A Chance for Redemption

He was our son. And that meant that . . .

I threw my arms around the boy and hugged him as tightly as I could. Nathan squealed with delight at getting the hug and kicked his feet into the air. I pulled back after he let go and studied his face once again. I wanted to tell him everything, everything that a father could possibly want to tell a son.

"Are you feeling better today, Dad?" he asked. "Mom and I have been really worried about you!"

"Really worried," Nicole stressed as she came to the other side of the bed. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it like she always did. "How are you feeling this morning, honey? Any better? How's the pain?"

I couldn't control my tears. My heart soared at the knowledge of what I'd experienced. I'd truly gotten my second chance.

"I'm wonderful," I said with the biggest smile. "I couldn't be better honestly!"

Nicole gave me a funny look before she leaned down to kiss me. "I'm so relieved to hear that," she said finally when she pulled away. "It's a good thing you were in the Caravan and not the Camaro," she said. "This probably could've been a lot worse!"

I was so happy, I didn't even cringe at the implication of her words. I just smiled and nodded. "I'm an extremely lucky man."

I spent the next couple hours in childlike awe of my family as I sought to make up for lost time. Nathan really was a great kid, so precocious and full of life. I found that a lot my preconceived ideas about children were just flat out wrong. It might have been knowing he was mine, but for some reason, there was a deep well of love for him that developed in those few hours, one that I never knew existed. Suddenly, all the fear was gone.

It was a short while later that Nathan exhausted himself. He had cradled against me on the hospital bed, and he was soon snoozing away with a little catnap of his own. I brushed my fingers through his hair before kissing his forehead while Nicole resumed her spot by my bed.

"You sure you're feeling okay this morning?" she asked with a knowing smile. "You seem a little out of it still."

I shook my head quickly. "I'm just perfect. I have everything I need here," I said as I reached over to grab her hand. "Things are going to be better from now on," I said in a more serious tone. "I know I haven't been the greatest at making tough decisions, but I'm going to be a better man for you and Nathan. I promise you that."

Nicole gave me a silly look. "You're already a great husband and father. I don't know how you could get any better."

"Even still," I continued. "I'm going to try harder."

She kissed me again. "You're everything to me, Derek. You and Nathan." Her eyes became teary. "I'm just so thankful that you're alive."

"I've never been more thankful either," I said.

Nicole's eyes focused on the sleeping form of her son. "He adores you so much. You're so good with him that sometimes I can't help but watch you two together and think about how lucky I am."

"Even though I had my doubts at first?"

Nicole started to laugh. "You know, I still remember what you said when I first told you I was pregnant. I remember being so anxious to tell you!"

I didn't respond to that statement. From that last moment, I still didn't know exactly how I responded to her. My look of confusion made Nicole continue talking.

"Do you remember?" she asked.

I shook my head.

She smiled as she remembered. "You took a long time to respond at first, and I started to fear the worst. But then you told me that you had no idea what fatherhood would look like. You told me that you never expected it to be in the cards for you. But then you placed your hand on my stomach and told me that he was something we created together. Someone we created with our love. And how could someone like that not possibly be great?"

I swallowed another lump in my throat. I couldn't stop getting them that morning. "I said all of that?" I asked.

Nicole nodded and smiled. "I knew at that point that we would be together forever."

She really meant it too. All the pain of the first timeline had been completely erased. Nicole was mine for the rest of our lives, and for that reason, I couldn't have been more grateful.

"Derek, who's this card from?" she asked a short while later as she went through the numerous cards by the window. "Who is Barry? Someone you work with?"

I looked over with astonishment as she waved a get well card around. "Can I see that?"

She brought it over and put it in my hands. "Sounds like a nice guy from the message."

I opened the card to read for myself.

Derek,

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I hope your life has turned out the way you want it to be. It's not everyday that you find someone with the courage to live their life to the fullest extent. Never lose sight of that.

Barry

Nicole raised an eyebrow after I set the card down. "Well? Who is it?"

I smiled. "Just an old friend."

As I laid in bed, I pondered Barry's words for a while while holding the sleeping form of my son. Inwardly, I marveled at how different my life had turned out to be just from changing a few key moments. Barry was right about one thing. This life of mine was the one that I had chosen. My decisions had reinforced my path, and I had become a better man for it.

I looked down at Nathan's face, remembering another situation when a son spent time with his father in the hospital. It seemed that it had all come full circle. In that moment, I vowed to always make good on my do-over.

"You know maybe this whole thing was a good thing after all," I said while looking at Nicole. "Maybe I can use this event as a fresh start, you know? The accident wasn't the best thing that could happen but maybe everything happens for a reason?"

Nicole raised her eyebrow and gave me a funny look. "You think hitting a brick wall and nearly dying will give you a fresh start? Just how hard did you hit your head during this thing?"

I shrugged. "I look at things a little differently now. Who knows, maybe it will give me a chance at redemption? A second chance at life."

Nicole leaned in to kiss me. "As long as you spend the second chance at life with me, I don't mind in the slightest."

I kissed her back. "I can think of no better way to spend my life than with you and our family."