Mother's Day Babies (Holiday Babies Series) (10 page)

“We’ll have to explain that to
her and ask her to think hard before making a decision.”

“I count on you to talk to her. I
failed big time at forming a good rapport with her.”

“But she’s your daughter, not
mine. You should—”  

“Please, Barbara. You raised five
daughters. You’re good at talking to girls of all ages.” He gave a puppy-soft
look so not like him she burst out laughing.

“Drop this act, Lou. You know I
won’t let you down.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I
don’t know the abc of raising kids and I’ve never been able to convince Monica
of anything. In one hour, you’ve established a better relationship with her
than I did in twenty years.”

“Okay, I’ll explain things to her
and let her reach her own decision.”

“It’d be better for everyone if
you convince her to put them up for adoption. She’d be free to go to college
and get an education.” Lou threw his hands in the air. “Heck, she, herself, needs
to grow up before raising kids.”

“I agree in principle, but I need
to think about all that before going to the hospital.” No way on Earth, would
she advice Monica to give up her babies. But then Lou was right. On her own,
Monica would be doomed. “Another bagel, Lou?”

He chuckled. “You know what I
like about you? You never forget to be the gracious hostess. It’s second nature
to you.” He straightened and bent to put a kiss on her nose. “Too bad you’re
such a strict one,” he said with a wink. “I don’t need more food now, but we
could have both used a quickie to unwind.”

“Lou!”

“Okay I’m sorry I hurt your
chaste ears. Hmm, after thirty years of marriage and a whole week in my company
your pretty ears shouldn’t be choked by depravity. More like tickled.” He
tilted his head with a wicked glance. She shared his laughter. The man was
impossible to resist. Yet she would resist. At least until they solved his
daughter’s problems.

Her cell phone rang. Barbara
glanced at the id. “It’s Madelyn,” she told Lou.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

“Mom, where are you? Roxy told me
you cut short your vacation and left for New York.”

“I’m with Lou.” Barbara ignored Madelyn’s
gasp. Since Lou had never revealed his daughter’s existence, Barbara decided to
be vague. “We came to New York to help a relative of his who’s not feeling
well. She was toxemic and just delivered twins at eight months.”

“Are the babies okay?” Madelyn’s professional
tone took over.

“They were born 5.3 lbs and 4.2
lbs.”

“Good for twins and an eight
month delivery. The mother should be okay after the delivery. I’m sure they
gave her a blood pressure medication, maybe magnesium.”

“She has an IV line in her arm.”

“She should be feeling better in
a couple of days and discharged.”

“A couple of days? Ah, that’s
reassuring. I’ll tell Lou.” Good God, only two days to decide and organize so
many things for Monica. “Sweetie, everything is going well. Call your sisters
and update them. I’m too busy. Bye, now.”

Barbara rubbed her chin with
shaky fingers. “Lou, in two days—”

“I heard. We don’t have much
time, do we?”

His phone chimed. “My lawyer.”
Lou issued a summary of the situation and a few orders. “Give it top priority.”

Had Lou ever classified any
project as not-top-priority?

“Let’s go to the hospital,” she
suggested when he shut his phone.

****

Monica was dozing when they
arrived. They tiptoed and sat on the chairs next to the bed. Lou checked his
email and read the report of his junior writer about surrogate procedures. A
thorough piece of work that taught Lou everything he needed to learn about
surrogates. The young journalist had a future at KNR TV.

An aid entered rolling a cart and
deposited a breakfast tray on the over-bed table. Monica opened her eyes and
scanned her surroundings. A big smile brightened her face. “Mrs. Ramsay, you’re
back.”

“Good morning, Monica. Your
father is here too.” Barbara’s pointed look sent a clear message to his
daughter.

Monica acknowledged his presence
with a nod. “Good morning, Lou.”

Barbara turned to him with the
same look and the same message. She seemed determined to instruct both him and
Monica on father-daughter’s relationship. He repressed a smile and approached the
bed to place a quick kiss on Monica’s forehead. A smile from Barbara rewarded
their good behavior.

“Sweetie, let me help you.”
Barbara propped up the pillow and helped Monica sit. After uncovering a dish,
she added cream and sugar to the coffee. “How was your night?”

