Thank you all!

Chapter 11

Mary cradled her daughter in her arms, kissing the top of her head. There were wisps of blonde hair, just barely there. Mary had only allowed a nurse to take the baby once after she insisted they needed to weigh and check over her. Since then, Mary refused to let her go.

Zoey's hand reached out and Mary gave her one of her fingers to hold. Tears spilled down to her chin.

"I don't know how to do this without your mummy, Zoey," she whispered. "How do I do this if she doesn't come back? She's the strong one; she is the maternal one."

The door to the room opened and Mary looked up, hopeful for news about her wife. Instead, she saw Edith. She scowled. But before she could say anything, Sybil stepped in behind her. The two sisters gave her a small, solemn smile.

"Sorry," Sybil whispered, stepping in further. "It had been a while, so Edith and I were walking around the hospital when I ran into one of my colleagues. They told me what happened to Anna. We wanted to check on you."

Mary just glanced back down at Zoey and began to rock again. She did not like to be vulnerable around others, with the exceptions being Anna and Carson. They were the only people she allowed to see her at her most vulnerable moments.

"I'm fine," she said, a wariness in her voice. "Anna will be fine." She furrowed her brows. Zoey's head moved and her lips curled before a small cry escaped.

"Of course, she will be," Edith said. Both of her sisters were now around her, one on either side, looking at her baby girl. "Oh, look at her. She's darling."

Mary opened her mouth for a retort, but then she saw her sister was being sincere. Her eyes landed on Edith's belly. Her own little girl would be joining them in just a few short months.

"Thank you," Mary whispered. "She looks like Anna."

"Does she have a name?" Sybil asked.

"Zoey," Mary said. "Zoey May."

"Beautiful."

Mary let a few more tears fall. She felt the overwhelming helplessness of not being able to do anything to help Anna.

"I can't lose her," Mary whispered, holding on tighter to Zoey. "How will I do this on my own?"

"Shh," Sybil soothed. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone. And you won't lose her. Those doctors know what they are doing."

"But things happen all of the time, Sybil. People die in childbirth all the time."

"They do," Sybil said, rubbing Mary's shoulder, "but that doesn't mean Anna will."

Zoey let out another cry. She began to root near Mary's chest.

"She's hungry," Edith commented.

"Anna wants to breastfeed her." Mary's eyes glistened. "What do I do?"

"Here." Sybil bent down and offered her knuckle for the baby to suck on. Immediately, Zoey settled down. "This will satisfy her. You may have to give her some formula until Anna is able to nurse her, but for right now this will do."

Mary watched her daughter suckle against Sybil's knuckle and her heart broke. Anna was missing out already on so many of Zoey's firsts.

"Mrs. Smith-Crawley?"

Mary glanced up. The doctor was there. She stood, surprised that Sybil was able to adjust herself to keep the baby soothed.

"Anna?"

"She is going to be all right," the doctor said. Mary let out a breath of relief. "We were able to find the cause of her bleeding. She is in recovery now. You may come and see her. She'll be transferred back into this room in a little while. You will need to leave the baby in here."

Mary felt conflicted, not wanting to leave her baby but also needing to see Anna.

"Here," Sybil offered. She gently took the baby from Mary's arms, keeping her knuckle in Zoey's mouth.

"You both will stay here with her until I can get back?"

"Of course, we will," Edith promised.

Mary kissed the top of Zoey's head before following the doctor out into the hallway. They had to go up one level. There Mary was shown a room where Anna lay, asleep. She rushed to her bedside, grasping her hand into hers. Anna stirred at her touch.

"Mary?" She croaked.

"Shh, darling," Mary whispered. "Take it easy."

"The baby?" Anna asked. Her eyes moved around, panicked.

"She's perfect," Mary assured her. "Oh darling, she's absolutely perfect. Right now, she's with Sybil and Edith. In a little while, you'll get to see her."

A few tears left Anna's eyelids.

"She's okay?"

"Yes, she is. Right now, you need to rest and recover. You scared me, darling."

"I didn't mean…." Anna's words trailed off and she closed her eyes. Mary leaned forward, kissing her cheek.

