Chapter 8:
Finally, the day had come. Time to give birth. I was taken to the hospital at 5:41
am in the morning. Daddy drove Miguel and me there. Hank, Noah, Liz, Gwen, and
Beth arrived just a little bit later.
During the drive there, Miguel held my hand the whole time. He whispered in
my ear about how he couldn't wait for our baby to finally come out. He seemed so
excited. That made me happy. Miguel may not have been mine at that point, and he
isn't mine now, but it was a comfort to know that he was forever tied to me through this
child.
I do not happen to believe in fate the way Theresa did, but looking back on that
day, I could tell fate was on my side. It always had been. Charity may have stolen
Miguel's heart, but that's all she stole. (Besides, her and Miguel were barely speaking
now. She was still upset. She hadn't forgiven him yet.) I was the one who had the
memories, the "firsts" as I liked to call it. First friend, first kiss, first person who was
there for him when his father disappeared. First girl he made love to. And now first girl
who was having his baby. I knew there could and very possibly would be seconds,
thirds, fourths even. But the way I saw it, I was there for him from the very beginning.
That should account for something, right? We had gone through so much together, our
lives had been so intertwined as we were growing up - it only seemed right that we
would one day link our lives together forever through marriage.
But at that time, I had other stuff to worry about. Like the contractions! They
hurt so much, but it was worth it. I clutched Miguel's hand as Daddy parked the car in
the hospital lot. I was soon placed on a stretcher and rushed inside.
"I'm here for you, Kay," Miguel assured me.
"I know, Miguel," I answered quickly.
A few hours had passed, and ..... nothing. This baby didn't want to come out just
yet!
By that time, Theresa, Pilar and the Russell sisters had come to the hospital as
well.
Pilar gave me an affectionate hug. "You're going to make me a grandma,
honey," she said.
I smiled through my contractions.
"I must say, though, Kay," she continued. "I didn't expect my first grandchild
to be born under these circumstances - what with no marriage between the baby's
parents and all. But knowing that it's you who is giving me my first grandchild makes
me so happy. I know everything will be all right."
I began to cry. Her words hit home. They were so sincere - I had been missing
that endearment in my life. My Mother had pretty much "given up" on me and was no
longer in my life. Growing up, Pilar had always been like a second mother. And she
seemed like a real mom to me now more than ever.
"Thank you," I said through my tears. "For everything."
She gave me another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Dr. Russell walked in then.
"How's everything going, Kay?" she asked me.
"Good, Dr. Russell," I answered. "The contractions are getting closer."
She nodded. "You should be carrying a little boy in your arms soon." She
grinned at me.
I beamed. I was soon going to carry Miguel's child in my arms. My child. The
child we had created together. Everything I had done - the manipulations, the schemes,
they didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was this baby. That day was one of the
best days ever. I was going to get the greatest gift in life. To give life.
The contractions got more intense. The pain increased. I must have looked like
a mess; I hadn't had time to brush my hair or put on some makeup before we came to
the hospital.
"I think it's time," Dr. Russell told Miguel, Daddy, Pilar and me.
The others, Gwen, Beth, Noah, Sheridan, Theresa, Ethan, Antonio, Luis,
Simone and Hank, were anxiously waiting outside.
"Let's go, Kay," Miguel urged me, holding my hand.
"Come on, honey you can do it," Daddy encouraged.
I nodded at them all.
The process was long and hard and it took the life out of me but the baby
eventually was born. My baby. I looked at Miguel and smiled through my tears.
Here was our child. Ohhh, he looked so much like Miguel already! It was too
soon to tell but our baby did have Miguel's dark brown hair and eyes, and his fair skin.
Miguel looked back at me as I held the baby in my arms. He came closer and
touched the baby for the first time.
I could tell he loved our son as much as I did.
"Kay...." Miguel began, not finding the words to describe how he felt.
"He's beautiful, Miguel!" I answered. "What should we name him?"
"How about Ricky?" Miguel suggested.
"I love it," I answered smiling.
Miguel gave me a slow kiss on the lips. It took me by surprise but I returned it.
He hadn't kissed me like that since that night of love we shared a little over nine
months ago. I knew that his heart still belonged to Charity, and that he was only
kissing me because of this situation, but it felt so right! This was the first time he
kissed me on his own choice. No "Charity's Essence", no spin the bottle. It felt so
good to be in his arms and feel his lips on mine.
He didn't have to say much because I knew how he was feeling. I was feeling
the same way. Something new was changing our lives and we were both happy that we
had each other to turn to for support.
