Page 101 of Sloane

“Well, guess what. I’ve been offered a job where I live, and work, in a house on the beach. And I won’t have to put her in daycare!”

“What? That’s amazing! Tell me about the job!”

I told her all about my lunch with Jeff, and how when I’d talked to Catherine that morning, I found she’d actually been planning on talking to me about the job. It turned out she’d been at a fundraiser with Travis Sterling the weekend before and he’d inquired about me because Jeff had already mentioned me to him.

Once I was done, Tammy replied, “Wow… see? All you have to do is ask and the Universe comes through.”

“I guess so.” I shook my head, still in disbelief. “The VA has agreed to cut my patient load so I’m only working with a few current patients, which means I’ll still be at the hospital a couple of days a week for about ten hours total, but when I am, it’s considered overtime.”

“Are you serious?”

“So not only will I have all my expenses paid for—while living on the beach, mind you—but I’ll be making almost twice as much. And I don’t have to put Millie in daycare.”

“I still can’t get over that. Will you get any time off?”

“There will be someone to relieve me when I go to my job at the VA, and then two shifts a week whenever I choose.”

“Sounds like you’re going to be earning your money, babe.”

“I’m okay with that. You know I don’t mind working.”

“Yeah, but you’re going to need to be careful not to overdo it after just having pushed a human being out of your vagina a month earlier.”

I closed my eyes tight. “Thanks for that reminder.”

I was scared to death about having to give birth.

My friend reached for my hand and squeezed. “You got this. And I will be there with you the entire time. And when they ask if you want drugs, I will not hesitate to answer, ‘Absolutely,’ on your behalf.”

That made me laugh out loud, just as the yoga instructor started the New Age music and took her position at the front of the class.

~~~~

Tammy was there when little Millie arrived, screaming her lungs out. All seven pounds, ten ounces of her.

She had a headful of dark hair, and her eyes were crystal blue like her daddy’s. She also had his dimple. Thankfully, she did not have my port-wine stain.

And she was the most beautiful, perfect baby to have ever been born.

I couldn’t stop staring at her as I held her in my arms. She made the most adorable faces as she stared back at me.

“She looks like Sloane,” I murmured to Tammy who was sitting next to me on my bed, also admiring the perfection that was my daughter.

“All babies have blue eyes,” she said dismissively just as the nurse walked in

“Actually, that’s a myth,” the nurse said with a smile.

“Really?”

“Really. But just because she has blue eyes now, doesn’t mean they’ll stay blue.”

“Oh, I hope they do,” I said wistfully. I loved Sloane’s blue eyes. Looking at her made me think of him, something I hadn’t allowed myself to do since he chose not to be a part of her life. I was glad she’d been made in love, regardless of how things turned out in the end.

I also felt sad for him. It really was his loss.

“Have you decided on a name? We can go ahead and get the paperwork for her birth certificate filled out. But if you need more time, we can wait.”

“No, I made a decision.”

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