Wedding Bells

Chapter 26

The white lights on the ceiling were blinding. I didn't know where my clothes had gone. I was starting to regroup, pulling myself back into the real world when I realized a sharp pain between my legs.

My child...

My eyes flung open, taking in the tiles up above me. My legs strapped into what felt like clamps holding my hands in place. Locked like a prisoner. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, I searched around the room the best way I could without moving my body. Carter was standing next to me, his eyes searching my face for a moment.

"Erin..." I heard his voice but it faded away almost as quickly as it came. The words drifting through the air. I tried to focus on him, to take in those green eyes that were filled with so much worry. Why was there so much worry?

My mother was on the other side, her voice coaxing me as well but I couldn't make out the words.

Another sharp pain, a couple of clicks. Loud voices booming at, but then there were screams.

Those screams of a baby echoing in the background.

The lights begin to fade away, the ceiling growing dark. Everything goes black.

"Erin, how are you doing?" The words were soft, I couldn't tell who was saying them, but they were there. Coaxing me to pay attention. My eyes were heavy fluttering, opening for just a second before they were too heavy once again.

I felt something touch my head, it was cold, and kind of wet. A liquid drips down the curve of my neck, rolling to my shoulders as it slides down my...gown?

"Erin?" the voice comes again, this time a little more concerned, but still coaxing. My body was floating, like it was on a cloud. As I twisted realizing there was something stuck in my back. A twinge of pain echoes through my spine as I look for any sign of what it was coming from. As soon as I had realized it was there, it was gone. Was there something in my spine? Did we get in a car accident or something?

Why was I so out of it?

My eyes finally opened, the bright lights blinding me once again.

"Erin!" Carter shouted, I could tell it was him but the way he held my hand, squeezing it as he spoke. I turn to look at him, a smile across his face as wide as it could be.

"The baby..." My voice trailed off, weaker than I had thought it would be.

"You did it, she is beautiful, the healthiest baby I have ever seen." Another voice said, the doctor maybe? I turned my head trying to find the owner of the words.

I was correct, a man in bright blue scrubs stands over me, a mask covering his face so I could only see his eyes. They were deep browns pools like a murky lake.

"Would you like to see her?" Carter questions, pulling me away from the doctor, my head still in a fog. Had I really given birth? I tried to look down, only to notice my legs were placed back on the bed, the blanket tucked across me like I was laying in bed.

My mother sat at the seats at the end of the bed, while Clara and David sat next to her, holding each other as if they were terrified of something. What were they so scared of? Carter hovered over me, pressing the button on the side of the bed, raising it so I was in an upright position. The doctor wheeled in a little table, a beautiful baby bed with soft cotton blankets draping over the sides sat peacefully on top.

Inside the bed was a little girl, with blonde hair so lick it was like a warm jacket of its own.

"Here she is," Carter mumbled, bending over to pick the small creature out of her bed. My heart skipped a beat, waiting for the moment I would finally see her.

My entire body was in pain, my legs tingling, my stomach over inflated, but felt empty. Like something was missing.

And it was.

The beautiful girl that was now in my husbands hands was missing. She wasn't in her warm cozy home anymore, she was out in the real world. The big scary world that would push her down every chance it could. The mean evil world that had no fear, but was filled with lots of it.

Carter slowly arched towards me, holding her out for me to take. Before I could even realize it my arms were wrapped around her, pulling her closer to me chest. My breathe was taken away, her eyes so round and big, clenched shut like they didn't want to believe it was true.

Her hair straight, as it lays against her forehead. Her skin so soft, like a silk blanket. She had long beautiful blonde eyelashes that I just knew she would hate as a teenager when we were doing our makeup together. My heart filled with so much excitement to show her all of my stuff, my clothes, my makeup.

I couldn't wait until the first day I was able to curl her hair, but time was so precious and right now this was the most important thing in the world. My eyes started to water, the tears flowing down my cheeks before I could even attempt to stop them.

Clara and my mother hopped up from their seats, rushing over to the side of the bed. My mother grabbed my leg, rubbing my head as she kissed my forehead.

