Christmas Wish
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Kate stood next to Rick and smiled. He looked and acted a lot like Santa. He had for more than a week now. Even Alexis was impressed.
"Stay safe, please. I don't want to raise this baby alone." Kate was pregnant. Not just pregnant but very pregnant. She was due to pop any day now.
"Never fear, love. I'll be here for the birth of our baby," Rick reassured her. "Just so long as she cooperates."
"You better be." Kate kissed him and kissed him again just in case he never came back to her.
"Ho, Ho, Ho! Ready to go, Dasher?" Rick saw his lead Reindeer paw the ground and nod his head. "Good." Rick walked the length of the line of Reindeer, petting every one of them.
He stopped at the fully loaded sleigh. Presents for children everywhere were in his bag. It never seemed to change size, no matter how many gifts were inside. He was finally going to put all that work on the Naughty and Nice list to use.
"Ho, Ho, Ho, what do you think, Alexis?"
"You look like Santa, Daddy." Alexis beamed at him. She had a present under the tree waiting for her. She had been a very good girl. She had to be if Kate was going to marry her daddy.
"Ho, Ho, Ho," Rick laughed and boarded his sleigh. He took the reins in hand and raised them. "Let's get going!" He snapped the reins, getting the Reindeer to start running. The Reindeer ran and lifted off of the ground. Rick made a pass over the stables and headed for the Globe. "This better work, or it's going to be a short trip." Rick breathed a sigh of relief when he went through the Globe like it didn't exist, even though he knew it did.
Kate walked over to Alexis and put an arm around her. "He'll be back." She tried so hard to sound convincing.
Kate suddenly felt something wet run down her legs. "Oh no, my water just broke! And Santa isn't going to be back for hours."
"Mommy, is the baby coming now?" Alexis knew all about the baby and where it came from, just not how it was made. That was a story for later.
"Yes, she is, and you're coming with me." Kate kept hold of her, made it snow, and they were in the hospital. Kate looked around frantically. "My water broke!"
A nurse helped Kate into an examination room, and Alexis followed close behind her. Doctor Cegan came in the room before Kate could get up on the table. "How far apart are your contractions?"
"I don't know. I haven't had one yet, but my back aches." No sooner than she said that, she drew in a sharp breath at her first contraction.
"All right, let's get a look at you. Give me your hand and step up on the table for me." Kate did her best to comply.
A short time later, Doctor Cegan pulled her gloves off with a snap. "It looks like you're only just starting. You're dilated to two centimeters. It may be hours yet."
"Hours!?" Kate didn't like the sound of that. She wanted to wait for Santa to come back but being in labor for hours wasn't something she was looking forward to doing.
The doctor patted her hand. "You'll be moved into a delivery room where you'll be more comfortable. Just get some rest when you can. I'll be back."
"Rest, right." Kate still didn't like the sound of it.
Alexis was right next to her. "Are you all right, Mommy?"
"I'm fine, sweetie. Everything is going to work out." About twenty minutes later, Kate groaned through another contraction. After it passed, she pushed the call button and a nurse came in.
"Yes, Mrs. Claus? How are you feeling?"
"As best as can be expected, I guess," Kate replied. "I need Lucy here. Right now!"
~oo0oo~
"Alexis, I need you to listen. It's important that you go with Lucy when she gets here. She'll be able to watch over you until I feel better." Kate hoped that Alexis wouldn't be too upset about not staying with her, but Kate knew that having her in the room during labor would be scary for the little girl.
Alexis' chin quivered. "Are you sure, Mommy?"
Kate nodded. "I'm sure, sweetheart."
There was a knock on door and Lucy peeked in. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Claus?"
"I'm really glad to see you, Lucy!" Kate relaxed a little. "I need you to take care of Alexis for me. Being here while I'm in labor would be too much for her."
Lucy agreed with her, and she held out her hand. "Come on, sweetie. I've got some hot chocolate and cookies waiting for you. And I promise that as soon as your sister is born, we'll come back."
Once they were gone, Kate contacted Bridgett, and she came right over, ready to stay with Kate throughout her labor.
~oo0oo~
They checked on her every hour. It was the 8th hour when Doctor Cegan announced she was ready.
"Santa isn't back yet. Is there nothing you can do to delay it?" Kate begged as she groaned through another contraction.
"Sorry, the baby is coming. Let's get you ready." The doctor glanced at the other woman. "You will need to leave," she told Bridgett.
"She can stay. So long as she stays at my head. Please, I want someone here," Kate asked her.
The doctor caved in even though she didn't like it. "Fine, just stay out of the way." And she got ready to deliver the baby.
Kate kept hold of Bridgett. She nearly broke her hand once when a contraction hit, but Bridgett didn't complain a bit.
"One final push, and I think we have it," Doctor Cegan said. "Get ready to push. … Now, Push!"
