Chapter 23

Glen sat in the corner, watching Susan as she slept. The doctor had given her an epidural a couple of hours earlier and once all of the pain had subsided, she had immediately fallen asleep. He could see that she was already exhausted and he knew the hardest part was yet to come. She needed her rest so she would be strong enough to make it through the rest of the delivery.

Standing up, he stretched for a moment as he walked over to the bed and looked down at her. He caressed her cheek gently, as he smiled down at her. He still thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Looking up at the clock, he noticed that they had already been there for almost ten hours. He wondered how much longer she would have to suffer before this whole thing was over with.

Stretching his tired muscles again, he decided to make a quick trip out to the waiting room to see if Mark and Sara had arrived. He thought he should at least fill them in on what was going on.

Walking down the hallway, he turned the corner and scanned the room, searching for his big friend. He was beginning to think that they hadn't gotten there yet, when he finally spotted them off in the far corner. Mark was sprawled out on one of the leather sofas with Sara lying almost on top of him. Noticing that they were both asleep, he decided not to bother them. He would come back and check on them later.

Hearing his stomach give a loud rumble, he decided to make a quick trip downstairs to the vending machines to get him a snack before he returned to the room. He made his way to the elevators and hit the button for the bottom floor. As he dug through his pocket for some change, he was surprised to find the small treasure that he had placed there earlier. He had completely forgotten about having it with him. After digging to the back of his closet, he had finally found what he had been looking for, only seconds before Susan had entered the room. He had quickly hidden it in his pocket to keep it from her view, intending to give it to her later, when the opportunity presented itself. But in his haste to get her to the hospital, it had completely escaped his mind.

Patting his pocket again to make sure that it was secure, Glen made a couple of selections from the machines, then grabbed him a drink before heading back upstairs.

When he got back to the room, he was surprised to find that Susan was awake and she was surrounded by nurses.

She smiled up at him as he entered the room.

"There you are. I was being to think that you decided to bail on me while I was asleep." she teased.

"You know I wouldn't do that to you." he replied, grinning back at her.

He looked around him curiously as he approached the bed, the nurses rushing around him as if he wasn't even there.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned over all of the activity that was going on in the room.

Susan grinned as she looked up at him again.

"The waiting is over with. You're about to become a daddy."

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An hour later, an exhausted Susan cradled the new baby in her arms as Glen gazed over her shoulder at the tiny form she was holding.

"She's beautiful." Susan murmured, as she smiled down at the small child.

"Just like her mother." Glen added, leaning over to kiss Susan on the cheek.

Susan smiled and leaned her head on Glen's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. For the first time in months, she finally felt at peace. This felt right to her…being here with Glen…holding their child in her arms. There was nothing else in the world she could ask for.

"I love you." she whispered softly, raising her head to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love you too baby." he murmured, before claiming her lips again.

They jumped and pulled apart quickly when they heard a knock at the door.

"Damn. You just had a baby and you're already going to work on your second one. You two just don't waste anytime, do you?" Mark teased as he entered the room with Sara right behind him.

"Leave them alone, you big bully." Sara warned, as she swatted him in the stomach. She rushed past him and headed toward the bed, anxious to see the new arrival.

"Can I hold her?" she asked, reaching out for her as Susan offered her the child.

"Look at her Mark. Isn't she a doll?" Sara asked, as she turned toward her husband. "How could you not want one of these?"

Mark rolled his eyes as Glen and Susan exchanged amused glances. But looking down at the baby, Mark couldn't help but smile. Maybe Sara was right. Maybe an addition to their family wouldn't be such a bad thing…

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Sara asked, looking back up at Susan.

"Tiffany Marie Jacobs." Susan replied with a smile.

"A pretty name for a pretty girl. God, you two are so lucky." Sara sighed, as she gently fondled the baby's small fingers.

"Come on darlin'. Give em back the baby. We need to get out of here so they can rest." Mark stated, trying his best to pry Sara away from the infant.

"We just wanted to stop in for a minute and make sure everything was okay." he added, turning back to Susan and Glen.

Reluctantly, Sara returned the baby to her mother and gave Susan and Glen each a hug.

"Congratulations. I know you're both very proud." she said before turning back to her husband.

