Chapter 6 - The Night My Daughter Arrived
At 2:14 a.m. six weeks later, I woke my father by shouting from the guest room.
“Dad!”
He appeared almost immediately.
His hair was sticking up.
He wore sweatpants and an Army T-shirt.
“What happened?”
“I think my water broke.”
He stared at the floor.
Then at me.
Then back at the floor.
“Okay.”
“Dad?”
“Okay.”
“You've commanded thousands of soldiers.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you look terrified?”
“Because none of them were giving birth.”
Despite everything, I laughed.
Then another contraction hit.
“Car. Now.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Colonel William Bennett had probably never moved faster.
At the hospital, labor progressed quickly.
Dad stayed beside me.
“You're doing great.”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
“This is your fault somehow.”
“Almost certainly.”
“Stop smiling!”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Hours later, the doctor looked at me.
“One more push, Emily.”
“I can't.”
Dad squeezed my hand.
“Yes, you can.”
“No.”
He leaned closer.
“You've already done harder things.”
I looked at him.
“You walked away when someone spent months convincing you that you couldn't.”
Another contraction came.
“Now bring my granddaughter home.”
I pushed.
Seconds later, a cry filled the room.
Everything stopped.
The nurse lifted a tiny baby.
“She's here.”
I started sobbing.
Dad covered his mouth.
My daughter was placed against my chest.
She was tiny.
Angry.
Perfect.
“Hi,” I whispered.
Her little fingers curled against me.
Dad stood beside the bed, tears running freely down his face.
I looked at him.
“Colonels aren't supposed to cry.”
“This colonel does.”
“What do you think?”
He looked at his granddaughter.
“I think she's beautiful.”
I smiled.
“Her name is Grace.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Grace Bennett?”
“Grace Emily Bennett.”
“You're giving her our last name?”
“The divorce paperwork is already moving.”
He nodded.
“Grace Bennett.”
Then he touched one tiny hand.
“Your grandmother would've loved you.”
I closed my eyes.
For once, the tears weren't coming from fear.
Dad pulled the hospital blanket around both of us.
It was blue.
I stared at it.
Dad noticed.
“You okay?”
I touched the fabric.
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
I smiled.
“It's just a blanket.”
May you like
And for the first time, it was.
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