Chapter 19 - THE LONGEST NIGHTLabor lasted eighteen hours.
Ethan learned several things.
Claire had extraordinary pain tolerance.
Claire hated breathing exercises.
Claire could threaten murder while technically remaining charming.
And under no circumstances should a husband say:
“You’re doing great.”
Not during hour fourteen.
Claire glared at him.
“If you tell me I’m doing great again, I will divorce you during labor.”
The nurse laughed.
Ethan nodded.
“Understood.”
Another contraction.
Claire crushed his hand.
“Say something.”
“You specifically limited my available material.”
“Ethan!”
“I love you.”
“Better.”
At 9:41 p.m., complications developed.
The baby’s heart rate dropped.
Suddenly the room changed.
More nurses.
More monitors.
A doctor speaking quickly.
“We may need an emergency C-section.”
Claire looked at Ethan.
Fear.
Pure fear.
He felt it too.
But he did not tell her everything would be fine.
He had learned not to make promises he could not control.
Instead, he leaned close.
“I’m here.”
Claire gripped his hand.
“Don’t leave.”
“I won’t.”
Minutes later, they moved toward surgery.
Ethan followed until a nurse stopped him to prepare.
For ninety seconds, Claire disappeared behind doors.
Ninety seconds.
Once, he had left her waiting thirty-seven minutes beneath a hotel awning.
Now ninety seconds without her felt unbearable.
When he entered the operating room, Claire looked toward him.
He sat beside her.
“I’m here.”
“I know.”
At 10:18 p.m., their daughter cried.
Everything stopped.
Ethan froze.
Claire sobbed.
The doctor lifted a tiny red-faced furious human being into view.
“Congratulations.”
Ethan made a sound Claire had never heard before.
Half laugh.
Half broken breath.
Their daughter was placed against Claire.
Claire stared down.
“Hi.”
The baby cried.
Claire laughed.
Ethan touched one tiny foot.
“Hi.”
Claire looked at him.
“You’re crying again.”
“I have something in my eye.”
“In an operating room?”
“Very dusty.”
Claire laughed.
They named her Evelyn Margaret Bennett.
Evelyn for the woman whose work had been stolen and whose name deserved to build something good.
Margaret for the woman who had finally told the truth.
When Margaret heard the name, she cried for ten straight minutes.
Three days later, Claire returned home.
Pepper approached the baby carrier suspiciously.
Ethan crouched.
“This is Evelyn.”
Pepper sniffed.
Then sat.
Claire smiled.
“I think he approves.”
“He has no voting rights.”
That night, Evelyn woke seven times.
Claire cried once from exhaustion.
Ethan burned a bottle nipple while sterilizing it.
Pepper vomited on the rug.
At 4:12 a.m., Claire and Ethan sat on the kitchen floor.
Evelyn slept against Ethan’s chest.
Claire leaned against his shoulder.
“This is terrible.”
“Completely.”
“I’m so happy.”
“Me too.”
Ethan looked down at their daughter.
Then whispered:
“I almost lost all of this.”
Claire turned.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You almost lost me.”
She touched Evelyn’s tiny hand.
“This didn’t exist yet.”
Ethan understood.
Claire continued.
“We didn’t save the old life.”
She looked around the messy kitchen.
“We built another one.”
Ethan kissed her temple.
Outside, rain began.
Of course it did.
Claire listened.
Then smiled.
“Do you think she’ll like storms?”
Ethan looked at their daughter.
“With our family history?”
He sighed.
“She’s going to need therapy.”
Claire laughed so loudly Evelyn woke up.
And began screaming.
Ethan stared at Claire.
May you like
Claire stared at Ethan.
Then both started laughing.