“Great. They gave me a pill to
help me sleep. I just woke up now. I haven’t seen my babies yet.” Monica heartily
ate her scrambled eggs while he quietly observed both women. Barbara definitely
had a good influence on their patient.

“Drink your milk, sweetie. It’ll
help the breastfeeding.”

Monica’s fork froze half-way to
her mouth. “Breastfeeding?”

“I breastfed all my babies. The
mother’s milk helps babies stay healthy.”

Lou arched an eyebrow at Monica’s
horrified expression. “I’ve never considered breastfeeding them.”

“Of course, because the Morevs
planned to take them right away, but now if you want to keep them, you should
think about it.”

Her lips jutting in a pout, Monica
considered her chest with curiosity and patted her breasts. “I can try if you
think it’s better for the babies than feeding from bottles. I think I have
milk.”

“I’m sure you have milk,” Barbara
smiled. “When the nurse brings them to you, we’ll tell her you want to try.”

“That’ll be fun.”

“Sometimes, it’s frustrating if
they don’t want to suckle.”

Lou narrowed his eyes. Was
Barbara testing the young mother’s willingness to bear hardship for her newborns?
Good for you, Barbara. It would help them assess Monica’s ability to raise her
children.

“Have you chosen names from
them?” Barbara handed her the knife she couldn’t reach.

“When Ian was with me, we chose
names, but I won’t use them now.” A gleam of regret flickered in her gaze. “Can
I name them now or should I wait?”

Barbara tilted her head toward
him. “What do you think, Lou?”

“Let’s wait until I hear from the
lawyer.” He came closer to the bed, hoping his daughter wouldn’t resent his
question. “Have you received all the money they owed you?”

Monica nodded. “I got half of it
when I signed the contract. I was supposed to receive the rest after the
delivery, but Ian handed me a check with the rest when he left me to go back to
his wife.” Panic crept over her face and shadowed her eyes. “Does it mean they
own my babies?” Her body writhed as she clutched the blanket.

Lou patted her arm. “I plan to
return every penny and have them sign a release.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank
you, Lou. I’m glad you came.” Was it Barbara or the babies who made such a
difference in Monica’s behavior?

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lou
brushed her forehead with a kiss and was rewarded with Barbara’s satisfied nod.
He checked his phone. “I will meet with the lawyer now. Be back in an hour or
so.”

Barbara was glad to have a
private time with the young mother, but the doctor came right after Lou left. A
young woman in her thirties, she reminded Barbara of her daughter Madelyn. Barbara
removed the breakfast tray and withdrew to a wall to make room for Dr. Pierce
who examined her patient.

“Your latest tests are good and
your scar is healing nicely,” Dr. Pierce said. “Tomorrow I’ll remove your
stitches and discharge you. One of the babies can go home with you. The other
needs to stay a few more days according to our neonatologist. Do you have any
questions?”

Monica shook her head.

“That’s great news. Thank you,
doctor,” Barbara said since Monica remained quiet, but she couldn’t help
noticing the tremor of the young mother’s fingers and the anxious gaze she cast
at the doctor’s departing back. “You’re going home tomorrow with one of your
babies. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Home? With a baby?” Monica slid
down from her pillows and pulled her blanket up to her chin in a protective
gesture.

“Monica, isn’t it what you want,
to take your babies home?”

The young woman’s face morphed
into a mask of panic. “Yes, it’s what I’d love to do, but how am I going to
handle two babies on my own, in my small apartment?”

“Ah.” Reality had finally showed
its difficult side. It was one thing to be pampered in a hospital bed and play
mom, and another to deal on her own with crying newborns. “You’ll learn on the
job as all young mothers have to.”

“Yes, sure.” Monica contemplated
the nail she was chewing on. “Well, if you did, I can learn to do it too.” The
quivering of her voice belied her firm statement.

Pity and a hint of guilt stabbed
Barbara. Her mother had been with her when she brought back her firstborn from
the hospital, and Barbara herself had lent a helping hand to each of her
daughters after their children were born—even forced them to lie down while she
took over the heavy chores and midnight feed to allow them to rest.

Monica had no mother, no one to stand
by her side. “Sweetie, would you like me to stay with you at the beginning?”

