Beyond Expectations (Mended Hearts Book 3) Read online

  Beyond Expectations

  By Sarah Markel

  Author’s note

  When I started writing about the lives of the Walker family, I had no idea that what had started out as a stand-alone love story would evolve into a series of books chronicling their adventures. I never dreamed that other people would want to hear more about the lives of Alex and Kelly, and when I began receiving messages from people asking what would happen next, I was surprised to say the least. Writing about the lives of these characters was more fun than I had imagined it would be, even though at times the scenes or events that I was writing brought me to tears. I have immensely enjoyed writing this chapter in the Walker family history, and I hope that it is just as enjoyable to read. There are several people who helped make this book possible, and I would like to thank a few of those who helped the most.

  To my friend and fellow author, Nancy Ann Healy: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there and answering my questions to the best of your ability. I know that you were busy with your own writing, and the fact that you took the time to help me out when I needed it makes my fondness for you, as both a writer and someone I call friend, even greater. I wish you nothing but success with every book you publish, and I hope that one day I will be able to achieve the same level of confidence in my work that you so proudly display.

  To another friend and fellow author, Darla Baker: Your assistance and personal insight into whatever roadblock I was facing in the completion of this story has been invaluable, and I am honored that you were so willing to let me work through whatever was stalling my progress. Your open ear and the ease with which I was able to freely voice my concerns and insecurities, has helped me more than I can ever explain. Thank you so much for being there when I needed someone to vent to, and for offering your advice when I had none.

  To my dear friend, Ashley Tilley: There are not enough words to describe how grateful I am that you and your husband agreed to let me use you as “Kelly” for the cover of this book. I knew from the moment I started looking for a cover model that you were the only one who could convey the strength and beauty that Kelly exudes to those around her. Thank you for being a part of this project, and I can’t wait to work with you again in the future.

  To my friend and proof-reader, Kaylin Fuller: We have been friends for many years, and even though I know it is not necessary, thank you. You have been with me and the Alex and Kelly stories from day one, and without your opinions and suggestions, none of the books would be what they are today. I can’t wait to work with you again on my future endeavors, and I can only hope that you will be willing to continue to be my guinea pig with each and every story.

  Chapter 1

  “Honey, if it doesn’t work this time, I’m done trying. I don’t think I can take anymore disappointment.” Kelly said softly. Alex took her wife’s hand and brought it to her lips. “I understand, babe. If you want to stop trying, I support you. It only took a few tries for me to get pregnant when we had Zane and Dej, but I can see how frustrating this is for you.” The couple sat in adjoining chairs in an office on the third floor of Marilynn General Hospital. They had been in this same office six times over the past two years, and each time they had left disappointed. When they had returned from their honeymoon, the couple had announced their plans to have a baby. Their decision had been met with excited enthusiasm from both their families and their friends. When they had started their journey, one of the first decisions they’d had to undertake was selecting a donor.

  Alex had suggested that they ask Steve. When Alex and her first wife, Callie, had decided to have children, they had wanted the children to be a part of them both. The closest they could get to that was Steve, Callie’s brother and Alex’s brother in law. Kelly had considered the idea for a while, thinking that it would be nice for all three of their children to be biologically related. But after a few days of consideration, she had decided against it. She wanted this baby to be as much a part of Alex as Zane and Dej were of Callie. So one night at dinner, Kelly had suggested asking one of Alex’s four brothers to donate. “Well, we could always start with James and get that drama out of the way.” Alex had joked. Kelly had just glared at her. The couple had spent almost a month trying to decide which of her brothers would be the best candidate. Lee, Alex’s youngest brother, had only taken a few days to exclude as a possibility. The man was attractive enough, but neither woman thought that he could handle just being a sperm donor. Both women had enjoyed watching him as he played and interacted with his children, and they didn’t think that he would be able to just be an uncle to a child that he knew was his.

