Just The Way It Is - Sequel to That's Ma Name (Edited)

Chapter 17

That first day down in the NICU turned into two days there which turned into another 2 weeks. After we had visited the baby for 7 days Jessie and I had a small conversation but one which impacted my life totally, completely and utterly.

~

"You know what?" Jessie asked.

"What?" I replied.

"I've thought of a name for her," Jessie stated.

"Jessie, you can't name her. Not under the circumstances," I informed her. I just didn't see how it was fair. If we didn't keep her if wasn't fair to decide her name. We should let another family do that. The family that she'll grow up with, not us.

"Rowan, I think that it's perfectly acceptable for us to name our daughter," Jessie smiled. She didn't grasp a thing of what I was saying.

"Not if we aren't going to keep her," I sighed.

"I know you dork. So what do you think I'm implying?" Jessie stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I've seen how you've been around her for the last week and it's just beautiful. Rowan, I love you, I love her and I can see you love her. So I think it's time we give her a name."

I smiled from ear to ear. "Great. What stupid crappy name have you came up with?"

"Harper, Harper Cameron Jones," she grinned.

I stopped right in my tracks. Her name was actually beautiful. It suited her to the ground and the small tribute to my brother made it all the more precious. A precious name for a precious little baby girl.

"I actually love it," I beamed from ear to ear. I grabbed Jessie's hand and laced our fingers together pulling her onto my lap. In the last short 5 minutes, she had made me the happiest woman alive.

~

I smiled as I held Jessie's hand beside the incubator. We were only allowed to stay in here for another 10 minutes. The doctors were going to try to remove Harper's abdominal feeding tube permanently.

"So, shall we check you out after we leave then?" I asked Jessie.

Jessie was due to be discharged today and I could not be happier. Her wounds have began to heal up nicely and there is no sign of a secondary infection meaning she was given the all clear this morning.

"Yeah, I'd like to get home for a few hours. Have a proper shower and eat a proper meal and wear proper clothes," she laughed.

"Let's do it then," I suggested as the doctor told us our time was up. We left the ward after telling the doctor to call us if anything changes. He assured us he would.

We passed the reception desk and went to my car. There Jessie seen the pink balloon and the pink gift bag.

I smiled. "Taylor got carried away when I told her we were keeping her."

Jessie went into the bag and pulled out the clothes which were in there. A tiny little dungarees, a little pink plaid shirt and soft soled converse.

"I bet my mum will go mad too," Jessie chuckled. I laughed with her.

"And your dad," I smiled. "I actually still have my arms."

"Yeah, he took it surprisingly well. Have you told your mum yet?" Jessie wondered.

"No, not yet," I said. "I should, shouldn't I?" She nodded.

We got to the house and Jessie decided that she didn't want to stay in the house at all. She wanted to go shopping and get all of the baby things we would need for Harper.

"Jessie you can't even walk properly yet," I reminded her.

"It's okay we can go slow. I just want to do stuff," she pleaded.

It was no use. Not matter how hard I tried to explain and persuade that she had to have some R and R under doctors orders she was persistent and demanded to go, she even got her grumpy face out and no one can say no to that. So off we took to do some shopping.

We got all the necessities like a cot, a chair and a pram. Well, when I say pram I mean Jessie insisted we have a freaking three way travel system with matching bottle bag and car seat. Gosh that woman was hard work sometimes. We got her some baby bottles with a steriliser, plenty of nappies, clothes and a few little toys which she obviously wouldn't be able to play with. By the time we were done Jessie was knackered and wanted to go back to the hospital.

"Jessie, you really need some proper rest," I insisted this time.

"I haven't seen her in six hours. She needs her mummy," she huffed.

"You are going to bed. I shall go back to the hospital for a few hours before coming back and snuggling up next to you, do you hear me?" I asked Jessie like she was a five year old. She nodded.

Once I got back to the hospital the doctors informed me that she was doing well without the feeding tube. I watched her sleep. That was my child, my baby sleeping there. I wondered what she was dreaming off before I remembered I still hadn't told my mum. I took my phone out and snapped a quick picture. I began constructing a text.

'Hey mum, meet Harper Cameron Jones. Don't ask questions yet, I'll explain everything.

Love you. Chels xox.'

I then attached the photo before placing a kiss on Harper's small head before returning home to my girlfriend.