Sarah
It was time.. Sarah calmly carted Myers off to her mother’s house just in time to meet Clinton at the hospital. She had to drive herself because he was tied up at the office, he had a few more things to do before he could even consider leaving. If a contraction got too bad, Sarah simply pulled off to the side of the road and waited it out. She had learned lately that she couldn’t depend on Clinton to take care of her-- he was too busy selling houses and building an image for himself. Sarah was disappointed in him, but hoped that giving birth to a baby he had actually fathered would bring him back around to her.
“You can push now, Mrs. Malone!” said a small nurse who was covered in white from head to toe. The only thing that wasn’t white was her friendly brown face and short black hair, even her legs were covered in white tights.
“No! I’m waiting on my husband.” Sarah said, hoping that their baby could wait just a little bit longer. She knew he would be there! They had made special arrangements for him to actually be in the delivery room, and there was no way that Clinton Malone would put work before the birth of his child.
“We can’t wait forever, honey.” the nurse said, hoping that Sarah would realize what she had known for years-- most men are not even worth the wait.
“I have to wait, he’ll be here.” Sarah said, steadying her voice as another contraction tore at her insides. She was definitely earning this baby, actual labor was almost as painful as the months and months of waiting that she spent longing for Myers.
“He’s here!” an unfamiliar voice called from the hall, setting the entire room into a frenzy of motion. She had waited as long as she could, but now it was time to push.
“I made it!” Clinton said, rushing into the room and to his wife’s bedside. He didn’t seem to notice that all of the nurses were annoyed with him, or that Sarah had taken about as much waiting as she could take.
Within mere minutes of Clinton’s arrival, Sarah pushed out a healthy and beautiful baby girl. The sweet slimy little thing warmed her heart and lit up Clinton’s eyes. Finally she saw a spark in him again-- this time he really was a father. Part of Sarah resented Clinton’s misty eyes, but she pushed it aside and focused on her fresh baby.
Clinton stared down at his wife and baby, not believing that the moment was real. He was a real Daddy. This baby was his! Sarah did a wonderful job bringing this tiny girl into the world, and he felt a new sense of admiration for his wife. She found a way to make her dreams of motherhood a reality. She not only had one baby, but she now had two. Something that never seemed possible for them.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Sarah asked, staring up at her husband and then back down at her sweet baby.
Clinton reached in his pocket and said, “Beyond beautiful! I brought your list, which name fits her?” Clinton grinned, hoping that his wife would notice that he had gone out of the way to remember her list of baby names. He rarely did anything without the possibility of gaining recognition from it.
“None of them.” Sarah said matter-of-factly. “I like Dinah.”
“Dinah…” Clinton said the name a few times, trying to get used to it. He had liked the idea of the baby having his initials, but Dinah did seem to fit the little classic beauty in his wife’s arms. “I like it.”
“Me too. Dinah Elizabeth Malone.” Sarah’s voice almost sang the name instead of saying it. She didn’t need to ask for Clinton’s help in naming this child, because he hadn’t been around, was basically ignoring their son, and worked more hours than he had to. Sarah wasn’t stupid. She knew that Clinton was trying to escape life, and she wasn’t going to waste time worrying about it. He would come back around eventually, and it almost seemed like he was coming back around now-- at the sight of his baby girl. Part of Sarah was glad that he loved this baby, but the other part of her resented him for neglecting Myers. Myers had never done anything to anybody-- including Clinton. One day Clinton would look back and regret not bonding with Myers, but for now she had no choice but to sit back and wait it out.
Dinah’s sweet little round head and soft little cheeks melted Clinton’s heart. He suddenly wanted Myers to meet his baby sister. Even though Myers wasn’t really his son, he was really Dinah’s big brother. Clinton grew up with a brother who was actually his cousin. He knew good and well that siblings did not need to be actual siblings in order to bond and love one another. He knew that Myers would someday help him protect Dinah from the world. Clinton was thankful for the little guy, and headed over to Sarah’s mother’s house to pick him up. Maybe Myers and Clinton could bond after all, especially now that Dinah was in the picture.