  The next brother up for debate was Ryan. Ryan was the second born of Alex’s brothers, and Kelly just adored the man. She had been fairly certain that the man would have jumped at the suggestion, but after discussing the idea with him, she had been disappointed when he turned them down. Ryan had turned them down because he, like his husband Raul, was sterile. That had been the deciding factor in their choosing to adopt their son, Dimitri, when they had decided they wanted children. When he confided in the women, Ryan had made them promise never to tell their parents about his lack of virility. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother and didn’t want to see pity in her eyes whenever a new baby was born into the family. Alex had understood his concerns, and swore to keep his secret. After immediately dismissing the idea of asking James, Alex’s third brother and the only member of the family who had shut out his sister because of her sexuality, the pair only had one more person to ask.

  Jon, the oldest of Alex’s younger brothers, had taken only a moment to agree to be their donor when the couple had asked him. Kelly had been delighted when he wrapped them both in a hug and thanked them for asking him. Jon was the brother who most closely resembled Alex. While all of the Walker children shared a strong family resemblance, Jon was the only brother who shared Alex’s hair and eye color, as well as her fair skin tone. At six-feet three inches tall and two hundred-fifty pounds of near solid muscle, Jon was powerfully built. He was the only boy to have red hair and green eyes, and his fair skin was smattered with a healthy spray of freckles, just like Alex’s. Once the paperwork had been completed, Alex and Kelly had shared the news of Jon’s involvement with the family. At first, Jon’s wife Cheyenne had been hurt, but after talking with the trio she had changed her mind and supported her husband’s desire to help his sister. Now, almost two years and six insemination procedures later, the women waited with baited breath for the doctor to come back in and tell them whether or not this last procedure had been a success. When the tall, thick black woman with the chestnut colored eyes walked back into her office, Alex rubbed her thumb over the back of Kelly’s hand and took a deep breath. “Well doc, let’s have it.” she said, readying herself for the familiar feeling of heartache that she was sure was about to come.

  *****

  “They’re here!” Angie said excitedly, hurrying back into the kitchen. Andrea smiled at her daughter and stood to pour two more cups of coffee. Setting the mugs on the table, she addressed the group sitting in her kitchen. “No matter what the doctor said, we all need to be supportive and encouraging.” she told the group. She beamed at the people gathered together, grateful that they all understood the delicateness of the situation. For the past two years, each time Alex and Kelly had gone to their confirmation appointment, their friends and family had all gathered at Andrea’s house for dinner, so the couple would only have to make their announcement once. Andrea gazed around at her guests as everyone chattered excitedly, awaiting the arrival of their favorite couple. Alex’s siblings were all gathered, including her three younger step-sisters, along wit
h several of the couple’s closest friends. Lauren and Judy, Allan and Terry, Chelsea and Billy, and Tabitha and Robby were all seated with the family. Andrea went to the back door and called the children inside. Not surprisingly, Zane was the first one inside, followed closely by his sister and cousins. “Are they back?” he asked breathlessly. Andrea smiled, nodding at her grandson. Just as the children situated themselves next to their parents, with Dej and Zane standing at the head of the table facing the archway that their mothers would be walking through, Andrea heard the front door close. Everyone waited expectantly for the women to appear, sharing excited glances with each other. When Alex and Kelly entered the kitchen and avoided eye contact with anyone, the room let out a collective groan of sadness.

  “Alex?” Hank said gently, ready to be the fatherly voice of assuagement. Alex just shook her head and rested her hand on the small of Kelly’s back. Everyone watched, unsure of what to say, as both Alex and Kelly looked at them with tears running down their cheeks. Alex leaned down and whispered something into Kelly’s ear, then reached out to her son and daughter. When the children rushed into their mothers waiting arms, Andrea felt her heart break. She had seen the look on each woman’s face every time they had announced the negative pregnancy test, and she could do nothing to stop the tears from flowing down her face once again. When Kelly broke away from the group hug and walked toward her, Andrea opened her arms. Kelly let the woman embrace her, returning the affectionate hug before whispering into her mother in law’s ear. Andrea pulled away and just stared at the woman. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked. At Andrea’s words, the room suddenly became still. All eyes were on Kelly as she handed Andrea a small rectangular card from inside her coat. Andrea looked down at the card in her hand and burst out in choked laughter.

