“It’s okay to be scared, baby,” Maggie said. “It’s okay.”

Lying there with both my girls, I had never felt so much love and acceptance. And if there was a God, I couldn’t be more grateful to whatever God is for the love that I was feeling in that moment with Maggie and Layla wrapped in my arms.

Hearing the phone ring, I launched myself off the bed and sprinted into the kitchen. Picking up the phone, I heard Louise saying, “Hello, hello?”

“Yes, this is Jim.”

“Oh, hello Jim. Yes, well, I got in touch with Dr. Henderson and he said that since he is at the hospital doing rounds that if you can make it over there before 4pm he can see you there. He’s left instructions with the head nurse on the third floor to contact him as soon as you get there. Just go up to the pediatrics floor and ask for Ms. Blake at the nurses’ desk. You can’t miss it. As soon as you step onto the floor from the elevator, it will be right there. Dr. Henderson said there’s an exam room available on that floor.”