Chapter 32
Wade hurried off the elevator on the second floor, walked down the hallway, and took a right turn. He stopped at the nurse's station and asked what room Monet was in. The nurse replied room 215, and gave him directions on which way to go.
Before he could turn the corner, he saw Liz walking toward him. She sped up her steps when she saw her husband.
“How is Monet doing? She had a girl like she said she would, didn't she?” Wade asked, as they walked toward Monet's room.
“Was there ever any doubt?” Liz asked. “Her name is Faith Imani, she weighed seven pounds and ten ounces, and she's twenty-two inches long. Mother and daughter are doing fine. Where's Marcus?” She looked behind her husband.
“I'm glad Monet didn't have any ill effects from the fall,” Wade commented. “And Marcus said he'll be up later.”
“I hope he will. If not, he's going to miss out,” Liz said, beaming like she'd just given birth.
They walked inside the room to find Monet lying limply against the pillows, while her brothers and father admired the baby lying inside the crib sitting to the left of her bed.
Wade walked hastily to the crib, and baby Faith was as beautiful as he imagined she would be. Down gold hair covered her head, and she was fair skinned like the Reynoldses. She was lying on her side facing Monet's bed, and she yawned and opened her eyes. The orbs were hazel like her mother, grandfather, and uncle's eyes.
“She's a beauty,” he murmured. “Marcus will have to fight the boys off.
“She looks just like Monet did when she was born,” Aron said, with a lump in his throat. He knew how blessed he was to even be in the presence of his daughter, sons, and now, granddaughter.
Wade walked over to Monet's bedside. “How are you feeling, Nay-Nay?” He took her hand and held it. “Good job.”
“I'm tired, but a good tired. Thanks, Wade. It's a miracle. God is so good.” She looked at the door. “Where's Marcus?”
“He's downstairs. He said he'll be up here shortly. The fact that he's even here is a miracle. I know he's going to come around, especially when he sees that little lady who looks so much like you,” Wade said.
“I hope you're right.” Monet smiled at Wade.
“You know, as much as she looks like you, I see Marcus in her. Faith has the shape of his eyes, nose, and she has thin lips just like his,” Wade observed.
“I know,” Monet agreed with Wade. “But that's not all. When Mr. Caldwell brings himself up here, I have something to show him.”
“You did good, and God is so good,” Wade said.
“Liz, would you bring my daughter here?” Monet asked. “Wow, it took me so long to be able to say those words. Thank you, Lord.” She moved her body carefully and sat upright in the bed.
Liz took the baby from the crib, and holding the back of her head up, handed Faith to her mother. Duane pulled out his digital camera and took some pictures of mother and daughter.
A half an hour later, everyone decided to leave to give Monet time to get some rest. Liz put Faith back into the crib after her uncles, godparents, and grandfather took turns holding her.
A nurse's aide brought a couple of floral bouquets into the room. Liz made a note of who had sent flowers so Monet could send thank-you notes.
“We'll be back later,” Liz and Wade told Monet after they kissed her forehead. The Reynolds men promised to return later as well.
Monet looked at the dozen roses in a crystal vase. There wasn't a card with the flowers, but she knew they were from Marcus. He always bought her two dozen roses to celebrate an occasion. She looked at Faith again, and a smile as big as the Grand Canyon filled her face. She closed her eyes, “Father above, thank you for my greatest gift of all, Faith Imani Caldwell. Lord, you have answered my prayer, and I'm ever so grateful. I fell down the stairs this morning, and you protected me. You allowed me to have this baby without drugs, and both of us came through the labor like champs. I don't know what else to say except thank you, Father. I will take care of this child and raise her the way you would have me.” She looked at her daughter one more time, then closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Thirty minutes later, Monet stirred. She looked up to see Marcus standing near the crib. He glanced at her and she feigned sleep. He walked over to the crib and just stared at the baby. Then he touched her tiny hand and Monet could hear him clearing his throat.
She opened her eyes and said to her husband, “Took you long enough.”
He looked at her and smiled sheepishly. Then his gaze flew back to Faith.
“Don't be shy, pick her up,” Monet urged.
“No, she's too little. I might drop her or something,” he said.
“Marcus Caldwell, bring me that baby. You know I can't move well yet,” Monet said seriously. Her heart was bursting with joy. God answered her prayers just like she knew He would.
Marcus carefully took Faith out of the crib. She opened her eyes, and he swore that she smiled at him. He held a miniature version of Monet. His heart overflowed with love. He slowly walked the few steps to Monet's bed and handed her the baby.
He sat in the chair next to the bed. He wiped his brow and said, “Whew, I was scared I was going to drop her.”
“Well, I wasn't,” Monet quipped. “I knew you would do just fine.”
“I guess I owe you an apology, Monet. I've been so wrong about so many things. It's a wonder God hasn't stopped me dead in my tracks.” Marcus hung his head low.
“You were human and faced some difficult challenges. But none of that matters now,” she said soothingly. She stroked Faith's face, and the baby looked up at her mother, blowing spit bubbles. Faith's tiny hands opened and closed.
