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Chapter 37

"This one is from the baby, I know, it sounds stupid but I bought it before the wedding ... I mean before we were suppose to get married and I was going to give it to you then," John sat again in the chair next to her and he opened the paper on the small box, he moved the paper out of the way as he revealed a gold locket on a chain. John opened the locket with his finger.

"It's a locket, I already put a picture of us, a tiny picture and you don't even want to know what I had to go thru to get a picture that small none the less put it in this thing, anyway.. it has a picture of us on one side and the other side is waiting for a picture of our baby." John told her as he closed the locket, un-did the clasp and put it around her neck, re-clasped it and let it hang on her neck. He felt himself start to tear and he rubbed his eyes a bit pushing them back, the tears.

"Okay, there's more presents, this one I actually bought for the baby" John opened up another nicely wrapped present and it was a teddy bear with a blue velvet bow on it.

"I think this one will have to go back, I forgot it had a blue bow on it, and our daughter probably wouldn't like it very much"

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"I'm still so tired, what's going on? Am I home yet, John, John, honey when will I be home? What am I doing here?" Natalie said as she looked around and she was in some kind of park, there were children running and playing, there was a swing set, she loved swings, ever since she was a little girl,. Natalie had been drawn to the swings, she watched as a small girl with red hair ran up to the swing and sat down on it.

"Push me daddy, push me" she heard the little girl say and Natalie watched as John walked over behind the girl and started pushing her. She stood frozen watching them as they laughed and joked, as John pushed the girl higher and higher. Then she heard the little girl speak again.

"Now you mommy, push me, higher, high up to the sky, please?" Natalie didn't move, she just watched the little girls face as she pleaded for her mom to come push her. She even heard John.

"Come on, your turn to push her, she wants you to"

Natalie shook her head, then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't turn to see who it was, she knew.

"Their waiting Natalie, go to them"

" I can't I'm so tired, I need to rest more"

"No you don't, you only need them, they only need you, go Natalie, go Now"

Natalie watched the picture in front of her for another minute and then she heard the girl again

"Mommy, please push me" Natalie started to walk towards the girl on the swing, towards John behind the girl, she smiled, she wasn't tired any longer.

"I know I didn't tell you yet, but... you know Michael he has a big mouth and he found out the baby was a girl so it turns out you were right after all, we are having a girl, I really wanted to tell you when you woke up but I---"

"I am awake, John" Natalie said as her eye's fluttered open

John looked at her as he heard the words, beautiful words coming from her mouth. Any words would have been beautiful music to his ears at this point. John tried to speak but got choked up at seeing her eye's open, he tried to smile but couldn't form anything on his face but a slight smirk, suddenly feeling like maybe he was imagining things he pushed the call button on the wall. Again he tried to speak but couldn't, he just watched her for a minute when Michael came running into the room.

"John, I was at the nurses station when the button went off, what's going on" Michael asked as he walked into the room, Natalie's eyes had fluttered closed again, and she wasn't speaking.

"She woke up Mikey" John said and he pointed towards Natalie.

"I..I don't know what happened.. she was awake a minute ago" John said getting upset as he went real close to her, he put his hand on her face. He could have sworn she was awake; Michael took his little flashlight and started towards her eyes, when they opened, they blinked a little first but they opened up wide, John's grin spread wide and Michael looked at her curious.

"Playing possum Natalie, so maybe I would leave and you could have this big guy all to yourself"

"I guess you aren't as dumb as you look then" she said with a slight smile on her face, as her eye's adapted to the light in the room.

"Good to have you back Kid" Michael told her as he glanced at her machines, everything was fine, more the fine she and the baby were perfect. Michael walked passed John who looked stunned for a few seconds.

"I can't believe you 're awake" John said as he pulled his chair close to the bed, he sat down in it, and he brought his face and his hands to her. He rested a hand on her stomach and the other on her cheek.

"I had to wake, someone's got to take care of you and I need to push our daughter on the swings"