Potomac General Hospital – Evening - Eight months later -
It was a relatively uneventful labor; four hours of breathing and pushing, and his son made his entry into the world. Derek cut the cord under the tearful and exhausted eye of his wife. Neither of them had experienced such joy in all their lives. The new parents had settled on a name only days before, and with his mere existence little Benjamin Hank Morgan had completed the family in grand fashion. Everything that Penelope had dreamed of and everything that she and Derek had endured was worth it. With a renewed promise to be the best parents possible, the couple enjoyed the moment in the blissfully quiet room that would soon be filled with family and friends eager to welcome the newest edition into the world.
The team had been out of town on a case and Penelope had convinced Derek to go. The team needed him and with her on maternity leave, they'd be shorthanded. Still, Derek was nervous, and his biggest fear had seemingly come true when he got the call from his mother that Penelope had gone into labor. Luckily, the case was in Baltimore, so he made it back in time to participate in his son's birth.
He couldn't sleep, not now. So, here he sat with his son in his arms while Penelope nodded off. Derek hadn't noticed his tears streaming down his face. He was too in awe of what God had produced and had so graciously given him and his wife. He never knew love like this, never knew it existed and he knew he'd never be able to explain it.
"Take a picture, it will last longer." She teased.
"He's so beautiful, Baby Girl." He whispered.
"Just like his daddy."
"No way. He's all you, all you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Thank you."
"What?"
"Thank you for my son and for loving me."
"Oh Handsome, of course I love you."
"I know it hasn't been easy and..."
"Listen to me. There have been some tough times, but the good times have far outweighed the bad. You my sweet, sexy husband have saved me, saved us through those tough times."
"I can't believe he's here and that he's ours. I'm so thankful that I get to love you and our son."
"Well, we are thankful that we get to love you too."
Derek carefully laid his son in the bassinet next to Penelope's bed, then longingly he took another glance at the small bundle before joining his wife on the bed. Derek leaned down and kissed her passionately on the lips as he gently wiped away her tears.
"Keep that up Hot Stuff and we'll be back here in nine months."
"And I wouldn't mind a bit. I'd do this a hundred times if I had my choice."
"Whoa, maybe not a hundred." She teased.
"Okay, then maybe five or six."
"Yikes, we'll talk, we'll talk." She grimaced playfully.
Penelope finally talked Derek into getting some rest and now she laid awake smiling at the man curled up in the recliner on the other side of the small room. She watched his chest moving and she knew he was exhausted although he would never admit it. She couldn't imagine what it would have done to him to have missed the birth of their son and so, she whispered a thank you to God for allowing him to make it back in time. She'd sent a dozen pictures already to the team and with their case wrapped up, they would be here in the morning. With that thought she got comfortable and fell asleep.
Home of Derek and Penelope Morgan – Morning – 3 months later...
"Come on, Baby Girl, we're going to be late!"
Derek shot a frustrated look up the stairs as he rocked a fussy Benjamin in his arms. Today was his baptism and as usual his wife had him waiting.
"See baby boy, this is what you have to look forward to when you get married. Now you and I have been ready for at least thirty minutes and where is your mother? Huh, where?"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming, Hot Stuff. We still have plenty of time and besides, there's no baptism without the baby, right?"
Derek shot a look at his wife coming down the stairs toward them. She was breathtaking and it was as if an angel had come down from heaven to join them on their special day.
"I'm ready!" She announced with a wide grin.
"Wow Baby Girl you look beautiful!"
"Worth the wait?"
"Definitely worth the wait." He replied kissing her on the lips.
"Let's get out of here before I have to feed your son again."
New Beginnings Church –
The small chapel was filled with family and friends; people who had seen Derek and Penelope through many chapters of their lives. Fran quickly gobbled up her first grandchild as soon as her son walked through the door and along with Dave, Sarah and Desiree the Morgan/Rossi family took their places on the front row. It was an emotional ceremony, JJ and Reid had consented to serve as godparents and stood with the family. The others in the room vowed to step in as mentors, guardians and babysitters whenever needed. Penelope looked back just as Obie walked in the door; she'd invited him to attend, and he had agreed to come. Now, her day was complete.
Derek saw the joy in his wife's face when the old man entered. Nodding then looking back at Penelope, he knew that this would be the first of many days that Obie White would be a part of their family gatherings, and he wouldn't complain if it made Penelope smile.
Rossi Mansion – Afternoon
The proud grandparents had insisted on hosting the baptism dinner and Derek nor Penelope could object. Fran had out done herself and Dave spared no expense in making the day extra special with expensive wines and live music accented with beautiful flowers that adorned the interior and exterior of the home. Derek and Penelope where shocked at the nursery that Dave and his mother had created for the baby and even though the parents thought it a bit extravagant, no one complain. It was easier to surrender to the fact that when it came to grandparents very little made sense.
As the day progressed, Derek took a moment to quietly fade to the background to watch all the people he loved enjoying each other's company. Everyone had played an important and necessary role in his life and had made him the man he had become. It would be foolish to believe that his life had been a solitary journey; it hadn't been. From childhood, his late father and his mother had poured into him lessons on living and surviving, and he'd used those lessons to navigate the ups and downs of his life. As he watched his newborn son being passed from one person to another, he hoped that he would teach those same lessons to him so that he too would be equipped to handle whatever life threw his way.
"Are you okay, Handsome?"
Derek placed his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. He leaned down slightly, inhaling the scent of her. He loved her more than breath and accepted the fact that he'd never know why God had blessed him so.
"Yeah, Baby Girl, I'm okay."
"It's been an amazing day, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"A year ago, I thought I would die before ever seeing any of this. It's hard to believe I'm here."
"Well, believe it, Handsome. You made it, we made it and now we have a son who's healthy and already spoiled rotten by all the people in this room who love him, who love us!"
"We're pretty lucky aren't we, Baby Girl?"
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Hot Stuff, nothing at all. Everything happens for a reason."
"And what's the reason?"
Penelope turned to look at her husband, then as she overlooked the room filled with all their friends and family, she knew exactly what the reason was.
"The reason is to prove that love conquers all!"
"I love you Penelope Garcia Morgan."
"And I love you, Derek Morgan."
"Are you ready to conquer the world with me, Sir?"
"You bet I am, Beautiful! You bet I am!"
##
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1Corinthians 13:4-7
The End