God Gave Me You 12
"We have a daughter."
Shelagh felt as though time had stopped as the words hung in the air between them. Patrick hadn't moved, and Shelagh started to worry that he wasn't breathing.
"I...I wanted to tell you. I-we tried so hard to find you, Doctor Turner." She was on the verge of tears, she could tell they were coming.
Finally, he met her gaze. "I'm so sorry...for everything."
She shook her head at him. "Please. Don't be sorry. I meant what I said that day in the kitchen, I don't regret what happened between us. I could never regret it..." She cleared her throat. "And I...I wanted to thank you, for giving me the most precious gift, Doctor Turner. She's really quite tremendous."
The tears came then, she quickly tried to wipe them away as he stood and moved closer to her. "Please call me Patrick." He knelt next to her and reached for her hands. "We have a daughter..." He whispered, his voice tinted with awe. "What's she like?"
Shelagh smiled, laughing through the tears. There was only one word to describe their child.
"Wonderful. She's absolutely wonderful. She should be up any minute, if you'd like to...if you'd like to meet her."
"Yes." He sat next to her, still as a statue, his eyes never leaving her face. "I'd like that. Very much."
"I'll just...go and get her, then. I'll be right back." Shelagh stood from the table and made to leave the kitchen, only to be stopped by his hand on her arm.
"Shelagh?" His voice was hushed, as though he couldn't get the words out. "What's her name?"
"Angela." She replied, giving him a shy smile. "Angela Patricia."
Patrick's eyes began to cloud with tears as he let go of her arm, watching her walk down the corridor to get their daughter. His eyes never left her, even when she was no longer in sight.
Shelagh felt as though she was in a dream. Walking down the hallway, she couldn't quite believe what was happening. Patrick was here. Really and truly here. He was going to meet Angela. He finally knew.
Opening the door to their room, she saw her daughter sitting up in her cot, sleep still prevalent in her eyes but awake enough to want to be held.
"Hello, Angel. How was your nap?"
"Mummy...up!" Was the only reply she got as Angela lifted her arms. Shelagh immediately complied, situating her on her hip and kissing her temple as she brushed the hair from where it fell across her forehead. Angela, still not quite awake, leaned her head on Shelagh's shoulder as her mother fussed over her appearance.
"Ready to go downstairs? There's someone who wants to meet you."
The little girl nodded, wrapping her arms around Shelagh's neck.
As Shelagh made her way back towards the kitchen, she noticed that Patrick had his back to her and hadn't moved from his chair. She walked around him to return to where she had previously been sitting. Angela's face was nestled in the crook of her neck, as though she was playing shy. Shelagh heard Patrick's breath hitch as he noticed she had returned.
"Angela, sweetheart." Shelagh spoke softly, trying to get her daughters attention. "This is..." She wasn't sure what to say. How does one introduce their daughter to her father? "Mummy's friend, Doctor Turner. Can you say hello?"
Shelagh watched as Patrick's eyes widened when Angela lifted her head from her shoulder, facing him head on. The look on his face at the moment he met their daughter would stay with her forever. It was a look of awe combined with disbelief.
"Hello." Came the tiny voice, laced with sleep and shyness as Angela turned to him, lifted her little hand and waved.
Patrick was struck speechless at the sight of his daughter. As she turned to him, he found himself staring into familiar vibrant blue eyes and hair as dark and unruly as his own. It took him a few moments to be able to respond without giving voice to the emotions brewing inside of him.
"Hello, Angela. It's very nice to meet you."