Page 28 of Joshua
I recap the events leading to my ER visit, enjoying each time Serena’s cheeks redden with embarrassment. Her face scrunches with displeasure, and I pause to smile.My beautiful girl is a mother,I think, losing my train of thought.
“What seems to be the problem, ma’am? Why my hoohah is on fire!” Serena jokes, drawing my attention back to the story.
We all burst into laughter. “Yeah, it wasn’t quite like that but pretty close. I was taken to a room, and some time later, your father walks in. He had the kindest eyes I’d ever seen, and oh God did I think he was hot. At first I struggled with admitting what brought me in, but I needed relief.”
Serena nods and turns to her dad. “You’ve always treated people without judgment. I’m sure it helped Mom open up.”
“Such a good man you are, my love,” I whisper and brush my lips against his.
I stare at him, recounting how we’d bumped into each other while I’d been dropping off my passport application at the post office.
“Yeah, I already know this part. You two went on a trip together, right?” Serena asks.
My vision blurs with tears at the memories, and Joshua pulls me against him. “Yeah, we did go on a trip together,” he tells her, and I shut my lids tight.
“Oh, Mom, what’s the matter?”
Joshua
Looking from Serena, who resembles Hazel so much, to my beautiful bride, I push back my own pain from those times. Only Angela and my sister ever learned all the details surrounding our trip. It was my sister who suggested it in the first place, and she’d been absolutely right.
“We took that trip about five or six months after meeting in the hospital. Your Aunt Denise suggested it after your mother miscarried.” The words are as hard to say thirty-two years later as they were back then.
“What?” Serena whispers. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea…”
I look at my grandson’s sleeping form, a small smile tipping my lips. “Not everyone is as fortunate as we became.”
“We became pregnant after our first time together. We’d been careful and had done everything right, but we all know it’s not foolproof. I learned I was pregnant and had been terrified to tell your dad. We’d only been together months,” Hazel says.
“Months, but we’d fallen in love instantly,” I say and press my lips to her temple.
“We were devastated by the loss. The baby was unplanned and unexpected, but I loved them so much the moment I knew. It turned out I didn’t need to worry about telling your father because the night I planned to tell him, he proposed.”
“What?” Serena laughs. “After only a couple months?”
“Rena baby, I’ve been head over heels for your mother since she walked into my emergency department. The moment I recognized I truly loved her, I didn’t want to be apart from her.”
“Wow,” Serena says, and a tear slips down her cheek. “So then what?”
“I said yes to his proposal and told him about the baby.”
I smile, remembering the fear, love, and hope I’d felt. “We were scared and excited about our future together.”
“Taking your Aunt Denise’s suggestion, we spent time together and realized there was no sense in waiting when we knew…”
“Knew what?”
“That we were ready to be married and start our family. Before the baby, we talked about kids and marriage. We’d agreed it was better to wait and enjoy the first part. After losing the baby, we saw everything differently.”
Serena cradles her son’s face, and my heart squeezes at the love I see she has for her son. “Yeah, I understand that completely.”
“We married within six months and,”—Hazel stands and sits on the arm to the chair—“within the year, you were growing inside me.”
“I always knew you two shared a beautiful love, but never would I have guessed,” Serena says.
“You and Joey will too. It will be filled with bumps and sacrifices, but if there is love and understanding, you’ll weather the storms like we always have.”
Serena smiles and pushes to her feet. “I’ll do my best. After all, I’ve lived with a wonderful example.” We watch her lay Abel down in his portable crib, and her fingertips glide over his downy-soft hair. “Thanks again for watching him. I can’t wait to surprise Joey with this spontaneous date.”
