Let Me Tell You a Story: Part 4

Welcome back! Where were we? Oh, yes. Angel's Bible study group is keeping her company in the hospital after her son's birth. Angel was just about to open her presents :-) 

Angel pulled the tissue paper out of the gift bag, revealing a stack of candy bars, tied together with a blue ribbon.

"Those are for you," Merrilee said. 

"Unless you want to wait until Adam has teeth," Thea quipped.

Angel laughed. "There's no way they'll last that long!" She reached into the bag and pulled out two blue and white striped sleepers, one larger than the other.

"One for now, one for later," Thea said. 

"All these outfits looked so tiny before," Angel said. "Now Adam looks tiny by comparison." She slid her hand back into the bag, this time pulling out a cross-stitched pillow, clearly hand-crafted by one of her friends. "A smart mother sleeps when her baby sleeps," she read. "Gwen?"

Gwen nodded. "I'm passing along the advice I got when Alaina was little. Maybe you'll be better at following it than I was!"

"Keep going," Rebecca said. "There's more."

Angel dug deeper, then pulled out a blue drawstring bag with a red cross on it. Inside, there were tiny nail clippers, a bulbous rubber thing that looked like a syringe, a thermometer, medicine spoon, and terry cloth polar bear ice pack." She looked from Merrilee to Nora.

"I hope you never need any of those things -- except the nail clippers," Merrilee said.

Angel shook the bag gently. There was still something inside. She reached inside, her fingertips brushing against something silky. 

The white ears of a plush blue bunny.

"I'm not a mother," Rebecca said. "I don't have to be practical."

Angel replaced all the gifts in the bag and handed it to Merrilee."Thank you all."

"Wait!" Rebecca nodded at Nora. "There's one more."

Nora handed Angel the second bag. She pulled back the tissue to reveal a pure white, hand-knit blanket and looked up, her eyes meeting Nora's.

"Did you make this?"

Nora nodded. "I know white isn't very practical but, when I started the blanket, I didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl. I'll have a pair of blue booties ready by the time you rejoin us at Bible study, which I hope will be soon. 

Angel's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you all so much. Everything is beautiful and useful and you're all so thoughtful. I'm glad you all came."

As if on cue, Nurse Ramona bustled into the room. "Here he is, ladies." She stopped just short of the bed and narrowed her eyes at the group. "Now which one of you made Adam's mama cry?"

Nora cleared her throat. "I'm afraid a good stiff breeze could make Angel cry at the moment."

Gwen's eyes grew wide, and Merrilee stifled a grin. 

"Nora!" Rebecca said.

"No, she's right," Angel said, laughing and crying at the same time. She widened her eyes and looked pleadingly at Nurse Ramona. "Please don't make my friends leave, Ma'am."

Ramona clicked her tongue. "Don't you be using those puppy dog eyes on me, young lady."

Angel tried her best to look serious. "Yes, Ma'am. You're the boss."

Ramona chuckled. "And don't you forget it." She handed Adam to Angel. "You ladies have a nice visit. And behave yourselves."

"We'll try," Merrilee said. "Angel, would you like some privacy?"

"Actually," Angel said, "could you just hand me Nora's blanket?"

"Adam's blanket." Nora pulled it out of the bag and set it in Angel's lap.

Angel smiled. "Right. Could one of you...."

Gwen reached out and had Adam in her arms before anyone else could react."

"Man, you're quick!" Thea said.

"I'll say," Merrilee muttered.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll all get a turn," Rebecca said.

Angel draped the blanket over her left shoulder, then undid her hospital gown and unfastened her nursing bra. Taking Adam back from Gwen, Angel held her son up to her breast.

"You're pretty good at that already," Merrilee said.

Angel smiled and leaned back against the pillows, nursing her son and feeling relaxed and content for the first time in two days.