The Christmas House (8 page)

             
“Michael, have faith in God and Arianna’s strength to survive. She loves you so and will fight with every last
breath
to remain by your side.”

             
“Martha, what are you doing here?”

             
“I was in the neighborhood and heard that Arianna was brought in for surgery. I just wanted to reassure you that everything will be fine, but only if you truly believe that in your heart Michael.”

             
“I guess I have no other choice but to believe. I just can’t bear to lose Arianna. I have lost everyone in my life that ever meant anything to me. Losing her would be the last straw. But I will keep the faith. I will believe that a miracle will happen. Will that save Arianna’s life?”

    
There was no response from Martha.

    
“Martha, I asked you if…”

    
Michael turned and looked around the chapel, but Martha was gone. He called out her name several times, but she was no where to be found. Michael started to question his sanity. It was late and the stress of the situation took its’ toll on Michael. He shook his head and realized he must have imagined the entire sequence. 

     Michael returned to the waiting room area and as he stared out the window he could see the shimmering lights from the nearby buildings as their reflection was mirrored in the massive body of water called Lake Michigan. As he refocused the aperture of his eyes, he could now look at the glass pane instead of through it. He saw the reflection of David lying on the couch in the glass and he smiled.

     As Michael continued to stare at David’s reflection, he started to recall the good memories that he and Arianna shared over the years. Like a slide show on a clear screen, the memories flashed before Michael’s eyes one by one. As he stared blindly at the windowpane he recalled their wedding, their first kiss, David’s birth, etc. He realized that his faith in life itself was once again restored.

    
Suddenly, Michael’s daydreams were
int
errupted
by the doctors’ reflection entering the frame of the glass as well.

    
“Mr. Carter?”

     Michael turned quickly and without saying a word stared into the doctor’s eyes.

     “If you would like to see your wife now, she is resting in recovery on the third floor.
Room 324.”

     Michael bowed his head as tears of joy ran down his face. He walked over to where David was sleeping and nudged him.

     “David? Hey buddy? Wake up. Mom wants to see you,” he said.

     In a state of grogginess, David opened his eyes and said to Michael, “Mom didn’t die?”

     “No, David, Mom is going to be just fine,” Michael said as he picked him up in his arms and hugged him tightly.

     “What about the baby Dad?” asked David.

     Michael turned to ask the doctor about whether or not the baby survived, but it was too late. The doctor had already left the area.

     “I don’t
know
David, but the doctor warned us that they couldn’t save both. I felt your mother was more important to save. Are you upset with me for making that decision?” Michael asked.

     “No, Dad. Mom can always have another baby right?” he asked.

     “I don’t know if she can or not right now David, but even if she can’t, we still have you right?” he said as he put his son down on the floor and began to walk to the elevator hand in hand.

     “You will always have me Dad. I promise you that. Just like you promised me that Mom wouldn’t die,” said David.

     “I’m going to hold you to that promise,” Michael said as they entered the elevator.

     As the elevator reached the third floor, a “ding” sounded and the doors opened. Michael asked one of the nurses at the nursing station how to get to room 324. She pointed him in the right direction as he took David’s hand and walked toward the room.

     They walked about 25 feet and stopped in front of the door to room 324 and noticed the sign, “No Smoking -Oxygen in Use”. Michael slowly opened the door.

     As they entered the room, they saw Arianna lying in bed with
oxygen
tubes inserted in her nose.

    
“Those tubes are so mom can
breath
easier. It’s not a bad thing okay?” Michael said to David.

     “Okay Dad,” David replied.

     As they approached the bed, Arianna opened her eyes and smiled. Michael leaned over the metal railing on the side of the bed and lightly kissed her on the cheek. David reached his hand between the railing and Arianna squeezed it tightly.

     “I though I lost you there for a while,” said Michael.

     “Now would I let you off the hook that easy,” Arianna responded with a twinkle in her eye. She continued, “Michael I am so sorry I didn’t listen to you. I should have never picked up that box.”

     “Honey, it’s okay. You were only trying to help. Don’t blame
yourself
,” he responded.

     At that moment the door to Arianna’s' room opened and a nurse entered the room.

   
“Sorry to interrupt you folks, but its time to eat,” she said.

  
“Are you up for eating already hon?” Michael asked Arianna.

     “Not me silly, it’s time to nurse the baby,” she responded.

     Michael turned toward the nurse and saw that she was holding a baby wrapped in white linen.

    
“
The baby!
”

     “Would you like to hold your daughter Mr. Carter?” asked the nurse.

    
“My daughter?
We thought that the baby....” he tried to say the words.

     “She is a fighter that’s for sure Mr. Carter. It was touch and go there for a few hours but she pulled through just fine. Didn’t you, you little princess you,” said the nurse as she cuddled the infant.

     The nurse placed the baby in Michael’s arms. Michael looked into her eyes and saw a myriad of emotion. He saw life itself.

    
“Hi there little one,” he said as he held the child.

     His daughter was beautiful beyond words.
7 pounds, 4 ounces, a multitude of thick wavy brown hair and big blue eyes.

     “Is she okay?” asked Michael.

    
“She is just fine Michael. Ten toes and ten fingers,” Arianna replied.

