NINE MONTHS LATER

Calvin Edward Washington who was born at three fifteen in the afternoon on Friday August 25th 2006 weighing in a ten pounds even was forty-eight hours old now.

It wasn't an easy birth since the little boy stubbornly had been breech so right in the middle of the delivery; Wilhelmina had to be rushed to have an emergency C-section. It was scary at first but both mother and baby were now doing fine.

From what the doctors were telling her Wilhelmina was relieved to hear that Calvin was healthy despite the scare he gave everyone. 

It was Sunday morning now and Wilhelmina was going to be released tomorrow afternoon and the Washingtons would be here to take little Calvin home with them.

As with all adoption processes whether open or closed the birth mother was allowed at least seventy-two hours with her child before signing the documents and surrendering all parental rights.

During this time Wilhelmina was allowed to bond with Calvin and make up her mind whether or not she wanted to raise him as her own. 

It was a difficult matter and as much as the Porters wanted their grandson to come home with them as well they supported their daughter's choice to give him up for adoption.

Martin and Joyce Washington were a wonderful black couple who had been struggling for years with infertility and had been seeking to adopt for a while now.

Wilhelmina felt in her heart that they would be very good parents to Calvin and he deserved just that.

The two of them came by the hospital yesterday to meet Calvin and they were so thrilled and excited to finally have a child of their very own.

Even though it would be an open adoption and the Porters would still have contact with Calvin it would still be bittersweet. 

Wilhelmina had just turned twenty-one years old two weeks prior and she still wanted to finish college and start her career as a journalist she didn't feel like she would be a good mother.

Too many doubts had ran through Wilhelmina's head through out her pregnancy. She couldn't bring herself to abort but she wasn't ready for motherhood.

What if her child had Tourette's like her? When she had mentioned this to the Washingtons as a possibility they did not seem to mind.

What if her child ended up looking like Blake? It was one of the huge factors that weighed on Wilhelmina's mind when she made the choice to put her baby up for adoption. Of course the child couldn't help his genetic make up but Wilhelmina wasn't sure how she'd be able to handle that if it turned out that way.

Calvin was already light as much black babies are at birth but with a white father Wilhelmina wasn't sure he'd get as milk chocolate as she was thus the possibility of him looking like Blake.

"You know Mina you're allowed to hold Calvin even when he doesn't need anything" her mother Lynn said

"I know Momma" she replied, "I j-j-just don't w-w-want to get a-a-attached"

"And I can see why" Lynn chuckled rocking the baby back and forth "this child is too precious I just want you to know that it's healthy mentally to bond with him too"

"Aren't you hungry sweet pea?" her father Gerald asked, "you hardly touched your breakfast and you love pancakes"

"I'm f-f-fine Daddy"

"Then what's bothering you?"

"I j-j-just feel so selfish" Wilhelmina confessed "I feel like I'm d-d-doing what's best for Calvin but s-s-sometimes I feel l-l-like I'm giving up on him"

"Oh no Mina" Lynn said "trust me when I say this is the most unselfish thing you can do and most of all your father and I just want you to be happy after all you've been through"

"He's y-y-your f-f-first grandchild"

"Yes we know" Gerald chuckled "that's why we're excited the adoption is open"

"Now that we can agree on" Lynn laughed too "besides Martin and Joyce is going to love this little boy to pieces"

Calvin whimpered indicating that he was hungry and Wilhelmina had his bottle ready. The nurses told her that breast-feeding would be okay as well but Wilhelmina decided it was best to put him on formula since she wouldn't be there to nurse him past Monday.

Plus breast-feeding felt too much like a mother and child connection and although she had given birth to him that didn't make her his mother. Joyce would be his real mother.

"Hungry little thing too" Gerald chuckled as Calvin suckled ravenously at the nipple of the bottle "though I do recall another little baby that was the same way"

The little sentimental moment made Wilhelmina smile a little making her feel better about the situation.

Calvin would be loved and that was the most important thing to remember and if Wilhelmina could keep that in mind she'd be able to get through tomorrow.

"Are you ready to sign the papers Miss Porter?" the social worker asked "have you made your final decision?"

"Y-y-yes I'm ready"

There were many people in the hospital room that afternoon. Gerald and Lynn Porter were there of course since Wilhelmina was being discharged and still healing from her C-section and would be taken home.

Two nurses and the social worker from the adoption agency. Martin and Joyce Washington who were ready to take Calvin home with them. Although they had agreed on an open adoption Wilhelmina would still be signing away all of her parental rights.

It was for the best. Calvin would have to stable parents who would love him and Wilhelmina could get her life back on track. However what really surprised Wilhelmina was how emotional she was once she finished signing all of the papers.

It was from post partum depression and that fact that she was realizing that this process was actually happening now. Tears flowed freely now and both Lynn and Joyce wrapped their arms around the young woman in comfort.

Lynn reassured her daughter that it would be okay while Joyce gave nothing but praises to her about how grateful she was and promises to love Calvin as if she had birthed him herself.

The Washingtons promised to send the Porters as many updates and pictures as possible and even suggested holiday visits as well.

"We'll make sure Calvin knows who you are" Joyce said "you're apart of our family now too"

"C-c-can I hold him?" Wilhelmina asked, "just one l-l-last time please?"

"Of course you can"

The Washingtons allowed Wilhelmina to have her final moments with Calvin and Gerald took pictures of everyone with the baby.

Taking Calvin in her arms Wilhelmina watched as the baby blinked his eyes and wiggled his tiny fingers in the air. Wilhelmina kissed those fingers as well as his cheeks, nose, and forehead.

"I love you Calvin Edward"

When the Washingtons left both Lynn and Gerald held Wilhelmina in their arms and she cried for what seemed like hours.

Although Wilhelmina didn't return to Bloomsburg University for her senior year she still kept in touch with Lizzie and Katrina from the campus church group and never lost touch with them.

However she did lose touch with Reid Stone and perhaps it was for the best; she wanted him to be able to live his life and pursue his professional football career without worrying about her all the time.

With losing contact with Reid she also wasn't in contact with Blake either which was certainly a good thing. Wilhelmina still had nightmares about what he did to her and it made her sick to think that she used to have a crush on him.

Wilhelmina wouldn't see neither Reid nor Blake again for another ten years.....