A Different Blue(119)

he was too late. His wife and child were gone.” I felt myself drifting into sleep, exhaustion

muddling my thoughts, making speech difficult. I wasn't sure if I dreamed it, or if Wilson

actually spoke.

“That story sucks,” Wilson whispered sleepily in my ear. I smiled but was too far gone to

respond.





Chapter Twenty-Two





Tiffa and Jack got to the hospital about five o'clock the next day. Wilson had moved to the

chair sometime while I slept and had received the call letting us know they had arrived. He went

out to meet them when my nurse came in to chart my condition and take my blood pressure. I was

eager to leave the hospital and was dressed and waiting to be discharged when I heard a light

knocking. Tiffa stuck her head around the heavy hospital door and called to me.

“Can we come in, Blue?”

I answered yes, and she and Jack walked into the room hand in hand. Tiffa had pulled her hair

off her face into a curly up-do, but somehow she still managed to look chic and put together.

Jack looked worn out. They had waited at the airport most of the night and all morning, waiting

for flights to resume. But they were smiling broadly, and Tiffa was practically vibrating.

Without warning, she pulled me into her arms and promptly burst into tears. Jack wrapped his

arms around the two of us and commenced sniffling as well. I felt emotion swell in my chest and

rise in my throat until swallowing was impossible. I held myself as still as I possibly could,

as if movement would dislodge my control. I recited the alphabet backwards in my head, “Z, Y,

X, W, V, U, T . . .” focusing my eyes beyond Tiffa and Jack. Wilson stood by the door. My eyes

locked on his and immediately shifted away. “J, H, I, G, F, E . . .” I recited silently. But

my efforts at distraction did not prevent me from hearing Tiffa's heartfelt thanks.

“She's beautiful, Blue. She's absolutely beautiful. I can see you in her . . . and that makes

me so happy.” Tiffa whispered between sobs. “Thank you, Blue.”

I had to pull away. For my own survival, I had to pull away. They let me go, but Tiffa clasped

my hands in hers. She seemed unconcerned with the fact that tears still streamed down her

cheeks. I marveled at her ability to cry without shame or embarrassment.

“We're going to name her Melody. It was Jack's mother's name, and I've always loved it.”

Tiffa's eyes shifted to Jack, who urged her on with a tip of his head. “But we would like her

middle name to be Blue if that is all right with you.”

Melody Blue. It was a beautiful name. I nodded, just the slightest movement, but I didn't trust

myself to speak. Then I nodded again, a little harder and smiled the best I could. I was pulled

back into Tiffa's arms and held fiercely as she whispered a promise in my ear.

“You have given me something I would never have asked of you, and I promise I will be the best

mum I can be. I won't be perfect. But I will love her with all my heart, and I will be perfect

in that. When she's old enough, I will tell her all about you. I will tell her how brave you

were and how much you loved her.”

[page]A moan tore from my throat, and I shuddered helplessly, no longer able to hold back the

billowing sorrow that flooded my mouth, streamed from my eyes, and robbed me of speech. Jack's