Sarah
Clinton stood in the kitchen waiting on his coffee to brew. Sarah was still fast asleep, and for the first time in their relationship had been sleeping in lately. The phone hanging on the kitchen wall rang earlier than it had in years. “Hello?” Clinton answered. He listened for awhile, and then asked them to please call back in five minutes. His wife was still asleep, and this was a call that she had been waiting months and months for. The person on the other end agreed to call back, and Clinton rushed into the bedroom and woke his sleeping wife.
“Sarah, Sarah!” he shook her gently. “I’m running late for work, could you help me? I need you to make my lunch.” Clinton hadn’t taken his own lunch to the office in years, but she was too drowsy to realize. Sarah walked like a zombie into the kitchen and opened the fridge to see what she could come up with.
The phone rang as Sarah slathered mayonnaise on a piece of white bread. “Who would be calling this early?”
“I don’t know, you get it.” Clinton sipped his coffee anxiously.
“I’m a little busy.” Sarah snapped.
“Just get it.”
Sarah answered the phone after finishing the ham and mayo sandwich and putting it in a bag. “Hello?”
“Is this Sarah Malone?” the voice at the other end asked politely.
“It is.” Sarah suddenly realized that this was the call she had been dreaming of.
“This is United Methodist Family Services of Virginia. My name is Dianne, we have a baby for you.” Sarah couldn’t believe her ears, she looked over at Clinton who was grinning from ear to ear. It was really happening! She finally had an excuse to stay up all night with a real life baby!
Sarah numbly listened to the details of where to go and what to bring. Within an hour, they were on their way to Inova Alexandria Hospital to meet their baby boy! It’s a boy! Sarah knew that this was what she had waited her entire life for! In just a little while, she would be a Mommy!
“I’m so happy!” Sarah balled her fists up and shook them in front of her, trying her best to contain her excitement. “Are you happy, Clinton?”
Clinton took his eyes off the road and looked at his smiling wife. He really was happy. He was going to be a family man now. That looked good for any businessman. “I’m happy, Sarah. Very happy.”
“A boy! Can you believe we’ll have a little boy? This little baby was meant for us! I just feel it!” Sarah clapped her hands together with glee. “A little boy…”
“Myers, right?” Clinton thought back to the list.
“Yes, Myers.” Sarah was glowing. “I forgot to call Mom!”
“We’ll call her from the hospital.” Clinton assured his wife that they had plenty of time for her Mom to meet their new baby. “We’ll get her to pick up some blue stuff for the nursery. She’ll like that.”
“Yes! Wonderful idea!” Sarah leaned across the console and gave her husband a big kiss. “Daddy!”
Clinton laughed nervously. He may have been reluctant at first, but there was no use being reluctant now… He really was a Daddy now. There was no escaping this.
***
The moment Sarah saw her little boy will forever be etched in her mind. He was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen! He was big enough that she didn’t feel like she was going to break him, and cute enough that she fell in love with him immediately. He had the sweetest round head and made the cutest little sounds that she had ever heard. A real life baby doll!
“Isn’t he amazing?” Sarah look up at Clinton, who hadn’t said much yet.
Clinton thought about it for a minute. He looked down at his wife as she held their future, a tiny little fragile baby. A baby! The scene before him touched a special place in his heart and his eyes filled with tears as he nodded. It really was an amazing feeling. He was a Daddy.
“A handsome healthy baby boy!” Sarah announced as she called everyone she knew. Clinton dialed so that she could keep holding Myers. She didn’t put him down, not even for Clinton to hold his first born son. She smelled him, an indescribable smell of perfection. He was meant to be in her arms, she just knew it!
Parenthood suited Sarah. She was a natural, and Clinton pretty much stayed out of her way. He watched her with the baby, and occasionally held him, but Sarah had it all under control. Within days Clinton was back at work selling houses, and Sarah was settled into a routine. Myers was a wonderful baby! He rarely cried, and when he did it was because he needed something. Finally, their family was complete… Well almost complete.
“How was your day?” Clinton asked, taking Myers from her arms and giving her a kiss.
“It was great.” Sarah smiled, wondering how he would react to the news that she had no choice but to share with him. “Sit down, I’ve got something to tell you.”
Clinton did as he was told, worried again by the look on his wife’s face. She was nervous and that made Clinton nervous. “What is it?”
“Well…” Sarah looked at him holding that baby. Myers was their’s now. They signed tons of papers, and he even had their last name. Sarah took a deep breath and told him, hoping that the coast was finally clear. “I’m pregnant.”
Clinton’s jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide. Pregnant? His wife, the infertile woman? Sarah was pregnant? He looked down in his arms and wondered why he was holding another man’s child if his own child was baking in the oven… “You’re what?”
“I didn’t want to tell you until I knew we could keep Myers…” Sarah felt guilty for hiding it, but knew that she was doing the right thing. She found out she was pregnant the night they went to Delia’s in Old Town. She knew that hiding it was her only chance at having more than one child. She knew there was a baby out there for her to adopt, one that was meant to be a part of their family. She took special care to hide any signs of pregnancy, but with her stomach finally growing round, she had no choice but to tell him. “I hope you aren’t mad…”
“I’m just shocked.” Clinton handed the baby back to her and paced back and forth. “You knew I wouldn’t adopt if I knew you were pregnant.”