Kate actually screamed from the pain, and out came the baby. She felt it. She knew it.
The doctor did everything, and then she handed the baby to the nurse while Kate delivered the afterbirth. She suctioned the baby, wiped her off, and weighed her. Then she put her in Kate's arms.
"Hello, sweetheart." Kate was in love. She told Santa that she loved their baby while it was still inside her, but now that she could see and touch the baby, she knew love. True love.
"Could I see her?" Bridgett asked. Kate nodded and moved the baby so that Bridgett could see.
"Oh, Kate! She's beautiful," Bridgett said, so happy for her best friend.
"Your baby's perfect, but she needs to be cleaned and we need to take care of you as well. Have you chosen a name for her?" Doctor Cegan inquired.
"Johanna Elizabeth, after my mother," Kate told her and looked down at her baby.
"Welcome, Johanna, we're happy to see you. Now we need to move her to the nursery and take care of her. We need to take care of you and get you into a room to rest."
The nurse took the baby and lay her in a bassinet, and Kate watched her push the bassinet out of the room. Kate was taken care of and wheeled to a room and transferred to a bed. Bridgett went with her and stayed until Kate fell asleep. Yawning, Bridgett left to go to her dorm room and her own bed.
~oo0oo~
Santa was back and checked on the Reindeer. "You wife gave birth while you were gone." Edgar didn't get to say anything else before Santa made it snow and was gone.
Rick showed up, and someone told him where to find his wife. He made it snow and was gone again. He arrived next to Kate's bed and saw she was asleep. Even Alexis was sleeping in a chair next to the bed. True to her word, Lucy had brought Alexis back after the baby was born.
He still looked like Santa. He bent down, kissed her softly, and then he left to ask about the baby. He saw her through the nursery window and thought she was gorgeous. She even had the same color hair as her big sister.
"Santa, she's fine. We're keeping a close watch on her. She will need feeding soon, and we will give her to Mrs. Claus so she can nurse her," the nurse on duty told him.
"Thank you." Rick went back to looking at his new baby. He made it snow and ended up back next to Kate, who was still asleep. He decided to stay.
He stayed long enough to see a nurse come and wake Kate. "Santa! …I'm so sorry! I tried to wait for you."
"Shhh, it's fine, love. She's gorgeous." Rick watched her being brought in and handed to Kate. She cradled her like she was breakable.
"It's time to feed her." The nurse helped Kate lower her hospital gown to feed her baby. Rick watched all of it. He was so proud of Kate. She delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl.
Kate looked up at him. "She's beautiful, Santa. I know I said I loved her even before she was born, but I really love her now."
"Now you know how I felt about Alexis. Speaking of which." He looked at her, sleeping in the chair. "Alexis… Alexis, time to wake up."
Alexis slowly woke up. "Daddy, you're back!" She was up and hugged him as best she could. Rick still looked like Santa.
"What do you think about the baby?" Rick asked her.
"I love her. But she's so small and looks funny," Alexis remarked.
Kate chuckled. "Newborn babies always look funny."
"You used to be that small," Rick told her. Together they watched Kate nurse the baby till it was time to burp her, and then the nurse came back in and took her from Kate.
"You need your rest, Mrs. Claus. Get it while you can. You're going to be busy," the nurse said. She wheeled Johanna's bassinet back to the nursery. Kate sighed. Yes, she was tired but she would rather have had her baby with her.
"You still look like Santa," Kate told him. "I kinda liked you the way you looked before." She wasn't sure she wanted to kiss his beard or make love to all of him. Though making love had to wait for at least four weeks. They had made love right up to the point where he started to look more like Santa.
"It took a week to look like this, so it'll probably take a week to change back. If I do change back." Rick wasn't so sure he would.
~oo0oo~
Kate got to take her baby home on the second day. She walked home, not wanting to risk anything by making it snow. Johanna was a baby and too precious to chance it.
They were all ready for her. Kate carefully put her in her bassinet. It was an heirloom, not that Kate cared at the moment. She stood there and watched her sleep.
Rick came up behind her. "You should get some sleep too, love. You'll be up about every two hours," he warned her. "And I'll be in the office working on the next Naughty and Nice list."
"I suppose," Kate sort of agreed, but she didn't move.
"Have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you." Rick kissed her and left her to it. He still looked like Santa but was hoping it would slowly go away.
Kate finally headed for bed but came up short when Johanna started to cry. She sighed, went to her baby, and checked to see what was wrong. "Santa, how do you change a diaper?" Kate had never done it before.
Rick came back and showed her in detail how to change a diaper. "You only need a diaper at this young age. Later, after her umbilical cord falls off, we'll add a onesie."
"Thanks." Since the baby was quiet, Kate went to bed. But it didn't last long. She was up and opened her top to feed her.
Kate burped her and put her down, and went back to bed to get some sleep. She was up an hour later.