“Would you?” Her voice burst with
hope. “I want to keep my children, but I’m afraid to drop them, or hurt them,
or... I’ve no idea what to do. Please, Mrs. Ramsay, spend some time with me.”
Her eyes imploring, Monica grabbed her hand.

Barbara covered it with her own.
Lou’s daughter needed her. At home, she had nothing interesting waiting for
her. Holding babies again had always delighted her. She was a professional
mother as Heather often told her.

“I’ll spend a few days with you
until you get used to the new situation.”

Monica exhaled her relief and
threw her arms around Barbara’s neck. “How can I ever thank you?” Barbara
hugged her back.

The nurse came in pushing a glass
bassinet. “Would you like to breastfeed?”

“Yes, come Baby Boy, breakfast
time.” Monica raised herself against her pillows and held her arms up.

“Nurse, we’ll do one at a time to
start. Leave the other in his crib,” Barbara suggested as she untied the
mommy’s hospital gown and lowered it to her waist.

Monica took the baby, cradled him
in her arm, and held the tiny face against her swollen breast. “Open your
mouth, Baby Boy.” The newborn continued to sleep in his comfortable cocoon. “Oh
no, wake up.”

“Easy, Monica. Don’t get
frustrated yet. It’s new to him and to you. Actually, you’ll be more
comfortable with a pillow under the baby to raise him.” After adjusting the
small body on the pillow, Barbara tickled his cheek and brushed his lips. When
he finally opened his mouth, she brought the nipple close to his mouth and slid
it between the tiny lips.

“Yeah, he latched on.” Monica
chuckled and observed her baby with delight. “It tickles. Look, isn’t he cute?”
 

“Adorable.”

Monica winced. “Ouch, it hurts
now.”

Bending over mother and baby,
Barbara examined the breastfeeding procedure with a professional eye. She’d
helped Heather and Roxanne during the first weeks following their babies’ births
and could write a book about how-to with newborns. In fact, Madelyn had sought
her advice a couple of times before publishing medical articles for her
neonatology journal. “It’s normal. It means he’s sucking well.”

A moment later, the baby fell
asleep but his twin was crying. Barbara set Baby One back in his bassinet and
handed his brother to Monica. “Same thing, on the other breast.”

Monica repeated Barbara’s
gestures, teasing the baby’s lips, squeezing his cheeks until he opened his
mouth and latched on her nipple. “Home run.”

“See it requires some patience.”

When Baby Two fell asleep on his
mother’s breast, Barbara held him against her shoulder and gently rubbed his
back. “You have to burp them after they finish their meal. Now I’ll burp the
first one and call the nurse to take them.”

Exhausted, the happy mother
closed her eyes. “Thank you, Mom.”

Was she thanking her deceased
mother for answering her prayer, or calling Barbara
mom
?

“Monica—”

 “Do you mind if I call you
mom
?
Jennifer never let me call her that. I made her look too old. Besides she
wasn’t much of a mother.” The young woman snorted. “Not like you at all.”

Barbara’s eyes misted. “Of
course, you can call me
mom
.” She had the feeling Lou’s daughter had
adopted her. How would Lou feel about it?

“I think I’m going to nap,”
Monica said, but the nurse interrupted her.

“I brought the birth certificate
forms for you to fill in. Can you do it now?”

“Yes.” Not heeding her father’s
suggestion to wait until the babies’ situation was cleared, Monica took the
papers and pen, and smiled at Barbara. “Mom, what’s your favorite name?”

“I’m an old fashioned person. I
like traditional names.”

“Such as?” Monica insisted, the
pen in hand.

“I lost a little boy called
Christopher years ago.”

Monica studiously filled the
form. “I’m done. Here.” She handed the papers back to the nurse without
hesitation and rubbed her hands. “My babies have names now. They’re mine to
keep.”

Chapter Nine

Lou paced the lobby of the
hospital waiting for Barbara. He’d just called her and asked her to bring the
key of Monica’s apartment. The elevator stopped and she stepped out, as relaxed
as if she’d spent her morning strolling along the streets of Paris rather than
keeping company with a difficult patient. She smiled and his heart filled with
elation. His dear friend was becoming indispensible to him. But then a simple
friendship was not exactly what he felt toward her. He’d prefer friendship with
special benefits—to be named later.