would you gentlemen please follow me?" Dr. Stafford said.
Benny and Jason exchanged a worried look before following the doctor.
"I was told in the ambulance Isabella's vitals became very unstable and dropped. Once we got her here in the emergency room, we tried everything we could to stabilize her. We think it is because of the c-section she had earlier this week that she threw a blood clot and had a massive stroke." Dr. Stafford explained.
"But she's ok right? A little weakness, get her in some therapy and she will be fine right?" Benny questioned.
"I'm afraid not. Isabella died. There was nothing we could do for her." Dr. Stafford apologized.
"Oh God…no!" Benny screamed out and began to cry. "Why? She has a newborn baby!"
"I'm very sorry for your loss." Dr. Stafford said.
"Can we at least see her?" Jason asked.
He was in complete shock. He didn't break down like Benny. It was like he was trapped in a nightmare.
"Of course. This way please." Dr. Stafford motioned.
Jason put an arm around Benny and led him to Izzy's room.
"Take as much time as you need." Dr. Stafford said.
The nurses had already cleaned Izzy up.
"She looks so peaceful. Almost like she is just sleeping." Jason said as he ran his fingers through her hair.
Benny couldn't form a sentence. He sat down beside Izzy's bed and took her hand before breaking down.
A realization hit Jason. Izzy was gone and he was now a single father. He had no idea what he was going to do next. His life wasn't complete without Izzy in it.