Hope's Chance(95)

Chance

Hope and I were in shock when I got an offer to play professional baseball. I had been drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and for the past two weeks, I had been in the process of getting us all moved in. Hope stayed in Virginia because she was too far along to travel until the baby was born. I didn’t know where my baseball future was going to go, but I had a law degree to fall back on.

The doctor had assured us that she wouldn’t go into labor for at least a week, so I was trying to get everything in order before hand. When I got the call, I started freaking out. I had left my wife alone and she was going into labor. I drove faster than I knew my motorcycle could go, and broke every law that a driver could break to get to Hope. After a two-hour drive, I made it to the hospital just as she was being put in a birthing room.

When she saw me, I rushed over to her and grabbed her hand. “I am here baby. I made it in time just like I promised.”

“Chance, I was so afraid you were going to miss it.” She admitted.

“I wouldn’t miss this. Besides, I need to be the first to know whether we have a Lucky or a Faith.” I joked.

Hope didn’t have time to laugh or scorn me. She let out a huge scream and the room filled with nurses.

“You have to breathe baby.” I yelled as Hope was starting to freak out. Her contractions were already three minutes apart and she had just started labor about an hour ago.

The doctor finally came into the room with his rubber medical gloves on. “Hello there Mr. and Mrs. Avery. I hear we are going to be having a baby tonight.” He pulled the stool up between Hope’s legs and took a look. “Looks like you are ten centimeters dilated. Are you ready to push?”

“What about drugs?” Hope yelled.

The doctor shook his head. “I am afraid we don’t have time for that Mrs. Avery. Your baby is already starting to deliver itself.”

I looked down at Hope, who appeared as if she was going to kill me, like rip off my head and feed it to wild boars. “I can’t do this.” She cried.

“You can do it baby. I promise you can do this.” I assured her, but truthfully I was nervous as shit. Hope was in agonizing pain and it was killing me to see her that way. My eyes filled with tears every time she screamed.

Finally, after pushing only three times, I watched a very slippery baby come sliding out of my wife. I had never seen something so horrifying and beautiful at the same time. The doctor yelled. “It’s a girl”, before the nurses came and took her to get cleaned off. Hope looked at me with exhaustion in her eyes.

“You did so good baby.” I said as I kissed her on the head.

Moments later, our baby was brought over and put on Hope’s lap. The doctor was still getting everything sewn up, but we just pretended he wasn’t even in the room. When my vision became blurred, I realized my eyes were full of tears. Hope stared down at our daughter.

“She is perfect.” I cried.

I stuck my finger near her fingers and they tightened around it. I placed my lips on her tiny little head and kissed her and then kissed my beautiful wife. “I love you Hope. Thank you for this life.”

“Thank you for being mine Chance and for giving me this beautiful part of you. I love you so much.” She said.

We both sat there admiring our daughter, and finally the grandparents showed up. After a lot of cooing and tears, they all settled down. “Did you pick out a name?” Her mother asked.

“Faith, her name is Faith.” I called out.

Hope looked to me and smiled. “As long as our next child is not named Lucky that will be fine.”

The room filled with laughter and everyone went back to falling in love with Faith Avery. I looked over at my wife, who still was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and knew without a doubt that I would forever be Hope’s Chance.