"Well Hello beautiful."
Greenlee looked up to see Ryan standing in the door way. She put the magazine she had been reading. "Ryan!"
Ryan walked over and sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her up to him their lips meeting.
"Ryan what are you doing here? I thought you had meetings with Zach all day?" she asked as they pulled away from each other.
"Making sure I walk in on you and Leo sharing a moment like the one I saw last night." Ryan thought to himself. "Zach and I were at the office and all I could think about was you. It was either stay at there with the bearded man or hang out in the hospital with my beautiful wife."
"And you chose your wife?" she smiled at him.
"No, I went with the bearded man, you were a close second though. Zach made me leave when he got, I think a dirty, text from Kendall" he winked at her as they both started laughing.
"Well I should tell you if I had to choose between you and Zach and his beard I'd go with him to."
"Oh you would, would you? I guess I'll have to keep far far away from you."
"Jealous are you?" she gave him a mischievous grin.
"You know it baby." He leaned back in and kissed her. "How would you like to get out of this room for awhile? I'd love to get you out of the hospital but the best I can do is a little field trip."
"And where do you have in mind?"
"If told you it would ruin the surprise." He had a mysterious look in his eyes.
"OK let's go!"
He leaned down and picked her up. Holding her safely in his arms has he many times before.
"Shouldn't you be getting a wheel chair?" she asked.
"Nope I haven't held you in my arms for awhile I'm going to enjoy what little time we get to spend this close. Besides your physical therapists says you need to start walking more so when we get downstairs you're going to earn your surprise."
He walked her out of the room and headed for the elevators. She held tight to his neck as the rode the elevator down to the pediatric floor. When the doors opened he lowered her to the ground and placed his arm around her waist offering her support. She did the same and the two walked down the hall together.
Half way down the hall she noticed they were near the waiting room she turned to Ryan, "Can we stop and see if Bianca and Marissa are here. I know they're waiting on news of AJ's surgery."
He nodded his head and guided her into the waiting room where they found Marissa and Bianca seated in the corner hold tight to one another's hands.
Marissa looked up as they entered the room hoping it was the doctors with news about her son. She was surprised to see Greenlee and Ryan entering the room, "Greenlee you're walking!" she exclaimed happy something good was finally happening to someone in the town.
"Well shuffling but I'll take it. Any word on AJ? Bianca told Leo and I about the surgery yesterday." Greenlee sat next to the two women with the help of Ryan.
"Angie came by about an hour ago and said the surgery was progressing as expected but they still have awhile to go." She squeezed Bianca's hand as she thought about her son in the OR.
Ryan knelt in front of the two women, "Marissa I know you've heard this before but AJ's a tough little boy. He's got a lot of people out there who love him. And he's got a lot of people, myself, included praying for him."
Marissa placed her hand on the man's cheek, "Thank you Ryan. I know how lucky my little boy is very lucky to have so many people that love him…" her voice trailed off.
"But you're still sitting here scared to death?"
She nodded her head upset with herself for not having the faith everyone told her she needed to have.
"That's normal Marissa. I can't imagine how I would be if that was Emma in there. If it was me in your shoes I don't think I would be as calm as you are. As a parent you hate to see your child in any kind of pain."
"I hate that I can't do anything to make him better. As his mother I should be able to make him feel better. I feel like I'm failing him as his mother." Marissa admitted.
Bianca looked at the other woman, "Marissa you're the best mother that little boy could ask for. And you're doing everything a parent should do to make sure he gets the best possible care."
"Marissa why don't you and Bianca come with Greenlee and I. We were just on our way somewhere that will cheer you up and give you some hope." Ryan suggested.
The two women looked at each other for a moment. Marissa looked back at Ryan, "I don't know what if the doctors come to give us news about AJ."
"I'll let the nurses know where I'm taking you so they can let the doctors know where to find you."
Marissa nodded her head in agreement. The three women watched as he left the room.
Bianca turned to Marissa and Greenlee, "You know Marissa when we get married…"
"When we get married?" Marissa interrupted.
"Yeah. I knew the first time we kissed we were going to be together forever. So when I finally get to marry you do you realize that Greenlee and Ryan will be family?"
Greenlee giggled at the thought, "Are you ok with being my cousin by marriage?"
"It's defiantly not as weird as you being my step-mother" Marissa joked.
The room sat quite for a moment as they all pondered that thought and then they busted up laughing. Ryan walked in to find them in a fit of laughter. "Did I miss something?"
"Yeah as my mother" Marissa joked pointing to Greenlee.
Ryan looked confused as Greenlee told him it was an inside joke. He shook his head and told them he had spoken with the nurses and they were all set.
The two couples walked down the halls of the pediatric ward. At the end of the corridor the turned down another hall and stopped in front of a bay of windows.
For a few quite moments that stared into the window's mesmerized by the babies sleeping on the other side.
"The night of the shooting when everyone was in surgery I came up here." Ryan started to explain, "Seeing the newborns showed me how faithful God can be. In the midst of tragedy there is hope for the future. These babies prove that."
Bianca thought back to the night that Gabby was born, "I remember giving birth to Gabby during the tornados. All around us was destruction. We lost some great people that night" she thought back to loosing Babe, "We almost lost Kendall but in the middle of all that was new life. Gabby was this little ray of hope after so much loss."
As they stood entranced by the new life in front of them Ryan turned to Greenlee. "Greenlee I think it's time you and I had a child of our own."
She stared back at him speechless.
A/N This chapter didn't turn out quite the way I imagined it but I hope everyone enjoys it anyway. I would have scrapped the chapter and tried something new but this sets up future chapters. I hope everyone is enjoying this story. Thanks to all the people who read this. If you get a chance please Review even if you have something negative to say it helps me know if what I'm writing is working for you guys or not.