Their Miracle Baby

She picked up the resume, scanned it quickly, then sat back and read it through again. Dr. Billings was perfect: a pediatrician who had a successful clinic, but due to a recent unexpected inheritance had decided to dedicate his time to helping those who needed it most.

“Get him in here. I want to meet him. He sounds like he might just be the one we’ve been looking for,” Venetia said, suddenly as excited as Bernice.

By the end of the week, she’d asked Dr. Billings to join the clinic, finalized the paperwork that would allow them to take on interns, and hired a new nurse. Bernice was busy putting together a new schedule with of all things off time for Venetia. She’d still be working a lot, but there was also plenty of time for fun.

Thanks to the added help, the clinic was actually able to expand its hours which would eventually make everyone’s job easier since patients could be spaced out further. Lewis was thrilled with the effort Venetia was making to delegate the work of running the clinic to her staff. They’d fallen into a pleasant routine in their relationship, and though they hadn’t discussed it, he was sure that she would be moving in with him soon.

Then they’d meet each other’s families, although he dreaded introducing her to his family and was afraid of what her family might say. He was determined to move forward in their relationship because he knew without a doubt that Venetia was the one for him.

Venetia too was feeling excited for the future, she’d learned that it was possible to spread the work load and provide the quality of care she insisted on. Dr. Billings and the other new staff were doing a great job fitting in to the clinic, their dedication winning Venetia’s respect immediately.

She was painting again, wearing her new clothes all over town with Lewis, and relearning what it meant to be truly happy. She moved in with Lewis without hesitation, so deeply in love she was swept away. Everything in her life was perfect; she knew it couldn’t last forever, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

Time seemed to fly for Venetia. Months passed and her bliss continued, but as she’d predicted, the peace couldn’t last forever. The storm came from an unexpected place and happened so quickly that she hadn’t had time to prepare herself for the aftermath. Had she been prepared, things might have turned out differently.

Her mother had been bugging her incessantly about bringing Lewis around to meet the family; the problem was that meant the entire family. Grandparent, aunts, uncles, cousins, and probably a few neighbors as well. Unlike the quiet dinner she’d shared with his parents, it would be a rowdy production with kids fighting, music blasting, and an obscene amount of food.

She knew that her father would be especially hard on him, she was his little girl after all. But when she’d voiced her concerns to Lewis, he’d shrugged them off. “I can handle your dad. After all, I only have the best of intentions, he’ll be able to tell that.”

“I know, but my whole family, they’d drown you in attention. Are you sure you want to do this? We could invite my family to the city instead,” she offered, worry creasing her brow.

“Stop worrying. It’s going to be fine,” he said, tipping her chin up so he could look in her eyes. “You know I love you.

She nodded her head, and whispered, “Yes.” The look in his eyes was so intense it took her breath away.

“Then know that nothing is going to come between us, not your family, not my family. I’ve been waiting a long time for you, and I’m not going to let you go no matter what. I love you. Do you understand?” he said, tears in his eyes.

“Oh, Lewis. I love you too. Nothing is ever going to come between us.”

They left for the party wrapped in their love, feeling immune to the world around them. She shouldn’t have worried, Lewis got along with her family famously. He charmed her father and even made her mother blush once. He let her aunts and cousins stuff him full of food, then agreed to play catch with the men in the backyard.

As she watched him disappear out the back door, she decided that she’d never loved anyone as much as she loved Lewis right then. She could see far into their happy future when they’d have their own kids to fight and yell at family gatherings. Then she shook her mind from those thoughts, they’d only been together for a matter of months, much too soon to be thinking about having a baby with him.

She decided her thoughts had probably gone in that direction because her cousin had shown up proudly displaying her new baby. Venetia had yet to hold him, there being too many other hands available, but she knew her turn would come and she was looking forward to holding the small bundle in her arms.

Now that the men had gone outside, the baby was being passed around the living room where all the women had congregated to ooh and ahh over the little boy. When Venetia’s turn came, she held the little bundle in her arms and felt a deep stirring in her womb. Brushing off the feeling she concentrated on the little face peering up at her.

At just that moment, the men came stomping in from the backyard. The sight that greeted Lewis when he walked into the room was one he would remember the rest of the life, the moment when things changed between them forever. Venetia was sitting on the couch with a baby in her arms, a peaceful smile on her face. He’d never seen her look so beautiful.

When she looked up and their eyes met, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he realized that he wanted Venetia to have their baby. She must have interpreted his look because she gently shook her head no, but Lewis, accustomed to getting what he wanted, shook his head yes.

The moment was interrupted when someone walked between them and broke their eye contact. Venetia’s heart was pounding; a baby was definitely not in her plans. She’d just learned how to let go and think about herself for a change. It was too soon to think about having someone be totally dependent on her. Hopefully, she thought, as she passed the baby on, the moment had passed and Lewis would forget the crazy idea she’d seen blooming in his eyes.

When Lewis didn’t bring it up in the car, she thought that he’d abandoned the idea. But once they were back in their hotel room, she could tell he was still thinking about it. He was distracted as they got ready for bed, enough so that Venetia decided that she’d better stop this before it went any further.

“You seem distracted. Is there something on your mind? I’m sorry about my family,” she said, one sentence tumbling out after another.

“Your family was great. They made me feel very welcome. It makes me sad that my family is so cold. When I have kids, I’m going to love them and they’re going to know it,” he said, sitting down on the bed.

“Oh, sweetheart. Someday, you’re going to be the best dad in the world. You’re a remarkable man, Lewis, and any kid who has you as their dad will be very lucky,” she said, sitting down next to him and putting her arm around him.

“What if I said that I didn’t want to wait for someday? What if I said that I want us to have a baby? The timing is perfect. When I saw you with that baby today, I just knew that we should. You would make a wonderful mother, and we would make the perfect family.”

“But, Lewis, what about the clinic? I can’t leave them yet, they’re not ready. I don’t know if I’m ready. That’s a lot of responsibility. I’ve just learned how to take time for myself.”

“Just promise me you’ll think about it. Think about how wonderful it will be you, me, and our baby,” he said, pushing her down onto the bed.