The Call From the Delivery Room
Chapter 14 - The Call From the Delivery Room
Emma went into labor early one Sunday morning while Adrian was visiting Lily in Milwaukee. She called her neighbor first, then her medical team. She called Adrian only after reaching the hospital.
"You don't have to come," she said over the phone. "I just wanted you to know."
"Would you like me there?"
There was a pause. "In the waiting room, yes."
He arrived two hours later with a bag containing the charger, socks, and peppermint candies she'd mentioned needing. Owen, an employee from the arts center and a close friend, sat beside him and made sure Emma's preferences were respected.
Hours passed. Adrian listened to footsteps in the corridor and remembered Rose's hospital, the unanswered calls, the helpless certainty that his world could not change without his permission.
Then Emma's neighbor appeared with a tired smile. "She's here. Mother and baby are doing well."
Emma named her daughter June after the month her grandmother had always said brought new beginnings. When Adrian entered briefly at Emma's invitation, June slept against her mother's chest, a small face beneath a pink cap.
"She's beautiful," he whispered.
May you like
Emma smiled. "I know."
He leaned against the wall, overwhelmed by how much could be contained in a single quiet room.
