A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (23 page)

Perfect. Her baby was perfect. Wrapping the infant up she was so happy she hadn’t succumbed to the aid of pain medication. The infant was alert and wide awake. Summer was so caught up in her bundle of joy she’d almost forgot Nick was in the room. Looking at him for the first time in days their eyes locked and held. She hadn’t expected to see tenderness in his gaze.

“Do you want to hold your son before I feed him?”

As much as he ached to hold his son in his arms, he declined the offer.

“No, go ahead and feed him first. I’ll hold him later.”

Summer exposed her right breast positioning the baby for feeding. Instinctively the infant opened its mouth, latched on and began nursing. Mother and son affectionately gazed into each other’s eyes, bonding as she gave him life-sustaining nourishment from her body.

Sauntering over to the head of the bed, Nick watched the baby looking into Summer’s face with interest as he suckled her breast.
He adores her already.
Bending down he feathered a kiss on Summer’s forehead, then leaned in further to kiss the baby’s forehead. Pulling up a chair, he sat as close as possible to them.

“Summer, look at how he’s looking at you. He knows you’re his mother.”

“You think so?”

“Of course he does. He’s so beautiful.”

“Yes, he is. He looks just like you Nick. He has your eyes.”

Peering into the baby’s little face, Nick couldn’t help but to grin.

“Yeah, he does have my eyes.”

“Don’t you think he looks like you?” she quietly asked, praying he would see what she saw. That their son was a complete replica of him.“Most definitely. He does look like his old man.” Nick responded in a quiet thoughtful voice.

Relief washed over Summer. Nick had no doubts that this was his son.

A nurse came barging into the room without a clue she’d interrupted a poignant exchange. “Summer, we’re going to move you upstairs to your room as soon as you finish feeding that handsome little guy.” The nurse’s voice was too animated to be so early in the wee hours of the morning.

“Okay, I think he’s almost done. By the way how much did my baby weigh and how long is he?”

Beaming at Summer, the nurse answered, “Seven pounds nine ounces and he’s twenty-one inches long. He’s a nice size for a first baby.”

“Yes, he is.”
Good grief, no wonder I feel like I’ve been dragged behind a herd of elephants.

Removing the baby from her breast, Summer kissed him on the nose before handing him over to the hyperactive nurse.
Oh Lord, please don’t let this woman drop my baby.

The nurse secured the baby in her arms as she checked the identification band on Summer’s wrist and then on the baby’s ankle making sure they matched. “I’ll be back to take you up to your room as soon as I take baby boy Jackson to the nursery.”

Nick frowned as the nurse swiftly walked passed him with the infant.
Baby boy Jackson?

The instant Summer was settled in her room she requested the baby be brought to her though she was bone tired. It was as if she couldn’t get enough of holding the precious tiny gift. As soon as the nurse placed the baby into her eagerly waiting arms, Summer was filled with an awareness she couldn’t find the words to describe. She found it extremely hard to keep her eyes off the now sleeping newborn.
This must be what true love feels like
. Though she loved him while he grew day by day in the protectiveness of her womb, seeing him, touching him, nurturing him from her body took on a whole new meaning. It was a love that was pure, unselfish, protective, trusting, giving and never expecting anything in return. It was a mother’s love.

The picture before Nick was breathtaking. Summer and his son was a beautiful pair. Just as she couldn’t keep her eyes off their son, he was having difficulty doing the same. Nick’s heart trembled as Summer looked from the sleeping infant to meet his gaze. She wore the prettiest smile, that of an angel’s.

Summer was aware Nick was staring at her and the baby. His reaction was what she’d hoped and prayed for. Smiling she asked, “Do you want to hold your son now?”

Summer shifted her sore body to make room for Nick to sit. With great ease he sat his large frame down next to her, so close, their bodies touched sending an electrical current surging through his body. Summer’s face blushed with embarrassment. She felt it too. A minute or so passed before either said anything, neither of them wanted to spoil the warmth of the closeness. Summer was the first to speak, breaking the silence.

“Have you ever held a baby before?”

Nick chuckled. “No, never had a reason to before.”

“Well, you better get used to it. I don’t want you to let this little cutie pie slip through your hands.” Summer teased as she instructed Nick on how to support the newborn’s head in the crease of his elbow.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that Miss Summer, I plan on getting plenty of practice.” He countered as he prepared to take the sleeping bundle in his arms.

“Well good for you Mr. Nick.”

Enjoying the easy flowing bantering, Nick started to say something else witty but was silenced after she placed the baby in his arms. His heart began to accelerate as the tiny bundled squirmed. The emotion of fear seized him.

“Summer, you better take him back.”

Summer furrowed her perfectly arched brows. “Why?”

“Because he’s moving, I don’t want to drop him.” Anxiety laced the new father’s voice.

Summer giggled. “Nick, you won’t drop him. He’s probably just trying to wake up again, that’s all.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

Nick relaxed as he peered into the slumbering face identical to his.
A son. I have a son.
Nick’s chest swelled with pride. This was the most incredible feeling in the world. Suddenly the hollow space in his heart began to fill. A smile tugged at his mouth as he took his attention away from his son to Summer. She had quietly drifted off to sleep. She never looked more beautiful. Nick figured she had to be exhausted. Giving birth had been excruciatingly painful for her as she repeatedly refused medication so their baby wouldn’t be exposed to any unnecessary risks.

