Finding My Forever Read online

  Shane woke Amy. “Let’s go see our daughter.” Those words brought her to full alertness and she stood, hugging Braxton before tugging Shane out of the waiting room.

  “We’re going to get some dinner at the cafeteria before they close, do you want to go with us?” Zak asked.

  “I need to check on Zachary,” he looked at his watch. It was still thirty more minutes before final visiting hours started for the day. “I have time, though.”

  The group quietly walked through the hallways to the cafeteria. The atmosphere had changed in the last twelve hours. Instead of the fear, he felt peace. The air seemed lighter and it was easier to breath. He didn’t realize how hungry he actually was until he smelled the scents of meatloaf and his stomach growled loudly.

  “Are you harboring a bear in there?” Katrina said, poking him in the side.

  “Feels more like a mountain lion. I’m starved.”

  While they ate, Braxton told them what the doctor had said after Allie woke up, in between bites. To be hospital food, Braxton didn’t think it was half bad and he ate everything on his plate and part of Serenity’s. Katrina had given him the look when he eyed her peach cobbler and he dared not even attempt to swipe it from her. After barely eating for the last four days, he had definitely made up for it.

  Zak walked with Braxton to the NICU. Seeing his son so small reminded him how fragile life could be. Zachary was barely over three pounds; he’d lost a few ounces during the first couple of days. The doctors reassured them that it was normal and he should start gaining weight soon. When they entered the NICU, a short, older nurse pointed to the left. There Zachary lay under a light. He was slightly jaundice and the light would help equal out his bilirubin levels. Braxton wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but as long as it helped his son he wasn’t going to question it. Zachary would still need to be on the ventilator for another week or two, then they would start to ween him off of it, allowing him to breathe completely on his own. The feeding tube would be removed soon after. If things went well, then he could be going home in about a month.

  Visiting hours were over and Braxton decided he was going home with his dad at Allie’s insistence. That was not what he wanted, but she did and he would do anything for her. She was almost completely back to herself and he thought it was nothing short of a miracle. Something that should have taken her a while to recover from, had taken her body less than a week. She still had a little way to go to be a hundred percent. He knew she had fought not only for him, but for their son. Everyone was relieved now that both Allie and Zachary were on the path to recovery.

  Two weeks later, Allie was out of the hospital and home to finish her recovery. She was still sore but able to move around much better. Zachary had been moved from an incubator to a regular crib and was now breathing on his own without any assistance and eating from a bottle every two hours. The outlook was really good for him, and they were hoping that soon they would have their family all under the same roof. Every day that passed that they had to leave him behind, they left a small piece of themselves with him. He had become the center of their world. They knew they wouldn’t be complete until he was home in their arms, surrounded by those that loved him so inexplicably.

  ∞ Chapter 29 ∞

  It had been a month since Zachary had been born and he was getting stronger every day. Allie and Braxton would get up in the morning, eat breakfast, and then make the journey to see him. It had become their routine; one they were ready to be done with. Zachary amazed them. He was a fighter and had gained from three pounds up to five and half pounds over the course of the last four weeks.

  They had just finished eating and had not even dressed for the day when Braxton’s phone rang. His heart sank and he became panicked seeing the hospital’s name across the screen. Allie must have caught a glimpse of who it was and her face went pale. Braxton wasn’t sure why they’d be calling, unless the news wasn’t good. He worried that something had happened. He answered the call and after a few okays and yeas, he told the person on the other end they would be right there.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Fear gripped her insides and resonated through her voice.

  “I don’t know, all they really said was we need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”

  They dressed as quickly as they could. Allie didn’t bother to match exactly, throwing on the first pair of pants and shirt she hands touched. Braxton did the same and within minutes they were out the door and into the truck speeding through the streets of the neighborhood. Running a stop sign, Allie slung her seat belt into place and held on.

  Braxton parked the truck in the first spot he found. Running around to the other side, he helped Allie out and slammed the door. Quickly they walked to the front doors and inside going straight to the elevators that would take them to their son. When the doors opened, they semi-jogged, as fast as Allie could go, to the room where Zachary was. They came to an immediate stop when they opened the door. All of their family and friends were gathered around, blocking the view of the crib. Hearts pounded inside their chest, their breathing erratic, not only from the half run through the halls, but the terrified feeling that had overtaken them.

  Amy leaned over the crib and when she stood back up, Zachary was in her arms. His eyes were open and scanning the room. Awake, alert, and perfect as ever. She could see how scared they both were and wanted to set them at ease.

  “We wanted to surprise you. He can go home.”

  “What? Now? Today?” Braxton asked.

  Allie’s color returned to her face, her smile lighting up the room. She moved to her son, took him in her arms and cradled him close. Braxton joined her, putting his arms around them both.

