“Oooo, how did you find this out?” Melanie was riveted as she picked up her cheeseburger and took a large bite.
“He FaceTimed earlier to tell me he got an A on his test.”
“That’s our boy.”
“Exactly,” Cameron smiled, loving how Melanie claimed him as their child. “But then a girl walked by and he got the goofiest little grin on his face as they said hello. He says they’rejust friendsbut we know how that can go.”
“Boy, do we ever.” Giggling, Melanie kissed her. “I’m so glad I got to marry myjust friend.”
“Me, too. Every damn day.”
As they ate their lunches, Cameron was relieved to see some of the heaviness Melanie had been carrying slowly start to dissipate. She was so passionate about her job that Cameron knew how easy it was for her to bring it home at night. After going their separate ways back to work, Cameron made a mental note to bring Melanie a snack and drink before she left for the day, since her day would end two hours before Melanie’s. Hopefully that and a warm bath when she got off would help lift Melanie’s spirits.
Chapter 36
Melanie
I’m never picking up a double again.
Melanie yawned as she sat at the desk and stared blankly at the computer screen. The Taylor Memorial Hospital logo slowly bounced around on the screen, hypnotizing her as she sipped on the last of her sodas from lunch. Her eyes were dry and scratchy as she reached into the desk drawer for her bag. Applying hand sanitizer first, she took out her contacts and replaced them with glasses. She rarely wore them, but the last few hours had called for them.
Although she’d been working as a labor and delivery nurse for most of her life, there were still days that took more from Melanie than she wanted to give. Her patient the night before had been that way. Melanie had instantly connected with Leah and stayed with her through her entire labor. She helped Vera get the baby’s shoulder unstuck and cut the cord after Leah said she didn’t want to.
Even hours after the birth, Melanie couldn’t get the distant look in Leah’s eyes out of her mind. She hadn’t seemed interested in holding or ever seeing her baby after he was born. When they took him to the NICU, she looked relieved. Melaniecouldn’t understand. She might have never birthed a baby on her own but she’d seen thousands of births before. It took some women time to bond with their baby but most at least acted like they wanted to see their baby.
But not Leah.
Melanie couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her stomach. Leah was young, only twenty, and didn’t have anybody to help her raise the baby. She’d told Melanie she was in college and her family lived out of state, but she hadn’t elaborated on where or what her support system was like back home. Although she normally wouldn’t have even considered overstepping, Melanie had been contemplating dropping off adoption information to Leah’s room before she left for the day.
Closing her eyes tightly, Melanie sighed as she logged into the computer. She’d spent so long with Leah or thinking about Leah and her baby that Melanie knew she needed to just distance herself from her. At least Leah was now in postpartum, which meant she was no longer Melanie’s patient. The baby was in the NICU, more as a precaution than anything due to his shallow breathing after birth.
He had been the cutest little baby. Melanie loved all babies, but something about the bright-eyed boy caught her attention. The baby looked at her as if he fully trusted her and knew she would keep him safe. When she’d sat him into the warmer for the baby nurses to assess, he wrapped his fingers around Melanie’s and wouldn’t let go.
“Does he have a name?” Palmer asked.
Melanie shrugged. “I don’t know. She hasn’t said.”
“Luca,” she answered, staring up at the ceiling disinterested in anything as Vera cleaned her up.
“Luca,” Melanie repeated, cooing at the minutes-old infant. “It’s going to be okay, Luca. I promise.”
Melanie smiled at the memory of his little fingers wrapped around hers. But the memory was quickly shattered when the doors from the postpartum area of the floor swung open as Palmer ran through them. She looked as white as the bedsheets as she ran straight toward Melanie at the desk.
“Have you seen Leah?”
“What?”
“Leah. The mom you were with earlier today.” Palmer held up a ripped hospital armband that they put on Leah after Luca was born. “She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Melanie felt her stomach drop to the floor. “Like missing?”
“Yeah,” Palmer took one second to catch her breath. “I went into her room and all her things were gone and she was gone and this was in the trash can.”
“Shit.”
Grabbing the bracelet from Palmer’s hand, Melanie sprinted to the room where she’d left Leah only a few hours ago. It looked as if they had just discharged a patient but Melanie knew there was no way in hell they’d discharge Leah or anyone hours after a delivery. The cut wristband in her hand proved that much. Melanie angrily knocked the pillow off the bed to get out the emotions building inside of her.
“She didn’t sign an AMA or anything.” Palmer sounded as confused about the whole situation as Melanie did. “I checked all the bathrooms on the floor and nothing. I called the number on her chart and it was disconnected. She just left.”
