Love in a Box

Normal

12 weeks pregnant.

Jessica woke up to the sound of Danny's voice.

"You're gonna grow up big and strong like mommy and daddy!  That's right!  And one day you'll have a brother or sister to grow up and play with too!"

"Mmm.. what are you doing? I'm sleeping!" Jessica whines. "And why are you trying to put more of your kids in my uterus when this one isn't even ready to come out?"

"I'm talking to the baby!  I'm just telling him or her about how great their life will be."

"Can't you do that later?"

"No they need to know my voice! Jessica look." Danny smiles.

"What?" Jessica looks down.

"Your little belly is starting to poke out!"

Jessica smiles softly. "Yeah, a little bit, huh?"

"Yeah. Gosh you're so cute! I can't even imagine how adorable you'll be waddling and chasséing along at nine months pregnant!"

"Hey you remember chassé!"

"Of course, I'm brilliant!"

Jessica laughs. "Oh that's right, I forgot."

Danny chuckles and kisses her stomach.
"Are we telling our parents today?"

"I don't know, I'm scared!"

"Why? They'll be happy, babe!"

"Maybe."

"They will be!  It's a baby!"

Just then the phone rings.

"Let's just ignore it." Danny says climbing over Jessica and kissing her neck.

Jessica laughs. "No, go answer it! It could be the hospital."

Danny groans and stands up to get the phone.

"Hello?
... Yeah.. That's good!"

Jessica watches as Danny's smile fades.

"What?  Oh my gosh....
So what happens if this doesn't work?"

Jessica quickly walked over to Danny.
"What's wrong?  Is it Sarah?"

Danny places his hand on her arm and continues talking.

"Please keep us updated, Mr. Paulson.
.. We're praying for her.."

Danny hangs up and looks down to Jessica who is in tears.

"What happened to her?  Is she gonna be okay?"

Danny sighs and takes her hands. "Let's sit."

"Danny, tell me!"

"Her test finally came back negative."

"Really?  Well that's good!  I mean she's had it for months now!  She's getting better!  Right?  Why did you seem upset?"

"Because there was so much damage to her lungs that.."

"What?"

"Her only chance of survival-"

Jessica gasps and squeezes Danny's hand.

"Is if she has a single lung transplant."

"Oh my gosh! Danny but.. what if it doesn't work? What if she.. No Danny, I can't lose her!" Jessica cries.

"Honey, calm down. Breathe.. she's going to be okay. Sarah is a strong person, you know that! She'll be fine."

"I don't want to lose her, Danny."

"You won't."

"Double lung transplant.. Most people don't live very long lives after having those, right?"

"I honestly don't know anything about that.. but she'll be okay.  She has too, honey."

Jessica buries herself in Danny's arms.

"Deep breathes. You have a little one inside of you have to worry about. A little one that is going to be so strong growing up in this crazy crazy world. He or she will have Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles and their cousins to tell them how insane things were when they were in Mommy's tummy.
.. And you know what? They'll have their Uncle Evan telling them about all of the stories he has from the COVID floor.. But the coolest stories he or she will get will be from their Aunt Sarah who is the most badass of all of them. She was literally one of the first women in Minnesota to have this horrible illness. She's a fighter. She is a survivor. And she's not going anywhere."

Jessica cries into Danny's chest.
"I just want things to be normal again.  I'm so tired of this, Danny!"

"I know.. Me too, baby."