He gently burrows their newborn baby in her waiting arms. He plants a kiss on her forehead, and shrinks into the background. He exits the room, and makes a beeline for the cafeteria. Elizabeth gently traces the lips of her beautiful newborn baby. Eyes fly open, and shift wildly. Tiny lips pucker, and cheeks redden.
"It's tough being out here, huh?"
The little one wriggles until his hand escapes the swaddle it has been secured in. A warm, soft hand moves haphazardly until fingers meet a hungry little mouth. Elizabeth raises the head of her bed. She gently secures the distressed newborn on her lap. She expertly unsnaps the shoulder of her gown. She lifts the baby from her lap, and presses a gentle kiss to his face. Despite the saline well in her hand she is able to remove the little guy from his swaddle. It only takes an extra second for her to remedy his distress. In a passing second the monstrous howl transforms into vigorous sucking. Elizabeth caresses the tiny hand now pressed against her chest.
"We have been waiting on you here. Some of us less patiently than others. Admittedly some of us longer than we knew, too. I'm sorry if I wasn't portraying my excitement to the world… or anyone. I guess I just needed to meet you before I could become overjoyed."
She tries to memorize every single detail of her new love. He is like an Eloise Wilkins illustration. His tiny hands are dimpled. He has pouty lips, and full cheeks. Elizabeth manages to locate her phone on the bedside stand. She clears all of her messages, and ignores all of the frantic, anticipatory calls from her children. Her free hand selects a seldom used number from her contact list.
"Is the world ending? You never call me," the voice on the other end answers.
"It's just beginning. Do you remember the last time I called you?"
"Of course I do. How could I forget? You were on the brink of destruction, and you swore me to secrecy. You told me that I was the only person in the whole world that you trusted with the task."
"Maureen, I need you to come to D.C.. I need your help."
"I can't imagine that the Secretary of State could possibly use my help in any way."
"If you aren't up for the task I understand. At least come meet the fruit of my labor."
"Elizabeth are you on some sort of serious narcotic?"
She momentarily shifts her glance to the IV bag hanging overhead.
"I don't have my glasses on, but it looks like a regular IV solution to me."
"What are you yammering on about?"
"You have a new nephew, and you are the first person I called to announce his arrival to."
"Have you been institutionalized?"
"No. I am in the hospital, but not a psychiatric one. I just gave birth."
"To what?"
"A baby. A healthy baby boy. Please come meet him."
"When were you pregnant? I am so confused?"
"Literally just a matter of hours ago."
There is a pause on the other end of the line. "I can hear him. I'm on my way."
"I'll see you when you get here," Elizabeth hangs up.
The door to the room opens, and Henry enters carrying a tray. He scoots the bedside table over to the bed, and sits the tray down. Elizabeth points to the cheeseburger.
"Can you cut that? I am a little tied up at the moment."
He grins as dutifully cuts her sandwich in half. He adds a side of ketchup to the plate for her fries. She secures the nursing newborn with one hand while she uses the other to secure her own sustenance.
"I called the kids to update them that this nameless baby has arrived. I lied to all of them, and told them that there were no complications, and that everyone is perfect."
"I called Maureen," she admits between bites.
He lowers himself into the chair situated next to her bed. He tilts his head, and furrows his brow.
"Come again?"
"Your sister, she is on her way."
"Why did you call my sister, and why is she on her way?"
"She is responsible for all of this."
"My sister? Elizabeth you aren't making any sense."
Henry is out of town at a conference. It is the first time Elizabeth has been alone at home with her three kids since the traumatic entrance, and abrupt exit of baby number four. All three kids are sound asleep in her bed. She exits the bathtub, and half-heartedly dons her bathrobe when the phone rings. The ringing phone interrupts her train of thought that circles the track on how she buys a one way ticket out while her children sleep in her bed. She dashes to the phone lying on the nightstand before it wakes any of her kids.
"Hello?" She answers flatly.
"Are you okay?"
Elizabeth glances at the red digits on the alarm clock, "Maureen why are you calling at this hour? It's nearly midnight."
"Are you asleep?"
"Far from it."
"Elizabeth, are you alright?"
"No. What made you call?"
"Something told me that you weren't okay. I remembered that Henry mentioned going out of town."
"I'll be okay," she lies.
"No one in your shoes would be okay. It was irresponsible of Henry to leave you. I can only imagine what you are going through right now."
"I don't want to talk about it," she goes to hang up.
"Wait! I'm on my way."
Elizabeth is lying on the couch in the living room when Maureen arrives. She doesn't budge when she hears knuckles against the door.
"It's open," she responds feeling hollow.
Maureen enters the residence and finds Elizabeth on the couch with her knees drawn to her chest. She doesn't say a word as she takes a seat on the couch next to her sister-in-law. She hugs her close.
"Why wasn't it me?" Elizabeth cries as her wet hair soaks through the fabric of her blue terry cloth robe. "I wish that it had been me instead. Every single day I just think about what a burden I am to my family. It was all my fault, and they don't need me. I couldn't even do this right."
"I am right here. I am not going to let you go anywhere. Elizabeth your family needs you. The world needs you. I know you are struggling right now. I can't even begin to imagine losing a child so unexpectedly. Today it doesn't feel like there is hope, but if you trust me maybe tomorrow, or the next day, or next year you will find it again too."