~oo0oo~
Kate was dead tired the next day. She had barely gotten any sleep. She was resting on Rick, who was himself again. "I'm so tired," Kate said plaintively.
"That's what babies do. They're demanding, and it's never-ending." Rick broke it to her. "You won't get any solid sleep for days, if not weeks. Trust me, I know."
"Thanks," Kate said dryly. She wasn't thanking him, not even a bit. But Kate wouldn't trade it for anything. She loved her baby.
"Still happy, Mrs. Claus?" Rick asked.
"Yes, very. I have a husband, I have a child, and I have a baby. I wouldn't trade it for the world," Kate told him while resting her head on his chest.
Just then, Johanna woke up and began to wail. "I'll go," Rick offered.
"No, I'll go. She probably needs fed again." Kate got up and ended up sitting in a chair, feeding her daughter. Rick sat up in bed and watched. He loved to watch them.
Kate frowned. "I have some baby fat to work off."
Rick knew a minefield when he saw one, so he didn't comment. But then, he said, "You can work it off when I can help you. But that won't happen for a while yet."
"I know," Kate said. "But I can wish, can't I?"
Kate burped her and put her down. She returned to Rick, lay down on him, and listened to his heartbeat before drifting off to sleep.
~oo0oo~
Kate almost didn't leave the bedroom for the next three weeks. She only left it to go to the bathroom and the kitchen. Every time she tried, Johanna would cry, causing her to return.
Then she had a visitor. Walking downstairs, she saw Lucy. "Lucy, I'm still on maternity leave, so this can't be about me missing work."
"No, it's not about that at all. You better sit down, both of you." Lucy had something big to tell them. Really, really big. "While interviewing all the Elves, I've learned something that concerns you, Mrs. Claus. But first, do you remember your wish? The one that got you here?"
Kate nodded. "Yes, I wished I was an Elf in the event that I died."
"That's the one. However, you used the wrong words. It was We, not I. I've learned that Abagail kept that from you, and as a result, something has happened. You said WE when you remember it as I.
"I'll get right to the point." Lucy took a deep breath. "Your parents are alive. They're Elves. And I'm sorry, but they have no memory of their prior lives."
Kate sat there in stunned silence, as did Rick. "I don't understand. I said We instead of I and my parents are alive?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes, your wish said if WE die, WE want to be born as Elves. So your parents died and became Elves. They even use the same names. Abagail hid that from you. I don't know why other than to gain some leverage over you. I wish I knew why, but I don't."
Kate blinked away her tears. "This is amazing! My parents are alive. Can I see them?" She held her breath waiting for Lucy to answer.
"Remember, they have no knowledge of who they once were. The fact that you remember what little you do is a miracle. They won't know who you are. To them, you're just another Elf," Lucy warned her.
"I understand," Kate said impatiently. "Can. I. See. Them?" Kate desperately wanted to see them.
"I will arrange a meeting between you. Be at my office tomorrow at noon. They will be waiting. I'm sorry for this. I never believed this could happen." Lucy shook her head. "If Abagail could remember, there would be much for which she has to answer. I will let myself out."
Rick gently squeezed her hand. "Say something, Kate."
"My parents are alive all because of a wish I made." Kate found it to be incredible. "I want to see them, I do."
"It sounds like you're going to, but remember, they won't know who you are. Even if you tell them your name, they won't remember," Rick warned her.
Sadness flickered over her face. "Yes, I know." That was the terrible part, the part that made her heart ache.
~oo0oo~
Kate had her husband and Johanna with her. Alexis was at school, so she wasn't able to be there.
Kate waited just outside of Lucy's office. "What do I say?" She had gone over it time and time again with herself.
"Say hello and treat them as any other Elf, which won't be easy for you since you'll know who they are," Rick told her. "They just won't know who you are. They may not even believe you if you tell them."
Kate nodded, looking sad. She had worked that out for herself. Rick opened the door for her, stepped back, and let her go first. Inside they saw Lucy and two elves. They looked old enough to be her parents, but she didn't remember what they looked like, so she couldn't say she knew them.
"Hi," Kate said hesitantly.
"Hello," Johanna replied. "We were told you want to talk to us."
"Yes, I… I wanted you to meet my daughter. I named her Johanna." Kate uncovered her baby for them to see.
Johanna got up to see for herself. "She looks just like you, the same bone structure and everything. She's so sweet." Johanna reached out to stroke her cheek.
Baby Johanna woke up at the stroke of her cheek and cooed, her tiny arms waving. Delighted, Johanna smiled at her.
"I wanted to ask if you would be willing to be her godparents." It was the best Kate could hope for, the only way to include her parents in her life.
Johanna looked at Jim and he nodded. "We would be honored to be her godparents."
Even though they would never know who she really was, Kate was so grateful that she had her parents back. Her life was as perfect as it could be.