~ Thanks for Giving ~
by Red Hope

Restrictions Notes
Copyright: This is an original, flash fiction so I own it wholly. No reproductions without my permission.
Dedication: Ralph Owens Hall, IV.
Written: November 17, 2006
From: The Holiday Collection

To travel there it was only an hour and yet it was long enough for her to consider her week's worth of work. There were meetings that were waiting to claim her and paperwork that still smirked at her each morning. Soon a holiday would come but there wasn't much time to reflect on this because life was breathing down her neck. Lately her life was growing and gaining weight in her belly then at times it would kick her in the stomach causing her to wince. There was no room for any lovers let alone settling down with a prospective wife when she had too many tasks in her hands.

The drive tonight was welcomed as was the soft rain brought on by the afternoon storm earlier today. Her car was rhythmically pelted by the water pellets and she drove with a new sense of purpose. Her destination was a tall building that jutted up into the dark sky but the building was streaming in a white light. When she pulled into the hospital parking lot there seemed to be an ocean of cars and faceless people flowing past her. She dodged into a parking space then when her car door was open the winter wind met her warm face. It only took her mere seconds to cross the distance between her car to the hospital entrance and she couldn't even recall the name of the hospital.

Once inside, she took a sluggish elevator all the way up the fifth floor then the elevator door creaked open for her. She stepped into a round, open waiting room where she threw on a smile that masked her exhaustion. She was warmly received by all familiar faces of her family that'd been there for hours more than she had. She promptly took a seat then glued her body to it as the last minutes crept by for the celebrated moment. The prior nine months were from another lifetime and today was a stranger with no name.

Then she and her family were called back by a smiling nurse, who guided the group into a room not far and they all poured into the room. The hospital room was suddenly cramped, loud, and yet so full of excitement as everybody gathered around one spot. There were congratulations, praises, and offerings passed between the old family and the new family. The beautiful gift was slowly passed from arms to arms with an occasional bright, white flash appearing. And finally, finally she was carefully gifted the angelic bundle into her welcoming arms.

With her right hand, she tenderly pulled the obscuring blanket then she instantly felt her heartbeat again. She memorized the delicate and smooth features of the new born baby until she was sure he was there in her arms. The baby's cheeks were round, his skin so pale, and his eyes blue as heaven. When she lifted her head, she passed a loving smile to the mother and father, who watched on with pride. She remained holding on, her head down, and her hips swaying to some missed happiness. The baby's heavenly face stole her away to a world that nobody knew and nothing could contact her.

Just then, a nurse slipped into the bustling room and she played with the light switches for adjustments. A flick of this switch then mistakenly another one as the room fell dark in all spots except for one. She and the baby remained washed in the brilliant white light from high above their heads. She lifted her head as the streaming light poured over her and the baby and the rest of the world was blacked out in pure white. The baby was instantly covered in a silver hue that captured everybody's breath and the silence was loud then suddenly all the lights flickered on again. Quickly the two families went back to chatting away and moving about the hospital room.

The baby remained in her arms for a time that no longer seemed to matter. As she studied his handsome face, her mind was quiet and her heart was calming her. Her ravishing life was now born into a peace that she could actually control and love again. Then she crossed the short space between her and the new mother and she carefully lowered the baby into her waiting arms. She bestowed the mother with a tender kiss to the cheek and turned to the father with a long hug.

After she wished her family goodnight, she gifted the new born with a long yet loving kiss to his head. Her eyes were closed in that moment and her body still. When she silently stepped out of the room, her thoughts did not chase her down and her walk to the elevator was slow yet so steady. The ride down the elevator was short then the walk to the car was long yet so needed. She climbed into the car, closed the door, and brought the car to life after a simple turn of the key.

As she drove home that late night, she concentrated on what her Thanksgiving plans would be this year. She would take some days off so that she could spend some time doing what she always loved. Then there would certainly be a chosen time to spend with her new born nephew since she couldn't think of a better way to show her thanks for his life.

The End