determined that it could be anytime, Evan
made sure that everything was packed that needed to be taken to the hospital.
He took the nursery monitors and put one in his room and one in Briann’s room
so all she had to do was call his name and he’d be ready to go. He had his
mother, Maggie, stay with her while he was at work and if he had to work late,
she stayed until Shelly could get there. Briann felt she was the most looked
after impending mother ever.
As it worked out, Briann was sitting beside the pool
watching Evan and Shelly play water volley ball when her water broke. It was
an unnecessarily wild scramble to get ready because when she called the doctor,
he insisted that they all just relax. Yes, they were to bring her in to the
office, but since there were no labor pains yet, it was not a rush.
Briann was young and in good physical shape and although
there was a lot of pain, the doctor assured her that it was an easy birth.
When the nurse handed her the tiny bundle, Briann reached
for it, eager for her first look at this tiny life she had carried inside her
body for so long. Looking down at the tiny face, tears began to flow from her
eyes. Her daughter looked so much like Slade it was frightening. The same
olive skins, the same black hair, even the same blue eyes. So much like the
father that would never know of her, Briann’s heart almost broke again. She
felt an up welling of love for the baby and the deep pain for Slade and what
might have been. If only things had been different.
But they weren’t different. That was past, and this was
now. She swiped away her tears, pushed regret into the past and looked toward
the future.
She was sitting up in the bed holding her daughter, a smile
on her face when Evan and his family entered the room. His hand trembled as he
gently stroked one of his big fingers against the tiny face. Then he leaned
over and kissed Briann gently on the forehead.
“She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he breathed
softly.
She knew he was sincere and already his mind was racing
ahead to the things he could do for this tiny baby girl as she grew up.
Briann handed the baby to him. “Here’s your daughter.
You’ve been so anxious for her arrival; she’s arrived looking like you.”
He grinned. “Just how’d you manage that?”
Briann shrugged. “It’s just fate, I guess.”
From day one, Evan’s whole family doted on the baby’s every
movement. They were convinced that she was not only the most beautiful child
ever born, but she was absolutely the most intelligent, as well.
When Tristin was three months old, Briann went back to
giving lessons and discovered Darci, one of the silver-spoon quad-set had been
having issues with her horse. Briann began riding it to work through the
problem and when she had him once more working well, there were other problem
horses that needed her help. From there she began taking in a colt or two to
train.
Tristin spent most of her days with Evan’s mother, Maggie,
being loved and spoiled rotten. In spite of the spoiling, she was a sweet,
good natured child and as she grew older, Briann saw more and more of Slade
Butler in her looks and her mannerisms. It was heart breaking but somehow, at
the same time, a blessing because she had come to accept that anger and hurt
did not equal hate and no matter what she wanted to feel, she loved Slade.
When Tristin’s fourth birthday passed, Evan seemed to
change. He spent more and more time at home and Briann got the sense that he
was not seeing Pete, at least not as much as he had previously.
Finally one night Evan came home from work, his face haggard
and tired. Expressing her concern, Briann wasn’t prepared for the shocking
reason for his exhaustion.
“Pete has gone off the deep end,” he confessed. “Tonight he
was waiting at my car as I left the precinct and wouldn’t accept anything short
of a meeting in private, or he’d
made sure that everything was packed that needed to be taken to the hospital.
He took the nursery monitors and put one in his room and one in Briann’s room
so all she had to do was call his name and he’d be ready to go. He had his
mother, Maggie, stay with her while he was at work and if he had to work late,
she stayed until Shelly could get there. Briann felt she was the most looked
after impending mother ever.
As it worked out, Briann was sitting beside the pool
watching Evan and Shelly play water volley ball when her water broke. It was
an unnecessarily wild scramble to get ready because when she called the doctor,
he insisted that they all just relax. Yes, they were to bring her in to the
office, but since there were no labor pains yet, it was not a rush.
Briann was young and in good physical shape and although
there was a lot of pain, the doctor assured her that it was an easy birth.
When the nurse handed her the tiny bundle, Briann reached
for it, eager for her first look at this tiny life she had carried inside her
body for so long. Looking down at the tiny face, tears began to flow from her
eyes. Her daughter looked so much like Slade it was frightening. The same
olive skins, the same black hair, even the same blue eyes. So much like the
father that would never know of her, Briann’s heart almost broke again. She
felt an up welling of love for the baby and the deep pain for Slade and what
might have been. If only things had been different.
But they weren’t different. That was past, and this was
now. She swiped away her tears, pushed regret into the past and looked toward
the future.
She was sitting up in the bed holding her daughter, a smile
on her face when Evan and his family entered the room. His hand trembled as he
gently stroked one of his big fingers against the tiny face. Then he leaned
over and kissed Briann gently on the forehead.
“She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he breathed
softly.
She knew he was sincere and already his mind was racing
ahead to the things he could do for this tiny baby girl as she grew up.
Briann handed the baby to him. “Here’s your daughter.
You’ve been so anxious for her arrival; she’s arrived looking like you.”
He grinned. “Just how’d you manage that?”
Briann shrugged. “It’s just fate, I guess.”
From day one, Evan’s whole family doted on the baby’s every
movement. They were convinced that she was not only the most beautiful child
ever born, but she was absolutely the most intelligent, as well.
When Tristin was three months old, Briann went back to
giving lessons and discovered Darci, one of the silver-spoon quad-set had been
having issues with her horse. Briann began riding it to work through the
problem and when she had him once more working well, there were other problem
horses that needed her help. From there she began taking in a colt or two to
train.
Tristin spent most of her days with Evan’s mother, Maggie,
being loved and spoiled rotten. In spite of the spoiling, she was a sweet,
good natured child and as she grew older, Briann saw more and more of Slade
Butler in her looks and her mannerisms. It was heart breaking but somehow, at
the same time, a blessing because she had come to accept that anger and hurt
did not equal hate and no matter what she wanted to feel, she loved Slade.
When Tristin’s fourth birthday passed, Evan seemed to
change. He spent more and more time at home and Briann got the sense that he
was not seeing Pete, at least not as much as he had previously.
Finally one night Evan came home from work, his face haggard
and tired. Expressing her concern, Briann wasn’t prepared for the shocking
reason for his exhaustion.
“Pete has gone off the deep end,” he confessed. “Tonight he
was waiting at my car as I left the precinct and wouldn’t accept anything short
of a meeting in private, or he’d
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