Multiple Blessings

(Chapter Five: Faith)

Olivia laid in the dark staring at the red glowing numbers of the alarm clock. She had been laying here for the last two hours unable to sleep. She groaned softly as she rolled to look over her shoulder at her now snoring husband.

"Well, at least one of us is getting some rest," she said to Lucy as she climbed from the bed and made her way down the hall.

In the kitchen she laid out a plate of celery sticks and baby carrots on the counter then began to rifle through the cabinet for the jar of peanut butter. As she climbed onto the counter and reached forward to the back of the shelf Elliot slipped both arms around her waist and pulled her into him.

Olivia screamed half startled.

"El, you scared the crap out of me," she laughed.

"You could have fallen," Elliot replied cradling her in his arms for a moment before lowering her feet to the floor. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" he asked handing her the peanut butter jar.

"I have too much on my mind."

"Are you nervous?"

"Extremely."

"It's okay, you know?"

Olivia raised her eyes to look into his.

"To be scared and nervous," he continued. "It's completely natural."

"Elliot, nothing about this situation is natural. I mean, I'm gonna go in there an a bunch of strangers are going to attempt to impregnate me with my husband's sperm. Well, hopefully. This is just nothing like I thought it would be. All of the technical terms and medical procedures, making a baby is supposed to be a magical and romantic experience between two people who are in love. Not some freak science experiment in by some guy in a lab coat."

"You know what I think?"

"What?" she asked softly.

"I think the details don't really matter as long as we get a baby out of the deal."

Elliot watched her as she tried not to look disappointed.

"You know," he said popping a bite of peanut butter covered celery into his mouth, slipping his arms around her and leaning in for a kiss, "maybe the actual event isn't romantic, but that doesn't happen until tomorrow morning. There is no reason we can't share a little romance tonight."

Olivia smiled and Elliot watched as the fear in her eyes was replaced with all of the tenderness and love they had always had between them. He picked up his wife and carried her back to their bedroom.

She was already up when Elliot woke the next morning. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom and watched as she brushed her teeth.

"Hey beautiful," he said with a wink as she looked back at him wearing his shirt.

"Hey," she mumbled smiling back at him with the tooth brush still in her mouth.

Elliot moved in behind her and closed his arms around her. He leaned into her and placed several soft kisses against her neck.

"Last night was incredible," he said and she laughed playfully.

"Yeah it was," she moaned turning to face him. "You know we weren't really supposed to do that. The doctor said that I would probably want sex more because of the hormone therapy, but they don't recommend it because it could interfere with the procedure."

"That sounds crazy. At this point I'd think we could really only benefit from it. I definitely benefited from it."

Olivia smiled a shy smile.

"I agree with you, but maybe we shouldn't tell the doctor about our little rendezvous last night."

"What ever you say," he replied kissing her tenderly.

"We'd better get going. I don't want to be late."

"This is a big day."

"It is," she said drawing a deep breath. "Hopefully when we come back home I will be in the early stages of pregnancy. Very early."

"Very, very early. Microscopic," Elliot joked in an attempt to ease her nerves.

Elliot stood by her side holding his wife's hand as the doctor and a team of nurses transferred the last six embryos. For two hours he sat in a chair watching as she slept off the light sedative they had given her before the procedure, never leaving her side for a moment.

Back at home he tucked her into bed and curled up beside her.

"How do you feel?" he asked trying not to sound worried.

"Okay. I'm achy and sore and really tired. But I'm okay," she whispered kissing him tenderly.

"I should fix you something to eat."

"I can cook dinner."

"No, no, no. You heard what that doctor said. The longer you stay off your feet the better chance we have of implantation. And the better change we have of getting a baby."

Olivia smiled.

"I think he was talking about the two hours I had to lay down after the procedure."

"Still, I'm not taking any chances. Anything you want. You name it, I'll cook it."

"I'd rather you ordered it," she replied with a smile.

"Hey, my cooking isn't that bad! I happen to make a mean macaroni and cheese right out of the box."

Olivia giggled.

"I know you do," she began to explain, "but I was thinking if we order in for dinner then we can take advantage of this down time. There are half a dozen new movies on pay-per-view. I thought maybe I could snuggle with my hubby and a carton of garlic shrimp. How does that sound?" she asked untying his neck tie.

