Always With Me

Part 38- Dahlia Parker

Hallie fell asleep in my arms. That was the greatest sensation I'd ever experienced. She had dark hair like Brent and I, and even though she had her eyes closed as she slept, she had a thick row of eyelashes surrounding them. I was mesmerized by her already. Brent and I were very quiet when he walked into the room as we just watched our daughter sleep. There was something almost musical about her tiny breaths. She had full lips like Brent and rosy cheeks like me. I wasn't sure where I got the name Hallie from, but I remembered hearing it and falling in love with it as a child. When I found out that I was having a baby girl, the memory entered my mind again and I was very determined to name my baby that. I chose the name Hallie Elise. Elise came from Ellie, because without her faith and prayers, I never would have accepted Christ into my life. My heart fluttered in excitement as I looked down at my daughter.

The last person that had seen her was God. That idea was enough to bring tears to my eyes. She was perfect. I kissed her forehead and soon the nurses came into the room to take her so I could sleep. I hadn't realized how tired I was until they took her. After they took her, though, I couldn't shake the hollow feeling that I felt after she was gone. I felt empty without her. Brent stayed with me and fell asleep on the chair beside me. I tried my hardest to go to sleep, and I was successful for a while. I felt as if I hadn't slept in days. Even though child birth was much more painful than I could have imagined, all of it went away when I saw my daughter. Even the anxiety that I had been feeling for the past nine months vanished.

I woke up after a little while and was instantly greeted by the people that have been walking with me through this entire process. Ellie and Becca were the first to come into the room. They practically ran to the end of my bed. Brent woke up then and stretched.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go talk to my mom," Brent said to give us some time to talk. "Call me when Hallie gets back in here."

"I will," I said.

"Her name is Hallie?" Becca said excitedly as Brent turned to leave. I smiled back at them and sat up to give them room at the end of my bed to sit.

"Hallie Elise," I said as I looked to Ellie. "Because without Ellie's faithfulness to God throughout my pregnancy, I don't even know if she'd be here. You led me to Christ. Now I can be the best mom I can be. I don't think I could thank you enough for doing that."

Ellie had tears rolling down her face. Becca did also, but I knew that she wasn't jealous. She had been impacted by Ellie's faith, also.

"I don't even know what to say," she said as she wiped her tears. They didn't stop though, as she smiled at me. "I want to meet her."

"The nurses took her for a little bit, but they will be bringing her back soon," I said. Almost instantly, the door opened and my nurse pushed her bed into the room. My heart began fluttering.

They handed her to me and left me with Ellie and Becca.

"Do you guys want to hold her?" I asked. Becca looked apprehensive but she reached out. I placed Hallie into her arms and she barely flinched. She had her eyes closed as she slept, and she now wore a white hospital gown and she had mitts on her hands. Her bottom lip was poked out as she slept. I could barely see her behind the tears. She was beautiful.

"Dahl, she is so beautiful," Ellie said as Becca passed her to her a few minutes later. I smiled as I watched them. I texted Brent to let him come back to our room and he returned a few minutes later. Ellie handed my daughter to her father and he walked to his chair and sat back down.

"We are about to head home and take showers. We will be back soon," Becca said.

"Okay, thanks for staying here. I am so thankful for friends like you guys," I told them.