One Hundred Seventy-Nine

Eight hours later, Allegra was scared, in pain and wishing for her husband.  “Richhh-ieee,” she cried, clamping down on Dot’s hand with what seemed like the millionth contraction.  Bug had gone from zero to active labor in no time, making sure Mommy knew she was coming and coming now.

His voice was instantly in her ear, exactly where he’d been for most of those eight hours thanks to the speaker function on the phone beside her head.  “I’m here Sunshine.  I know you have to be worn out, sweetheart, but it won’t be much longer now.”

Sweat trickled down the side of her face as she slumped with exhaustion.  “I can’t do this anymore.”  Epidural or not, she was being ripped in half by a stubborn baby who evidently was suffering from a case of stage fright.

“Yes you can, Legs.  We’re all pulling for you,” David’s voice echoed over the line.  The band had been with her off and on, too, lending their moral support when Richie ran out of encouraging words.  “That little princess is just waiting for the perfect moment to make her royal entrance.”

“Well, I wish she’d hurry up already,” she mumbled around the ice chips Dot was feeding her. 

“What middle name did you finally settle on bella?” Tico’s rumbly voice took its turn.

“At the moment it’s Mary, Mary quite contrary.”

His deep roll of laughter nearly camouflaged Jon’s contribution to Operation Pep Talk.

“Babydoll, she’s gonna look like you and be absolutely gorgeous.  The first time you see that scrunched up little face, every bit of this will have been worth it.”

“Okay, Jon, like you’re the voice of experience.  As soon as they jerk a person out of your butt, come back and talk to me.”  The fatigue was making her short-tempered, even though she knew they meant well. 

“Funny that’s what Dottie told me the last time, too.”

Everyone chuckled, except for Allegra and Dot who just rolled their eyes at one another.  Unhappy at no longer being the center of attention, Bug made her presence known again.  “Ohhhhh! “

She’d never experienced anything like this…  this torture a woman had to go through to bring a new life into the world.  Allegra was now firmly convinced that child birth was penance for good sex – and it wasn’t looking good for her, considering who her husband was.

“Okay Allegra, this time give us everything you’ve got,” Dr. Shively ordered from her position in the catcher’s seat.  “A couple more good pushes and you’ll have yourself a baby.”

“I AM pushing!” she panted irritably, bowing up with the force of her exertions.

“Come on girlfriend, you’ve got it in you,” Dot coached her, brushing the sweat-soaked tendrils of hair away from her face.  “Longer pushes mean fewer pushes.  Hold onto it.”

She held onto it with everything she had until Dr. Shively spoke again.  “That’s good Allegra.  Rest for a minute and we’ll try again.”

Considering that permission to collapse, her head and shoulders wearily hit the table and she tried to catch her breath.  “Rich…  Sing to… me.” 

Without hesitation he launched into “Lean on Me” in a sure, sweet voice.  Dot gave her a few more ice chips as she lay there with her eyes closed, smiling tiredly when he reached the chorus and Jon and Dave softly harmonized.

Drawn like a magnet to her daddy’s singing voice, Bug grew impatient again and the mother of all contractions bent Allegra in half as Dr. Shively, Dot and four male voices all encouraged her to push.  The cacophony of voices barely filtered through the sound of blood loudly rushing through her ears as she strained to relieve her body of its extra passenger.

“Aaannghhhh!”  The air fled her lungs in a giant whoosh with the easing of the contraction.

“Great Allegra!  The head is out.  Once more and the shoulders will follow.  It’s all downhill from there.”

Richie’s voice washed over her to the exclusion of everything else and soothed her drained body.  “I love you, baby.  You’re doing amazing…”

The rest of his praise was lost in the wave of the next contraction.  Bearing down with all her might, Allegra could feel the intense pressure and then… 

“Waaaaa!”

“Oh- Oh- Oh my God,” she exclaimed weakly, tears sliding down her cheeks at the baby’s lusty first cry echoing throughout the delivery room.

 

“It’s a beautiful baby girl,” Dr. Shively announced proudly over the wails.  “We’ll get her cleaned up and right to you, Mommy.”

“Richie?” Allegra sobbed, turning her face to the phone.  “Can… can you hear her?  She’s singing to you…”

“I hear it, Sunshine,” he assured her, pride and watery emotion filling his voice.  The men around him were pounding one another’s backs and laughing delightedly, nearly drowning out his next words, but they rang through to Allegra as though they were the only sound in the room.  “It’s the sweetest melody I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s it.”  Her exclamation thick with her own emotion, she had trouble enunciating enough to make herself understood.

“What’s it?”

“Her middle name,” she sniffed, gulping back a sob.  “Melody.  Faith Melody Sambora.”

Dot nodded with a smile of support as Richie and the guys all were vocal in their approval.  In the mix of voices she could swear she heard David say something about the next one being named Harmony.

“Well…”  The nurse swept in with a pink swaddled bundle and settled it into Allegra’s arms.  “Allow me to be the first to introduce Miss Faith Melody Sambora.”