A sickening feeling washed over him at the realization that if Summer had tracked him down, telling him she was pregnant, he would not be holding this precious gift in his arms so close to his heart, loving him with everything he was worth. If it were up to him, nine months ago she would have had that abortion. He would have seen to it, even if it meant him dragging her kicking and screaming to the nearest clinic.

Nick hadn’t been to church since his mother’s funeral. He refused to go every time Summer invited him to go with her. He wasn’t much of a praying man either. But he hoped and prayed Summer would find it in her heart to forgive him for the hell he’d put her through, starting with the day he turned his back on her.

Later that morning, Nick arrived at the hospital with two dozen long stem white roses trimmed in baby blue. Knocking on the door he heard Summer say, “Come in.”

Immediately, he sensed the strain in her voice.

Opening the door, he found her lying on her side staring at the baby as he slept in the clear bassinet.

“How you feeling?” he asked as he laid the roses and his coat on a bedside table before washing his hands at the sink.

Summer’s tone was flat when she responded. “Fine.”

Lifting the sleeping baby from the bassinet, Nick further inquired. “You all right, Summer?”

“The lab technician from BioMed just left.” Enough had been said; he needed no further explanation for her reserved mood.

“I see.” Nick was tested last week, all the lab needed were Summer’s and the baby’s buccal samples. Knowing this was the reason for her mood, he mumbled a curse under his breath. He wasn’t thinking when he innocently told his attorney he was on his way to the hospital because Summer had gone into labor. The business he’d been discussing with the attorney had nothing to do with her or the baby. Nick had no idea the lawyer would contact the independent lab before he had a chance to tell him he’d changed his mind about the paternity test and filing for custody.

“Summer, we need to talk.”

He wanted to tell her he didn’t need a test to prove the baby he held in his arms was indeed, unquestionably his. He wanted her to know she didn’t have to worry about the threats he slung her way in anger.“Nick, I’m tired. I don’t feel like talking.”

Not now or ever, she wanted to say. Summer was devastated when the lab tech showed up eight that morning.
Well, dag-gone it! Couldn’t he at least wait until I could see straight
? It had been barely six hours since she had given birth.

Sitting down in a chair, Nick carefully adjusted the sleeping infant in his arms.

“Then when?” he asked as he struggled to keep the tightness from his voice.

“Not now. I can’t handle anymore conversations with you right now.” She wanted him to leave but didn’t dare tell him to do so. He was there to see his son and not her as far as she was concerned.

Agitation crept in his voice as he demanded, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nick, I’m tired of you treating me like I’m the enemy…your enemy. I’m exhausted; I don’t have the energy to sit here and have you yelling at me.”

Placing the infant back in the bassinet, Nick turned to Summer. “When you feel like you have the energy, we
will
have this conversation.”

Snatching his coat off the table taking long strides to the door, Nick stopped without turning to look back at her. “Trust me, if you were my enemy you would’ve known it by now.”

Summer shuddered at his words as he stalked out the room slamming the door.

♥♥♥

Nick was disgusted with himself. He hadn’t handled Summer well at all. What was it with him? Why did he always seem to hurt or upset her? She was only reacting to how he had been treating her. Was it too late? Had he pushed her to the point of no return? He had every intention on apologizing to her for being a jackass and treating her so badly. He was planning to tell her he would do whatever it took to make things right between them, to put the past where it belonged and move forward. Somehow, things had taken a tragic detour. Summer ended up crying and he ended up storming out the room slamming the door.

Needing to burn off frustration, he decided to walk instead of taking a cab back to his office in the blustery February air. The biting cold didn’t seem to bother him as he walked against the gusting wind. Several blocks into the walk his frustration was still present as the cold air began to chill him. Fastening the top button of his wool overcoat, the rectangle box in the breast pocket shifted. The elderly woman he passed gasped, “oh dear” as an expletive exploded from his lips.

Nick nodded and mumbled an apology to the elderly woman. The rectangle box made him think of the sweet, sleeping Summer he’d left at the hospital earlier that morning. Not wanting to wake her he left a note on the bedside table.

Summer,

I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful.

I’ll be back later this morning to see you and the baby.

Sweet dreams,

Nick

Before coming to the hospital, he stopped at Tiffany’s on Walnut Street. The platinum three-carat diamond tennis bracelet in the display case caught his eye. Beautiful and sparkling, reminding him of Summer. Nick let out a deep sigh.
Enemy. She thinks I treat her like an enemy.
For her to make such a statement meant her feelings for him were changing, if they already hadn’t. Summer was slipping threw his fingers; he felt it in his gut.

♥♥♥

How they did it, Summer didn’t care. She thanked the Lord in heaven her parents made it to Philly. It was only by His grace that they had. Their surprised arrival was just the pick me up she needed. She hadn’t expected them until later that night or the next day. Summer was sitting in a chair nursing the baby when her mother barged through the door with dramatic flair startling her.

“Baby, I tried to get here as fast as I could!”

Rushing over to her daughter, Nita awkwardly hugged her tight, making sure not to squeeze the baby.

Summer leaned into her mother’s embrace. “Mommy you made it. Where’s daddy?”

Waving her hand, “He’s out there. Saw the sign ‘Mother is Nursing’ on the door. Said he wait until you’re done.”

Removing the baby from her breast, Summer laid the infant against her chest gently patting his back. Her mother smiled as tears shone in her eyes. “My baby is a mother. I remember the day you were born, seems like yesterday.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course baby. That’s something you’ll never forget.” Nita smiled. “You’ll see.”