"That sounds really good. I think that is the perfect way to spend the evening. I'll call in dinner, then I'm gonna grab a quick shower. Can I bring you anything?"

"You're all I need," she replied with a smile pulling his tie to move him in toward her for a kiss.

Half an hour later Elliot returned to the bedroom with a full spread of Chinese food. They laughed and talked as she fed him lo mein noodles with her chopsticks. Olivia laughed even harder as Elliot gave up trying to catch his food with the sticks and opted for a fork.

After dinner they curled up in bed together. Olivia nestled her cheek against his chest as he closed his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too detective," she cooed tipping her head back to smile and kiss him again.

"Hopefully in a couple of weeks," he said as he brushed a bit of hair from her dark eyes, "we will get some good news."

"Great news," she corrected him.

"And we'll have a beautiful little baby with your beautiful eyes."

"Or yours," she replied biting her lower lip.

The next four weeks seemed to last forever as they counted down the days until their next appointment.

"Oh ow. That stings," Olivia whimpered gritting her teeth in pain as a nurse stuck a needle into her arm and began to draw a blood sample.

"I don't understand why they can't just do the test with the urine," Elliot said as she squeezed his hand with her free one.

"Sometimes in Invitro cases this early a blood test is more accurate than a urine test. Blood tests are more conclusive."

"Oh," Elliot replied as the woman applied a bandage to the area where she drew the blood.

"I'll get this to the lab right away."

"Thanks," Olivia replied as the woman walked out the door.

She watched as Elliot locked his fingers and stretched his arms over his head. He made a growling noise and paced the floor impatiently.

"How long does it take to get the results of a blood test."

"Relax. Come sit here," she said softly patting the seat beside her.

"This waiting thing is killing me."

"El, we have waited this long. A few more minutes isn't a big deal."

"This is a big deal. We want this more than anything. We deserve this."

"I know we do. But we have done everything we can do. It is in God's hands now. And all we can do is sit here and wait. And pray."

"I know how selfish it is, but I have been praying for this from the beginning."

"El, we have done all we can do. If it is meant to happen it will happen. This is where faith comes in."

"I have faith, Liv. But it is so damn hard. To have this faith and know that this is the one thing that I can't seem to give you. No matter how hard we try. Sometimes it is hard to have faith."

"Faith makes things possible," El, "not easy."

Elliot stared at her with tears in his eyes. He stepped forward and pressed his forehead to hers as he stared into her eyes.

"You are what keeps me believing that anything is possible. I don't know how I could ever live my life without you in it. I love you so much."

Olivia smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, too. And as bad as we both want this, I know that if we are never able to have a child together, if I never become a mother… I'm going to be okay. Because I will always have you."

Elliot nodded in agreement as he wiped her tears away, then he kissed her tenderly.

"And Lucy," he added fighting back tears of his own.

"And Lucy," Olivia laughed through her tears.

Just then the doctor stepped through the door with a file in his hand.

"Olivia, it's very good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too doctor."

"Do you have our test results?" Elliot asked staring at the file.

"I do."

He paused and Olivia felt her heart sink in her chest as she dropped back into her seat.

"Well?" Elliot asked getting antsy.

"El," she sighed as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"You, my dear, are infact pregnant."

The doctor smiled as Elliot and Olivia stared at him in disbelief.

"I am?"

"She is?"

"She is," the doctor laughed. "It is still very early and that is why I wanted to do the blood work instead of relying on a standard urine test. But if you want to hop up here I'd like to show you something."

Olivia climbed onto the exam table and leaned back. The doctor spread a sheet across her and pushed up her gown to reveal her flat abdomen. He reached to the cart beside the table and turned on the monitor.

Olivia smiled back at Elliot and they both cried as a soft whomp, whomp, whomp, sound emerged and a little flicker appeared on the screen.

"Like I said it is still very early and near impossible to tell what we are looking at, but that is your baby's heart beat. And this little grey mass over here, that is your son or daughter."

"That's our baby," Olivia replied with a smile.

"I told you it'd be beautiful," Elliot said as he kissed his wife.