Mark:I’m on my way, Syd. I’m on my way!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Mark
I made it to the hospital and was prepped and in Sydney’s room ten minutes before our daughter was born.
Wow. That’s all I have to say. Wow. Women are incredible.
I glance over my shoulder to Syd sleeping in the hospital bed and our daughter in her rollaway box bed thing next to her.
I’m a lucky man. With everything Syd and I are going through, she could have easily kicked me out or told me to go away, but she wanted me by her side the entire time.
Which, I guess if you consider everything I saw in the house before I got here, yeah, it makes sense, but still, we haven’t talked about it since that night, and as much as I want to, I know it’s not the right time to bring it up.
I feel like I should give her space after the last couple of hours she’s had, but at the same time, I don’t ever want to leave her or our little bundle napping next to her.
Maybe I’ll just take a walk or get something to eat. Oh, I bet Syd will want food when she wakes up. A burger and a malt maybe. The nurse offered her food after the delivery was over, but she said she wasn’t hungry. I doubt the hospital cafeteria will have a huckleberry malt, but chocolate would work. Maybe a vending machine will have the sour candy she likes too.
“Where are you going?”
I pause at the door to see a sleepy Syd sitting up.
“I just thought I’d give you some space.”
“I don’t want space, Mark. Space is the last thing I want.”
I have a feeling she isn’t just talking about this moment right here.
“I’m not leaving the hospital. I’m just going to get us some food. Call me if you need anything.”
She shakes her head. “I just need you. You’re my person, Mark. We are in this together. Through the good and the bad and I know I’ve said it before, but I’m so sorry. I trust you.”
My gaze settles on hers, and everything inside me breathes a sigh of relief. She wants to do this now and so do I. I’m sick of waiting for the right moment.
“I found this on the table,” I say and hold up the paperwork.
She looks to the document and then back at me. “What did I say about going through my things?” She laughs.
“Ah, well, technically it was right out in the open, which means I wasn’t.”
“Wait, so this means you saw the house?”
I nod.
“Oh god.” She groans and then brushes her hair out of her face. “I love you, Mark, and I want to be with you forever. I’m coming to Manhattan with you, even if you don’t want me to. We will find our way back. I want to wake up with you every morning and fall asleep to you every night, and I want—”
“Stop.” I hold my hand up and pinch my eyes closed. I can’t let her do this.
It shouldn’t be her.
I slowly lower myself down to one knee, holding her hand with my left as I hold our daughter’s hand with my free one.
This is hard to balance, but I’m doing it anyway.
“Sydney Sue Quinn, you came into my life when I least expected it. Boy, did I least expect it.”
She laughs, and I do too.
