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November 16th 11:00 AM
Jeanie's POV:
The sound of the machines hummed softly in the background as I stood next to Taylor in the Level 3 NICU. My daughter was perched at the edge of Julie's incubator, her fingers delicately brushing against the tiny hand of her newborn daughter. Wires and tubes surrounded Julie's fragile body, but her chest rose and fell steadily, a small reminder of her strength.
"She's beautiful," I said quietly, leaning closer to get a better look. "She has green eyes."
Taylor smiled weakly. "She got those from Dad. He would've loved her." Her voice trembled, and I knew she was holding back tears. (A/N: Taylor's father passed away when she was 12. Him and Jeanie were divorced at the time.)
I sighed deeply and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have you thought about a name yet?"
Taylor nodded, her eyes never leaving Julie. "Juliet Marie. But I think I'll call her Julie most of the time."
"Juliet Marie James. That's a lovely name." I said, feeling my heart swell. "It suits her."
Taylor's fingers lingered on Julie's hand, and for a moment, we just stood there in silence, watching her.
I turned to see Taylor's doctor, Dr. Avery, stepping into the room, slowly approaching us. She had a warm smile and was holding her clipboard in her hand.
"Good morning, ladies," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "How are we doing this morning?"
Taylor turned, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and hope. "We're okay. Just... trying to take it all in."
Dr. Avery nodded, stepping closer to Julie's incubator. "Well, I've been reviewing Julie's progress, and I have to say, she's doing remarkably well for a baby born this early. Her breathing has stabilized, and her oxygen levels are where they should be. She's a fighter."
Relief washed over Taylor's face, and I felt it too. "Thank you, Dr. Avery," Taylor said softly.
She glanced at her clipboard, her tone becoming a bit more serious. "That being said, there's another thing we need to discuss. We've noticed a few markers in Julie's initial tests that suggest she might be at risk for a genetic disorder—cystic fibrosis."
Taylor's face paled. "Cystic fibrosis? What... what does that mean?"
Dr. Avery put her clipboard down on the table next to her. "Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system. It's caused by mutations in the CFTR gene. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, but early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve quality of life."
Taylor's hand gripped the edge of the incubator tightly. "Does she have it for sure?"
"We don't know yet," Dr. Avery replied gently. "That's why we need to run genetic tests. We'll need blood samples from Julie, as well as both of her biological parents, to check for CFTR gene mutations."
Taylor nodded slowly, her voice shaky. "Okay. I can do that. But her father... he's not here right now."
Dr. Avery tilted her head slightly. "Is he in the picture?"
"Yes," Taylor said quickly. "He's... he's very much involved. I'll call him and ask him to come in."
Dr. Avery smiled reassuringly. "Good. The sooner we can get those samples, the sooner we'll have answers. For now, Julie is stable, and we're taking every precaution to ensure she stays that way."
Taylor took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly. "Okay. Thank you."
"I'll take you to get your blood drawn," Dr. Avery said picking up her clipboard. "Jeanie, if you'd like to wait here, I'm sure Taylor will feel better knowing someone's with Julie."
I nodded. "Of course."
Taylor leaned down to press a soft kiss on Julie's head before following Dr. Avery out of the room. Once they were gone, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed Bronny.
He answered after a few rings. "Hey, Jeanie. Is everything okay?"
"Bronny," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "We need you to come to the hospital. The doctors need to run some tests on the baby, and they need a blood sample from you too."
"Blood sample? Why?? Is she okay??" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"They think she might have a genetic disorder called cystic fibrosis," I explained gently. "They need to check for genetic markers in your blood and in Taylor's as well."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Cystic fibrosis... is it serious?"
"It can be," I admitted. "But Taylor's doctor said they're just being cautious. She's stable, Bronny, but it's important that you come as soon as you can."
"I'll be there," he said firmly. "Tell Taylor I'm on my way."
"I will," I said, relief flooding through me. "Thank you, Bronny."
After we hung up, I sat down beside Julie, watching her tiny chest rise and fall. She was so small, so fragile, but there was a strength in her that gave me hope. Taylor would be back soon, Bronny would come. We'd face this as a family. That's all that mattered.