  This was it, they would finally be leaving this place. Their lives were coming together the way they should have and they were overjoyed. Nothing could compare to the feeling they both felt. The hard part was over, their path clear with nothing to stop them or hold them back. Tears of joy, hugs of congratulations, and pure peace filled each heart, each mind.

  “How did you manage this?” Allie asked her mother, she knew she was the only one with the power to pull this off. Working for the hospital had its advantages, even if it did give them a heart attack in the process.

  “I came to check on him last night, the nurse on duty let it slip he was going to be discharged today. I made a few calls and by the time I left, everything was in place. All you have to do now is sign the papers and we can go home.”

  Allie should have been at least a little angry for the way her mother went about this, but she just couldn’t find it in her heart to care about that now. Knowing her son was well enough to go home made her forget how terrified she was on the way there. Braxton signed the papers as Amy explained Zachary would need a follow up scheduled with his pediatrician in two weeks. They wanted to make sure he was still gaining weight and that no other complications arose. This was all normal for a preemie and she didn’t expect there would be anything to worry about. Ready to go home, they gathered all of their belongings.

  Everyone followed Braxton and Allie out of the crowded room, stopping by the nurse’s station to drop off the discharge papers. He didn’t want to see the inside of this place for a long while. Although they weren’t going to their house in Tuscaloosa for another two weeks, they were more than excited to be going home. Their parent’s houses would always be their home away from home. When they reached the truck, laughter came from behind them.

  “Where did you learn to park? Better yet, how did you ever manage to get a license?” Connor asked.

  Braxton looked at his truck which was parked directly in the center of two spaces. Laughing at himself, he shook his head then shrugged his shoulders.

  “Didn’t want anyone to hit my truck.”

  “Likely story, bless your heart.” Katrina slapped Connor’s shoulder and he looked at her puzzled. “What? Isn’t that what you told me they all say around these parts?”

  Katrina’s cheeks heate
d, her blush a deep pink.

  “Don’t worry honey, that’s exactly what we say around here and in this case, I’d say it’s warranted,” Hannah said, linking her arm with Katrina’s.

  He drove much slower this time, since Braxton was mortified they’d wreck with his precious cargo in the truck. When he turned into his dad’s neighborhood, he looked into the rearview mirror.

  “Look behind us,” he told Allie, smiling. She giggled at the sight she saw. Behind them, cars were swerving back and forth like they do in a NASCAR race under caution.

  “I guess they’re trying to tell you something.”

  Looking down at his speedometer, it read twenty. He pressed the gas a little harder and as he picked up speed, his family started honking behind him. The smiles never left their faces the rest of the short drive.

  That evening everyone took turns holding Zachary, who was probably already spoiled and would never want to be put down. The women made a spaghetti dinner they all enjoyed. This is what life was all about. Family, love, laughter, togetherness. Braxton and Allie were grateful for the people in their lives.

  When night fell everyone said their goodbyes and left. Allie was exhausted. Braxton fed Zachary, rocked him to sleep and then laid him down in the bassinet his dad had bought for when they visited. Allie was still awake when he joined her in the bed. She curled into his side, he could feel her breath on his neck. Her hand traced circles on his bare chest. He loved the warmth that spread out from her touch that brought everything inside of him to life.

  “Thank you,” she said, her lips against the crook of his neck.

  “For what?”

  “For being that man--the one you didn’t have to be.”

  He turned over onto his side to face her. Gently he touched her face and looked deeply into her eyes.

  “I’m exactly the man I’m supposed to be.”

  “No, you’re more. You took my broken pieces and one by one you put them back into place, healing me in the process. You stood by me when I couldn’t even stand myself. You stepped up to the plate, went to bat for me even when I continued to push you away, and you won. Don’t you see how lucky Zachary and I are? He will never know what it’s like to not have a dad. He will always know what it feels like to be loved and he’ll have the best role model he could ever have. I owe you everything.”

  “You owe me nothing. Everything I have done has been out of love and love alone. There isn’t a price attached to that. You’ve already given me all I’ve ever wanted and more. There is no debt to pay, there never was.”

  He could see the wetness on her cheeks and he wiped it away. His knuckles softly stoked the silky flesh of her cheek then slide around to grip her neck. He brought his lips to hers. There had never been anything he wanted more than her. She was his fire, his sun, his passion and in return, he’d be whatever she needed. He held her tight as his tongue softly dueled with hers. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his back as she tried to pull him even closer. There was no space left between them, no part of them left untouched. Two hearts beating as one, two souls tethered together by a bond that nothing could never be broken.

  ∞ Epilogue ∞

  5 Years Later

  Braxton and Allie had returned to Gardendale a year ago. Last week, they signed the papers on their first house, a three bedroom, two bath brick ranch. The moving company had delivered their belongings a few days later and they were now in the process of setting everything up. They were excited to finally be moving in. It had taken a lot of hard work to get to this point but they had made it.

