Baby Comes First (13 page)

Hannah sipped her punch, watching the
interaction with interest. Luke and his siblings seemed to have a
close, humorously adversarial, relationship. It gave her hope that
someday, their relationship could be equally happy.

“Speaking of babies, when exactly are you
due?” Charles’ wife asked, and the conversation shifted to
pregnancy and birth stories.

Mrs. Parker served a light luncheon from the
kitchen -- fruit salad and little sandwiches. Hannah stood again
for a minute to cut the wedding cake, Margaret snapped some
pictures, and within an hour, everyone left. The house seemed
overly quiet.

Mrs. Parker came into the den, wiping her
hands on a dish towel. “I’ve put the food away and the dishes are
soaking. Do you want me to stay and clean up?”

“No, thank you,” Hannah said. “You can take
care of it tomorrow.”

She nodded. “I’ll come later, around noon, so
you can sleep in a little,” she said with a meaningful smile.

Hannah didn’t correct her mistaken
assumption. She and Luke were not a traditional honeymoon couple,
anxious to be alone together. With her high risk pregnancy, they
couldn’t make love, even if they wanted to. And from the way Luke
was acting, she didn’t know what he wanted.

He had been a gracious host for the wedding,
but he seemed to be keeping his emotions in check. If he had any
emotions, she corrected herself. Maybe his business-like friendship
was all they would ever share.

Mrs. Parker added, “Congratulations on your
wedding. I hope you will be very happy together.”

After she left, Luke sank into one of the arm
chairs and loosened his tie. “I’m glad that’s all over. I thought
it went well, didn’t you?”

Hannah agreed. “It was nice to meet more of
your family.”

“Just wait until Thanksgiving, when you’ll
get to meet all the kids, too. It’s a madhouse.”

“Is Margaret hosting that?”

“She usually does, but if you’re not careful,
she’ll rope you into volunteering.”

Hannah shook her head. “Absolutely not. Not
with a brand new baby. Maybe next year.”

“Can you cook?” he asked.

The question shouldn’t surprise her. It just
re-enforced the fact that they still didn’t know each other very
well. “I’m not cordon bleu, but I can cook a turkey.”

“That’s good to know.”

Hannah stood. “I should change out of this
dress.”

He looked at her, as if noticing it for the
first time. “It’s pretty.”

She noticed that he said the dress was pretty
-- not that she was pretty. Any other newly married man would have
offered to help her out of the dress, but theirs was not the
average marriage. She said, “Margaret helped me pick it out. She
went shopping for me.”

He was silent, and she felt as if they were
running out of conversation already. Not a good sign. She didn’t
want to spend the next twenty years with them staring at each
other.

They had decided that it would be easier for
him to move in with her until the baby was born, then they could
move en masse to his house in Highland Park, when she didn’t have
to worry about lying down. She’d wondered what the sleeping
arrangements would be, but before she could ask, he’d offered to
make up a bed in the guest room. “Even though we’ll legally be man
and wife, I want to respect your privacy. We’ll take this marriage
day by day.”

Now she wished he hadn’t been such a
gentleman. Even if they couldn’t make love, it would be nice to lie
next to him at night, with his arms around her.

She blushed. “Are you going to be all right
in the guest room?” she asked. “You don’t think you’ll be too
crowded?” Over the years, her guest room had become more of a
storage room, containing boxes of Christmas decorations and some of
her painting supplies.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “I have some
work to do. Do you mind if I set up my lap top?”

“No, I don’t mind,” she lied.

Get used to it, Hannah. You married a man
who prefers work over you.

CHAPTER
NINE

Luke ate a quick breakfast and walked into
the den to say good bye. He looked very handsome in his charcoal
gray suit and brilliant white shirt. Hannah asked, “Are you going
to court today?”

“No, just the usual round of meetings. I
should be home by eight or nine.”

Another late night, she thought sadly. It
seemed that he worked late every night. When she was his secretary,
she’d always gone home at five, so she wasn’t certain whether his
late nights were his usual work pattern, or a new development.

“Don’t bother to hold dinner. I’ll eat
something at the office.”

