"baby, please don't cry"
Candice "Candy Cane" Marshall hasn't seen or talked to any of her friends in a long time. Dallas and Johnny are gone and she's terrified to face the fact that Steve and Sodapop may have met their fates in Vietnam. But when t...
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The day after I woke up was the day I got to hold my baby for the first time. The last time I had held a baby this small was when I had Sam. It brought tears to my eyes in both kinds of ways. I was so sad I missed out on everything with Sam, but I was grateful and so happy I got a second chance with baby Curtis.
I made a big fuss about wanting to meet my daughter. Everfield thought I should wait a day or so before trying to hold an infant, but Sodapop was there to help. Sodapop agreed with me. I should be able to hold my baby.
When the nurses brought in the bassinet, I started crying right then and there. The tiny little girl all swaddled up in blankets was lifted out and placed gently in my arms. Despite carrying her in me for eight months, I almost couldn't believe she was mine.
Her eyes were wide and she stared up at me curiously, like I was some kind of alien. I guess I looked like it with all the wires connected to me. The back brace made it a little hard for me to hold her close, so Sodapop helped and we held her together. My brother and sister and my adoptive daughter stood beside us, just watching.
I took in her appearance: even at just a few weeks old, she had thick, dark blonde ringlets forming on her head. Her eyes were a rich brown, just like Soda's. In almost every way, she looked just like her dad. The only physical trait she'd gotten from me, that I could see, was her curly hair. She was so beautiful, I couldn't look away from her.
I watched as tears rolled down Sodapop's face.
"Aw, baby, please don't cry," I said. He looked up at me and smiled.
"I can't help it. I'm just so happy we're all together. This is probably the happiest moment of my life, seeing you hold our baby." This made me want to start crying, too.
"Oh, god, you guys," Claire groaned, swiping her fingers under her eyes. "You're gonna make me cry."
"So, what are you gonna name her?" Greg asked curiously. I looked down at my daughter, who was still looking between Sodapop and me.
"Hi, angel," I whispered to her. "What should we call you, hm?"
Just then, Soda gasped. "That's it," he said.
"What?"
"Angel."
"Angel? Really?"
"I mean, think about it. It's kind of a miracle she survived. And here she is, healthy and smiling and content. She's like our little angel."
"That's so precious," Claire said.
Robin squeezed her way in next to Soda so she could get up close to the baby. "I like Angel," she said, giving us both a wide smile. "Can I pick her middle name?"
"Of course you can," I told her.
"How about Snowflake? My mom told me she gave me the middle name 'Rainbow' because there was a rainbow when I was born. And it was snowing with the baby was born. "
