Chapter Twenty-Three:
Jenny's mouth hung open in shock. Her blue eyes were wide. Mommy. She called me Mommy. She lifted a trembling hand to tuck her blond hair behind her ear and stared. There were no words. They just wouldn't come out. Was it possible, she wondered as she searched the child's eyes. The hope she saw there made her heart pound.
Was it true? Her mind wasn't so sure, but something in her heart was crying out to her. Telling her it was. She felt her own eyes begin to water as she looked deep into those beautiful blue eyes. Everything in her was screaming she's yours. Your baby. She held her hand up to her mouth to muffle the sob that rose in her throat.
Her eyes shifted then to the man who had come running. Running to the rescue. The man whose voice held so much concern for the little girl. So much love. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly stood and turned to face her for the first time. Oh god, she thought. His eyes. The eyes from her dreams.
She felt faint. And would have fallen were it not for Nick's steadying hand on her back. She rushed to assure him--and Josh--she was fine. And her eyes met the stranger's once again. Only...only she knew him. Her heart knew him.
He looked down at the little girl beside him and said with a catch in his voice, "Ali. Go to Nana. Okay baby?" The little girl looked back and forth from her to him in confusion before solemnly nodding her head and obeying his orders.
Without warning, she turned around and came running. To her arms. "Oh Mommy!" she cried. Over and over again. And Jenny's tears mixed with hers as the little girl hugged her neck tight and trembled in her arms. Clinging desperately to her. Afraid to let go.
Jenny didn't want to release her either. Holding her felt so right. Like it was what was meant to be, she thought as she buried her face in her soft hair. Breathing in her scent. She smelled so sweet. She felt a wave of love wash over her. And with that feeling came a flash of her.
Another time. Another place. Holding the same little girl. As a baby with the biggest, brightest blue eyes imaginable. She pulled back in surprise and looked into the tear-filled eyes. Stroked her cheek. Before crushing her in her embrace again.
She rose to her feet. Still clutching the little girl. And looked into his dark eyes. Gazed at his face. "Your eyes," she said quietly. "It's you. You're the man that haunts my dreams. Your eyes are the eyes I can't forget."
He looked at her. Just stared at her. And his face crumpled. The protective mask fell apart. "Sheridan? Is it really you? Tell me this isn't some insane dream of mine," he pleaded as he stepped closer. "Tell me this is real," he said. Raising his hand to her cheek. Wiping away her tears.
She had no answers for him. His name was a mystery. Her past still eluded her. She still had so many questions. So many questions that needed answered. She could only cry as he pulled her into his arms. This was right, her heart told her. She may have forgotten a lot of things. But she remembered this feeling.
Jenny's mouth hung open in shock. Her blue eyes were wide. Mommy. She called me Mommy. She lifted a trembling hand to tuck her blond hair behind her ear and stared. There were no words. They just wouldn't come out. Was it possible, she wondered as she searched the child's eyes. The hope she saw there made her heart pound.
Was it true? Her mind wasn't so sure, but something in her heart was crying out to her. Telling her it was. She felt her own eyes begin to water as she looked deep into those beautiful blue eyes. Everything in her was screaming she's yours. Your baby. She held her hand up to her mouth to muffle the sob that rose in her throat.
Her eyes shifted then to the man who had come running. Running to the rescue. The man whose voice held so much concern for the little girl. So much love. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly stood and turned to face her for the first time. Oh god, she thought. His eyes. The eyes from her dreams.
She felt faint. And would have fallen were it not for Nick's steadying hand on her back. She rushed to assure him--and Josh--she was fine. And her eyes met the stranger's once again. Only...only she knew him. Her heart knew him.
He looked down at the little girl beside him and said with a catch in his voice, "Ali. Go to Nana. Okay baby?" The little girl looked back and forth from her to him in confusion before solemnly nodding her head and obeying his orders.
Without warning, she turned around and came running. To her arms. "Oh Mommy!" she cried. Over and over again. And Jenny's tears mixed with hers as the little girl hugged her neck tight and trembled in her arms. Clinging desperately to her. Afraid to let go.
Jenny didn't want to release her either. Holding her felt so right. Like it was what was meant to be, she thought as she buried her face in her soft hair. Breathing in her scent. She smelled so sweet. She felt a wave of love wash over her. And with that feeling came a flash of her.
Another time. Another place. Holding the same little girl. As a baby with the biggest, brightest blue eyes imaginable. She pulled back in surprise and looked into the tear-filled eyes. Stroked her cheek. Before crushing her in her embrace again.
She rose to her feet. Still clutching the little girl. And looked into his dark eyes. Gazed at his face. "Your eyes," she said quietly. "It's you. You're the man that haunts my dreams. Your eyes are the eyes I can't forget."
He looked at her. Just stared at her. And his face crumpled. The protective mask fell apart. "Sheridan? Is it really you? Tell me this isn't some insane dream of mine," he pleaded as he stepped closer. "Tell me this is real," he said. Raising his hand to her cheek. Wiping away her tears.
She had no answers for him. His name was a mystery. Her past still eluded her. She still had so many questions. So many questions that needed answered. She could only cry as he pulled her into his arms. This was right, her heart told her. She may have forgotten a lot of things. But she remembered this feeling.