“Okay,” she agrees, looking down at our son. “He’s perfect, Ridge. I’ve never had family. He’s my family.” Her voice cracks.
“Hey, how about another picture? This time of the three of us?”
She smiles through her tears, nodding.
I step out of the room and grab a nurse. “Can you take a picture of the three of us?” I ask her.
“Sure.”
I hand her my phone and gingerly sit on the side of the bed. Placing my arm around Melissa’s shoulders, we smile for the camera.
“Thank you,” I tell the nurse, taking my phone back.
“You’re welcome,” she says, then quietly leaves us once more.
“Did you have any names in mind?” I ask Melissa.
“No, I wanted to meet him first, get to know his personality a little. Any ideas?”
“As long as it ends in Beckett, I’m good with it.”
A soft laugh escapes her lips. “Thank you, Ridge. I know you should hate me right now. You could be making this so much more difficult, but you’re not.”
“No need. He’s mine, and I want to be a part of his life. Nothing difficult about it. Do I wish I would have known sooner? Yeah, but at the end of the day, it’s the same result. We have a child to raise.”
She yawns, and I watch as she battles to keep her eyes open.
“Hey, why don’t I take him back to the nursery so you can rest? We don’t have to figure anything out today. You need rest to get out of this joint.”
“Yeah, I have a little bit of a headache too. Will you stay with him?”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” I tell her honestly, taking him from her arms and placing him back in his bed. “Get some rest. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Leaning down, I kiss her forehead.
“Thank you, Ridge. Thank you for our son,” she whispers as she closes her eyes.
As quietly as I can, I leave the room and take little man back to the nursery. After I’ve checked him back in, I decide to head to the cafeteria to join Reagan and Tyler.
“Everything okay?” Reagan asks when I approach their table.
“Yeah, Melissa is resting. I took little man back to the nursery.”
“Sit, I’ll grab you something to eat.” She stands, hugs me, then leaves to do as she said.
“How’s she doing?” Tyler asks.
I run my fingers though my hair. “Good. I mean, as far as I can tell, anyway. She was emotional, but happy. She’s been through a lot and we have a lot to work out, but nothing has to be decided today.”
“True. I told the guys to just stay home. They can come by tomorrow after work.”
“Yeah, thanks, man.”
“So, did you pick out a name?” Reagan asks, setting a tray with a cheeseburger and French fries in front of me.
“Nope, she said she wanted to get to know him first. I told her I didn’t care either way as long as he has my last name.”
“What did she say to that?” she asks.
“Nothing, what can she say? He’s mine. She seemed fine with it. Almost . . . relieved.”
“Good. Now eat up so I can go love on my nephew again before I have to get home. I can’t get to him without you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say and do as I’m told.
After I practically inhale my food, we head back up to the nursery. The nurse from earlier, along with another and what looks like Melissa’s doctor, is standing outside the waiting room door. When one of the nurses sees us coming, her face pales.
Something’s wrong.
My heart begins to beat furiously against my chest. I quicken my stride and stop beside them. “What is it? What’s wrong? Is he okay?” I barely register a hand on each of my shoulders; at this point, I’m not sure if they’re for support or to hold me back. I look through the nursery window and I don’t see him. “Where is my son? Somebody better start talking now,” I demand.
“Mr. Beckett, let’s step inside.” The doctor points to the waiting room.
“Tell me now! Where is my son?”
“Ridge.” Reagan grabs my arm. “Let’s go in and sit down. I’m sure as soon as we do, this fine doctor here will tell us what’s going on.”
The doctor nods his agreement.
Once we’re in the waiting room, a nurse wheels my son out to us. I don’t hesitate this time, lifting him into my arms and holding him close. “Talk! Is he okay? What the hell is going on?”
“Mr. Beckett, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Melissa . . . Well, she’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone? I was just with her not twenty minutes ago. She’s sleeping.”
“No, I mean she’s passed. We tried everything we could,” he tells me.
“Wait, what?”
“Ridge, you need to sit.” Tyler lays a heavy hand on my shoulder and pushes me into a chair.
“Explain.”
“We think it was a brain aneurysm. When there’s trauma to the head, you sometimes don’t know until it’s too late. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“My loss? What about my son? That’s his mother.”
Reagan tries to take him from me, but I hold tighter. “Ridge, let me hold him, please. You’re upset, and he can sense that. I’ll be right here, I promise.”
“Let her take him,” Tyler encourages me.
Reluctantly, I hand over my son. “How is this happening? I was just with her. If I would’ve stayed, she would still be here.”