"Shh, now. Get some sleep."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

It was only a couple of hours before they moved Anna back into her regular room. Mary got Zoey from Sybil, thanking both of her sisters for staying with her, and took her over to Anna. Anna was still tired, but her face lit up when she saw her baby girl.

"You know," Mary teased, "you didn't have to nearly die to get the name you wanted."

"What?" Anna asked as her baby was placed into her arms.

"Here's Zoey," Mary said.

"Truly?"

"Yes, you were right. She is a Zoey. Zoey May, I was thinking, after you."

Anna smiled down at Zoey. "Yes, I love it."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Anna was grateful when she was able to lie down in her bed, once again. She settled into the bed and Mary handed her the baby. Finally, they were a family of three at home.

"Now, don't get up unless you have to, Anna," Mary said. "I can do whatever you need."

"I'm able to get around," Anna reminded her wife. "I'm not an invalid."

"You nearly died. You are taking it easy right now."

"All right, if you insist."

"I do." Mary gave her and the baby both a kiss before getting off the bed. "Now, I'm going to go and see what we have to eat. Anything in particular you're craving? I know we still have cheesecake."

"No, no cheesecake," Anna said.

"No cheesecake?! It's all you wanted throughout your pregnancy. I think we still have several in the freezer."

"If I never see another cheesecake in my life, I'll be happy. Why don't you eat it?"

"I don't like cheesecake! What do we do with it all?"

"I don't know," Anna shrugged. "Family dinners?"

Mary's brows knitted. "Maybe."

Anna reached her hand out, asking Mary to come back to sit beside her.

"How about instead of getting us food, you just sit with us for a little bit? Let's enjoy this moment of me, you, and the baby."

"Yes, that sounds like a brilliant idea."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Ah, John!" Mary greeted, letting him into her home. "Anna is sleeping, but the baby is right down here in her Moses basket. Come and take a look."

She led John over to the basket where Zoey slept peacefully. John grinned.

"She's beautiful."

"She's our perfect miracle. Would you like to hold her?"

After all of the confusion on Zoey's day of birth, John hadn't been able to meet their daughter. So they'd invited him over to be their first visitor at their home.

"I don't want to wake her," John said.

"Oh, she'll sleep right through it." Mary lifted Zoey, placing her right into John's arms. "Look at that, you're a natural."

"Hello, Zoey," John whispered.

"She's a doll, isn't she? I think she has your nose, Uncle John."

"Well, hopefully, she'll take all of her looks from Anna," John said.

"Oh!" Mary remembered. "We have a gift for you. Anna said to go ahead and give it to you if she's asleep. She's been awfully tired since we've gotten home, so I'm trying to make sure she can sleep when she's able. Hold on."

Mary grabbed the gift from the table by the sofa and handed it to John. He took it with one hand while still cradling Zoey with his other arm.

"Here, I'll help you open it."

Mary dug into the bag to pull out the small frame they'd found at the shop. Inside, they'd put Zoey's footprints.

"Oh," John said with a smile. "Look at that."

"We just thought you might like a bit of Zoey in your home."

"Yes, I do like it."

"Good," Anna said, making them both turn to find her walking into the room. She looked perkier than she had that morning. Mary tried to do as much as she could to help Anna recover from childbirth and her surgery. But it was difficult in the middle of the night when Anna had to do all of the feedings.

"Anna, I hope I didn't wake you," John said.

"No, it's just time for that little one to feed," Anna answered. "May I?"

John allowed Anna to take Zoey into her arms.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Mary offered.

"No, I think I'll let the three of you enjoy the rest of your day."

"But you'll come by and visit Zoey later?" Anna asked

"Of course, I will. Thank you for having me over and thank you for the gift."

Mary walked John to the door. She surprised herself by giving him a quick hug of gratitude for her little family. When she pulled away, she took in an awkward breath.

"We'll see you later."

"Yes, later. Goodbye."

Mary stepped back into her living room where her wife was now nursing their daughter. She sat down beside her and brought her arm around Anna's shoulders.

"I love you, Anna."

"I love you too."

To be continued...