Page 120 of Road to Absolution

We all froze. That inhale wasn’t mine.

“Oh my God.” I started rubbing her all over. “Come on, baby. Again. Come on.”

Little legs and arms started to move, tremble, and then a cry that the angels above could sing to rung in my ears.

If you ever want to see overgrown deadly bikers cry, and I mean fucking cry, just have them watch an innocent come back to life.

Absolutely sobbing, I looked to my wife. “Want to meet your daughter?” I held her flailing body in my palms, somehow not feeling I should be the first one to truly hold her.

This honor belonged to one only.

Crying, Tucker kissed Lilah’s hair, over and over.

As the beautiful long fingers I have loved touching me for years reached out for her most precious gift, Lilah stared at me. Tears dripped from her lips and chin as she spoke with an honesty that rocked my heart, “How many times will you be saving my life?”

Then, this wonderful woman who had stood by my side, endlessly, cupped her baby’s naked little body. “Oh my God, look how beautiful you are.” She went to pull her to her chest but then glanced down at the umbilical cord.

“Knife,” I growled, wanting my wife to have that baby to her chest.

Five blades and open pocketknives suddenly appeared in front of me. Extremely focused, I pointed to the smaller but didn’t take it yet. As the rest disappeared, I instead took one of the two small battery clamps offered.

Once the cord was clamped and ready, I severed a physical connection so that the joining of souls could begin, right in front of my eyes.

Resting against her brother, Lilah cradled our baby to her chest, smiling as if she had never been happier in her life.

I don’t think either of us had been.

Miracles tend to do that.

Placing the tip of my finger in the teeny hand that quickly grabbed hold, I wiped tears, and asked, “Mama, what do you want to name your little angel?”

She couldn’t look away from her baby. “Our little angel. I want to name her Patience.”

Tucker and I jolted, then stared at each other, in disbelief.

Not noticing, Lilah cooed to her baby, “With patience there is always hope.”

Patience…

Is patience how we come to Happy Ever Afters? Or, are they not realistic? Maybe they are, but there’s more than one HEA to experience in a lifetime. And in between those perfect moments is hard work, arguments, tricky decisions, mistakes to be had, and complicated results of them all.

While Lilah slept in the hospital bed, I held our sweet baby girl, Patience Light Hutton, keeping her safe from a world that was volatile at times. Our family had gone home, except for my dear friend Scorch, who was outside our room.

Rocking my angel, I pushed away my panic as all the sounds in the hospital made my eye twitch. The sounds of motorcycles now brought me peace. I would eventually find peace in other sounds, sights, and memories, too.

“Does it matter?” asked the Ref.

I thought of the business card—the doctor who could help me with my hand—then tapped Patience’s teeny nose and answered, You bet your fucking ass.

“Then fight, Boxer Boy.”

I understood what he meant now. The physical part was, indeed, the easier part. It was the everyday struggle afterward that would be my true test.

So, fight I would.

I watched my wife slip from the bed and come to me. For them, I will never stop.

On her cell phone near her bed, she tapped the screen. Softly, the song “Crazy Love” began to play. Then with a smile so beautiful I almost hit my knees, she swayed over to me. Putting her arm around my waist, she leaned her head back. Even though she was reading me, there was no fear present as asked, “You alright?”

I love you, Lilah.

Smiling, and staring at my baby again, I answered honestly. “No, but that’s okay.”

Making my body sway with hers, our feet started move…

With our baby in my arms, and surrounded by our love, we slowly danced to our song.

Lilah beamed up at me. “It’s more than okay… Kiss me, Mr. Hutton.”

“Anything you want, Mrs. Hutton.”

Our lips meshed, pulled, showing gratitude for our deliverance and absolution.

It was gutting to watch a strong man fall… It was majestic to watch him fight again.

~ Delilah Hutton, Property of Hero