Free Falling

Faith

Once they got Jessica settled into a hospital gown and fetal monitor, the nurses kept a close eye on Jessica's vitals and the baby's.

Dr. Porter asked what had happened to cause this and he checked Jessica over again. She was still at five centimeters and her contractions were strong and close together. Jessica didn't tell Dr. Porter exactly what had happened but that Phillip was the cause of it. It didn't take him long to figure out what happened. He saw Jessica's cheek that was still red from Phillip's slap. Dr. Porter was deeply disappointed in Phillip. He had known Phillip almost all his life and to know he was such a horrible person made his heart go out to Jessica and all she endured because of Phillip.

"Alright Jessica, your baby's vitals look good and at the moment, I'm not worried about them. You however, have a high blood pressure and from here on out, I need you to relax and calm down. I'm going to give you an epidural so you can get some rest." Dr. Porter said as he signaled to a nurse to get the epidural ready. "You need to save up all your strength and energy to deliver your baby safely."
"Thank you Neil." Jessica as she breathed in and out.
"Jessica...I have faith that everything is going to be okay." Dr. Porter said gently. "Don't you lose faith, okay?"

Jessica nodded and gave a small smile.

Dr. Porter then proceeded to give Jessica the epidural. Abigail held her hand and didn't leave her mother's side for anything.

All the guilt of treating her mother so badly all these years were catching up to her and tears formed in her eyes. She held them in, refusing to them them fall.

Here she was seeing her mother in pain, a pain she had never experienced or had seen anyone else experience. She hated to see her mother this way.

Dr. Porter and the nurses helped Jessica get settled into bed and they excused themselves to give Jessica some time to rest.

"I'm going to check in on you every hour." Dr. Porter said with a gentle smile. "Get some rest."

When Dr. Porter left the room, Jessica sighed in relief. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to the heavens that she and her baby would survive the delivery.

Once alone in the room, Abigail let her tears fall. She sat close by her mother and waited for everyone to arrive.

Jessica was calm now; she accepted the fact that her baby was on its way and she couldn't change it. All she could do now was follow doctors orders and remain calm to keep her blood pressure down and get some rest.

Jessica opened her eyes and wipe her tears away. She then placed one hand on her belly so she could enjoy the last few hours of feeling her baby move and kick from within.

She then turned her head and saw Abigail sitting on the chair that was close to her hospital bed.

"Abby, why are you crying?" Jessica asked gently.
Abigail sat up and moved closer to Jessica. She took Jessica's free hand and held onto it. "I'm so sorry mom for everything I put you through. For how I treated you. All the things I've said to you..." she sobbed. "Mom, I'm so so sorry. Please forgive me."
"Abigail, there is nothing to forgive." Jessica said as gently squeezed Abigail's hand. "You're grandmother was the one to plant the seed into your head that I was a bad woman. It's not your fault that she did that to you."
"But...but why didn't you defend yourself? Why didn't you tell me about Dad when you found out?" Abigail asked.
"Honey, I tried, but you wouldn't hear of it." Jessica said. "So I stopped trying to tell you I was innocent. As for your father, well, whatever was going on in our marriage was between him and I. I kept it to myself and didn't want to worry you and your brothers about it. Also, you love your father and you were always a daddy's girl. I didn't want to be cruel and ruin yours and his relationship."