  Confusion spread as the room looked from Andrea to Kelly, who had gone back to stand with her wife. When it became clear that Andrea was not going to enlighten anyone, Alex and Kelly made their announcement, their children grinning happily at their sides. “Team Walker will be welcoming a new player in July.” Alex said triumphantly, the room erupting with excitement. The women rushed Kelly, hugging her tightly, as the men crowded around Alex and congratulated her by slapping her on the back and shaking her hand. “You finally managed to get her pregnant, what did you do differently?” Billy asked playfully. Alex gave the man a mischievous smile and shrugged her shoulders, “I remembered not to pull out too soon.” she replied with a wink. Laughing, Billy stepped aside so Jon could embrace his sister. “Congratulations, Sis. I knew you had it in you.” he said quietly against her ear. She chuckled and whispered back, “Thank you, bubba. You have no idea what your help means to us.” Before either of them could say more, Jon’s wife Cheyenne stepped up to them and handed Alex a chubby, squirming baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Without a word, Cheyenne repeated the movement with Kelly, handing her a fussy bundle, swaddled in pink.

  “Looks like you two are gonna need some practice.” Cheyenne said with a chuckle before turning and reclaiming her seat at the table. Alex walked over to stand next to her wife. With a smile, she leaned down and placed a kiss on Kelly’s soft lips. “Wouldn’t it be cool if it was twins?” she asked. Kelly beamed and nodded, silently praying that God would make it so. She looked down into the tiny, cherubic face that had stopped fussing the moment Kelly’s arms had surrounded her. Jon and Cheyenne had tried for four years to get pregnant with their daughter, Anna. Now a happy and healthy eight year old, the little girl had been begging her parents for a sibling since before Alex and Kelly had gotten married. After Jon had donated for Alex and Kelly’s fourth failed attempt at conception, he and Cheyenne had announced their pregnancy at the family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Now, eleven months to the day later, Alex and Kelly were holding their twin niece and nephew and marveling at the prospect of soon holding their own child in their arms. “I hope that our baby is even half as cute as these two.” Kelly whispered to Alex as she watched the baby girl drift off to sleep.

  *****

  Later that evening, after the children were tucked into bed, Alex lay on the couch with her sleeping wife on her chest. The TV was on and muted, and Alex stared down at the top of Kelly’s head. Slowly running her fingers over the flat, exposed skin of Kelly’s abdomen, Alex whispered softly, “We’ve waited for two years to hear that you are in there, Rookie. The next nine months are going to be excruciating while we wait to meet you face to face. Mommy and I are really excited, and your big brother and big sister are over the moon now that you are going to be joining the team. This is Mommy’s first time, so you gotta be gentle. She doesn’t do well with nausea, so try not to make her throw up all the time. And whatever you do, don’t kick her in the lungs, it hurts like hell.” Alex’s quiet conversation with her unborn child was interrupted when Kelly placed her hand over Alex’s, stilling her fingers. “Maybe you should wait until the baby can hear you before you start giving pep talks, coach.” Alex chuckled softly, “It’s never too early for pep talks, babe.”

  Kelly scooted up a little further on Alex’s chest and lifted her arms over her head to drape lightly around Alex’s neck. Turning her head to the side and angling it a bit so she could see Alex better, Kelly kissed her gently. “I love you, coach.” she whispered when the kiss broke. Alex chuckled at the endearment and spread both of her hands out over Kelly’s stomach. Kelly’s pajama top had ridden up, exposing her middle, and the cool air had given her goosebumps. “I love you too, Mommy.” Alex said, capturing Kelly’s lips in a long, languid kiss while her hands roamed slowly over the flesh under her palms. “Will you still love me when I’m fat and moody?” Kelly asked, flicking her tongue over Alex’s bottom lip. “Nope.” Alex replied playfully, bringing her hands up under Kelly’s shirt to cup her breasts. Kelly moaned softly as Alex’s cold fingers skittered over her warm breasts. “I guess it’s a good thing this couch is comfortable then.” she murmured, arching her back as Alex’s fingers brushed over her hard nipples. Alex chuckled, squeezing the nubs between her fingers, “Why don’t we go upstairs so I can have one last night in the bed.”