  Allie hadn’t gone back to school but she was happy with the way her life turned out. Zachary had grown into a wonderful little boy. His first words, to Braxton’s surprise, had been Da-Da. It was one of the rare occasions that he couldn’t hold back his tears in front of Allie. When he took his first steps, all of their family had been together. Everyone cheered and clapped and Zachary thought that was the best thing so he clapped along with them. He would be starting kindergarten in the fall, about the same time their little girl would be born.

  Braxton was over the moon when she told him he would be a dad, again. She knew he would have the same bond with his little girl as he did with his son. Maybe a bit overprotective, but what dad wasn’t when it came to daddy’s girl? He and Zachary were amazing to watch together. Zachary shadowed his every move. Braxton had taught him t-ball and even coached his team. The pair were inseparable.

  Braxton had finished his degree and he and Zak had opened their own architecture company, Green-Caulder Skylines. They were responsible for over seventy skyscrapers now gracing the skylines of cities all across the country. It had become one of the fastest growing companies in the south and they were now expanding to the northeast. Working together wasn’t something that Braxton had ever really thought about. He quickly realized this was one of those things life hands you that you weren’t expecting but once it happened, you truly wanted it. Sometimes there’s a higher power, a greater force, working for you on your behalf. Connor would be overseeing the office in New York and although he missed his friend, he couldn’t think of anyone he trusted more to help run their company.

  Connor and Katrina had been dating for the last two years. When Katrina went back to California to finish school, the two had kept in constant contact. She didn’t want a long distance relationship and even though Connor understood that, he wanted to give it a try. Still, she refused, playing hard to get. Everyone could see the connection between them. Her wittiness matched his perfectly and they kept those around them laughing most of the time. In the end it worked out and Connor was planning to propose to her next month.

  Bently and Serenity married a year after Zachary was born. They were living in Birmingham on the outskirts of town and visited often. Bently worked for a Fortune 500 Company managing the accounting department. He’d always been great with numbers and Braxton had even tried to talk him into working with them handing all of the accounting for them. So far, he hadn’t been successful but he would continue to try to get him onboard with them. Serenity was a stay at home mom taking care of their twin boys, Jax and Jensen. She and Allie had regular girl’s nights leaving the kids with the guys. They were a handful now in the terrible two phase, but everyone adored those boys. Zachary loved when they visited and didn’t seem to mind that they were younger than him. Braxton was certain he would make a wonderful big brother.

  Zak and Hannah married three years ago and Braxton can still remember how nervous Zak was when he told him. He had been worried about what Braxton would think and if his mother would have approved. He reassured him that all that mattered was that he was happy. Braxton was glad his dad finally took that next step. He knew his mother would want that for him, would be happy he had found someone to share his life with and he told Zak so. Braxton adored Hannah and welcomed her to the family.

  Shane and Amy were proud of Braxton and Allie. Amy continued her work as a nurse even going back to specialize in neonatology. Shane had, on more than one occasion, told Braxton how much he appreciates him and for never backing out of his responsibility. Braxton never told him the truth about Zachary’s biological father. His dad was the only one who knew and that’s how it would remain.

  Braxton knew his mother would always be watching over him, seeing him accomplish his dreams, watching his children as they grew. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t miss her or think of her. He wished many times that he could hear her voice one more time. He visited her grave and his dad’s once a month. He would sometimes just sit and quietly visit and others he would tell them all about his life.

  Throughout his life, this incredible journey he was on, Braxton could have never imagined how much pride he would feel or how much one person could truly gain from the love of another. All of the times he pictured his future as a child could never compare to the reality of it. This was so much more than he could have ever imagined. He knew there would be trying times. Life always had a way of creatin
g situations that could knock you down, but with Allie by his side there was nothing that they couldn’t overcome. Broken roads can be mended, holes can be filled, but love given freely and unconditionally could never be replaced. This was their own little piece of heaven.

  Today, tomorrow, and forever.

  ∞ The End ∞

  About the Author

  Shevawn Michelle lives in central Georgia with her husband, three dogs and turtle. Born and raised in the south, she’s just a small town girl who prefers a cabin in the woods to the big city. She met her husband in high school and has been married for 21 years. Being a mom of two kept her busy until the time came for them to leave the nest. She is the proud mom of an American soldier and an Assistant manager of a retail store.

  Shevawn’s love of reading didn’t come until later in her life. It really started with The Twilight Saga, which she’s read 13 times so far. Now, you won’t find her without a book. She enjoys romance, paranormal, mystery, and suspense novels. Shevawn started writing in late 2014 when her characters demanded to be heard. Although it wasn’t something she planned to do, sharing her characters with her readers has been one of her best experiences.

  Shevawn loves the outdoors when the weather is nice. Camping, fishing, or reading a good book are a few of her hobbies. She loves thunderstorms and secretly wanted to be a storm chaser in her younger days. Shevawn is always looking to connect with her readers!