Angel Wishes by Joyce DeBacco

Author:Joyce DeBacco
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Actress, Firefighter, Community theatre, Arson, Small town, Antique shop
Publisher: Joyce DeBacco
Published: 2019-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Gabe paced back and forth in Susan’s room. Every time she had a contraction, he had one too. He hoped that didn’t mean there was a connection between him and the infant struggling to come into the world. As the moment drew near, a nurse asked if he wanted to stay and watch. He panicked. If the child was indeed his, he’d always regret not being there for its arrival. On the other hand, if it wasn’t, why put himself through such an ordeal?

He looked to Susan for direction. But her face was so contorted in pain, she couldn’t give him any. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll stay.”

Given a nearly front row seat, Gabe watched in astonishment as the baby emerged. The nurses cheered and Susan dropped back on her pillow. Feeling faint, Gabe grabbed onto a chair for support. Seconds later, someone pushed him into it and mopped his brow with a wet rag.

The hubbub grew as nurses tended to Susan and her baby. Once both were cleaned up, he stood at her bedside and gazed upon the child in her arms. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered.

Tears streamed down Susan’s face. “She is, isn’t she?”

Gabe rubbed the moisture from his eyes. Seeing that sweet baby face touched something deep within him. Although this might not even be his child, he felt a connection. It may have been a purely human reaction to the miracle he just witnessed or it could’ve been more. He wouldn’t know until he took the paternity test.

He gave Susan a peck on the cheek. “You did good, Mama.”

A commotion in the hall distracted him and he looked up to see a tall man with light brown hair charge into the room.

Susan gasped. “Eddie?”

The man rushed to her bedside and looked down on the infant in her arms. “Mine?”

Susan burst into tears. “I don’t know,” she said in a whimper.

He wheeled around. “Him?”

“Maybe,” Susan said.

Gabe braced himself for a punch in the mouth.

The man swallowed hard. “It’s okay,” he finally said. “We broke up. We both thought it was over between us, so . . . ”

“Oh, Eddie,” Susan cried. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted us to break up. Things just got out of hand.”

“We both said things, Suze. I was crazy to let you go. I love you, babe.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and she started crying. “I so want this baby to be yours,” she murmured. “But if it isn’t, Gabe’s agreed to support her and be in her life. Would you be all right with that?”

“As long as we can still be a family.”

Gabe looked on as Susan and Eddie kissed. Feeling like a fifth wheel, he cleared his throat. “Um, I’ll be going now, guys.”

Susan pulled away from Eddie. “Wait.” To Eddie, she said, “Honey, this is my friend Gabe who’s been my rock through all this.”

Eddie straightened up and extended his hand. “I should’ve been here for her. But I wasn’t. So, thank you, Gabe, from the bottom of my heart.

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