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Authors: Tracie Puckett
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other.
Luke ignored his father and then he brushed noses with the newborn once again.
I sat on a couch just in the corner of the recovery room. Rebecca and the (still unnamed) baby had been moved to a new room just an hour or so earlier, and it was the first time all day that any of us had been allowed in to meet the newest member of our family. Rebecca lay in bed on the opposite side of the room, dozing off every few minutes just to wake herself up again. Grace and Lonnie hovered over Luke as he held the baby, neither of them eager to give up any time with their latest grandchild. Granted, they’d been passing the little gal back and forth for the better part of an hour. Molly had crawled up in the bed and rested next to her mother.
Derek plopped down on the couch next to me.
“Not a bad looking kid, huh?” he asked, and I didn’t have to turn to know that he was wearing that silly grin of his.
If I’d just had a kid that looked like that, I’d probably be wearing that grin too. Derek and Rebecca’s daughter had been born with a full head of dark hair and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Of course, I wasn’t really too surprised. Blue eyes seemed to be the Milton trademark.
“Super cute,” I said.
Derek dropped his head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t long before his eyes fell heavy, and five minutes later, he was dead to the world—but his smile remained perfectly intact. I guessed staying up all night and pacing the floors of the maternity ward could seriously wear a guy out. He was beat, but he was happy.
Luke monopolized the baby for most of the afternoon while Rebecca and Derek rested. Lonnie and Grace took Molly home with promises that they’d return sometime after dinner. They wanted to give her a little extra love and attention, especially since she hadn’t gotten much since her baby sister was born.
The hospital was just at the edge of town, and Rebecca’s recovery room looked out on the highway. It was convenient for moments like this, times when a person just needed to stare out the window and watch as life carried on all around them. I’d given up my spot on the couch for Luke and Baby Milton, and I took to watching out the window for what felt like hours. I think I counted hundreds of cars as they passed, and with each one that drove by, I wondered where in the world they were heading, and why they were going so fast.
But that was my problem, wasn’t it? Maybe that’s why I noticed it so easily. I was in a rush, too. I wanted everything— now . I didn’t want to wait; I didn’t want to miss an opportunity. I wanted answers, all of the answers. While I was waiting on that next big thing and waiting to figure everything out, I was failing to recognize all of the wonderful things happening around me. I’d tuned out.
I wanted answers from Matt. I wanted the truth from Charlie. I wanted happiness for Bruno, clarity for Derek, and a future with Luke. And I didn’t want to wait. Was that normal? Maybe that’s what I should’ve taken the time to inquire about during my sobfest at the diner this morning. Maybe Bruno could’ve given me some insight as to why I was so damn needy all the time. Why couldn’t I just… be?
“What’s on your mind?” Luke asked, careful to keep his voice low so as not to wake Rebecca, Derek, or the sleeping baby in his arms.
I turned back to look at him as he held his niece.
“Do you think I’m impatient?” I took a few steps closer to the couch. I sat down next to Luke, tucked my feet up beneath me, and turned to stare at both him and the baby. “I mean, is that why you… did you buy the house just to appease me? Do you feel pressured to move forward? Did I do something to scare you into thinking you had to—”
“No, Jules,” he said quietly, “to be honest, I’m kinda glad you brought it up because I was concerned that maybe I’d scared you.”
Okay. So there was one answer… maybe. I hadn’t pressured Luke. So
Luke ignored his father and then he brushed noses with the newborn once again.
I sat on a couch just in the corner of the recovery room. Rebecca and the (still unnamed) baby had been moved to a new room just an hour or so earlier, and it was the first time all day that any of us had been allowed in to meet the newest member of our family. Rebecca lay in bed on the opposite side of the room, dozing off every few minutes just to wake herself up again. Grace and Lonnie hovered over Luke as he held the baby, neither of them eager to give up any time with their latest grandchild. Granted, they’d been passing the little gal back and forth for the better part of an hour. Molly had crawled up in the bed and rested next to her mother.
Derek plopped down on the couch next to me.
“Not a bad looking kid, huh?” he asked, and I didn’t have to turn to know that he was wearing that silly grin of his.
If I’d just had a kid that looked like that, I’d probably be wearing that grin too. Derek and Rebecca’s daughter had been born with a full head of dark hair and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Of course, I wasn’t really too surprised. Blue eyes seemed to be the Milton trademark.
“Super cute,” I said.
Derek dropped his head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t long before his eyes fell heavy, and five minutes later, he was dead to the world—but his smile remained perfectly intact. I guessed staying up all night and pacing the floors of the maternity ward could seriously wear a guy out. He was beat, but he was happy.
Luke monopolized the baby for most of the afternoon while Rebecca and Derek rested. Lonnie and Grace took Molly home with promises that they’d return sometime after dinner. They wanted to give her a little extra love and attention, especially since she hadn’t gotten much since her baby sister was born.
The hospital was just at the edge of town, and Rebecca’s recovery room looked out on the highway. It was convenient for moments like this, times when a person just needed to stare out the window and watch as life carried on all around them. I’d given up my spot on the couch for Luke and Baby Milton, and I took to watching out the window for what felt like hours. I think I counted hundreds of cars as they passed, and with each one that drove by, I wondered where in the world they were heading, and why they were going so fast.
But that was my problem, wasn’t it? Maybe that’s why I noticed it so easily. I was in a rush, too. I wanted everything— now . I didn’t want to wait; I didn’t want to miss an opportunity. I wanted answers, all of the answers. While I was waiting on that next big thing and waiting to figure everything out, I was failing to recognize all of the wonderful things happening around me. I’d tuned out.
I wanted answers from Matt. I wanted the truth from Charlie. I wanted happiness for Bruno, clarity for Derek, and a future with Luke. And I didn’t want to wait. Was that normal? Maybe that’s what I should’ve taken the time to inquire about during my sobfest at the diner this morning. Maybe Bruno could’ve given me some insight as to why I was so damn needy all the time. Why couldn’t I just… be?
“What’s on your mind?” Luke asked, careful to keep his voice low so as not to wake Rebecca, Derek, or the sleeping baby in his arms.
I turned back to look at him as he held his niece.
“Do you think I’m impatient?” I took a few steps closer to the couch. I sat down next to Luke, tucked my feet up beneath me, and turned to stare at both him and the baby. “I mean, is that why you… did you buy the house just to appease me? Do you feel pressured to move forward? Did I do something to scare you into thinking you had to—”
“No, Jules,” he said quietly, “to be honest, I’m kinda glad you brought it up because I was concerned that maybe I’d scared you.”
Okay. So there was one answer… maybe. I hadn’t pressured Luke. So
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