“Right.” Sarah confessed, realizing how underhanded it looked.
“So you tricked me into adopting him?” Clinton felt heat rising in his face. He couldn’t celebrate the fact that his wife was pregnant, even after years of trying. It wasn’t a victory, it was a trick! He couldn’t believe it.
“Please don’t be mad.”
“I am mad and I have every right to be. I’ll be back later, maybe.” Clinton headed straight back through the door he had just entered. He was furious! Their perfect little family was a sham. Why would they adopt if they could have their own damn baby? Clinton was madder at Sarah than he had ever been before.
Sarah sat holding both of her babies-- one in her arms, and one in her womb. No matter what Clinton thought or felt right now, she knew she had done the right thing. They would be okay. He would come home and forgive her. She could take his mean words and anger because she had Myers. The most perfect baby boy that had ever been born. Myers needed a Mama, and if she had told Clinton about her pregnancy any sooner, he could have ended up in an orphanage without one. She could take Clinton’s wrath. Myers was worth it!
Myers opened his eyes and studied his Mama’s face. He seemed so alert for a newborn. She gazed down at him and smiled. She couldn’t ask for anything more than what life had handed her. Even with a husband out driving around mad, she was the happiest woman in the world. Sarah Malone was finally complete. “I love you, Myers.”
Myers yawned, special baby code for “I love you, too.”
“Isn’t he amazing?” Sarah look up at Clinton, who hadn’t said much yet.
Clinton thought about it for a minute. He looked down at his wife as she held their future, a tiny little fragile baby. A baby! The scene before him touched a special place in his heart and his eyes filled with tears as he nodded. It really was an amazing feeling. He was a Daddy.
“A handsome healthy baby boy!” Sarah announced as she called everyone she knew. Clinton dialed so that she could keep holding Myers. She didn’t put him down, not even for Clinton to hold his first born son. She smelled him, an indescribable smell of perfection. He was meant to be in her arms, she just knew it!
Parenthood suited Sarah. She was a natural, and Clinton pretty much stayed out of her way. He watched her with the baby, and occasionally held him, but Sarah had it all under control. Within days Clinton was back at work selling houses, and Sarah was settled into a routine. Myers was a wonderful baby! He rarely cried, and when he did it was because he needed something. Finally, their family was complete… Well almost complete.
“How was your day?” Clinton asked, taking Myers from her arms and giving her a kiss.
“It was great.” Sarah smiled, wondering how he would react to the news that she had no choice but to share with him. “Sit down, I’ve got something to tell you.”
Clinton did as he was told, worried again by the look on his wife’s face. She was nervous and that made Clinton nervous. “What is it?”
“Well…” Sarah looked at him holding that baby. Myers was their’s now. They signed tons of papers, and he even had their last name. Sarah took a deep breath and told him, hoping that the coast was finally clear. “I’m pregnant.”
Clinton’s jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide. Pregnant? His wife, the infertile woman? Sarah was pregnant? He looked down in his arms and wondered why he was holding another man’s child if his own child was baking in the oven… “You’re what?”
“I didn’t want to tell you until I knew we could keep Myers…” Sarah felt guilty for hiding it, but knew that she was doing the right thing. She found out she was pregnant the night they went to Delia’s in Old Town. She knew that hiding it was her only chance at having more than one child. She knew there was a baby out there for her to adopt, one that was meant to be a part of their family. She took special care to hide any signs of pregnancy, but with her stomach finally growing round, she had no choice but to tell him. “I hope you aren’t mad…”
“I’m just shocked.” Clinton handed the baby back to her and paced back and forth. “You knew I wouldn’t adopt if I knew you were pregnant.”
“Right.” Sarah confessed, realizing how underhanded it looked.
“So you tricked me into adopting him?” Clinton felt heat rising in his face. He couldn’t celebrate the fact that his wife was pregnant, even after years of trying. It wasn’t a victory, it was a trick! He couldn’t believe it.
“Please don’t be mad.”
“I am mad and I have every right to be. I’ll be back later, maybe.” Clinton headed straight back through the door he had just entered. He was furious! Their perfect little family was a sham. Why would they adopt if they could have their own damn baby? Clinton was madder at Sarah than he had ever been before.
Sarah sat holding both of her babies-- one in her arms, and one in her womb. No matter what Clinton thought or felt right now, she knew she had done the right thing. They would be okay. He would come home and forgive her. She could take his mean words and anger because she had Myers. The most perfect baby boy that had ever been born. Myers needed a Mama, and if she had told Clinton about her pregnancy any sooner, he could have ended up in an orphanage without one. She could take Clinton’s wrath. Myers was worth it!
Myers opened his eyes and studied his Mama’s face. He seemed so alert for a newborn. She gazed down at him and smiled. She couldn’t ask for anything more than what life had handed her. Even with a husband out driving around mad, she was the happiest woman in the world. Sarah Malone was finally complete. “I love you, Myers.”
Myers yawned, special baby code for “I love you, too.”
