He is the father of the child.
I hug him and let him vent his feelings, giving
him a few pats on the back. Then, I bring him,
supporting him by putting my arm around his
shoulders, to the window next to where Erin’s
parents are standing.
“There she is,” I say, indicating the window.
“Bed number 12.”
He covers his mouth with his hand and he starts
crying again as Erin’s father encourages him to
calm down because the worst is over. I turn and
leave them to head back where I was going, but
Erin’s father blocks me.
I turn and see his hand extended. I accept it and
shake it but he pulls me to him and hugs me
warmly. I respond to his embrace and he whispers
in my ear: “Take care of my girls.”
I nod keeping in the emotion, then let him go
and I smile at him, turning towards the stairs to go
give everyone the good news that our family has
just grown.
28
Erin
It’s the middle of the night and I am surrounded by
silence. After having seen everyone, one by one,
they let me rest. They took me off the oxygen but
I’m still attached to the IV and I won’t be able to
get up, probably for many more days. I am not
able to close my eyes and I can’t stop thinking
about my baby all alone, who still hasn’t seen me,
