Promises
        Chapter 40
 

"I think we should all wait outside," Rick commented.
"It's okay," Michelle spoke up, her voice quivering. "Please stay. Dr. Freeman, what is the news? How is our daughter?"
"Well, I really don't know how to tell you this," he began with a sigh.
"Oh my God," Michelle buried her head against Danny.
"Please, just tell us," Danny pleaded, the emotion evident in his voice.
Dr. Freeman moved closer and sat down beside Michelle. "We had your daughter on a ventilator ever since her birth. Her lungs were underdeveloped and she wasn't able to breathe on her own. I was hoping that the ventilator would buy us some time and give her lungs time to get stronger. But…I don't even know how to say this."
"Just say it," Danny snapped, fighting his tears as he pulled Michelle closer.
"Wait just a minute," he stood and turned toward the door.
"What? You can't leave," Danny demanded. "Tell us what happened to our daughter. We need to know."
Dr. Freeman turned to him and held up his hand. "Hold on." He walked out the door and said something to someone on the outside before walking back in. "I don't think my words can do justice, so I'll just let you see for yourselves."
He stood to the side as a nurse walked in behind him, holding their baby in her arms.
Michelle stared at Dr. Freeman with her tears still flowing down her face. "Is this…"
"This is your daughter," he smiled as the nurse placed the baby in her arms.
Michelle began to cry harder as she held her tiny daughter in her arms. Danny moved closer, not able to take his eyes off of her.
"How did this happen?" Ed asked.
"You're guess is as good as mine," Dr. Freeman smiled. "We were taking the tube out of her throat to change to a smaller one, but before we could put the other tube in, she started breathing on her own. We waited and watched her closely for a couple of hours and her breathing stayed normal."
"You mean she's okay?" Danny's voice cracked.
"She is as healthy as any newborn," he said. "She's a little small, but all her organs are functioning normally."
"How?" Michelle cried. "I don't understand."
"Modern medicine can only do so much," he answered with a smile. "There are some things we just can't explain except to say it's the grace of God."
"Looks like we got our Christmas miracle," Ed cried, looking down at his granddaughter.
"I'll leave her here for a little while, but then she needs to go back to the nursery so she can rest," Dr. Freeman said. "And it looks like mama will need the rest too."
"We can never thank you enough," Danny said.
"No need to thank me," he smiled. "I'll come check on her in a little while." He and the nurse turned to leave.
"She is so beautiful," Michelle whispered.
"Just like her mother," Danny said kissing Michelle's temple.
"Look at all that hair," Abby cried.
"You know, are we going to have keep calling her baby?" Rick laughed. "Or are you finally going to give my niece a name?"
Before Michelle could speak there was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to look and saw Carmen standing in the doorway.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she began. "I just wanted to see how Michelle…" She stopped as she walked closer and saw the baby in Michelle's arms. "What? How can this be? I thought…"
"She's fine," Danny smiled, the emotion not leaving his voice. "She's a perfectly healthy baby."
"My first grandchild," she whispered, gently touching the baby's head.
"Okay, sorry to interrupt, but back to my question," Rick said. "Give this poor kid a name."
"Well," Michelle began. "Danny and I have talked about it a lot and we finally came up with the perfect name."
"We wanted to name her after someone we both love, but we also wanted her to be her own person as well," Danny explained.
"So we came up with the name Anna Elizabeth," Michelle said. "Anna Elizabeth Santos."
"But Anna is my middle name," Carmen stared at her.
"I know ma'ma," Danny smiled. "We figured she probably wouldn't be here and neither would Michelle if you hadn't shown up at the lighthouse when you did."
"But Daniel, after everything…" she said as a single tear escaped from her eye.
"After everything you've done to help us over the past couple of months, we couldn't think of a better person to name our daughter after," he explained. "Everything else is in the past. I forgive you for all of that…we both forgive you."
Carmen wrapped her arms around Danny and held him tight. "I won't let you down, I promise."
"And Elizabeth was Maureen's middle name," Ed smiled at Michelle.
She nodded her head. "You know you were right Dad. She is still here. She always will be."
"We'll have to tell this little one all about her," Ed kissed the baby gently.
"We will," she smiled.
"Well, now that the newest member of our family has a name, I think it's about time we gave Anna some time alone with her mom and dad," Rick proclaimed.
"You're right," Ed agreed. He kissed Michelle and the baby again. "I love you sweetie. I'll be back in to see you in a little while."
"We love you too," Abby said as her and Rick kissed her good-bye.
"You get some rest," Rick demanded. "Danny don't her wear herself out."
"I won't," he smiled. "I'll take care of her. I'm going to take care of both of them."
As the door closed, Michelle let out a deep breath and turned to look at Danny. "I can't believe this."
"She is so perfect," he beamed, putting one arm behind Michelle and his other hand gently rubbing his daughter's head.
"What time is it?" Michelle asked wearily.
Danny lifted his arm to look at his watch. "Almost 10:00. Why?"
"It's still Christmas," she smiled. "This is her first Christmas and birthday. You know how spoiled this kid is going to get, having Christmas and Birthday presents all at one time."
"I don't care," he began. "We'll give her the world if she wants it."
"You know, you still have a Christmas present at home to open yourself," she looked up at him. "I really wanted you to open it today."
"Everything I have ever wanted is right here in front of me," he smiled. "My wife and my daughter…that's all I will ever need."

A short while later Michelle slowly opened her eyes noticing the glow of the Christmas lights against the bare walls. She turned her head to find Danny and saw him standing by the Christmas tree, holding their daughter. Tears filled her eyes at the sight of her husband, the tough and strong Danny Santos, dancing and singing softly to their daughter.
"She's got you wrapped around your finger already, doesn't she?"
"Hey," he turned around quickly. "I thought you were sleeping."
"I was," she smiled. "But I'm glad I woke up see this."
"I just can't stop looking at her," he beamed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Michelle pushed herself up so she could get a better look at her daughter, but grimaced when she moved too fast.
"Hey, take it easy," Danny frowned. "I know you think you could run a marathon about now, but you did just have surgery."
"I think my marathon days are over," she winced.
"Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.
"When I look at the two of you, I barely even notice it," she smiled.
"I'm serious," he said. "I don't want you to lie here in pain when you could…"
"Shh!" she silenced him with her lips on his. She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder and gently taking her daughter's hand in hers. "She is perfect."
"I can't believe we did this," Danny smiled. "I never in a million years dreamed I could be this happy. I have a beautiful, wonderful wife. And now we have this amazing creature in our lives."
"A family of our own," she sighed.
"I promise you," he began. "From now on, nothing is going to come before the two of you. My life is all yours…forever."
"All mine, huh?" she laughed. "What ever will I do with you?"
"I'm sure you can come up with something," he smiled mischievously, leaning in for another kiss.
After they parted, he stayed close and looked intently into her eyes. "I want you to promise me something," he said seriously.
"And what would that be?" she whispered as their foreheads touched.
"Love me for the rest of my life," he answered, caressing her face.
"No," she shook her head. "I'll love you for the rest of mine."
"Promise?" he leaned into her closer.
"I promise," she whispered as their lips met yet again.

THE END