  *****

  “Mom, can I name the baby?” Dej asked at breakfast the next morning. “What did you have in mind, sweetie?” Kelly asked her daughter. The eleven year old had changed a lot in the almost three and a half years since Kelly had come into her life. When Kelly had first met the child, Dej had been almost seven and about the size of the average four year old. Her curly red hair ad fallen just below her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes had viewed the world around her with contempt, in large part because people treated her like a toddler. Dej had been born with medical conditions that had slowed her physical growth, but thankfully had not affected her brain. Even at six, Kelly could tell that the child’s intelligence was advanced. Now, at nearly twelve years old, Dej was turning into the spitting image of her mother. Her hair had straightened some and grown several inches, now falling in soft, loose curls just above her waist. Her eyes still shone with intelligence, and she had softened her ways with other people. Dej was still small for her age, often being confused with her six and seven year old peers, but she carried herself with the air of confidence that most people didn’t attain until adulthood. “I think Taylor would be a good name for either a boy or a girl. It’s going to have Walker for a last name, so this way your family will be honored too.” the child replied, finishing her bowl of fruit. Kelly smiled and patted her on the arm. “That’s a great idea, Dej. Mom and I will talk about it and let you know what we think.” she said as the little girl took her bowl to the sink. Kelly smiled to herself as she set her own dishes in the sink and watched her daughter run up the stairs to finish dressing for school. Laying her hand over the center of her belly, she spoke softly to the growing life inside her, “You have a lot of people excited about you, and I think your brother and sister are more excited than anyone.”

  *****

  “Oh my Gosh, really Jack?” Kelly asked with a laugh when she and A
lex walked into Serenity Home. As soon as the couple had entered the building and passed through the lobby toward their offices, they had stopped and gawked at their closed office doors. Alex’s door was decorated with blue streamers, matching balloons, and a large poster that said “Congratulations!” across the middle. Kelly’s office was decorated in the same manner, except that hers was done in pink. As they got closer, they noticed that each of the posters had been signed by the many staff members that helped make the facility run the way it did. Jack handed each of the women a bouquet of pink and blue roses. “Your mom and I have had this planned for months,” Jack said, placing a kiss on each woman’s cheek, “and when she called me last night, I started calling the staff.” Alex shook her head and looked at Kelly with a smile, “I guess it’s a good thing we weren’t trying to keep it a secret then.” Kelly nodded and kissed her wife quickly, before letting herself into her office so she could get to work.

  “Alright Mrs. Jeffries, you’re all set. Next time you want to dance to the music in the atrium, make sure you keep your walker with you.” Kelly said gently as she finished placing a Tagederm patch over the skin tear on the elderly woman’s elbow. Mrs. Jeffries was eighty-seven years old, and had decided to shake what her mama gave her. Unfortunately, her feet had slid out from underneath her and she had fallen against a potted plant, tearing the skin along the bend of her elbow. “I don’t think I will be doing that again.” the old woman said with a chuckle. Kelly smiled and patted the woman’s arm as she helped her down from the exam table. “When are you due?” Mrs. Jeffries asked, once she was situated at her walker. Kelly was surprised by the question, because as far as she knew, the staff had been careful not to say anything to the residents. Sharing personal information with the residents was a tricky thing, and doing so without the consent of the subject was grounds for a write up. “What do you mean?” Kelly asked politely. Mrs. Jeffries just grinned and pointed to Kelly’s middle. “The baby. How far along are you? When you get older, you get a sense of the people around you. I could tell as soon as I walked in here that there was something different about you. You don’t look sick, but I saw the look on your face when you saw the blood on my arm. It made you nauseous, didn’t it?” the woman asked. Kelly shrugged and answered honestly, “A little. I’m due in July.” she said, helping the older woman back into the lobby and handed her over to the waiting aide. Kelly watched as the pair moved slowly across the lobby. Shaking her head, she headed back to her office to update the resident chart and notify the floor nurse of her findings.