“I should have been more understanding of what you were going through. All I can say is please forgive me. And if it takes the rest of my life, I promise to make it up to you; all the torture I put you through. When I look back on these past nine months, it's like I was in a daze, I acted mean and evil. I looked in the mirror at myself while I was shaving this morning, and I didn't like what I saw. You've shown me nothing but love the entire time we've been married, and I couldn't be there for you when you needed me because of my stupid pride. I'm so ashamed.” Marcus's voice choked up.
“I never gave up on you, love, and I never will. We took vows that said we'd love each other through sickness and health, good times and bad. I will always love you, Marcus Caldwell, forever and a day.”
“I'm so undeserving of your love.” He pursed his lips together. “I messed up. Wade and Reverend Wilcox told me it didn't matter who fathered your child, because part of that child is you, and they were right. It took me a long time to see what they were talking about. I get it now. And when I visited the jail todayâ”
“Marcus,” Monet interrupted him. “I know what happened. We can talk about that later. This is a happy, blessed occasion, and I just want to savor the moment.” She shifted the baby from one arm to the other.
“No, let me finish. We can talk about what happened at Dwight later. I promise to love and care for Faith as if she were my own child. I swear to that from the bottom of my heart.” He put his hand on his chest.
Monet smiled impishly at her husband, and moved over in the bed and laid Faith on top of the sheet. Then she pulled the booty off her tiny foot. “Look, Marcus,” she said, as Faith's left foot danced in the air.
On the bottom of the baby's foot was a birthmark. Marcus looked at it and reached down and took off his shoe and sock from his left foot. He looked at the cherry colored mark on Faith's foot, and the matching one on his own foot. Marcus covered his eyes and sobbed guttural sobs that resonated through his body. Monet knew he had to cry and let it out so that the healing could begin.
He raised his tear streaked face and said to Monet, “Oh God, I asked you to kill our baby. Thank God, you didn't.” He covered his face with his hands.
Monet patted the other side of her bed. “Come sit here,” she said.
Marcus stood up, and his legs felt weak. He felt vanquished at the enormity of what he had asked Monet to do. He sat on the other side of the bed, and Monet picked up the baby and held her as Marcus's arm snaked around her shoulders.
“Do you see this little tiny mouth, nose, and the shape of her eyes? She may look like me, but those features scream Daddy. They are yours, love. God has never failed me yet, and when He told me I would have a child, I believed Him. I just had to wait for you to see the light.” Monet winked at her husband. “We will be just fine. The two people I love most, after God, are in this room with me. We made it, Marcus, with God's help. Praise God, we made it.”
Mother, father, and daughter sat in the bed huddled close to each other and savored the moment.
When Monet and Faith had fallen asleep, Marcus sat in the chair next to Monet's bed, looked upward, and said, “Thank you, God. Please forgive me for all my sins.”
Epilogue
Two months later, at the conclusion of the morning service at the Temple, Monet, Marcus, Liz, and Wade stood at the altar as Reverend Wilcox christened Faith. The baby looked like a little princess clothed in her christening outfit. Aron, Duane, and Derek stood behind the parents and godparents as a show of love and support.
Aron was standing next to Derek. Father and son smiled at each other guardedly. They were working on mending their relationship. By the time Marcus and Monet brought Faith home from the hospital, Duane informed his twin that Aron was moving into their basement apartment. Duane explained that Monet and Marcus needed time to heal as husband and wife and bond with their newborn daughter. Derek knew his brother was correct and had no choice but to agree to his brother's demand that he allow their father to move into the twins' house. Aron and Derek returned their attention to the front of the church.
Reverend Wilcox prayed, “Father, we come today to give this child back to you. Help her parents stay strong and vigilant as they raise her in the turbulent world we inhabit. Lord, we give thanks for the miracle that is Faith Imani Caldwell. We dedicate her life to you. As the song goes, you made a way out of no way, Monet kept the faith, and in turn, she birthed Faith. Lord, her parents, godparents, grandfather, and uncles, along with our entire church, promise to raise this child in a Christian way that will be pleasing in your sight. Give her parents wisdom and plenty of patience.” The church chuckled as Faith cooed loudly when Reverend Wilcox said plenty of patience.
Then Reverend Wilcox held the baby up toward the audience and said, “Church, I'd like to introduce you to our newest member of Jubilee Temple Baptist Church, little Miss Faith Imani Caldwell. Let the church say Amen.”
The church stood and clapped, and yelled, “Amen!”
Reverend Wilcox handed Faith to her father, whose smile was so wide that one would have thought he'd won the lottery. Then Monet, Marcus, Liz, Wade, Aron, Duane, and Derek returned to their seats.
Monet heard a voice from above tell her, “Y
ou're not done yet, my daughter. You will bear twins boys.
“Goodness gracious,” she said aloud.
“What did you say? What's up?” Marcus asked her, as he put Faith on his shoulder.
“We'll talk later,” Monet promised, as they stood for the benediction.
After reciting the benediction, the church members swarmed around Marcus and Monet as if they were celebrities. The sun beamed brightly through the stained glass windows, while well wishes rained down on baby Faith.
Monet's creed became;
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
And for the remainder of her life, Monet urged people to never give up hope because for those who call on Him, God does answer prayer.