Heading toward the door, Sara turned and beckoned her husband with a crooked finger.

"Come on Dead Man. You've got work to do."

Giving Susan and Glen one last glance, Mark shrugged his shoulders before following his wife out the door.

Alone once again, the two happy parents fawned over their new addition, until the nurse came to whisk her away to the nursery. Reluctantly, Susan handed her over to the woman, who placed her back in her portable crib and watched as the child was wheeled out of the room.

"I miss her already." Susan said softly. "I already hate being away from her."

"I know baby but you do need to rest. Why don't you lie down and take a nap while she's gone. You have to be exhausted." Glen replied.

With cautious movements, Susan moved her sore body around in the bed so she was lying down. She was tired. Maybe a nap didn't sound so bad after all.

Glen watched as she closed her eyes, wondering how he had ever gotten to be so lucky. He couldn't believe that she had actually given him the one thing he wanted more than life itself. He finally had a child of his own…he was finally a father. He wondered if there was anything he could possibly do to show her how much he appreciated what she had given him.

At that thought, Glen remembered the surprise he had hidden in his pocket. Digging for it, he pulled it out and examined it before looking back at Susan, who still had her eyes closed.

"Susan? Can I talk to you for a minute first?" he asked, nervously clearing his throat.

Susan opened her eyes and gazed up at him, temporarily frightened by the intensity she saw in his face.

"What is it? You look worried about something."

He briefly glanced down at the prize in his hand, making sure to keep it out of Susan's line of sight, at least for the time being.

"You know, I didn't thank you for what you did for me today." he began, struggling to find the right words to continue.

"I told you a long time ago how much I've always wanted a family. How much I've always wanted children of my own. To be here with you today means more to me than you'll ever know. Now I know that things have gone pretty well today….and maybe I shouldn't press my luck but…."

He hesitated for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Press your luck? What are you talking about?" Susan asked, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.

"You remember before we left the house? I left you in your room while I went to look for something."

"Yeah. I remember." Susan replied suspiciously.

"Well, I had some trouble but I finally found what I was looking for. But then you came and told me that you needed to get to the hospital, so I kind of forgot about it for a while. I only remembered it a little while ago, and I didn't want to give it to you then…I figured it would be better if I waited until after you got done hating me."

"Okay…but what exactly are you trying to get at here?" she asked, more confused now than she was before.

"Well….I wanted to give it to you now, if that's okay. I mean…I know you're tired and everything…. and I don't want you to think that I'm being selfish or insensitive or anything…because really I don't mean to be…it's just that this is really important and…"

"Glen! For goodness sakes, you're rambling on like you've lost your mind! What on earth is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Glen slowly raised his hand from beside the bed, placing a small velvet box in front of Susan. He slowly opened it, revealing a sparkling two-carat heart-shaped diamond ring.

"I know this is kind of sudden and I'm sure that this was the last thing that you expected, but after having you in my life these past few months, there's no way that I could ever make it without you again. You've already given me the child that I've always wanted…now I wondered if you would do me the honor of being my wife."

Susan felt her mouth go dry and she was suddenly rendered speechless as she gazed down at the remarkable stone. She couldn't believe that he was actually proposing to her.

Noticing the look of surprise and shock that crossed her face, Glen suddenly became concerned. Maybe he should have waited a while, before he pushed something this big on her. After all, asking a woman to marry you an hour after she's been through childbirth was probably not the smartest thing a man could do.

"I'm sorry Susan. This is probably too soon. Don't be angry with me. I didn't mean…"

"Yes." Susan finally replied, whispering so softly that Glen barely heard her.

"What? he asked, when she interrupted him. "Did you just say yes?"

"Yes. I will marry you." Susan repeated, looking up at Glen through tear-filled eyes.

Once he recovered from the initial shock of her reply, he quickly removed the ring and slipped it on her finger. Then leaning over her he gave her a passionate kiss, gently pulling her close to him.

"You know…you've just made me the happiest man on the face of the earth." he said, when they finally broke the kiss.

"Good. Because I'm the happiest woman on the face of the earth. I guess that makes us the perfect match." Susan sniffled as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Smiling, Glen leaned down to kiss her once more.

A new daughter and a soon-to-be new wife. He couldn't believe that all of his dreams were about to come true.