"This is the most amazing thing in the entire world, seeing your daughter finally become a mother," Her eyes were gushing rivers of water, her tears falling to the floor as she tried to focus on me. I turn to look at Clara, her eyes filled with the cursed waters as well. Why was everyone crying? I shook my head holding the baby even closer to me. I never wanted to let go.

I was never going to let anything hurt her.

"We just need a name now," My mother whispers, holding her hand against me still. I welcomed the touch.

Carter and I exchanged glances, trying to figure out if we should tell them yet or not. Clara already knew, her face showing she had the knowledge. Her mind racing behind her eyes, biting her lip to hold back the word that was right on the end of her tongue.

I shook my head at her, placing my finger on my lips to shush her. Carter chuckles next to me, holding my shoulder, leaning down to kiss my bare skin.

"Erin tell us already, we don't want to wait anymore!" My mother popped off. I shrugged realizing she was probably the only one that was still in the dark on the name.

"We decided to call her," I paused for a moment, making sure my mind was clear. Glancing at Carter he nods his head, "Aurora Rose Summers." My mother's face dropped as she realized where the name had come from. A simple family name that appeared in a few generations, here and there. A beautiful reminder of my very own mother, the one who had given birth to me, and the one who had taken care of me my entire life.

My birth mothers middle name was Aurora, and my Evelyn's mother was named Aurora. A name that would forever hold a special place in our hearts. The tears starting falling even fast now, and the more they did the more I realized I broke her.

"Oh mom please don't cry," I reached over grabbing her hand with my free one. My heart breaking as she cries, but it was filled with so much warmth at the same time. I knew they were happy tears, but it didn't make it any easier to watch.

"It's so beautiful."

~*~

"Do you need something to eat?" my mother questions, holding Aurora in her hands. I shake my head, just waking from yet another nap. The labor must have been hard, leaving me exhausted beyond belief. "You really need to eat," she grumbles, placing Aurora on the bed next to me. The happy baby sound asleep dreaming peaceful things.

Everyone else in the room was asleep, the doctors were holding me over night and though I told everyone to leave...they refused. David and Carter had left, running to grab our own car and get our hospital bag from the house. The one we spent so much time on but never got to use.

"Have they told you anything?" I ask, reaching for the remote for the bed. Clara, who had just woken up when my mother left the room leaned forward to press the button for me. The bes groaned and clicked as it raised itself until I was in a seated position. I nodded, informing her that was enough.

"You mean when you will finally get to go home?" she yawned stretching her arms above her head as far as she could. Jumping up from her seat she continued to stretch, popping her back in the meantime.

"Yeah, I want to cuddle up in my own bed." I smiled cuddling closer to my baby. Hospitals were the most uncomfortable thing i've ever been to. I feel like i've seen more of the inside of this building in the last year than I ever wanted to.

"Soon, they just wanted to watch you for a little bit, make sure things were okay, you had kind of a really aggressive labor," Clara wiped my head, holding it there for a few moments as she stares at my face.

"I just want to go home, what happened really?" I shook my head trying to think back to giving birth, everything seemed to be foggy. The world had drifted away from me and I woke up hours later with a bundle of joy.

"You were so stressed during your labor that you blood sugar rose so high you kept passing out," Clara paused for a moment. We look around the room, there wasn't any one else in here with us. "Carter was really scared you weren't going to make it for a while so he ended up passing out. We made a pact not to tell you, but girl you are the only person I have a true pact with," She winked, taking one of the chairs and placing it next to the bed. She twirled her finger over the blankets drawing little designs around my babies feet.

"Is that why I don't remember any of it?" My head kind of hurt trying to figure all of the details out, my body calm. The knowledge of what had happened didn't scare me, I felt fine, and since everyone else was here and things worked out there was no reason to stress about it.

"They were going to do an emergency c-section, but you ended up doing it naturally."

"I'm just glad everything is okay, I feel bad that I worried everyone so much," My head dropped to look at the little stinker laying next to me. She had woken up, her eyes the most beautiful green I had ever seen staring back at me. She grunted shaking her arms as she tried to figure out how the new world worked.

My heart was filled with so much warmth that it was taking over my body, shaking my head to release some of the energy. My heart had grown three sizes larger as soon as I had seen the beautiful baby girl that Carter and I had made, whether by accident or not.

She was the most perfect thing in the entire world.

