Judy Christenberry - Newborn Daddy

“I—I know her.”

“Well, of course you do. She’s your baby’s aunt. She had a little boy, and both are doing just fine. You’ve never seen a prouder daddy than Jack Kirby. He hasn’t left the hospital since they came in except to buy the biggest bouquet of roses in town. These daddies, you know how they…” She broke off abruptly, a stricken look on her face.

Emma knew what had caused her to grow silent. There were no flowers in her room. More importantly, there was no proud father watching his daughter through the nursery window, hovering over the mother’s bed.

“I’m so sorry, I—”

“Don’t worry about it, please. When will you bring my baby to me?”

“After you see the doctor.”

Emma nodded, but she was anxious to hold her baby again. “Then I’d better get started on my breakfast.”

The nurse, still embarrassed, tried to respond in a normal voice. As soon as she made sure Emma had everything she needed, she hurried from the room.

Ryan stood at the nursery window, staring at the pink bundle. The baby hadn’t moved or shown any sign of life since he’d arrived. When a nurse entered the nursery, he rapped on the window and pointed to the baby girl.

The nurse smiled and moved the baby to the front row of the window. Wouldn’t she have noticed if something was wrong? Ryan wanted to be reassured that the baby was breathing.

Just as he decided to knock on the window again, one little baby fist, clenched, moved to the rosebud mouth and the baby made some sucking motions.

Maybe she was kin to him. Dinnertime had always been high on his list. A small smile slipped across his lips, until he heard footsteps in the hallway.

Steve Lambert joined him. “Little miracles, aren’t they?”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t see Beth’s baby.”

“He’s probably in the room having breakfast with his mom.”

“Isn’t Emma—I mean, it—the baby seems hungry.”

“Emma indicated she wanted to breast-feed, but I had them give the baby sugar water until this morning. Emma will probably try today.”

“What did she say when you told her last night she was going to the ranch with me?” That question had filled his mind even as he and Billy set up the nursery last night. He didn’t think she’d easily agree.

“I didn’t talk to her. She was already asleep when I got to her room last night.”

“You were here that late? What happened?”

“An emergency. Barney Landers cut himself and had to have stitches. I got to Emma’s room by seven-thirty. But she’d already had her dinner and gone to sleep. I decided not to wake her. The nurses said she was doing all right. She needed the rest.”

“Are you going to see her now?”

“Yeah. Want to join me? We’ll face her together.”

Ryan would’ve liked to say no. He thought she’d agree with the doctor more easily than she would with him there. But it felt cowardly to hide behind his friend. “Sure,” he agreed and walked down the hall with Steve.

He dreaded every step that brought him closer to Emma.

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