“Richie,” she breathed, fresh tears dripping from her eyelashes as she visually devoured the perfect, miniscule person that had just been passed into her care.  “She’s so tiny and pink.  Such itty bitty fingers and a little button nose.  And so much hair for such a little person.”

“Richie, she looks just like Allegra,” Dot supplied with a wide grin as Faith blinked into the bright overhead lights.  “Big blue eyes and hair that’s almost black.”

“Of course she does,” David’s wise-ass voice piped in.  “Sambora is nothing but one big recessive gene.”

Silence blanketed the room for an awkward handful of seconds as everyone silently thought what no one was willing to say out loud – that meant they still didn’t know for sure if Faith was his.

“Dammit D, don’t just sit there.  Send me a picture,” Richie broke the moment with his gruff request.  “I need to see my baby.”

“Okay, okay,” she acquiesced readily.  “Give me a second and I’ll snap a couple of pictures.  I need something to show the grandparents in the waiting room anyway.”

Posing Faith’s little face next to her mommy’s, Dorothea captured the requested photo and took a second of the baby by herself.  Both were immediately sent across the oceans so that the men could get their first look at the newest member of the Bon Jovi family.

Dr. Shively pulled off her mask and circled around to the side of the delivery table with a business-like approach.  “Allegra, we’ll be running a couple of routine blood tests on the baby.  I’d like to go ahead and include that paternity test in the mix.”

The men had all been clamoring to see the photo, but their squabbling ceased when Richie heard the doctor’s request and loudly shushed his friends. 

“Allegra,” he told her solemnly before she had the opportunity to reply.  “I know you still have doubts, sweetheart.  If this is what you want, do it.  The only request I have is that you not tell me the results.  I don’t need or want to hear them.”

Smiling serenely at the tiny girl now quietly nuzzling against her breast, Allegra brushed her fingertip along the whispery soft skin of Faith’s cheek.  The peace that wrapped its arms around the two of them was unlike anything she’d ever felt and Allegra would be hard pressed to explain it to anyone.

But she knew what it meant.

There was no need for a paternity test.  The little miracle in her arms was no accident, and her heart swelled with something that had been missing for far too long.  This baby was the product of the love she shared with her husband.  Their daughter was living proof that, although circumstances may seem entirely screwed up at the time, something good could still come of it.

“No.  There will be no paternity test.” She cooed to the precious bundle of pink,” No there won’t, will there darling baby girl?  We don’t need no stinking paternity test to know who your Daddy is, do we?”

“Allegra, I strongly recommend-“

Icy blue eyes lifted to meet the doctor’s determined gaze.  Dot stood to the side, smirking, because the look in Allegra’s eyes was one she was as familiar with as the back of her hand.  It was her husband’s trademark Stink Eye.  “Dr. Shively, God did not put me through the last year of my life to find out that this child doesn’t belong to my husband.  He IS the father.  End of discussion.”

The doctor hesitated, visibly biting her tongue before nodding her understanding.  There was no doubt that she disagreed with the decision. 

Too bad for her, I guess.

“Awww jeeez, Legs,” came David’s whining loud and clear.  “You’ve got him crying like a damn baby over here.  How the hell are we supposed to deal with that crap?”

“Give me the phone, moron,” Richie growled through a subtle sniff.  A door slammed in the background and the echo over the line led Allegra to believe he had gone into the bathroom to be alone.  “Sunshine?  Take me off speaker.”

Gesturing for Dot’s assistance, she cradled the phone in next to her ear and watched her friend trail after Dr. Shively and the nurse out of the room.  Dot would give the news to Therese, Michael, Joan, Carol and John that everyone was well and bring them back to visit after Allegra had a chance to talk to Richie. 

“Okay, no speaker.”

There wasn’t a moment to breathe before his tender words came rushing at her.  “Do you have any idea how much I love you and how proud I am of you?  You stepped up and claimed your faith, baby – along with your baby Faith.  I’ve been praying for months that it would find its way back into your heart and make you whole again.  I’d just about given up hope.”

She unconsciously rocked the baby as a fresh wave of tears pooled in her lower lids.  “Richie, thank you for being patient and believing in me – for me.  I don’t know that I ever would have gotten to this point if it hadn’t been for you.  I love you, and am absolutely over the moon about this sweet little girl of ours.  The only thing missing from our perfect life is you.  She’s anxious to meet her daddy and we can hardly wait until you get home.”

“I know sweetheart, I know.  I hate that I’m not there to shower you both with all the love and affection you deserve, but I’ll be there as soon as humanly possible.  I promise.”

Allegra smiled and held the baby a little closer.  The world seemed a little brighter today than it had at any one point in the past year.  Not that she was complaining about anything.  It was just that, as amazing as her life had become since meeting Richie, it had just taken a turn for the better.  An integral piece of the puzzle had just gotten turned around and locked into place.  Now everything had fallen into perspective and she knew that, while the scenery along the way may not have always been the prettiest, she was exactly where she was supposed to be and ready to face the dazzlingly bright future that lay ahead.

No matter what came with it.

Thank you, God.  It’s good to be back.

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And that's just about it.  The epilogue will post Tuesday, February 14th, along with a note from the author.  Enjoy what's left of your weekend!  :o)