Chapter Twenty One

Together, they sat in the chairs watching TV, while Rex held Bella until she began to move and fuss. Jayme knew it was time to feed her. And Rex assumed as he stood up and gently handed Bella to Jayme. Exposing one breast, Jayme held Bella up to her breast and she latched on. Laying her head back, Jayme was already feeling the exhaustion of twenty four hour feedings.
Twenty minutes later, Jayme finished feeding Bella, then changed her again before laying her in the crib. Then Jayme went to the small bed and laid down. Rex stood up and reached for his Jacket. “I probably should be going…” He said.
“Wait…” Jayme stopped him. “Please, you don’t have to leave…” She said and patted the bed, “here, lay here with me.”
Rex knew it was something he could not turn down. All he wanted was to have her in his arms. Putting his coat back on the hook, he went to the door and flipped off the light switch before walking toward the bed. With the flashy light of the TV, Rex laid down beside Jayme, sliding his arm beneath her.
Looking up at him, Jayme reached her hand up and brushed it over his hair and down his back, pulling him closer. Rex slightly smiled as he leaned toward her and pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was firm but gentle and it shot sparks through her entire body.
With every fraction of a second, the kiss grew deeper. Suddenly, Rex pulled away from the kiss. “Maybe you should get some rest…” he said, laying his head down on the pillow they shared.
“You’re probably right…” Jayme said and tucked her head in his shoulder.
Within minutes, Jayme fell asleep, with the rugged natural scent of Rex fresh in her mind. She slept soundly until she heard the faint cry. Rex woke up at the same time as Jayme and looked at the clock. It was merely ten in the evening. Although he knew he had to be to work by seven, he knew they would be woke up again throughout the night. He would leave closer to five or six AM.
First, Jayme changed Bella’s diaper, then fed her while sitting in the rocking chair. After burping the child, Jayme rocked her back to sleep and put her in the small crib before laying back down beside Rex. It wasn’t long before they both were back to sleep. Jayme loved just being held in his arms, without any sexual tension between them.
Around two, they were woke up again by the crying infant. Jayme got up and cared for the girl, changing and feeding her before returning to bed. But at five thirty, Rex woke up, seemingly wide awake. Gently and quietly, Rex climbed out of bed without waking Jayme. He gathered his things then stood before the bed. Slowly sitting on the bed, Rex reached down and brushed his finger across her cheek a few times until she drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes.
“Hey…” He started. “I have to go to work but I want to go home and shower first. I’ll come back as soon as I can this evening. Until then, I’ll be thinking of you both.”
Jayme smiled. “Ok.”
Leaning down, Rex kissed her before standing up and walking toward the door. “You know, I really don’t want to leave you…” He said, then blew her a kiss and walked out the door.
Jayme smiled again and closed her eyes. Quickly, she drifted off to sleep, but only for twenty minutes before she heard Bella crying. Just after feeding her, a nurse knocked and entered the room. “I’m sorry, Jayme but we need to give Bella her daily evaluation.”
“Oh, ok.” Jayme said and handed the infant to the nurse.
“We’re just going to run the routine tests, check her weight, basic things.” The nurse said as she walked toward the door. “She’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
“Ok.” Jayme responded.
Just after the nurse left with Bella, a woman walked into her room carrying a tray with breakfast. She smiled at Jayme as she set it on the table beside the chairs. Jayme thanked her and the woman responded with a nod before leaving the room. Picking up the cover to the plate, Jayme saw the eggs, pancakes, and sausage links. The food was bland but she was hungry and ate all the food, including the orange they included.
After spending all day in that room, she needed to get out and go for a walk. But she didn’t want to leave the safety of the hospital. Leaving Bella at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Jayme walked the floor. Then she went to the floor below, walking the entire floor. Finally, she ended with the top floor. There was a small balcony on the third and final floor of the hospital. The balcony overlooked the small river below. Across the river was the city park where Jayme could see the children playing.
For long minutes she stood outside until the chill of the early November air got to her. Coming back into the heat of the hospital, she was nearly shivering. As she returned to her room, she was surprised to see Rex in the hallway. He was talking to the doctor and seemed stressed.
Walking up to Rex, she saw the look on his face when he turned and saw her coming to him. His expression was that of relief and concern. “Jayme…” Rex said and went to her, leading her into her room and shutting the door.
“Where were you?” He questioned.
“I just went for a walk through the hospital, why?”
“It scared the hell out of me when I came in and saw you were gone, but your cell phone, purse and wallet, everything was here. Bella was here…”
“Rex, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Jim. He was spotted in Mason County. The police approached him, trying to arrest him. Jim resisted, became combative and escaped, but not without shooting an officer in the leg.
He told the officer he was coming to find you.” Rex said.
Jayme just closed her eyes and raised her shaky hands to her eyes, covering them, hiding the tears that began to fall. Rex could see her beginning to fall apart. Wrapping his arms around her, he tried to comfort her. “Shh, it’ll be ok. You’re safe here.” Rex said. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you both safe.”
Unable to speak at that moment, Jayme nodded her head. She knew he was genuine in his gesture but was not convinced he could effectively protect them. But she felt more at ease knowing she would be staying somewhere where Jim would not know about. Trying to maintain her composure, Jayme pulled back and wiped her eyes.
“I know…” She said.
With one hand, he brushed it across her cheek and through her hair, pulling her toward him for a kiss. The kiss was slow and sensual and Jayme knew she could get caught up in his affection. Although there was fear and anguish around the corner, she knew there was love right in front of her. She was enduring both love and anguish.
For the five days Jayme and Bella stayed at the hospital, Rex spent all his off duty time there, unless he went home for a shower or clean clothes. It was Friday, November fifth, when they released Bella to go home. She weighed in at five point one ounce that morning. She was given a clean bill of health and sent home with the equivalent of three bags of diapers. They also sent her home with a breast pump, for times when she would need to bottle her milk.
As Rex opened the door, Jayme stepped inside to find the apartment decorated differently. She saw the play pen with the bassinet attached at the top. “Oh, you brought that too. Good.” Jayme said and walked up to it, inspecting it before laying Bella in it. Beside the bassinet was a small music box in which when wound up, played a loud song.
“Here, let me show you the crib.” Rex said, taking her hand.
Leading her into the bedroom, Rex showed her the crib that was fully constructed and ready for use. He had put a sheet on the mattress and placed it in the crib. There were no stuffed animals, pillows or bumpers in the crib. It was completely safe for Bella to sleep in.
“Oh, Rex, thank you for all of this. It means so much.” Jayme said, turning to hug him.
“You and Bella, you two mean so much… to me.” Rex said with a seriousness of his face. “You should put on some nice clothes, I want to take you to dinner.”
“Ok.” Jayme smiled and kissed him.
Dressing in her sexy black dress, it was tight across her belly that was still a bump. But she didn’t care. Looking in the mirror, she still looked good in it. Brushing her long, curly, brown hair, she let it hang with long, loose curls. A slight amount of blush, some mascara and lipstick and she was ready.
Before bundling Bella up in her blankets, Jayme packed the diaper bag with clothes, diapers and accessories. Leaving her purse behind, she put her important things in the diaper bag so she only had to carry one bag. Rex put Bella in her car seat, then strapped her into the back seat, facing the rear of the vehicle.