Finally, the day had come. Time to give birth. I was taken to the hospital at 5:41
am in the morning. Daddy drove Miguel and me there. Hank, Noah, Liz, Gwen, and
Beth arrived just a little bit later.
During the drive there, Miguel held my hand the whole time. He whispered in
my ear about how he couldn't wait for our baby to finally come out. He seemed so
excited. That made me happy. Miguel may not have been mine at that point, and he
isn't mine now, but it was a comfort to know that he was forever tied to me through this
child.
I do not happen to believe in fate the way Theresa did, but looking back on that
day, I could tell fate was on my side. It always had been. Charity may have stolen
Miguel's heart, but that's all she stole. (Besides, her and Miguel were barely speaking
now. She was still upset. She hadn't forgiven him yet.) I was the one who had the
memories, the "firsts" as I liked to call it. First friend, first kiss, first person who was
there for him when his father disappeared. First girl he made love to. And now first girl
who was having his baby. I knew there could and very possibly would be seconds,
thirds, fourths even. But the way I saw it, I was there for him from the very beginning.
That should account for something, right? We had gone through so much together, our
lives had been so intertwined as we were growing up - it only seemed right that we
would one day link our lives together forever through marriage.
But at that time, I had other stuff to worry about. Like the contractions! They
hurt so much, but it was worth it. I clutched Miguel's hand as Daddy parked the car in
the hospital lot. I was soon placed on a stretcher and rushed inside.
"I'm here for you, Kay," Miguel assured me.
"I know, Miguel," I answered quickly.
A few hours had passed, and ..... nothing. This baby didn't want to come out just
yet!
By that time, Theresa, Pilar and the Russell sisters had come to the hospital as
well.
Pilar gave me an affectionate hug. "You're going to make me a grandma,
honey," she said.
I smiled through my contractions.
"I must say, though, Kay," she continued. "I didn't expect my first grandchild
to be born under these circumstances - what with no marriage between the baby's
parents and all. But knowing that it's you who is giving me my first grandchild makes
me so happy. I know everything will be all right."
I began to cry. Her words hit home. They were so sincere - I had been missing
that endearment in my life. My Mother had pretty much "given up" on me and was no
longer in my life. Growing up, Pilar had always been like a second mother. And she
seemed like a real mom to me now more than ever.
"Thank you," I said through my tears. "For everything."
She gave me another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Dr. Russell walked in then.
"How's everything going, Kay?" she asked me.
"Good, Dr. Russell," I answered. "The contractions are getting closer."
She nodded. "You should be carrying a little boy in your arms soon." She
grinned at me.
I beamed. I was soon going to carry Miguel's child in my arms. My child. The
child we had created together. Everything I had done - the manipulations, the schemes,
they didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was this baby. That day was one of the
best days ever. I was going to get the greatest gift in life. To give life.
The contractions got more intense. The pain increased. I must have looked like
a mess; I hadn't had time to brush my hair or put on some makeup before we came to
the hospital.
"I think it's time," Dr. Russell told Miguel, Daddy, Pilar and me.
The others, Gwen, Beth, Noah, Sheridan, Theresa, Ethan, Antonio, Luis,
Simone and Hank, were anxiously waiting outside.
"Let's go, Kay," Miguel urged me, holding my hand.
"Come on, honey you can do it," Daddy encouraged.
I nodded at them all.
The process was long and hard and it took the life out of me but the baby
eventually was born. My baby. I looked at Miguel and smiled through my tears.
Here was our child. Ohhh, he looked so much like Miguel already! It was too
soon to tell but our baby did have Miguel's dark brown hair and eyes, and his fair skin.
Miguel looked back at me as I held the baby in my arms. He came closer and
touched the baby for the first time.
I could tell he loved our son as much as I did.
"Kay...." Miguel began, not finding the words to describe how he felt.
"He's beautiful, Miguel!" I answered. "What should we name him?"
"How about Ricky?" Miguel suggested.
"I love it," I answered smiling.
Miguel gave me a slow kiss on the lips. It took me by surprise but I returned it.
He hadn't kissed me like that since that night of love we shared a little over nine
months ago. I knew that his heart still belonged to Charity, and that he was only
kissing me because of this situation, but it felt so right! This was the first time he
kissed me on his own choice. No "Charity's Essence", no spin the bottle. It felt so
good to be in his arms and feel his lips on mine.
He didn't have to say much because I knew how he was feeling. I was feeling
the same way. Something new was changing our lives and we were both happy that we
had each other to turn to for support.