As soon as she left the NICU, Sharon called Julio and let him know that Lacey has given birth. She has known Julio Sanchez for close to a decade and worked with him for almost six years. Even before Lacey came into her life, she has considered Julio as well as the other members of her team as a family. After Lacey has agreed to give her baby to Julio, he has spent some time with her at the condo. Sharon has begun to think of him as a closer member of her family, which was only appropriate, considering the fact that he was adopting her step-grandchild.
Julio arrived a while later, and Sharon could tell by the expression on his face that he was confused. Sharon apologized for not calling him sooner, but Julio assured her that he understood her reasons.
"I thought the C-section was not supposed to happen in at least two weeks?" he asked.
"Lacey has pneumonia, and the doctors thought it was better to take the baby out so they can treat the both of them," Sharon explained.
"How are they doing?" Julio asked.
"The baby is holding on. She is beautiful but very small." Sharon replied. "Lacey is strong, but she might have to stay here for a while, and will most likely not be able to see the baby." Sharon could tell that Julio was getting emotional and put her hand on his shoulder. "I was about to go see Lacey. Would you like to join me?" she offered, and Julio nodded slowly.
Sharon and Julio had to scrub and wear sterile gowns and surgical masks before they entered Lacey's room. Sharon did not expect to see the young woman so pale and weak, even though it was expected in her condition. Lacey greeted them with an exhausted smile.
"How are you feeling?" Sharon asked her.
"Better than I expected," Lacey said. "Nothing hurts."
"It's probably the morphine," Sharon replied.
"Did you see the baby?" Lacey wondered. Sharon knew the morphine must have also made her more relaxed than she normally was. It made her realize that Lacey may have been an entirely different person before her pregnancy and cancer.
"It's a girl," Sharon said. "She's beautiful." She pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket and showed Lacey a photo of the baby.
"She's so small," Lacey sighed. "She's the size of your hand!" she said to Julio.
"No, she's bigger," Sharon responded.
"Have you given her a name?" Lacey looked at Julio. He shook his head. "You have to."
"I thought you would want to be a part of the naming process," Julio replied.
"Well, I've always liked the name Maia," Lacey replied. "But she's going to be your daughter, so you should pick the name."
"Maia is a beautiful name," Julio agreed. "And how about Grace for a middle name?"
"Maia Grace; I like that a lot," Lacey smiled. "What do you think, Sharon?"
"I love the name, sweetheart," Sharon said. Lacey took her hand and squeezed it. She then looked at Julio meaningfully.
"Sharon, Julio and I have some things to discuss, will you be able to give us some time together?" Lacey requested.
"Of course. I'll be just outside if you need me," Sharon replied and went out of the room.
"How is she doing?" Andy asked.
"She looks better than she did earlier," Sharon admitted. "She's in a good mood, too." Andy seemed relieved. Sharon knew he was worried about Lacey. The young woman seemed to have enjoyed his sense of humor and sarcasm. Andy's manner of speaking amused Lacey and Sharon truly enjoyed watching the two of them interact. She knew that Andy found in Lacey what he didn't have in his kids. With Lacey, there was no anger or resentment that he had with his daughter and son. There was only love, and it showed. While Sharon still encouraged him to maintain his relationship with his children, no matter how difficult it was, she was also happy for his strong connection with Lacey. She has noticed that he attended AA meetings more often, especially as Lacey's condition deteriorated, and the bravery in which he has dealt with her imminent death and his addiction made her so proud of him. Sharon has also met sought counseling and found it in her priest. At first conversations with Father Thomas were to attempt reconciling her faith with her feelings about Lacey's mere existence. Even though she was aware of Jack's infidelity to her throughout their marriage, facing the direct consequence of his actions was overwhelming. As her relationship with Lacey progressed, the nature of the conversations with Father Thomas changed. These now revolved about her concern for Lacey, and the grief that has begun to get its claws into her, enveloping her whenever she thought about the near future and draining hope from her. She was also aware of the fact that she and Andy were not the only ones struggling with the situation. Rusty found a friend in Lacey, and Sharon could tell that her sensitive son was going through a sort of existential crisis, as he realized that there was nothing that could be done to save Lacey. Her son turned to Gus, who has already dealt with so much grief, and he also met with Dr. Joe more often. It hurt her to realize that Lacey's presence inflicted great sorrow on everyone in her household. The only comfort she found was in the pluralistic spirit in her family which allowed each of its members to seek guidance with a different sort of confidant. She knew it wasn't much, but she counted her blessings.
"You also look more relaxed," Andy noted.
"I feel relieved," Sharon turned to him. "I don't think I realized just how much pressure Lacey's pregnancy was putting on me. I just wanted it to work out as she wanted it to be, and it seemed like it has, to an extent." Andy wrapped his hands around her.
"I know we still don't know if the baby will get to leave this hospital and be happy and healthy, but I've got a feeling that things will turn out okay," he said.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!" Sharon called out. "Julio and Lacey named the baby Maia Grace." Her words made Andy smile widely. Sharon knew he loved babies and eagerly waited for Nicole and Dean to give him a new grandson.
The door of Lacey's room opened, and Julio came out, quickly removing the sterile gown and surgical mask and throwing them into the nearby waste bin. He looked at Sharon and Andy, and his eyes were shining with excitement.
"So, um…" He cleared his throat. "Lacey and I discussed a few important matters," he said. "So the first thing we decided was that Maia's surname should be Raydor-Sanchez, and we hope that it won't cause any issues on the professional front for you and me, Ma'am." Julio looked at Sharon.
"I don't see how it would. If you feel that the baby should have both names, then it is completely up to you," Sharon responded.
"Another thing we discussed was how kind the two of you have been to Lacey and me. And we want to honor you by making you Maia's godparents. We want you to be involved in her life, as much as you choose to be." Sharon felt tears filling her eyes. She had no siblings or close friends who had children, and no one has never made her their child's godparent. "Plus, Lacey said that you're her Fairy Godmother," Julio joked, and Sharon let out an emotional giggle.
"We would be delighted, Julio," Andy accepted on their behalf. Sharon nodded and pulled Julio into a tearful hug.
"And there's one more thing," Julio started. "Lacey would like her father to be able to see Maia if he wishes to."
"Would you be comfortable with that, Julio?" Sharon wondered.
"If Jack doesn't try to interfere with the way I raise Maia or sue custody, I think I can respect Lacey's wish."
"Well, I doubt Jack will try to take this child away from you. He was the one who suggested that Lacey gives it up for adoption," Sharon explained.
"Would it make you feel uncomfortable if Jack spent time with Maia, Ma'am?" Julio asked.
"I've learned how to handle Jack's presence in my life, Julio. I think he might be a good grandfather, but if he ever gives you any trouble, let me know, and I will straighten it out for you."
"Okay, then," Julio said with a quick nod. "I think, if it's alright with you, that I'll now go to meet my daughter." Sharon noticed the tears in his eyes, and the disbelief in his voice as he referred to Maia as his daughter. The tough detective has been yearning for a child for so many years, and it seemed like every step in the road he had to travel to create his own family was lined with potholes. Sharon knew that after having to return Mark to his family, he had almost lost his hope to have a child, and she couldn't feel any happier than she did now that it has finally happened for him. She could wholeheartedly say that in the despair Lacey's condition has brought into her life, being able to help her detective become a father was the silver lining.
I'm still working on future chapters but in the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts about this chapter, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.