My daughter Annie

My daughter Annie “Breath. Breath. Don’t push too hard.—-” came the instructions in the delivery room as Annie was bringing her first child into the world. “What am I doing here?” I thought to myself. “A woman’s husband or mother should be here. Not a father.” I grabbed my daughter’s hand and squeezed it, “Baby, you’re doing really well, I’m so proud of you,” I encouraged my only daughter who was close to presenting me with my third grand child. “Why didn’t you marry a normal guy? Why did Eric wait until you got Pregnant to tell you he wanted to live with his male lover and your marriage was a mistake?” These thoughts blitzed through my mind as this precious daughter was working so hard to deliver life into this world. “I see hair,” announced one of the nurses, “Grandpa, come over here and see your latest grandchild.” I dropped Annie’s hand and went to view this new entry into the world with Annie’s legs spread apart in the stirrups, certainly not a modest view for a woman to be in. She was clean shaven so the little red hairs were certainly not hers. I thought I had a strong constitution, but this was really a messy sight and I was feeling very light headed. And soon the baby came out in a gush, so fast that the doctors had to reach quickly to catch it. “It’s a girl!” Tears came to my eyes, “Marty why did you have to die. The little granddaughter we had wanted for so long was now here. A little girl needs to be held by her grandmother.” These were the thoughts that went through my mind as I starred at my daughter’s anatomy on display in such a non sexual manner. “Evangeline” “What did you say Annie?” I asked. “I want to call her Evangeline. Eve.” I went to my daughter’s face and kissed her. She knew that was my mother’s name and how I loved it. “Thank you Annie. It means so much to me.” “Daddy having you here means so much to me. I was so frightened that I would have to face this all alone. Thank you.” “This is the greatest thrill I could ever have. Seeing little Eve come into the world.” The nurse laid Eve across Annie’s chest so this new mother could see her first child immediately. Eve already had light red hair on her head. “I guess there’s no doubt she’s mine is there,” said Annie with a very content smile on her face. “No baby. She has you hair. And I can already see you in her.” I was asked to go into a waiting room while they finished up in the delivery room. Later I was sent to Annie’s room in the hospital to wait for her. She arrived, looking very exhausted, but very thrilled. “Daddy, thank you for being here when I needed you the most. And thank you for letting Eve and me come live with you.. I was so anxious about where I was going to go, what I was going to do.” She had stayed in her apartment after Eric left her. All through her pregnancy it was just the two of us. Her apartment had a rule against children and she was forced to move. Her mother had died five months ago after a long bout with cancer. And I had this big four bedroom home that was too much for one very lonely man to live in. I had resorted to talking to the furniture, looking at Marty’s pictures and hours of crying in my loneliness. “No Annie, thank you for coming to live with me. I need someone in the house so very badly. I’m hurting. You and Eve are the medicine I need.” I couldn’t wait for them to come home. I took the next two days off and stayed at the hospital. I would just spend hours looking in the nursery at Eve, to a point that the nurses knew my name the moment I walked into the viewing area, and would rush her crib to the window for me. “God, she’s beautiful,” I thought. My trips to Annie’s room were filled with hugs and kisses. I guess I did over do it with flowers and cards. But she was all I had. Her older brother was gone. Killed in an auto accident. My daughter in law had remarried and my two grandsons had been adopted. Except for a card on my birthday, I never heard from them. My wife was gone. I had no brothers or sisters. so it was just the three of us for all practical purposes. So why shouldn’t I give her a room filled with flowers, and Hallmark could always print more cards. When not at the hospital, I moved all of Annie’s belongings into the house, repainted her room, bought her some new furniture, and of course the best crib I could find for my new pride and joy. Everything was ready for my new, welcomed house guests. I was thrilled. Not only was I thrilled, but Annie was tickled pink when she came into the house and it was announced to her that this was her home and I was a guest. This was the beginning of a new depth to our relationship. One that would take some very strange twists. Eve was only 4 days old. Annie had just been home her first full day. I got home from work and she was in the living room with the TV on watching the news. As I stepped into the room she smiled and said “Hello”. She was bare from the waist up and was nursing Eve. “Annie, don’t you think you should cover up?” I suggested trying to hide my embarrassment. “Dad, these are the same breasts you saw in the hospital.