One Promise Too Late

Chapter 20

It Was You

She broke out into a big grin. She was Mick's.

Her little lips were pursed now and her big brown eyes were looking straight up into her's.

She cradled the infant in her arms as close as possible. She ran her hand across her small cheek. "Lucy, I''m your mommy. And this is your daddy."

Mick leaned over and smiled at the baby. He looked as though he too had shed a tear or two. She was so relieved. She began crying freely. She kissed the top of her her baby's head. The nurses let Mick cut Lucy's umbilical cord and Stevie let him hold her for a while before taking her back. All the nurses left and let them be alone.

"Mick! Where is Chris! You need to call her!"

"I already did, she said she's on her way."

Stevie and Mick revelled in their new daughter for the next few minutes before they looked up to see the door being flung open and in came Christine.

"Chris, you came!"

"Of course I did! I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"Come and see!" Stevie said.

"I'll let you ladies talk." Mick said standing up.

He took Stevie in for a kiss and made his way to the door. "John and Lindsey shouldn't be too far behind." She said. "They were just finding a place to park.

Chris came around to the side of the bed and peaked at the small baby all wrapped up in blankets. Chris too was anxious yet a bit afraid of what she might see as well. What she saw brought her great pleasure. "It's..."

She was scared to guess and be wrong. "Yes, it's Mick's." She confirmed.

"Oh, Stevie! I'm so happy for you two darling!"

She put one arm around Stevie and kissed her cheek.

"Her name is Lucy. Lucy Ann Fleetwood."

"Oh Stevie. Did you?"

She was honoured that they had used her middle name to name their first born. "Yeah. Chris I wanna ask you something important."

"Anything, Stevie."

"If anything happens to either me or Mick would you and John be willing to take care of her. Will you be Lucy's godmother?"

"Oh Stevie." She said choking back tears.

"I don't expect you to fill our positions or even try to, just for you too to watch over her and make sure she's safe, wherever she goes?"

"Oh, Stevie absolutely! And I'm sure John will be overjoyed once he hears as well!"

"Thank you Christine. Thank you so much for everything!"

"You're welcome darling."

Stevie arms shifted as Lucy started kicking. "You've done enough of that for the past nine months, little girl. Give your momma a break."

"She looks just like you, Stevie."

"Really? I thought she looked more like Mick. Especially her cute little nose."

"She's beautiful."

Someone knocked on the door. Chris got up to get it. "Yeah, she's just over on the bed with the baby." She said to the person. "Stevie, I'm going to go check on John now. He's probably off stuck in an elevator somewhere right now."

Stevie chuckled. "Okay, bye Chris."

She left and a head popped around the corner. "May I come in?" He asked.

It was Lindsey. Just as she'd expected. "Yes, come on in."

He tried reading her face for the answer. He was a nervous wreck coming to the hospital with John. He almsot wanted to tell John he didn't want to, but he had to. He had chickened out for the past 8 months for any discussion whatsoever of the baby. That baby, right in front of him in her arms. She waited for him to say something. "Is she mine?" He asked.

He was almost shaking out of his own skin. He waited for her to answer. It seemed forever, like the answer would never come. "No. I'm sorry Lindsey. She's Mick's."

He felt his heart stop for a second as he felt both relief yet some disapointment. "May I see her?"

She nodded. He walked over beside Stevie and bent over looking into the face of a baby he thought was his for a few months short a year. What he saw confirmed what Stevie had said. She was definitely accurate. The baby was without a doubt Mick's. "Have you named her?" He asked.

"Lucy." She simply replied.

Now that the truth was revealed there wasn't very much to say any longer. "That's a pretty name. I'm very happy for you too. Honestly. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. You'll be great parents. I don't exactly know what happened to us the past 9 months but I meant it when I said I love you. I still do, but I understand that this child deserves the best."

She could tell he was breaking on the inside. Even though she knew he wasn't overjoyed when he found out she could be pregnant with his child she knew he was at least a little excited inside. She had a hard time figuring out how to approach the topic. "Someday, you'll find someone who can give you more than I could and when you're both ready you'll be a great husband and father. I promise."

He gave his best smile. "Thank you Stevie."

He stopped a tear from falling town her cheek with his thumb and kissed her on her cheek before turning and leaving.

He met Chris outside the door. She came up to him and wrapped him in a hug. She let him cry on her shoulder. "I know. It's okay." She comforted.