Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband by Anney GW

My CEO 219

219 A Breath of Life (Winona)

The room is bright, too bright, as the surgical lights glare down on Ashlyn's still form, her chest still rising and

falling in twith the machine keeping her alive. Alive for this, this moment.

| pray the baby comes through. I stand beside Jayden, gripping his hand tightly, trying to be strong for him -for

both of us. The tension is thick with worried nerves from the both of us, every second dragging on like an

eternity. Jayden hasn't taken his eyes off Ashlyn's face, his face set in a grim expression. He's stroking her cheek,

and

my heart is breaking for him. | know he's trying to keep it together, but | can feel the tremor in the hand I'm

holding.

| tighten my grip momentarily and then let go.

| take Ashlyn's hand. "This is it, Ashlyn, the one thing you wanted. To see this baby make it. You askedto

adopt your baby. To keep the baby safe. | promise you | will always do that for you. Jayden and | will always do

that." A single tear rolls down Jayden's face onto his facemask. He once envisioned a life with Ashlyn, being a

parent with her.

Of course this will break down his inner-strength. But what he doesn't understand yet is how seeing. touching,

holding this baby will rebuild that inner strength to something that can't be broken, ever.

| pray he gets the chance to feel that, and it all isn't taken away from him.

The medical team begins to move with practiced efficiency, their faces hidden behind masks, their voices calm

but focused. The Ob-Gyn in charge, Dr. Harris, is a tall, no-nonsense woman who exudes an air of quiet authority.

There are several other medical staff including the neonatal pediatrician who introduced herself earlier, Dr. Diana

Reeves. She will be taking over care of the baby from birth.

She glances up at us briefly, her eyes softening as they meet mine.

"You're both doing great," she says, her voice muffled by the mask. "Dr. Harris is almost done."

Jayden nods, his whole body is clenched tight. | know he's holding on to hope with everything he's got, but I can

see the fear in his eyes. The fear that this tiny life might slip away before it even begins.

| glance at Ashlyn, her face pale and serene, as if she's already crossed over to another world. My heart hurts for

her, for the friend she used to be, for the woman she could have been, and for the life she's losing out on.

But most of all, my heart aches for Jayden and the baby, for the uncertainty of what's about to happen.

The silence in the room is deafening as Dr. Harris puts her hands inside the incision she's made, and theri,

suddenly, there's movement. The surgical team springs into action, and in a matter of seconds, a tiny, fragile life

is lifted into the world. A boy. A son.

10 A Death of Li

+25 BONUS

But there's no cry. No sound at all, Just an eerie, gut-wrenching silence.

My heart stops. | can't breathe. | glance at Jayden, his face drained of all color, his eyes wide with terror.

| grab his hand and squeeze tight.

The doctor quickly hands the baby to Dr. Reeves, who rishes him to a table on the other side of the room. The

seconds tick by, each one an eternity, as the team works frantically to get him breathing.

"Con," | whisper, barely audible, my voice choked with fear. "Please... please breathe."

Jayden's grip on my hand tightens to the point of pain, but | don't let go. | can't. | won't. We're in this together,

and | won't let him face this alone.

And then, finally, after what feels like a lifetime, a tiny, weak cry breaks the silence.

It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

Jayden lets out a loud, long breath and I feel his body relax. Tears fill his eyes, and for a moment, he just stands

there, trembling, as the reality of what's just happened sinks in.

My tears are coming non-stop.

The nurse turns to us. "He's breathing on his own now, but we'll monitor him closely and he'll go into the

neonatal incubator. He's very small, but he's a fighter."

Jayden nods, his eyes locked on the tiny, fragile form of his son. "Can we get closer?"

"Of course," the nurse says, her tone gentle. "We need to get him to the neonatal ward right away. We'll take you

all through in a moment."

| can see the relief in Jayden's eyes, but it's tempered by a new kind of fear-the fear of what comes next. The

fight isn't over, not by a long shot. But right now, at this moment, his son, our son, is alive.

| reach up and touch Jayden's face, wiping away the tear that's slipped down his cheek. He turns to his eyes

shining with gratitude and love, and pullsinto a tight embrace.

"He did it," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "He's here."

"He did," | whisper back.

We walk over to where the smallest baby I've ever seen is lying and we say hello.

"Here, Daddy, take off your gloves and pick him up." Dr. Reeves tells Jayden. "It's okay, he's breathing strong.

You can place him in."

Jayden cups his baby in both hands before he lifts him into the incubator. Along the way he's whispering that

he'll be okay to him.

"The incubator will keep him warm but skin on skin helps pull them through."

His tiny eyes are closed.

He fits in the palms of Jayden's hands.