"I'm sorry that I haven't came by to see you in a while," Jamie said apologetically after laying a bouquet of daisies on Mary's grave. "It's been pretty busy for us these past few weeks."
Jamie pulled up to the cemetery just as the sun was about to rise. He'd gone out to pick up some breakfast for himself and Eddie after a long, sleepless night with their two-week-old daughter. Parenthood was a learning experience and he, Eddie, and Grace were all still learning about each other. Despite their pure exhaustion, they had so much love for the little being they created.
"You have another granddaughter now. Her name is Grace," Jamie continued, glancing at the lock screen of his phone that had a picture he had taken of Eddie and Grace sleeping on their first night at home. "She's… she's perfect, Mom. A perfect mix of me and Eddie. I remember you always saying that the love for your child is unmatched to any other love you've had before. Now that we have Grace… it's so true. I love her more than anything."
Grace arrived in the early evening hours on Father's Day. Eddie's water had broken that morning but she wasn't feeling any contractions. They had called her doctor, who advised Eddie to take it easy and wait to see if contractions start and were at the intervals she was given to know if she needed to head to the hospital. After a lot of walking around the neighborhood that morning, the contractions finally kicked in. As that Sunday progressed and when they arrived at the Reagan's house that afternoon, the contractions had gotten significantly stronger and had come closer together.
"Breathe Ed," Jamie said gently as he reached over to her in the passenger's seat and rubbed her neck.
She gave a small nod as she continued to breathe.
After what seemed like the longest minute of their lives, Eddie was finally able to relax.
"We should go to the hospital," Jamie said seriously. "They'll understand."
"I'll be fine," she assured. "I can get through dinner."
Jamie gave her a look, "Eddie... you're uncomfortable and in pain. And it's not going to let up any time soon."
"I know but we don't need to go yet. Let's just have dinner first and see what happens after that."
He stared at her for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "Fine," he relented. "But if it gets worse, we're leaving. No questions about it."
She nodded in agreement, "Got it."
"I already know that Grace is going to keep me on my toes if she's anything like Eddie," Jamie laughed. "Which I hope she is. Eddie's the strongest person I know. She's already the best mother. I've had a few overwhelming moments in the past two weeks and so has she. We've helped each other through it, just like we always have. She's my rock, Mom. More than she'll ever know."
The whole table went silent when Eddie suddenly dropped her fork and dropped her head. Jamie immediately reached over and started taking her hair away from her face.
"Breathe," he encouraged gently. "Breathe Eddie."
"I'm... trying," she let out painfully.
When the contraction was over, she opened her eyes and saw Jamie kneeling next to her.
"Was that better or worse from the last one?" he asked. "And don't lie."
She paused for a moment before answering, "Worse."
He nodded and stood up, "Let's go."
"We made it to the hospital just in time," Jamie recalled. "Turns out Eddie had been in labor for longer than we thought. She was dilated to a seven by the time we got there. Things progressed quickly after that."
"One more push, Eddie," Jamie said as he dabbed her forehead with a wet rag. "You're doing so good."
"I'm so tired," she replied, leaning her head back against the pillow.
"I know," he answered. "But you can do this. You are doing this. It's almost done. One more push and she'll be here."
Eddie nodded then looked over at him and took a deep breath, "I'm ready."
He nodded back and grabbed her hand, "Let's do this."
"They pulled her out and immediately placed her on Eddie's chest. It was the best moment for me, getting to see them together for the first time. I really wish you could've been here with us for it."
Mary had weighed heavily on his and Eddie's minds in the months leading up to Grace's birth. He felt it deeply that she wouldn't be around to see his daughter grow up and Eddie knew that. So that's why when it came to choosing a name for their little girl, there was no doubt in Eddie's mind as to what it should be.
"Grace Margaret," she said suddenly one night as they were laying in bed. She turned toward him. "I think that's what her name should be."
"Grace Margaret?" he questioned.
Eddie nodded.
He stared at her for a minute before flashing a small smile, "What brought this about? I know we agreed on Grace for the first name but why Margaret?"
"Your mom has played a big role in your life and now mine. She made you into the man you are today and I want to honor that. And I can think of no better person to name our daughter after."
He pulled Eddie close and hugged her tight, "Thank you."
"Even though you and Grace will never get to meet each other, I'll make sure she knows you, Mom," Jamie said with a sad sigh. "I'll make sure she knows of what a wonderful person her grandmother was and how much she would've loved her."
"I know you, Grandma, and Joe had a lot to do with how my life turned out," he continued. "And I want to thank you for it. I know you guys played a big part in me meeting Eddie and now us having Grace. I don't know where and what I'd be without those two."
He stood silently for a moment before glancing at the time on his watch, "I really should get going now. I'm sure Eddie is up already." He stepped forward and put a hand on her headstone. "I'll come back and see you again soon. I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything."
