Unsuccessful

I Forgive You...

Tessa's Point of View...

Hardin stands in front of me with his back facing my front and blocking my view as our doctor comes out of the operation theater.

I pull Hardin's shirt trying to let him know that he is blocking my view but he doesn't move.

Nervously Hardin closes the distance between him and the doctor.

"How is Hope?"

Hardin asks nervously.

"We did everything possible we could have.."

I don't hear much but the only words that registered in my mind were 'could have', what does she mean she could have.

I wheel my wheelchair on my own and almost knock Hardin, making him stumble a bit. I try to stand but fail. Hardin looks back and gives me his hand for support and finally with the help of Hardin I stand up from my wheelchair. Hardin doesn't leave me, he wraps his arms across my waist for support.

"What do you mean you could have? Please tell me if Hope is ok? Please."

Dr. Elvira looks down and with sad eyes faces me. Just a single look from her knocks all the air from my lungs. No this can't be happening. I cannot lose Hope. She is my firstborn. She is my daughter and I hardly got any time with her. I only breastfed her once. I hold her for a couple of hours. This cannot happen. Not to me and not to Hardin.

"We lost her in the process for a couple of minutes, but we were able to get her back on time. She survived the Surgery, Tessa. Your daughter is ok."

A wave of relief floods through my veins, through my blood, and my body. Hardin on hearing that our daughter survived the surgery begins to cry. Hardin Scott is crying. I never thought I will live up to the day to find Hardin getting all emotional. He doesn't look at me, just tightens his hold on my waist.

I turn to face him and pull him down for a kiss. He stumbles a bit, clearly confused by my sudden need to kiss him. We lock our eyes, I kiss him first but he doesn't respond and then he takes a moment and crashes his lips over mine. We don't care if others get to see us. I open my mouth and let Hardin enter his tongue. We continue to kiss passionately, not caring about the audience surrounding us, not caring that we stand outside an operation theater, at a hospital.

We end our kiss when the air becomes an issue. We continue to look at each other and see Hardin's lips turning into a smirk. I blush knowing what's about to come. Hardin will be berating me for my need to kiss him.

"Don't...," I warn Hardin, but that only makes him more confident about what he was about to do.

"Well, that was amazing. I know I missed my wife for a reason."

"Hardin..," I slap his chest and playfully push him away but he doesn't stop.

"God if I would have known I will get this lucky, I would have come sooner.."

"Are you done?"

He laughs. Our moment of bliss gets interrupted by Dr. Elvira.

"Sorry to interrupt the two of you, but I have other patients to attend to. Just to let you all know we will be moving Hope to an observatory chamber where she will be kept for 48 hours. If her vitals remain strong and she responds well to all tests we will move her to your room, Tessa. You will be able to breastfeed her but until then we will pump your breast milk and will provide that to her through tubes as I strongly refer mother's milk to all newborns. If anyone of you has any questions, please come see me in my office in an hour."