"You were in labor for twelve hours Erin!" Clara paused for a moment, enunciating almost every letter of the word 'hours' as if it would hit me harder than it already had.

I knew I had been in labor.

I felt the pains.

I had the baby.

but how could it have really been that long of a thing?

"Twelve hours," I repeated back to her, this time finally sinking in. I didn't even know what day it was. I thought we had just gone to sleep after having the baby and this was the next morning. How long had I slept for afterwards then? Was it all through the next day? Is that why I was ready to go home, and everyone else seemed so groggy and not happy with the situation?

Having babies was hard, and usually your first labor was the longest, but I just couldn't remember mind at all. The last thing I remember was hunching over in the car and then lights. Oh so many lights.

I had a whole new respect for the mothers that had a few kids, or even just more than one. They work that they did to be pregnant more than once and to deliver a baby more than once was insane.

Plus don't even get me started on surrogate mothers.

It was not good for your health to have that many babies, but here they were enjoying every minute of it.

My mother came back into the room with some food, and trailing behind her was David and Carter, they had gotten back from getting supplies for everyone. I smiled, reached for my husband and held his hand tightly once it was firmly in my grasp. I loved my family so much, the love only growing more with every second.

"How is our sweet little Aurora?" My other asks rushing over to grab the baby off of the bed. She held her gently in her arms, cooing at her, whispering sweet nothings into her ears until she realized we were all watching.

"I've never had a kid of my own okay, leave me alone," She teased turning away from the group as she heads for the seats at the end of the room.

The rest of us stare at her in disbelief. She had stolen my child within the first forty-eight hours of us having her. Clara and I make eye contact, chuckling as we think of the mother that pretty much raised us both.

She may only be Clara's shop mom and a step mom for myself but she was pretty special and I was glad to have her on this journey with us.

The door opened up, startling the group of us as a doctor walks in. He wasn't dressed in his blue scrubs anymore and I wasn't sure this was even the same man. The image of the eyes flashed through my head as I tried to remember what his eyes looked like, but all I could remember was they were brown.

"How are you doing Erin?" He questions, checking his clipboard. Probably to verify he got my name correct. I nod my head realizing I should probably use my words.

"I'm doing alright, I feel fine. Just ready to go home." I shrugged the hospital gown pulling at my neck as I did so. I hated this thing, could I at least wear my own clothes? The doctor smiles, as if he could read my mind.

"We will get you out of here very soon, I'm signing your release and we will have a nurse up here in a few minutes to help you out," He paused looking around the room, his eyes falling over the baby's bed. "Didn't we have a cute little thing in here, about yay big and yay wide, He emulates the size of Aurora before looking around the room once again, finally searching the wall behind him.

"Ah...there she is," She smiled, making eye contact with my mother. He closed the distance between the two of them, wiggling Aurora's little toes. My mother seemed protective, cautiously staring at the doctor as he poked at the baby. Clara searched my face for worry. If she thought I was scared of my mother being baby obsessed, well I already knew that.

It was a hard time for my mother never having kids of her own, but her body just wouldn't allow it. When my father died she gave up on the dream all together. But now she had a grand baby and I truly believe that in her eyes that is just as good as having her own child.

The doctor turned to leave the room before looking back at me real quick. "Good work new momma, you made a beautiful baby," He smiled, waving as he turned the knob on the door and was gone almost as quickly as he had come in.

"Did you hear that? We get to go home soon, depending on how quickly he walks and how quickly the nurse can get up here," Carter beamed with joy. I was nearly just as happy. I wanted out of this bed more than anything and the only time they would let me out was for bathroom breaks, but that was a hassle all of its own.

My mother jumped from her seat placing Aurora back in her bed before turning to help me up out of mine. I was thankful for the help, my body still weak from the major events it's gone through.

The woman body was an amazing thing.

The nurse was back in the room before I could really fully get myself up off the bed. A change of clothes sat neatly on the table beside me. Carter helped me into my new clothes once everyone else had left the room. The nurse waiting just outside for us to be ready. He held the baby in his arms, supporting me with the other, taking care of his family just like a man was supposed to do.

"Are you ready to take our sweet little girl home?" He smiles. I nod my head leaning up the best I could to kiss him on the lips.

"Never been more ready in my life,"