He sounded very husbandly, but then, he had
years of practice with Gloria. He leaned down to give her a
good-bye kiss, a chaste salute on her cheek.

Hannah didn’t know if the kiss was for her
benefit, or to keep Mrs. Parker from wondering about their
relationship. Mrs. Parker had been startled to discover that he was
sleeping in the guest bedroom, but surprisingly, she had said
nothing.

But Luke wasn’t one to worry about others’
opinions, Hannah thought, so perhaps he wanted to kiss her
good-bye.

Either that, or he’d kissed Gloria good bye
every day and it was nothing more than a habit.

Hannah held up a magazine with furniture ads
for him to see. “I need your opinion, real quick. What do you think
of this crib?”

He glanced at it briefly. “It’s fine, but we
already have baby furniture.”

“We do?” Hannah frowned. “Did someone give it
to us as a wedding gift?”

“No. Gloria decorated a nursery years ago.
Some of the things may be out of date, but you should see what we
have before buying anything else.”

Gloria. Hannah knew she was part of Luke’s
past, but she hadn’t realized how she could affect their future.
Hannah didn’t want to use the furniture his first wife had bought,
but she supposed he was only being practical. She asked, “Would it
bother you to use furniture she bought for your baby?”

“Bringing back bad memories?” He shook his
head. “Furniture is furniture. It doesn’t have any sentimental
value to me. But if it would bother you, you don’t have to use it.
Give it away to a charity and buy whatever you want.” He glanced at
his watch. “I have to go. I don’t want to be late.”

The door closed behind him.

Hannah sighed and put the magazine aside. She
had wanted to include Luke in the process, hoping that planning for
the baby would bring them a little closer together, but he didn’t
seem to care.

Later that morning, Ms. Dulane called. “I
heard the wedding was lovely,” she said politely. “I hope you’ll be
very happy together.”

Hannah smiled. She could tell from Ms.
Dulane’s voice that she thought the prospect of their finding
marital bliss was unlikely. Hannah didn’t take it personally. Ms.
Dulane had dealt with Luke for years, having to give his
secretaries ‘hazard pay.’ She’d never seen his softer side.

The Human Resources Director continued, “I
was wondering whether you’ll be coming back to work for the firm
after the baby’s born.”

“I’m sorry. I should have called. But with
all the excitement, I forgot. No, I won’t be coming back.”

“I thought that might be the case, but I
wanted to call to make sure. If you are leaving the firm, you need
to notify us in writing.”

“I’ll scan a letter of resignation this
afternoon.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope this doesn’t cause you trouble,
having to find Luke a new secretary,” Hannah added.

“It’s no trouble. I think Marcie will stay
on.”

Hannah was surprised. What woman in her right
mind would agree to work for Luke if she didn’t have to?
“Really?”

“Yes, he’s not as bad as he used to be. He
doesn’t shout as often, and I haven’t heard him slam a door in
weeks. You’ve been a good influence on him.”

Had she? Hannah wasn’t sure she should take
all the credit, but perhaps he had listened when she told him that
his secretaries would do better work if he changed his ways.

It was comforting to know that a tiger could
change his stripes.

#

At Hannah’s next appointment, Dr. Armanzo was
pleased with her progress. “Everything looks great,” she said. “So
we can schedule your c-section for Monday morning.”

Luke checked the calendar on his phone. “I
have a hearing Monday morning. Can we schedule it for Tuesday
instead?”

Hannah wondered what he would do if the
doctor said, “no.” Would he miss his hearing or the birth?

“That would be fine,” Dr. Armanzo agreed.

Afterwards, Luke dropped her at her house and
went back to work.

Mrs. Parker helped her pack a small suitcase
to take to the hospital, and Christine came over with her first
baby gift. “Something for you, and something for the baby,” she
said.

Hannah unwrapped a box of newborn disposable
diapers and a huge chocolate candy bar. She laughed. “Just what I
need. Thank you.”

Hannah spent the weekend resting, trying not
to make herself crazy by counting the hours until it was time to
drive to the hospital. It was exciting to know that in a few days
she would finally have her baby, after all the years of
waiting.

