Overcoming Circumstances by Belinda Slider-Baker (best book club books of all time txt) 📖

to your house.  I will stay in the cottage and help you.  I need to see this through Bly.”  

“What about Thane, Coor?”  I say.  

“What about him, Bly?  He isn’t Braelyn’s father.”  

“How dare you.  He has been to every doctor’s appointment.   Stayed at the hospital with me when I was having trouble with the pregnancy, plus he invited me to his home for someone to take care of me.  So, how can you even dismiss him like that?”  

Yelling this.

“Bly, I never said he couldn’t be a part of your or the baby’s life.  I just think I would like to try and be a part of Braelyn’s life once she gets here.”  

“You know what, I will think….” 

and before I could finish, I was doubled over in pain.   I couldn’t breathe, and started to cramp really badly.  Coor started to panic.  I hit a button on my phone and Thane was in the room within a minute.  He bolted through the door.  He knew whenever he got that pre-made text, something was wrong.  

“What is wrong, Bly?” he said.  

Before I could say anything, Coor told him I was having bad cramping.  Thane picks me up and carries me down the stairs.  He grabs the small bag from the closet and bolts out the door.  Coor is behind him asking him what he’s doing.  

“Coor, I have to get her to the hospital.  She has high sugar and blood pressure.  If it gets too high it could kill both of them.”  He said in a very stern tone.  

“She isn’t supposed to be under any stress whatsoever.”  

“I will take her to Thane.” Coor said.  

“No, I will take her; you can ride with us or follow me.”  He snaps back.  

Coor doesn’t say anything else.  He just hops in his car and follows us to the hospital.  The minute we get in the door, Genève is on duty.  She is a wonderful nurse.  She immediately takes me to an examination room.   She tells Thane to follow us back, but Coor is right there too.  Genève doesn’t know that Thane isn’t the real baby’s father and tells Coor to remain in the waiting room.  Coor tells her no that he is the baby’s father and will be going back too.  I told them I would go back by myself.  I just couldn’t deal with it right now.    I saw the hurt in Thane’s eyes, and Coor was just pissed.  Genève just didn’t care.  She told both men to wait in the waiting room, and she would let them know what was going on soon.

As soon as she got me back and started to help me undress, she asked me if I was okay.  

“No, all during my pregnancy, Thane has been this baby’s father.  Coor, he is my best friend.  When my Granny died, we had sex when we were drunk.  Coor made it perfectly clear he didn’t want a child or marriage.  So, I let him off the hook.   Now, after all of this time, he wants to be a part of Braelyn’s life.  I want him to be, but Thane is going too!”  

“Oh, Blythe, I am so sorry.  I wish I could make this easier on you, but you have to stay calm.  You have to for your and the baby’s sake.” She said with a tender and loving voice.  

“I will try. I will try, but I am scared to death at the moment.”  She said Dr. Harman was paged.  

Once I was in a gown, the fetal monitor was put on my belly.  She said that the baby’s heartbeat was a little too fast.  I really needed to just breathe and relax.  She said my blood pressure was too high as well.  She said she was going to give me something to relax me.  I told her once she did that, then she could have Thane and Coor come back.  But, before any of that could happen, I got a sharp pain ripping through my stomach.  The fetal monitor showed it was a contraction and then all of a sudden, my water broke.  

“No, she can’t come yet I was screaming.  It is way too early.”  

Genève said: 

“Blythe, there is nothing we can do, she has to come now.  She will be fine.  Everything will be okay if you calm down.  You can’t be upset.  You have to stay focused.  Can you do that?”  

“Yes.” I said hesitantly. 

Genève got me cleaned up, and said she would be right back.  Dr. Harman came into the room and then Thane and Coor came in right after.  I asked for my cell phone.  I needed to call Marissa.  As soon as Thane handed me his cell phone, I called Marissa.  She talked me through some things I was going through.  I kept telling her it was too early.  She kept trying to reassure me things would work out.  Just hearing her voice made me start to relax.  I told her about Coor.  She said to hand the phone to Coor.  I handed the phone to Coor.  I told him Marissa wanted to talk to him.  The minute Coor took the phone; Thane was hugging me so tenderly.  All I kept telling him was how sorry I was.  He kept telling me not to worry about anything.  For the first time Thane kissed me on the lips and said: 

“I love you, Bly, but if you decide to have Braelyn and go with Coor.  I will not be selfish.  I will let you go.  It will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do, but I love you and would do that.” 

He is saying this in a choked up voice with tears streaming down his face.  I look right back into his eyes and say: 

“I love you too, Thane.”   

Coor steps back from the corner of the room and hands me the phone.  His eyes met mine, and I saw so many emotions in his stare.  I started talking to Marissa again.  Before I hung up with her, Thane asked to speak with her.  I handed Thane back his phone after I told her I loved her so much.  I couldn’t wait to introduce her to Braelyn.   While Thane was talking to Marissa, Coor came over to talk to me.  

