An Emotional Day
Being a soldier, Brooks had never been prevented from boarding a plane before. Tears were still streaming down his face when was stopped.
“Stop! Don’t let him board that plane”. The other passengers crowded around him and a haze of chattering voices blared around him. As the words rang out, Brooks felt a surge of emotion pass through him.
Tough Choices
When Brooks Lindsey of Jackson, Mississippi met his wife Haley, the couple’s love felt like a whirlwind romance. It wasn’t long after marriage that the couple was blessed with exciting news; they were expecting their first child.
However, Brooks had enlisted as a soldier and his career was taking off. He knew that this meant he’d have to make sacrifices in the future. He just never realized how much some of them would hurt.
Deployment
Soon after learning that Haley was pregnant, Brooks received his papers and learned that he was destined for a 9-month long deployment to Kuwait.
The couple hastily did some calculations and realized that he would be cutting it close to the time when their daughter was due. As Haley reached the 7-month point of her pregnancy, the young couple got some sad news.
Training
Before shipping out to Kuwait, Brooks would first have to undergo special training. For this, he would have to fly out to Texas and the timing couldn’t have been worse.
The period when Brooks would need to be in Texas clashed with the baby’s due date. Hoping to find some way around this, the couple began looking into other options.
The Red Cross Process
After making some inquiries, Brooks learned that the Red Cross did have a process that provided special leave for soldiers to be there for the birth of their children.
This gave Brooks and Haley new hope. However, when the couple looked at the requirements to apply for that type of leave, they were left crestfallen.
Special Conditions
There was no way around it. The Red Cross process only granted this kind of leave in special circumstances where it could be medically proven that either the mother, the baby, or both, were in distress.
No father in their right mind would ever hope for such a thing to happen. Brooks, therefore, had to face the painful realization that he’d have to miss the birth of his child.
Flying Out
When the time came for Brooks to fly out for his training, it was a tearful goodbye. The couple did their best to stay in touch in between Brook’s grueling training regiments. Facetime became their best friend as they planned for the big day.
It was confirmed that the couple was going to have a daughter and they both decided on the name, Millie, for their little girl. However, all too soon, a serious problem arose.
Complications
Haley had been sticking to her routine checkups and so far everything had been going well. However, during her last checkup, the doctor noticed some complications.
Haley was told that she would have to come in for delivery earlier than anticipated. Brooks stayed in contact with her and on the day in question, things got worse.
Worrying News
When Brooks checked in with the doctor on the day, he was informed that there were further complications and they would need to rush Haley in as the baby was in distress.
Although deeply worried about his wife and daughter, Brooks also realized that this twist of fate meant he could now apply for special leave to be there with them.
Cruel Twist
The Red Cross process was agonizing and required a written confirmation from the doctor first. Once confirmed, Brooks rushed to the DFW airport and finally got a connecting flight by way of El Paso.
However, fate cruelly intervened once again. The flight was delayed and there was now no way that Brooks would make it on time. Still in his fatigues, the soldier sat against a wall near the terminal, Staring at his phone screen, he began to cry uncontrollably.
Mom To The Rescue
The crestfallen soldier drew many stares from other passengers. When he explained his situation, the people around him were very sympathetic. Back at the hospital, Brook’s mother took his place in the delivery room.
Also heartbroken that her son was missing the birth of Millie, she decided to do something about it. Despite protests from the doctor (who eventually allowed it) she took her phone in and Facetimed Brooks. To Brook’s delight, he could now also witness the birth.
Anxious Moments
Unfortunately, the flight was now boarding. Brooks would have to soon switch his phone off and Millie still wasn’t born. Pitying him, the other passengers tried their best to delay boarding but, eventually, they were all out of time.
The flight crew instructed Brooks to switch off his phone. With a broken heart, he was just about to when he heard the doctor suddenly shout, “Stop! Don’t let him board that plane. She’s here! She’s here!”.
A Good Day
Brook’s face lit up with excitement when he heard this. Other passengers were enthralled by his situation and cheers rang out for him. Some of them explained what was happening to the flight crew and Brooks was graciously allowed a few moments to witness the big moment.
After the emotional rollercoaster of a day, Brooks finally got to experience what he had been dreaming of for so long. Finally, his little girl was born and he was able to see it all.
Millie
Despite the complications and distress Millie faced, the doctor’s quick action resulted in a smooth birth and baby Millie was born in perfect health.
Being able to witness her coming into the world filled Brook’s heart with joy and he wore a smile on his face for the rest of the day. Now there was just one thing left to do.
Boarding
Finally, the twice-delayed flight boarded and the flight turned out to be a pleasant one for all on board. So many other passengers had shared in Brook’s tension that day that his personal joy was shared by them all.
With positive vibes all around, everyone relaxed and enjoyed the flight. Brooks settled in and awaited his next big moment, knowing that soon, he would be able to finally meet his daughter in person too.