CONVICTION (INTERFERENCE) (22 page)

I was laid back on a bed, my pants and underwear stripped off and before I knew what was happening, my body took over and I was pushing a child into the world.

“That’s it, Rebecca, come on, give me one more push,” the nurse said.

“No! I…” but I couldn’t stop the urge, and seconds later I heard crying. I was exhausted. I laid my head back, feeling an instant relief and then I looked down as the nurse placed this little bundle on my
chest.

“It’s a girl! She’s beautiful!” the nurse smiled, “Dr. Emory is on her way.”

I stared at the bundle, wondering why they’d put a baby on my belly. I was still in denial…and now, I was in total shock. Deep down I had known I was pregnant, but it wasn’t until I reached down and touched the wet, pink skin that I realized I was a mother. I had a baby. It wasn’t all about me anymore. I looked down at the crying infant, and I finally realized I needed to grow up. I picked her up, with some help from a nurse and cuddled her to my breast. I stared down at my baby and the second she opened her eyes,
her father’s eyes
, I knew Shane was gone, but I had to go on. I had to take care of the precious gift he’d given me…no matter how much he’d hurt me.

I felt a presence near me and I looked up and saw Parker standing by my side. He was obviously stunned silent. No one knew I was pregnant. My parent’s suspected, but I had been so steadfast in my lying, that they had no actual proof. I had lost a substantial amount of weight, and although I had a bit of a belly, it was by no means the size it should have been.

Well, I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore. “I um, I was pregnant.”

“Um, yeah, I kind of figured that out. That was…surreal,” Parker said, staring down at my daughter in amazement.

“Yeah, it was. Um, would you do me a favor?”

“What?” he asked, still completely stunned by the bundle in my arms.

“Would you call my parents? I think they should be home by now,” I asked.

“Oh…yeah, sure,” he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Rebecca?”
             

“Yeah?”

“You were amazing.”

I blushed and looked down. “No, I just let my body take over. Don’t um…don’t tell them…”

He shook his head. “I’ll just tell them to come.”

Dr. Emory came in a few minutes later and started sewing me up “
You’ll be good as new” she said, while telling me what to expect over the next couple of days.

“I assumed you’d gone to another doctor, or ended the pregnancy. I was kind of surprised to see no prenatal care on your chart. I wanted to say something to your mom, but I couldn’t. Did you just think it would go away?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t face it. I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe you.”

“Um, so, you’ve obviously made up with the baby’s father,” she smiled, looking at Parker.

“What? Oh, no, I’m not…I mean, yeah, okay…yeah,” Parker stuttered, finally just going along with it for some reason.

I didn’t have time to correct him, because the next thing I knew, my mother came charging into the room.

“Rebecca, are you alright!?” My mom stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the baby in my arms and my legs up in stirrups.

I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. Then I looked down at my daughter.

“Oh, Honey…” she looked down and pulled the little blanket back away from her face. “She’s beautiful…perfect,” she said with tears streaming down her face. “Um, Parker, may I have a few minutes with my daughter?”

“Oh, yeah…sure,” he said, still sounding like he was
still in shock.

“No, he can stay. He saw everything, anyway.”

“NO! I didn’t, Rebecca, I swear. I don’t even remember what I saw…or know what I saw.” He closed his eyes as if that would somehow erase the vision of childbirth that he’d just witnessed, from his mind.

I looked back down at my daughter and said, “She looks just like him…” and then the tears started and I couldn’t stop. My mom held me,
hugging us both softly while the doctor continued to make repairs down below.

Once I was all cleaned up and moved to a postpartum room, I was a bit calmer. Parker was still by my side, and he was still in obvious shock. But, he had managed to keep his cool and say just the right things, so for once, I found him comforting and I thanked him, offering him a seat next to my bed.

My mother had taken up a spot next to me on the bed. “Um, may I hold her?” she asked, having waited patiently for almost an hour now, while I held tightly to the bundle I was still shocked was mine.

I handed her over and watched as my mom stood up and walked and talked to my baby.
MY BABY! Wow! There was no running or hiding from it now.

A few minutes later, I heard my father shouting outside my door. He still had no idea what was going on. They wouldn’t let him in. Finally a nurse walked through the door and said, “Are you ready for visitors? I think you have a very impatient grandfather out there,” she smiled and then put a bracelet on my baby’s ankle, one on my wrist and then she walked over to Parker and grabbed his wrist.

“What are you doing?” we both asked, in unison.

“I’m putting a matching band on your wrist, identifying you as the baby’s father.”

“But…he’s not…” I started, but couldn’t finish, because then I’d have to think about Shane again, and I was trying so hard not to. I didn’t want to talk about my baby’s father.

“Thanks,” Parker said, and sat back down, twirling the bracelet that said
Baby Girl Brigham
on it.

As the nurse left, she let my father in. I looked up at him and I started crying again. Parker held my hand and tried to comfort me.

“What’s going on? Why are you in…?” then my mother walked over to him with my baby in her arms. “Oh…God,” he said and looked at me with the dawning realization that they’d been right the entire time.

“I couldn’t face it Daddy. When Dr. Emory told me I was…pregnant, I didn’t believe her…or I didn’t want to believe her. I had just lost…him, and I was trying so hard to get over him…” the tears were pouring down my cheeks by then.  I was sobbing, and before I knew it, Parker was holding me, rubbing my back and whispering that everything would be okay. But, everything wasn’t okay. I wanted Shane and I wanted him to want our baby. I needed him, but the truth was…he was gone, and I was responsible for a new life.
Time to grow up!

I was exhausted by the time we had worked everything out. The nurse came back in to check on me and the baby and finally asked, “So, what’s her name?”

And before I could stop myself, I spouted off, “Shannon!  Her name’s Shannon!”

I saw my parents look at each other, but neither of them questioned my decision or her name. In fact, I think they knew it was the perfect name and my mom smiled down at her and said, “Hello, Shannon, I’m your grandma,” she cooed, “And, this is Grandpa.  And we’re going to spoil you rotten!”

A Quick Note

A
s an author, I depend on you, the reader, to let me know how I’m doing. Thank you so much for reading ‘Conviction.’ I hope you enjoyed it and will read the conclusion of the Interference Series, ‘Exoneration.’ I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please take a moment and post a review, I appreciate it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly Schwartzmiller is a wife, a mother of two, and a Labor and Delivery Nurse living in Northwest Montana with her family and a plethora of pets. An avid reader as well as a writer, she spends many late hours at the computer.

Also by Kimberly Schwartzmiller:

Parker’s Island

Exoneration (
Interference Series, Part Two of Two)