“Bly, I will not make this difficult for you.  Please, just let me see how this goes after Braelyn is born.”  

“Coor, do whatever, I can’t worry about anything now, but staying calm and having Braelyn.”  

“Can I ask you her full name?”  

“Braelyn Dawn”  

“That is beautiful, Bly.”  

“She will have my last name Coor.  I am telling you that right now.”  

“That is fine, Bly, I won’t argue that with you.”  

“Good.”  

The Doctor came in and said that he needed to check me.  He needed the guys to step out.   I was 6 cm dilated.  He said I must have a high tolerance to pain.  I told him I was a cancer survivor.  If I could beat cancer, I could have a baby.  He just smiled at me and said I was right.  

About three hours later, it was time to push.  Coor was on one side while Thane on the other.  I started to push, and then everything went black.  

I hate dreaming.  I keep dreaming about my dad.  I keep hearing his voice in my head.  I hate that he is trying to talk to me.  He is acting like he needs to talk to me.  I don’t want him to act like he cares about me now.  Man, why do dreams seem so real?  I really need to wake up from this dream now.  Wait, now I hear Thane and Marissa.  They are all talking to me.  What are they saying?  This is one really weird dream and I really want to wake up.  I really need to open my eyes.  Why are my eyelids so heavy?  I can’t be that tired damn it.  Finally, they are starting to open.  As I open one eye, all I can get out is 

“Maris, Maris, where are you?”  

“Oh my God, Bly, I am so happy to hear your voice.” 

She is then lying in my bed with me with her arms around me.  I am trying to hug her back, but I am so sore.  My whole body hurts.  I then put my hand to my belly to touch Braelyn.  

“Oh no, oh no, where is my baby, no Maris, no.”  

“Bly, Braelyn is fine now.  She is in the nursery.  Braelyn Dawn is doing great.  She was born June 10th at 8:30pm and weighed 4 pounds 3 oz. and 18 inches long.”  

“Maris, she is too tiny.  What have I done?  I should have done better.”  

I am crying hysterically now. Maris grips my face and is looking at me.  

“Bly, yes, at first things were really scary for Braelyn, but with one blood transfusion, she was great.  You are the one that scared us to death.  You lost so much blood Bly.  You died on the table.  Don’t you ever do that to me again!   God, Bly, I love you so much.”  

I couldn’t even talk.  

“Can I hold my baby girl?”  

“I will go check and see.” 

“Bly, there is someone here that needs to see you.  He saved your life with three blood transfusions over a two and a half week period.” 

“Maris, you mean I have missed two and a half weeks of Braelyn’s life?”  

“Bly, it wouldn’t have mattered.  She has been in the ICU since she was born.”  

“Has anyone got to hold her at all?  She will feel abandoned if nobody has held her.  I haven’t breastfeed her either.”  

“Calm down Bly, everything is going to be fine.  Yes, we have all got to hold Braelyn.  I even got to feed her.  You will get there very soon.”  

Marissa said in a very soft and loving voice.  

“Maris, who is here to see me?  Who donated blood to Braelyn and me?”  

“How about I go check on Braelyn and Thane can fill you in on that.  They are all sitting right outside in the waiting room.  We have been taking turns sitting with you.   I am going to go get him, okay?”  

“Okay.”  

Marissa left the room and then all of a sudden the door bursts open and Thane comes running to me.  He wraps his arms around me while saying.  

“Blythe, you can’t even imagine how great it is to see you awake.  I have been wishing for this day for so long.  You scared the hell out of me.  I love you, baby.  I love seeing your beautiful blue eyes.”  

“I love you too, Thane.  It is great to see you too.  Thane, who donated the blood to Braelyn and me?” I asked in a curious voice.  

“I donated blood to Braelyn.  Um, I think the person who donated blood to you three times needs to tell you.  Can I go get him now?”  

“Yes.”  

Thane stepped out of the door, and the man that walked in right behind him made my heart drop.  I can’t believe my father, Ian, was here.  

“Why, why did you come, Ian?  Why did you donate your blood for me?  Why, why now?  You didn’t care if a man hurt me years ago, but now, now you are here, why?”  

I was just so upset seeing him.  He slowly walked up to my bed and sat down in the chair beside it.  He had tears flowing down his face.  He softly said: 

“I love you Blythe.  I did it, because you are my daughter.  You could have died if I didn’t come.  I didn’t even know you were having a baby.  I am a grandpa now.  All I ever wanted was to be just a small part of your life.  I was so wrong not to take you in when you were younger.  There are no excuses; I just felt I didn’t deserve you.  I failed you.  I let some man hurt you so badly.  I should have known and stopped it.  I felt guilty.  I tried to contact you numerous times.  I never heard back from you.  I tried Blythe, I really did try.” 

He