Read Online Against the Odds by Brenda Kennedy - Free Book Online

expecting to see something from Bruce and
surprised to see it’s from Leah.  
    Leah: Ace, Your hint is…
sugar and spice and everything that’s nice.  
    I look at my phone and blink a few times. I
look up and Leah is smiling with tears in her eyes. “A girl?” I
ask.  
    She nods, “Yes.” I watch as the tears from
onto her rosy colored cheeks. 
    “ We’re having a girl?” I
ask, again. All of the sudden I can only see Leah sitting up in the
bed with her cell phone in her hands. I
guess this is what’s called tunnel vision. I know our parents are
in the room, but I don’t see them. I hold
my phone and slowly walk over to Leah. When I get to her, I softly
sit on the bed, cup her face in my hands and say, “A
girl?”  
    She smiles, cries, and nods her answer. I
kiss her softly and passionately. I break away slowly from or kiss
and wipe away her tears with the pads of my thumbs. “I knew it was
a girl all along,” I say and kiss her again. I can feel her smile
on my lips.  
    Leah
    I swat at Robert’s arm and pull away from his
kiss. “You did not know it was a girl.” 
    He smiles his dimpled smile and says, “I did,
too.” 
    “ What about you saying,
‘It’s a boy — I can feel it.’” 
    “ Did I say that?” he
jokes.  
    I have to laugh at him. “Yes, you did. You
were so sure it was a boy we were going to bet on it.” 
    “ Oh about that, I was just
teasing.”  
    “ How did you find out the
gender of the baby?” Mom interrupts. 
    “ That would be my fault,”
Dr. Fouch says as he walks into the room. “With all of the
excitement I just let it slip. I’m sorry.” 
    “ Don’t be. I’m glad you
did,” I say honestly.  
    Dr. Fouch looks and nods at everyone in the
room. He asks, “How are you feeling? I see the medication worked
and your labor has stopped.” 
    “ I feel good — tired, but
no pain.” 
    “ Good, I want to examine
you again and make sure you haven’t dilated
anymore.” 
    “ That’s our cue. We’ll
make a coffee run while he does… whatever it is he needs to do,”
Walter jokes. 
    Dad, Walter, and Robert kiss me goodbye
before they walk out the room. Mom and Margie stay in the room with
me.  
    Once the exam is done, he
tells me that I haven’t dilated anymore. The guys knock before
walking into the room. Robert walks over to me, coffee in hand. The
doctor explains that he is going to schedule surgery for me in the
morning. He calls the procedure a cervical cerclage and explains to
Robert and me that is it a very minor surgery and that we should
expect another overnight hospital stay and strict bed rest and
pelvic rest until I deliver. Pelvic rest
is a nice way to say no sex.   
    Later that night after everyone leaves,
Robert and I talk about what happened at the meeting after we left.
I have a feeling he doesn’t tell me everything, and to be honest,
I’m fine with that. I still battle my depression and I know that
some things won’t change, no matter how hard I wish they would.
Robert and I mostly talk about positive things and we avoid
everything that has to do with the baby swap.  
    Robert sleeps in the chair
next to the bed. I knew he wouldn’t go home. I did text his Mom to
see if she would bring him some clothes when they return tomorrow.
He is still wearing his suit and tie from earlier: a reminder that
we were meeting our biological daughter today. Robert sleeps and I
lie wide awake in bed. I can’t get over the fact that my biological
daughter has been in the shop. Shouldn’t I
have felt a connection to her? Shouldn’t I have noticed how much
she looked like Robert and me? I smile
when I remember her slight wave when she saw me at the
meeting. She liked me and she remembered
me.  
    “ Happy thoughts?” Robert
asks from his deep sleep.  
    “ I thought you were
asleep.” 
    “ Are you awake?” he
asks.  
    “ Obviously.” 
    “ Then I’m not asleep.
Thinking happy thoughts?” he asks as he stretches his