My Silver Lining **Completed**

Chapter 39 - My Silver Lining

"It's going to be okay Emma I promise. Everything's going to be okay," my mother soothed me as Dylan began pacing up and down the room. His head in his hands.

"Dylan," I croaked but he didn't hear me and kept on pacing. I needed him, I need him to tell me it was going to be okay. 

"Dylan!" My mother called and he was snapped out of whatever trance he was in.

"She needs you." He rushed over to me grabbing both my hands with his and bringing them to his lips, kissing them repeatedly.

"I'm here baby, I'm here, I'm not going to let anything happen to you or my princess," he said placing his hand on my stomach lightly. He placed his forehead on mine, his dark brown eyes boring into mine. We stayed this way until a crew came in, switching me to the other bed and began rolling me away.

"Only one can come," a nurse said holding the surgical uniform out between my mother and Dylan, he looked over to her and she nodded. I was grateful he was going, I didn't know what I'd do if he wasn't with me. He left me to go change as they rolled me into the surgery room. They were prepping another epidural to numb me for the surgery when Dylan came in wearing the entire suit, including the mask and head cap. He held my hand as they injected me again and we waited for it to kick in, they placed a curtain directly in front of my chest so I wouldn't be able to see what was going on. Dylan sat on my side, holding my hand and whispering things into my ear.

I knew they were getting to work but I couldn't feel anything thank god. At the most I just felt slight pressure. I felt what almost felt like tugging a while later and then I heard it the beautiful sound of my baby crying. She was okay, she was breathing, and that’s all I cared about. Dylan face also flashed with relief before he brought his lips down to mine, kissing me on the forehead.

“I love you Emma. I’m so proud of you,” he said against my forehead and I smiled weakly at him. 

“I love you more.”

I heard various talk between the doctors regarding the baby but it was all positive. I just wanted to see her. It felt like hours were passing by but I knew it was only minutes.

Then there she was, bundled in a little pink blanket. It felt like a dream as the nurse walked over to us, the little baby in her hands.

"Congratulations, it's a girl," she said handing the baby to me. I took her, cradling her in my arms. She was beautiful, beyond words. I could already tell her hair was on the lighter side, maybe slightly lighter than mine, she had a cute little nose and even cuter chubby cheeks. She was so...perfect. There was no other way to describe her. It felt so surreal holding her in my arms like that.

I've always heard stories about how it feels to hold your child for the first time but I always figured they were over reactions. Never would I have ever guessed that those feelings you get are exactly right. I knew then, this was my purpose in life. To have this beautiful little girl. I knew I would do anything to protect her and make her happy. This was it... This was my silver lining to my mess of a life.

She wiggled in my arms slightly before I saw her attempt to open her eyes. I could tell you now, they weren't my blue, but they weren't what I thought they were going to be either.

"Brown," I whispered. A beautiful chocolate brown, the same brown I look into when I look into my loves. The baby wasn't Andrews... It was Dylan's.

I looked up at him and he was crying looking down at her like he couldn’t believe she was really there. We were both in awe.

"Her eyes Dylan they're brown. Your brown," I said as the tears began pouring down my face. He looked at me, the words finally registering.

"Brown," he nodded excitedly before smashing his lips against mine. He pulled back quickly looking down at the baby. Our baby.

"God, she's so beautiful. She already looks like you," he said stroking her cheek with his finger. I smiled down at her. She was beautiful.

"I'm very sorry but we need to get you back to your room and the baby needs to finished getting checked up," she said reaching her arms out. I felt a pain in my chest, I already had to give her back?

"Is something wrong with her?" I asked looking down worried.

"No, no. Sweetie she's perfectly healthy so far. I promise. We just need to take her a bath and get her all measured up," she said taking her out of my arms. I already felt empty but I nodded slowly. She began crying again and I resisted trying to reach out to her.

"And what's this beautiful girl’s name?" Another nurse came to us with a clipboard.

"Leah. Leah Anne Turner," I said squeezing Dylan's hand. Dylan, I just realized he didn't get to hold her. She wrote the name on the board before she congratulated the both of us and walked away. I made Dylan stay with the baby and since they had already stitched me up, they sent me to another room on the postpartum floor. My fever was still pretty high, although I could barely tell, so they have my antibiotics and more painkillers for when the anesthetic wears off. 

 I didn't have any way to contact my mom so I had to wait for the baby to come back. I just noticed how exhausted I was, I honestly felt like I just ran a marathon. I felt my eye lids getting heavy, most likely from the medicine but I fought it. It didn't take as long as I thought and I saw Dylan walk in holding the baby with a huge smile on his face, revealing his dimples.

"Princess Leah Anne Turner, born June 22nd at 4:08 pm, weighs a hefty 5 pounds and 4 ounces,” he said sarcastically before continuing," and is 19 inches long." The nurse trailed behind him an amused look on her face.

"And she has brown eyes and blonde hair," he said proudly. I couldn't even think of a family member I've had that has had brown eyes, there wasn't even a possibility of her inheriting that gene from me. It was all Dylan.

"Alright now pass her to her Mommy, little Leah is probably starving," the nurse told Dylan and he nodded passing our baby over to me.

She was cleaner now so you could see her face even better. Her eyes were trying to stay open but it was like she couldn’t figure it out. She whimpered and I kissed her forehead. I sent Dylan to go get my mom and tell them Leah was born while the nurse taught me how to feed Leah, especially since I had to deal with my incision from the surgery. It wasn't as painful on my wound as I thought it was going to be. Since Dylan had to go all the way around the building I was already done feeding her by the time both of our parents arrived.

My mom was already crying looking at the baby in my arms. Dylan’s father was talking to him before he hugged him tightly.

"Is everything okay with you and Leah?" Dylan’s mom asked me.

"I know Leah is okay and I feel fine. They gave me antibiotics so I should be okay," I informed them, still looking down at the Leah in my arms. Her mouth was opening and closing, her puffy eyes crinkling. He walked over to my bed, reaching out for her and I reluctantly handed her over. 

“Hey princess, time for you to meet some very important people,” he said before he handed her over to his mom, smiling sweetly at Leah. Tears came to her eyes as she took my baby into her arms. I felt myself slowly, drifting off not able to fight the grogginess.