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Her eyes opened, and the world stayed blurry for a moment. Paul continued to encourage her, telling her every turn he was making.
“We’re here. I’m getting out. Stay right there.”
Laurel couldn’t move anyway, so obeying Paul was easy. He didn’t come right around the car, though. Laurel wasn’t sure where he’d gone, and she tried lifting her hand to open the door.
She didn’t have the strength. It felt like she’d been asleep for a very long time, but she couldn’t have been. The trip from Mort’s to the hospital wouldn’t take more than ten or fifteen minutes, depending on the traffic.
“She’s out again,” Paul said. “Laurel.”
“We’ll get her out, Mister Leyhe,” a woman said. “Back up.”
“She said her water broke.”
“You said that.”
Laurel could hear them, and she wanted to tell Paul she was okay. She couldn’t see him, however, and she honestly wasn’t sure if she was okay. Why couldn’t she see?
Firm hands gripped her, and she got lifted from the soft seat where she sat.
“No,” Paul said. “Look at all that blood. Is that normal?” No one answered him, and a couple of voices started talking over one another.
“Laurel,” he said. “I’m right here.” His fingers slipped between hers, and she wanted him to know she heard him. That she was right there too, and he needed to hold on so she didn’t drift away.
She squeezed as hard as she dared, and Paul said, “You’re okay, my love. Okay? We’ll get the baby out, and you’ll be okay.”
ChapterTwenty-Nine
Clara held Lena’s hand as they entered the hospital. Her daughter carried a bright blue plush elephant, and Clara would honestly be surprised if the girl gave it up for the baby.
Lena had several plushies she loved dearly, and at least three of them were elephants. She loved the trunked animals so much, and Clara hadn’t been surprised when she’d selected it for Laurel’s baby.
Jamison had been born two days ago now, and Laurel was finally feeling well enough to have visitors.
She’d had a blood transfusion after she’d lost too much when her water had broken and she’d started bleeding at the same time. She’d had a tiny tear in her uterine wall, and through a miracle and the grace of God, her little boy had been delivered via Caesarian section only forty-five minutes later.
She’d been out for all of it, and her doctors had been monitoring her closely since. She’d made quite a good recovery overnight, and the texts Clara had gotten that morning had brought her great relief.
She was sure she’d be the last one to arrive at the hospital to visit, which was fine as Laurel could only have two visitors at a time and she’d have to go in with Lena.
Robin, Alice, and Eloise had taken shifts here at the hospital since the moment Paul had called Aaron to tell him about Laurel. He’d told Eloise, and someone had been here since.
Clara rode the elevator up to the maternity ward, only mildly surprised to find everyone there. Mom and Jean turned toward her with smiles. Lena held up the elephant, and Jean grinned at her.
AJ sat on a loveseat with Kelli, and Robin and Alice stood behind the pair of chairs where Eloise sat. They all looked at her, and Clara told herself not to be self-conscious. These women were her friends, and they wanted her here.
“There you are,” her mother said.
“I didn’t know you’d all be here.” Clara looked around at everyone, noticing something tight on Robin’s face. She wasn’t sure why, but Robin’s expression changed a moment later.
“We were leaving,” Jean said. “Right when Kelli and AJ got here, and we’ve just been visiting.” She now held the elephant, and Clara marveled at how much Lena had grown and changed since she’d come to the cove.
Jean took her to work every morning now, and she’d not reported a single melt-down from Lena. She helped Jean with breakfast, mostly because Jean got out recipes from her mother and grandmother and taught Lena how to make them. She let her put together doughs and batters on her own, and she didn’t get upset if things didn’t go right. She just got out a gallon of milk and a box of cereal on days when the waffles had a couple of tablespoons of salt in them instead of sugar.
Clara had felt bad about her impatience to allow Lena to cook at home, but Jean had reminded her that Lena simply needed different experiences with different people. It wasn’t a commentary on Clara at all.
She’d enjoyed her mornings—early as they were—at the Cliffside Inn, and her gratitude for Eloise only grew with each passing day.
Right now, she smiled at the dark-haired woman as she rose from the chair. “She’ll be thrilled to see you and Lena,” Eloise said. She gave Clara a quick hug and stepped back. “Her parents are back there with Paul right now. The doctor was supposed to come in and give them an update, and then Paul said he’d come tell us.”