On Monday morning, Hannah was flipping
through a parenting magazine, when she felt a strong contraction.
Was this a Braxton Hicks contractions or the real thing? Hannah
called Dr. Armanzo’s office, and the doctor told her to get to the
hospital as soon as possible. “If you’re in labor, we’ll have to
act fast.”

Mrs. Parker offered to drive. Once she was in
the car, Hannah called Luke’s cell. No answer, so she left a voice
mail and a text. He must be in the courtroom.

She called the law office and spoke to
Marcie. “When you reach him, tell him I’m on the way to the
hospital.”

“But I thought you were going to have the
baby tomorrow.”

“So did I. But Junior has other ideas.”

#

Luke swore under his breath as the police
siren started wailing. He put on the brakes and pulled over to the
side of the road. How fast had he been going? He drummed his
fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the officer to get out
of his car and walk over to his car. He rolled down his window.

The police officer was a woman. “Where’s the
fire?” she asked as she approached. “Do you have any idea how fast
you were going?”

“No,” he said honestly. “I’m on the way to
the hospital. My wife is having a baby, and I was in a hurry.”

“Is this your first?” she asked.

“My first baby, yes.” Not his first ticket,
though. He’d gotten one for speeding years ago, when he was in
college, but she didn’t need to know that.

The officer peered through the tinted car
windows. “Where’s your wife?”

Did she think he’d left her at home? “She’s
already at the hospital.” He wished she would hurry up and give him
a ticket so he could get on his way.

The officer smiled. “Then I suggest you drive
a little slower. I’m sure your wife would like you to get there in
one piece.” She waved him on, without writing him a ticket.

Luke couldn’t believe his good fortune. He
drove to the hospital, paying more attention to the speed limit
signs. When he reached the hospital, he couldn’t find any parking
places near the entrance. He drove around for ten minutes before
discovering a vacant spot in the parking garage.

He sprinted up to the admitting desk. “My
wife. Hannah Jamison. She’s having a baby,” he gasped.

The clerk across the desk keyed the
information into her computer. “Ms. Jamison is currently in
surgery.”

Luke had wanted to talk to her before she
went in, but he was too late.

An aid escorted him to a room with couches
and a vending machine where he could wait. “You can join her later
in the recovery room.”

Luke sat, clutching his hands together,
trying not to remember all the malpractice cases he had read in law
school. It wasn’t common, but some women died in childbirth.

After an hour, Dr. Armanzo approached him.
“Mr. Jamison?” she asked.

For a moment, he didn’t recognize Hannah’s
doctor in her scrubs with a cap on her head. “Is she all
right?”

“Your wife is going to be fine. She
hemorrhaged and had to have a blood transfusion, but she is stable
and doing well.”

The fear he had been feeling started to fade.
“And the baby?”

“A healthy little girl, six pounds, one
ounce. Congratulations.”

A girl. His own daughter. He felt a surge of
pride fill his heart. He was a father. “When can I see them?”

Within minutes he was dressed in cotton
scrubs, with a shower-cap on his head and little plastic booties
that fit over his shoes. He sat in a plastic chair, waiting while
Hannah gradually came out of the anesthesia.

“Is the baby all right?” she asked. Her
speech was a slow.

“She’s fine,” the nurse assured her.

“What did I have?”

“A beautiful little girl. Six pounds, one
ounce.”

Hannah blinked. She saw Luke and smiled a
sleepy smile. “Hi. Glad you could make it.”

“Better late than never,” he said, grateful
that she wasn’t angry with him. Gloria would have been furious, and
she would never have forgiven him, throwing the fact back in his
face whenever they argued. But Hannah was different. He took her
hand in his, being careful not to jostle the IV in her arm. “I’m
sorry I wasn’t here earlier.”

“It’s okay. The baby took us all by surprise.
Did your hearing go well?”

“I don’t know. As soon as I received your
message, I turned it over to Nichols.” Nichols was one of the
junior attorneys also assigned to the case. But he didn’t want to
talk about work. Right now, all he cared about was Hannah and their
daughter. “How do you feel?”

“Tired. Happy.” She asked, “Have you seen the
baby?”