     “Arianna, look what you did. I am the proudest man on the face of the earth,” Michael said.

     David moved closer to Michael.

    
“Can I see her Dad?”

     Michael looked down and said, “Well sure thing David. You can do that and more.”

     Michael took his daughter and placed her in David’s arms as he looked for approval from the nurse. She acknowledged with a nod that it was okay and David took the baby to his chest.

     As David stared at the baby in his arms, he smiled and asked, “What’s her name mom?”

   
“Well we haven’t decided that yet David. What do you think it should be?” Arianna asked.

     “Hmm, I don’t know. How about Nick because she made it here in just a nick of time.”

     “David, Nick is a
boys
name. But Nicky is short for Nicole and that’s a beautiful girl’s name. What do you think about that Michael? Is Nicole a good name for your daughter?”

     “I think it’s a wonderful name.
Nicole Lucky Carter.
How about that?”
Michael asked.

     “Lucky?” said Arianna. “That’s a name for a dog! How about Miracle, Mira for short?”

     “Nicole Miracle Carter it is. Welcome home my lovely daughter,” Michael said.

     As Arianna started to nurse little Nicole, Michael and David stood off to the side in silence. Michael looked to the ceiling and said under his breath, “Thanks for listening. I owe you one- no, make that two.”

 
Michael looked at his watch and realized the time. He still had to move their furnishings into their new home.

    “Honey
are
you okay now?”

     “Michael, I will be fine and so will your daughter. Go finish moving our things into our new home and then try to get some sleep okay. We will be here when you get
back. I promise,” Arianna said.

    
“Another promise that must be kept?
I can deal with that. Okay David
are
you ready to go move some furniture and boxes into your new house?” Michael asked.

     “Do we have to?” David asked.

   
“Yes, I am afraid so,” Michael replied.

     Michael kissed Arianna and his daughter, as did David. They both waved good-bye and proceeded toward the elevator to go down to the parking lot to retrieve the moving truck. Arianna looked down at her baby at her breast, who stopped feeding and smiled.

    
“All done?” asked the nurse as she re-entered the room.

    
“Yes, she’s already nodding off to sleep,” Arianna replied.

    
“Well, you will have to get used to these 3 a.m. feedings all over again. I used to hate those the most,” the nurse said.

     “Is it 3 o’clock in the morning?” Arianna asked.

     “A little after,” replied the nurse, as she took Nicole from Arianna’s arms.

     As the nurse left the room to return the baby to the nursery, Arianna started to think about Michael and David and how they must be totally exhausted. Now they were going to move the furniture into the new house for the next 5 hours. She worried if Michael would be able to move all of the heavy pieces himself after a day like today. She knew Michael though; he would never quit. She just hoped he would be careful in the process.

Chapter Six- The Move Continues

May 1st

3:30 a.m.

Lake Forest, IL

Michael pulled onto Festive Lane. He drove down the block for about a 1/4 of a mile until he approached the driveway to the house. The address on the mailbox read, “1-8”, for the 4 had fallen off and was never replaced. Michael drove past the old iron gates at the front of the driveway and then backed the truck up so he could unload into the garage.

     “BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP”, sounded the truck, as Michael backed up in reverse, using the mirrors to watch his distance to the garage. Michael stopped about 15 feet short of the garage door to give himself enough room so he could pull out the metal ramp that was under the truck, that he would use to roll down the two wheel cart.

     Michael left David sleeping in the cab of the truck. He got out of the truck and walked to the overhead garage door. He unlocked it and lifted it up. As the door rolled back, the springs gave off a loud squeal, like fingernails on a chalkboard. Michael walked to the back of the truck and started to tug on the metal ramp that was secured to the under carriage. As he tugged at the ramp, the metal scraped against the sides of the carriage and made an unbelievable racket. Michael had problems getting the ramp to slide out evenly and struggled with it by pushing it back and forth. “SCHREECH, SQUEAL, SCHREECH!”  Finally after a few minutes, the ramp slid out from the carriage and fell to the ground with a loud clank.

     As Michael lifted the overhead door to the truck, the door slid up into its rails. He then jumped up into the back of the truck and grabbed the two-wheel dolly.

     He loaded a few boxes onto the dolly and rolled them down the metal ramp, which made a bumping sound that echoed down the block.

     Michael stopped in the garage and unloaded the boxes. As he turned around to make his second trip, a large man wearing a bathrobe and slippers stood by the truck.

     “Would you mind telling me just what the hell you think you are doing?” asked the man.

     Michael who was in no mood for a confrontation answered, “Well, what does it look like I am doing
?
I’m moving into my house.”

     “At 4 o’clock in the morning? Can’t you wait a few hours and let the rest of us around here get some sleep!” replied the man.

     “Sleep!” replied Michael. “I wish I could sleep. Listen buddy, my wife just gave birth to my daughter a few hours ago and it was a very difficult delivery. They both almost died! Now, my son is asleep in the cab of this truck and I am stuck here moving these boxes and the furniture into the house myself. I am sorry to be making so much noise, but I can’t do anything about it.”

     “Listen hot shot,” replied the man, “This is a nice quiet neighborhood and if this is any indication of how you plan to fit in, I got news for you, you won’t!”

     Michael turned away and started to go up the ramp again, to the back of the truck.